So, you've learned about how bad habits are formed, and now you're itching to be rid of one. Whether you're a nail biter, always late, or constantly unlocking your phone, there are countless ways to kick a habit to the curb.

Introducing the ABC technique. This simple tool provides a framework to modify negative thought patterns and behaviors, encouraging you to analyze and reframe three components related to the habit you want to change.

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Every habit has three key components: an activating event, a belief and a resultant consequence.

Let’s break that down in more detail:

A is for Activating Event (trigger): This is the event or trigger that sparks a habit. These can be emotional, environmental, social or mental. E.g.
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The AI robot E.I. is holding a quarterly line manager catchup with Jim, Aanya and Spike. E.I. was hoping for a collaborative atmosphere, but naturally, everyone has different agendas in mind. Jim is focused on integrating a new formal process that has just been approved. Aanya is concerned with demonstrating her aptitude for managing her staff’s time after being critiqued on this in her last review. Spike already knows what his reports need, he just wants to be left alone to do it. It’s only been a few minutes and everyone is already speaking over each other.

B is for Belief: The belief that arises from the activating event or trigger. E.g.
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E.I., desperate to bring harmony to the group, feels tense and awkward. “They don’t respect my ideas”, she thinks.

C is for Consequence: The consequence of that belief, manifesting in the emotional or behavioral response, i.e. the habit itself. E.g.
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E.I. immediately begins talking over her colleagues competitively to try and make herself heard, but no one is really listening.

Once we’ve identified that this is a repeat behavior, we can imagine how we might adapt it into a better result. Let’s consider our example and how E.I. could reframe her thinking patterns to choose a different response.
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Reframe the Belief (B): Rather than presuming her colleagues’ don’t respect her, E.I. could see their various agendas as a mark of their motivation. E.g.
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E.I. could instead think, “Their contrasting views are a sign of real commitment to the people they manage. They are clearly very enthusiastic to offer their unique perspectives, and make improvements to how we can better collaborate as a team in the process.”
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Reframe the Consequence (C): Instead of being a Competitive Listener, E.I. could instead choose to practice active listening, and seek clarification from her peers. E.g.
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E.I. could address the floor as follows: ”Everyone - I understand there are a lot of views in the room. I suggest we each take a moment to explain our individual motivations, to go around the room and really listen carefully to each other’s views.  Taking a moment to really listen to each other, we’ll likely notice that we have the same goal - to make our employees happier at work.”
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It seems obvious - but taking time to think it through outside of the scenario can be highly effective. In fact, considering these scenarios ahead of time can be the difference between success and defeat.