How To Reduce Friction To Make New Habits Stick

Ever told yourself you were going to start a new habit—only to ditch it a few days later? Maybe you planned to work out in the morning, but your running shoes were buried at the back of the closet. Or you wanted to read before bed, but grabbing your phone was just way easier.

That’s friction in action.

Friction is anything that makes a habit harder than it needs to be. But here’s the good news—you can flip the script. Make good habits easier by reducing friction, and make bad habits harder by adding it. A few small tweaks can make all the difference.

In this guide, we will cover how to make friction work for you instead of against you.

Understand Friction: The Hidden Force Shaping Your Habits

If you’ve ever read Atomic Habits by James Clear, you’re likely familiar with the concept of friction and how it shapes our behaviors.

Friction exists in everything we do. It can be physical—like the distance between you and your goal. It can be mental—the effort required to get started. Or it can be emotional—the resistance that makes something feel overwhelming.

For example, you want to work out in the morning, but your workout gear is buried in a drawer, making it feel like too much effort. So you skip it. That’s friction at play.

The solution – reduce the friction so it feels easier.

I know a few people that go to bed in their workout gear so they can workout first thing in the morning, like wearing a sports crop top so you just have to throw on the rest of your gear. But if you’re not keen to do that, it’s simply a matter of finding another way to make this step easier and reduce the barriers that are stopping you from taking action.

Not All Friction Is Bad

Some friction can be good. Sometimes, adding a little extra effort is exactly what’s needed to stop habits that no longer serve you.

For example, you want to start eating healthy so you stop buying junk food. Next time you get a sweet tooth craving, the only solution is to either go to the shop or bake yourself some yummy treat. That’s a much bigger effort and that friction can help stop your bad habit in its tracks.

The problem is when friction makes it harder to do things that align with your goals—exercising, eating well, getting enough rest. If something feels like a hassle, chances are, you will avoid it.

By understanding how friction influences behaviour, you can start making adjustments that support your habits instead of working against them.

How to Reduce Friction For Good Habits

If you want a habit to stick, make it stupidly easy. The less effort it takes, the more likely you are to actually follow through.

Think of it like clearing a path—when there’s nothing in your way, it’s effortless to keep moving. But if your environment is working against you, even the best intentions won’t be enough.

So, let’s talk about how to set yourself up for success by removing the little obstacles that make habits harder than they need to be.

1. Prepare Your Environment for Success

Your surroundings play a huge role in shaping your habits. A cluttered, inconvenient space creates resistance, while an environment designed for ease makes following through almost automatic.

Simplifying my life has been a huge passion project for me for the past 10 years and I am always looking for little tweaks I can make to my home and life that work in this way. And this is an ongoing process that I feel like we never fully achieve, but are always working towards.

Here are a few small changes that can make a big difference to removing barriers in your enviornment:

Make what you need easy to access

• If you want to drink more water, keep a filled water bottle within reach.
• Set out your workout clothes the night before so there’s no decision-making required in the morning.
• Or wear your workout gear to bed.
• Have healthy snacks readily available.
• Meal prep healthy meals at the start of the week.
• Keep a book beside your bed.
• Clear your clutter hot spots by adding functional storage like a basket on the counter for collecting the random items that end up there.
• Make your space functional so you’re more likely to do the work or hobbies you want to do.
• Keep a cleaning caddy in each bathroom for quick cleans.

Automate what you can

• Set up autopay for bills.
• Schedule grocery deliveries with healthy foods.
• Use a robot vacuum cleaner to help keep up with housework.
• Set daily reminders for habits.

These are just a few examples of reducing friction. The fewer barriers between you and your habit, the easier it becomes to stick with.

2. Make It Effortless to Start

The hardest part of any habit is often just getting started. Reduce the steps required, and you will remove the mental resistance that holds you back.

When a habit feels easy to begin, you’re far more likely to follow through.

• Keep tools and resources visible. Want to read more? Place your book on your nightstand, not hidden on a shelf.
• Use habit stacking. Attach a new habit to something you already do—like stretching right after brushing your teeth.
• Start ridiculously small. Commit to just one push-up, one page, or one minute. Getting started is half the battle.

3. Add Rewards & Motivation

When something is enjoyable, you’ll naturally want to do it more. Pairing habits with rewards and accountability can help solidify them.

The easier and more rewarding a habit feels, the more naturally it will become part of your routine.

• Make it fun: If you only allow yourself to listen to your favorite podcast or an exciting audiobook (hello, romantasy…) while walking, you will start looking forward to it.
• Add social accountability: Join a class, schedule workouts with a friend, or track progress in a group setting so you feel accountable and more likely to stay consistent.
• Celebrate small wins: Reinforce good habits by acknowledging your progress—even if it’s just checking off a habit tracker or setting yourself small rewards.
• Gamify it: Gamifying life is one of my favourite life hacks. If you have a competitive nature, strive to outdo your previous streaks with consistant habits or increased habit stacks and keep track so it’s essentially like the dopamine hit you get with playing games.

When More Friction is Actually a Good Thing

We often hear that reducing friction is key to building good habits and breaking bad ones. However, there’s another side to the equation.

Sometimes, increasing friction can be just as effective in helping you break free from habits that no longer serve you.

Here’s how you can intentionally introduce friction into your life to make it easier to ditch those unwanted behaviors.

1. Create Obstacles for Unwanted Behaviors

The simplest way to reduce the temptation of a bad habit is by making it more difficult to do. By creating small obstacles or barriers, you can make the bad behavior less accessible and more inconvenient, which helps you avoid it.

• Move Distractions Out of Reach: One of the easiest ways to cut down on distractions is by physically removing them.

For example, if you find yourself mindlessly scrolling on your phone, try moving it to another room while you’re working, or delete social media apps from your phone altogether. The more effort it takes to access your distractions, the less likely you will indulge.

2. Delay Gratification & Add Intentional Steps

We’re often driven by impulse, especially when it comes to habits we want to break.

Introducing intentional delays or extra steps can create enough friction to pause those automatic reactions, allowing you time to rethink your decisions.

• Wait 10 Minutes Before Giving In: A simple but effective technique to delay impulse behaviors is the “wait 10 minutes” rule. Whenever you feel the urge to give in to a habit you’re trying to break, commit to waiting for just 10 minutes. During that time, distract yourself with another activity or remind yourself why you’re trying to break the habit. By the end of the 10 minutes, you might find that the urge has passed.
• Use Timed Locks & Limits: For tech-related habits, such as excessive phone use or screen time, try setting daily screen time limits on your apps or phone to add another layer of friction when you start to mindlessly scroll. These small barriers give you a moment to stop and think before you engage in behaviors that don’t align with your goals.

Align Friction with Your Goals

Friction doesn’t have to be a negative force. In actual fact, aligning friction with your goals can help you stay focused and motivated to stick to your positive habits, while also making those less desirable actions more difficult to pursue.

• Add Friction to Distractions & Time Wasters: If something in your life isn’t benefiting you or contributing to your well-being, add friction to make it less appealing. For example, you might unsubscribe from sales email lists and turn off phone notifications to help prevent unwanted spending. By making these activities more effortful, you reduce the likelihood of engaging in them.
• Remove Friction for Positive Habits: On the flip side, when it comes to habits that support your goals, you want to make them as frictionless as possible. For example, if exercise is a goal, make it easy to get started by keeping your workout gear out and ready to go. If you’re trying to eat healthier, prep your meals in advance or keep healthy snacks easily accessible. The less friction there is in starting a good habit, the more likely it is to become a regular part of your routine.

So friction is both a good and bad thing! To simplify your life, finding ways to reduce friction in the areas that you want to stay consistent can make a huge difference to building new habits. In that very same way, adding friction works to help build barriers around those things we no longer want to do.