What the darn damn heck hell is DOWNSCALING?

We’re back.

Hey amorteurs, did you miss me?

If you read this line, you’re saying yes by default.

Today, I received this question on my Twitter:

This is an excellent question.

What is downscaling? And why the hell do I keep talking about it?

You’re in for a treat.

Downscaling is by far the most potent tool you can leverage in designing any habit.

Here’s what it is:

Downscaling means making a behavior easier.

Why is this important?

BJ Fogg is a Stanford behavioral scientist who discovered the universal behavior equation.

Yes, your favorite math concept has returned to haunt you. Except, instead of finding the slope, you’re finding the secret to behavior change.

B = MAP

Behavior = Motivation * Ability * Prompt.

In short, behavior happens when there’s sufficient enough motivation and ability when a prompt strikes.

Awesome, right? It’s not quite calculus, but it’s insanely profound.

You can put any habit through this lens:

• Writing

• Exercising

• Flossing

• Flossing (Dance)

Literally any habit.

If you’re not doing what you want to be doing, that’s because you lack motivation and/or ability. Or you’re forgetting (which means you need a better prompt).

So where does downscaling fit in?

I hate to break it to you, but motivation is overrated.

Motivation is unreliable. As BJ Fogg puts it, motivation is like your party best friend: great for a good time, bad if you need to be picked up from the airport.

What does that mean for you? It means that relying on motivation sucks.

Ability is in your control however.

To downscale means to make a behavior easier, which can compensate for a lack of motivation.

Over time, as you become more consistent, you’ll naturally grow over time. And you can’t lose when you don’t quit.

Downscaling is one of two things:

1. Focusing on the Starter Step

2. Scaling the behavior back.

You can either focus on just the first step in the entire behavior (turning on your laptop and opening the blank doc) or scaling the behavior back (writing only ONE SENTENCE).

Decreasing time is a form of scaling the behavior back. So is decreasing

• Quantity (1000 words → 10 words)

• Level (A whole thread → 1 tweet)

Downscaling is one of my biggest passions, and you’ll see it more from me!

In summary:

• Downscaling means making the behavior easier by focusing on the starter step or scaling the behavior back.

• Downscaling compensates for a lack of motivation (low energy, time, etc.), ensuring that you ALWAYS stick to the schedule.

Leverage the power of downscaling today.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

John “DOWNSCALING” Canonizado.

P.S. while you’re at it, give Cat some love by following @lifewthcat here for the simple fact that she is undeniably and unequivocally a queen.