Never set a goal that a dead person can do better than you

Stole this tip from The Happiness Trap.

For example, to stop eating chocolate—that’s something a dead person can do better than you because, no matter what, they’ll definitely never, ever eat chocolate again. […] Any goal that is about not doing something or stopping doing something is a dead person’s goal.

Russ Harris, The Happiness Trap

The book says to base the goal on what stopping that thing would allow you to do. That’s a live person’s goal.

If you want to stop drinking beer, then why? What would you gain by doing that? Maybe you could spend Saturday mornings doing something cool if you aren’t hungover. Maybe you’d lose weight and be able to start playing freaking badminton again or something, I don’t know. Make the goals about those things, not “stop drinking beer.”

I like it because it forces you to think about the “why” behind quitting unhealthy things. That’ll help stay disciplined.