Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts by Marshall Goldsmith & Mark Reiter

Summary

Triggers explores how our environment shapes our behaviors, often more than our intentions or willpower. Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter provide actionable strategies for recognizing and managing environmental and psychological 'triggers' that influence our actions. The book offers practical tools to create lasting behavioral change by being mindful, proactive, and accountable for the choices we make daily.

Life-Changing Lessons

1. Environment is stronger than willpower: Recognize and reshape the cues around you to support positive change.

2. Active questions drive self-improvement: Asking yourself daily questions fosters greater accountability and self-awareness.

3. The importance of daily structure: Building routines around triggers helps sustain meaningful behavior change.

Publishing year and rating

The book was published in: 2015

AI Rating (from 0 to 100): 87

Practical Examples

1. Daily Questions

   Goldsmith suggests asking yourself a set of active questions at the end of each day. For example, 'Did I do my best to set clear goals today?' This self-questioning method helps drive accountability and make progress visible over time.

2. Identifying Environmental Triggers

   The book encourages readers to make a list of common triggers in their environment that lead to unproductive behaviors. By labeling and being aware of these triggers in advance, you are better able to prepare strategies for avoiding or responding to them constructively.

3. Creating 'If-Then' Plans

   Goldsmith recommends formulating 'if-then' statements, such as, 'If I am interrupted during a meeting, then I will take a deep breath before responding.' This kind of planning anticipates situations that might derail your goals and gives you a practical script to follow.

4. Feedforward Instead of Feedback

   Instead of focusing on past mistakes, the author proposes using 'feedforward.' This means soliciting suggestions for future improvements rather than criticisms of what has already happened, making change more actionable and less emotionally charged.

5. Structure Your Day for Success

   Triggers emphasizes the importance of structuring your day to minimize temptations and distractions. For example, removing your phone from your workspace when needing to focus eliminates a common trigger for procrastination and helps maintain your productivity.

6. Pause and Breathe Technique

   When confronted with a trigger—a frustrating email or a challenging colleague—the author recommends pausing, taking a deep breath, and considering your response rather than reacting impulsively. This small shift significantly increases emotional control and reduces regretful behavior.