A ‘Nudge’ to effect lasting change in behaviour

It is not uncommon for people to take up resolutions on New Year’s Eve, committing to make changes in themselves for their betterment as opposed to reflecting on their past unsuccessful endeavours. So, do people resist change? In fact, people don’t resist change, they resist the inevitable losses, uncertainties, and endings due to change.
With the intent and urge to change, one is determined to engage in changing their ‘usual’ way of doing things. With knowledge of ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘where,’ and ‘how’ it has to be done employed, one seizes the opportunity to do so. For instance, a horizontally challenged individual attempts at losing weight, gathers all needed information and in doing so, undertakes a set of vigorous training exercises, workouts, coupled with stringent diets. These are the first steps taken to achieve what they desire. With commitment, this can give the desired results as it is the “road taken” and has been proven to be promising.
But, it’s always easier said than done! Everything goes well when people are made aware of your venture, often accompanied by praiseworthy comments and wishes from family and friends. This induces self-motivation and inspiration within the individual to work out multiple times a week, thereby witnessing early results. However, the individual is now burdened with other problems as losses become greater than their earlier mentioned gains. For example, their present concerns could be loss of sleep due to exercising or missing out on some foods to maintain their diet.

This is the point at which people give in and succumb to their feeling of letting go thus, resulting in one regressing to their former self.
It is the built-in quality of a human being to do things for consequential, tangible benefits except the human brain can be tricked to receive something equivalent to such benefits, thereby making it improbable to quit. This can be achieved using a ‘Nudge’. The ‘Nudge’ institutes change by granting satisfaction and pride in taking one small, yet measurable step at a time. The ‘Nudge’ encourages a sense of fulfilment in the process rather than focussing on the long-term results hence, over time, institutionalizing the behavioural change.
Behaviour change is by far one of the most controversial topics around the world as it is characterised by the innate desire to bring about change in oneself regardless of societal and human conditioning. To delay gratification and go past the ‘giving up’ phase for a larger goal is to prove oneself of their ability to change for the better.