Having trouble motivating yourself to go for a run, catch up on e-mails or fold that laundry?

Katherine Milkman, an associate professor at Wharton, has a possible solution: temptation bundling. Milkman found that people are more likely to stick with a task they sometimes avoid if it’s bundled together with something they really enjoy but only allow themselves to do when they’re completing the less enjoyable task. You can hear her explain the concept in her own words in the Freakonomics podcast episode When Willpower Isn’t Enough.

For example?

I’ve started listening to stand-up comedy only while I clean the kitchen. It’s the one household task I dread most. Listening to stand-up makes it more pleasant and also makes me less likely to procrastinate twenty times during the clean-up to check social media on my phone. (I’m excellent at prolonging unpleasant tasks with distraction. You too?)

What temptation bundling isn’t: Temptation bundling is not a reward system where you give yourself a reward after you complete a task. It’s the pairing of activities so they happen simultaneously.

For her research Milkman used the audiobook version of The Hunger Games to get people to exercise at the gym. They only had access to the audiobook while at the gym, and it worked.

“Initially, full and intermediate treatment participants visited the gym 51% and 29% more frequently, respectively, than control participants…” -quoted from research paper abstract

Temptation Bundling Ideas

• Treat yourself to a latte, homemade vegan unicorn frappuccino, or smoothie to drink only during a long meeting
• Pair a tv show, podcast or audiobook with a task you dislike
• Visit a favorite coffee shop only when you’re catching up on e-mails

This could work with your children, too!

• Download a game they can only play while you’re running on the treadmill at home
• Have a special playlist with some favorite songs that’s the “clean up” playlist
• Put together a special box of toys they only get to use on long car rides

Tips for Success

• Think about your current frequency of the two items you’re bundling. If you currently get a smoothie daily, trying to save it for your weekly meeting might backfire.
• Don’t cheat – if you choose a podcast to listen to while you’re running, choose a different podcast to listen to in the car.
• Don’t ruin a favorite activity – if you truly love a glass of port once in a while, don’t make it conditional that you have to do something unpleasant while you drink it. Use temptation bundling to make your life better!

Similar Strategy: Activity Pairing

Temptation bundling reminds me a little of Gretchen Rubin’s suggestion about activity pairing, which I wrote about in my blog post about doing planks while my tea steeped. It’s more of a habit forming and time-saving strategy than a motivational one, and it can also be useful. Call your parents on your car ride home from work, do your foot stretches while you brush your teeth, etc.

Happy doing! If you have successful temptation bundling or activity pairings you love, I’d enjoy hearing about them in comments below!