I’m currently reading My 31 Practices by Alan Williams and Steve Payne (illustrated by John Montgomery), and have just finished the chapter Habit. At the start of the said chapter, the authors are talking about the Hook Model (Trigger/Action/Variable Reward/Investment) and the Habit Loop (Cue/Routine/Reward). Towards the end they provided an illustration of the approach.

I decided to “test drive” the concepts by adapting them in the context of my Swedish language learning with Duolingo. For this exercise, I’ll be using pages 115 and 116 as my template. To my delight it was super easy to do! Here’s how:

1) At a certain time of the day, I receive a notification from Duolingo to remind me to practice for the day (PROMPT/CUE).

2) When I access Duolingo (ACTION/ROUTINE), I can see which sections require revision (PROMPT/CUE).

3) I then take the time to look (PROMPT/CUE) at those sections and start practicing or completing them (ACTION/ROUTINE).

4) When the sections are completed I can see the bar becoming full once again—this pleases me (REWARD). With the completion of those sections requiring work, I start on a new module to move myself along (INVESTMENT). Note: Duolingo does not allow one to tackle a new module until the current one is completed.

5) I capture a screenshot of the new level I have passed for reflection and recording (ACTION/ROUTINE).

6) I’m motivated when I complete this process because I’m confirming to myself I have accomplished my Swedish language learning goals for the day (REWARD). The tangible outcome i.e. Duolingo scores and the screenshots I made reinforce the accomplishments, and the accumulation of this data over time builds my connection with the Duolingo approach (INVESTMENT).

7) Sharing my results on my blog or in person with my friends and family serves as both a REWARD and INVESTMENT.

It is satisfying to see how easy it is to apply the principles on what I'm already doing with what I'm reading in this book. I will continue to study those principles and craft my own 31 practices. Baby steps!