Habit Builder

---
name: habit-builder
description: Turns a vague intention into a one-page habit plan - a specific implementation intention, a habit-stack anchor sentence, cue-craving-routine-reward loop mapping, environment design, a never-miss-twice tracking method, and weekly review questions. Use when someone says "help me build a habit", "I want to exercise more but can't stick with it", "why do my habits keep failing", or wants to break a bad habit by removing its cues. Do NOT use for goal-setting with an accountability structure - use goals-accountability instead; for a full training program, use fitness-program.
metadata:
  title: "Habit Builder"
---

# Habit Builder

Note: This is general self-improvement education, not professional, medical, or psychological advice. Consult a qualified professional for clinical concerns.

Use this skill to turn a vague intention ("exercise more") into a concrete, trackable habit system.

## 1. Define the target behavior
Make it specific and small. Bad: "read more." Good: "read one page after I pour my morning coffee."
Ask the user:
- What is the smallest version of this habit that still counts? (the "two-minute rule")
- What identity does this habit reinforce? ("I am someone who reads daily")

## 2. Map the habit loop
Every habit has four parts. Fill each one in explicitly:
- Cue: the trigger that starts the behavior (time, location, preceding action, emotional state).
- Craving: the motivation or anticipated reward.
- Routine: the action itself, kept minimal.
- Reward: the satisfying payoff that closes the loop.

## 3. Write an implementation intention
Use the format: "I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION]."
Example: "I will meditate for 2 minutes at 7:00am in my bedroom."
Specificity dramatically increases follow-through versus a generic goal.

## 4. Stack the habit
Anchor the new habit to a stable existing routine:
"After I [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT]."
Example: "After I brush my teeth at night, I will lay out tomorrow's workout clothes."
Chain no more than one new habit per anchor at first.

## 5. Design the environment
- Make good habits obvious: put the cue in your line of sight (book on pillow, water bottle on desk).
- Make them easy: reduce friction (gym bag packed the night before).
- Make bad habits invisible and hard: remove the cue, add friction (log out of distracting apps).

## 6. Track without perfectionism
Use a simple streak tracker (calendar X's or a habit app).
- Never miss twice. One miss is an accident; two starts a new (bad) pattern.
- Track the action, not the outcome. "Did I show up?" beats "Did I hit my goal?"

## 7. Review weekly
Each week, ask:
- Did I complete the habit at least 5 of 7 days?
- Was the cue reliable? If not, pick a stronger anchor.
- Was the routine too big? Shrink it until it is effortless.
- Is the reward still satisfying? If not, add an immediate reinforcement.

## 8. Scale gradually
Once a habit is automatic (typically 4-8 weeks), increase difficulty by ~10% or add a second stacked habit. Avoid scaling more than one habit at a time.

## Output for the user
Produce a one-page plan containing: the implementation intention, the habit stack sentence, the environment changes, the tracking method, and the weekly review questions.