Last week, while discussing when "later" comes while dealing with your read-later list, I mentioned creating a "barnacle habit" if you don't have the option to put a dedicated block of time on your calendar. This got me thinking about one of the topics in last year's Tidy '24 material, specifically from Habits Month in September: routine triggers.
Simply put, a routine trigger is something you already do regularly that you latch onto as a cue for your new habit. Instead of trying to remember to organize your photos once a week, or every Thursday night, or any other time that still requires forethought and schedule rearrangement, you attach the task to something inevitable—like your morning tooth-brushing stop, or your lunch break.
The magic happens because your brain treats the new behavior as an extension of an established pattern rather than something entirely separate you need to remember.
Creative Trigger Ideas
Beyond the classics (meals, bathroom breaks, commute), here are some routine triggers that readers have discovered:
- Waiting for your computer to boot up: Perfect for a quick phone photo deletion session
- Kids' bedtime routine: While they brush their teeth, you unsubscribe from one stale newsletter or unnecessary promotional email
- Charging your phone at night: Before plugging in, delete five photos or clear all notifications (or both!)
- Podcast or TV commercial breaks: Sort one document or process a few emails--it's better than a social media scroll!
- End of each Zoom call: Take 30 seconds to file any notes or action items before moving on, or switch gears and
Routine triggers are perfect for your read-later list, but they also work for just about anything else you want to start doing regularly as well--at least, as long as the new activity is quick or can be broken apart into short tasks. (Obviously, you're not going to cram a regular two-hour photo-sorting session into every bathroom break.)
Whether it's reading articles, watching interesting videos, listening to podcasts, cleaning out some emails, sorting photos, or any other digital organization activity, the principle remains the same: attach the behavior to something you already do.
One person now processes their read-later list during their kids' Saturday morning cartoons. Another reviews saved articles while their dinner cooks. These aren't separate time blocks they had to find; they're moments that already existed, just harnessed for a different purpose with a little extra focus.
Some Homework
If you're up for the challenge, choose one new routine trigger combination this week. But make it small. I mean, ridiculously small. Tiny. Instead of "organize photos during lunch," try "delete one photo while waiting for lunch to heat up." Instead of "process email before bed," try "archive two emails while your toothbrush charges." (You might also find a way to put a sticky note or other visual reminder where you'll notice it when you
Why so small? Because the goal this week isn't progress...it's practice. We're training your brain to recognize the trigger and respond automatically. Once that neural pathway is established, you can try for more.
Right now, before you close this email, write down:
- Your chosen trigger (something you do daily)
- Your tiny task (emphasis on TINY)
- Where you'll track your success (sticky note, phone note, calendar mark)
Remember: you're not trying to clean your entire digital life this week. You're just practicing the art of the trigger. That's it.
Some of you have been using routine triggers since last September (or earlier!) with great success. Others might be trying this for the first time. Either way, this week is about refining the technique and making it even more automatic. Reply and tell me what trigger combination you're going to try. I love hearing about the creative solutions you all come up with; they often become examples I share with others who are struggling to get started.
Until next week, happy data-taming!