Smart money management for Everyone
Struggling to build good habits?
You set a goal for yourself. Maybe it’s finally cracking open that textbook for a professional exam. Perhaps it’s committing to a regular workout routine. You’re pumped, motivated, ready to conquer. You do it for a day, maybe two. Then life gets in the way. The couch looks more inviting than the running shoes. The siren call of a new series is louder than the whisper of those unread pages.
The willpower drains away, and that initial spark of ambition fizzles out into the familiar fog of “I’ll start again tomorrow.” It’s a cycle so common it feels like a universal law. We blame ourselves, our laziness, our lack of discipline. But what if the problem isn’t you? What if it’s the strategy?
For decades, the advice has been some variation of “just grind harder.” But that’s a finite resource. A much smarter approach isn’t about fighting your desires, but about strategically aligning them. It’s a concept behavioural economists call temptation bundling.
What Exactly Is This “Temptation Bundling” Thing?
At its core, temptation bundling is deliciously simple. It’s the act of coupling a behaviour that is good for you in the long run (but that you often avoid) with a behaviour that you crave in the short run (but might feel is a indulgence).
You’re not forcing yourself to run. You’re giving yourself permission to listen to that one incredible podcast, but only when you’re running. You’re not guilt-tripping yourself into studying. You’re allowing yourself to visit your favourite café for that special drink, but only when you’re reviewing your notes there. It’s a pact you make with yourself: you can only have the “want” if you’re simultaneously doing the “should.” This isn’t just a cute life hack; it’s a psychological lever that pulls on a very powerful principle: Premack’s Principle. In simple terms, it means a more probable behaviour (scrolling social media) can be used to reinforce a less probable one (doing ten push-ups).
The term was popularized by research from the University of Pennsylvania’s Katherine Milkman. In a now-famous study, participants who were only allowed to listen to a captivating audiobook while exercising significantly increased their gym attendance. They’d built a bridge between immediate gratification and delayed reward.
The Machinery of Desire: Why Your Brain Loves This
Why does this work so well when sheer willpower so often fails? It comes down to how we’re wired. Our brains have a constant internal tug-of-war between two systems:
The Present-Biased Self: This part of you is all about immediate pleasure. It wants the sugary snack, the extra hour of sleep, the dopamine hit from a notification. It’s powerful, impulsive, and lives entirely in the now.
The Future-Oriented Self: This is the planner. The part of you that wants a healthier body, a fatter bank account, a better career. It’s logical, but its voice is often quieter and easier to ignore because its rewards are so far off.
Ordinarily, these two are at odds. Going for a run is a win for your Future Self but feels like a loss for your Present Self, which would rather relax. Temptation bundling is the peace treaty. It’s a negotiation where both sides get something they want at the same time. The Present Self gets its craving satisfied, and the Future Self gets its productive task completed. The activity itself transforms from a chore to be avoided into the gateway to a treat.
Crafting Your Own Bundles
How do you put it into practice without overcomplicating it? It’s about intentional pairing. Here’s how to build bundles that stick.
1. Audit Your Guilty Pleasures.
First, identify your “temptations.” These are the activities you genuinely look forward to, the ones you find yourself doing when you’re procrastinating. Be honest. This is your raw material.
Media Consumption: That specific show everyone is talking about? A particular genre of music or a can’t-miss podcast?
Social Activities: Catching up with a certain relative on the phone? Meeting a particular friend for a chat?
Treats: Your favourite smoothie? A specific brand of peanuts or a type of pastry?
Environment: Lounging in a specific, comfortable spot in your home? Visiting a particular park or café?
2. Identify Your “Should-Do’s.”
Next, list the tasks you know you need to do but consistently put off. These are the activities that feel like friction.
Household chores (ironing, deep cleaning)
Administrative tasks (filling out forms, budgeting)
Exercise (a morning walk, a home workout)
Learning (studying, reading a dense report)
Professional development (working on a side project, networking calls)
3. Create the Irresistible Link.
Now, connect them. The rule is non-negotiable: you can only do the tempting activity while or immediately after doing the productive one. The link must be firm.
“I only get to listen to my favourite podcast when I’m on the treadmill or walking around the neighbourhood.”
“I can only enjoy my fancy café drink if I’m sitting there working on my business plan for one hour.”
“I can only binge-watch the new season of my show while I’m folding the laundry or ironing.”
“I can only call my chatty cousin while I’m doing the dinner dishes or tidying the living room.”
The key is specificity. Vague promises like “I’ll watch TV after I work” don’t work. The “want” must be contingent on the “should.”
Making It a System
For this to move from a neat trick to a life-changing habit, you have to remove decision fatigue. Don’t leave it up to motivation each day. Systemize it.
Schedule It: If your bundle is a podcast and a walk, block out 30 minutes in your calendar every other day. The decision is already made.
Prepare Your Environment: Have your workout clothes and headphones ready by the door. Download the next episode of your podcast in advance. Make starting the bundle as easy as possible.
Start Small: Your first bundle shouldn’t be “listen to a podcast during a 10-kilometer run.” It should be “listen to a podcast during a 15-minute walk.” The goal is to make the productive task so achievable that accessing the temptation is easy. You can always scale up later.
The beauty of this system is its flexibility. It works for financial goals too. Imagine bundling the temptation of a takeaway meal with the task of reviewing your monthly spending. "I can only order that special meal after I've reconciled my expenses for the week." You're rewarding fiscal responsibility with a controlled treat, not depriving yourself.
You May Ask
How long does it take for a bundled habit to stick?
The timeline varies for everyone, but the bundling itself accelerates the process significantly. Because the activity becomes inherently more enjoyable, you’re not relying on grit alone. You might find yourself looking forward to the bundled task within a week or two. The focus isn't on a magical number of days, but on the consistency of the pairing until your brain automatically begins to link the two activities.
What if my temptation starts to feel like a chore?
This is a great sign to change your bundle! The point of the temptation is that it remains genuinely desirable. If your favourite podcast ends, find a new one. If that specific smoothie loses its appeal, find a new treat. The system requires honest curation. It’s a dynamic tool, not a rigid set of rules. Regularly refresh your bundles to keep them exciting.
Can I bundle more than two things together?
Absolutely. The principle can be expanded. Maybe you only listen to a specific audiobook while running and you allow yourself a special protein shake afterward. You’re creating a whole ritual of rewards around the productive behaviour. Just be careful not to make it so complex that it becomes difficult to execute. The simplest bundles are often the most effective.
The Path of Least Resistance
The old model of achievement was a battle. A war against your own nature. Temptation bundling offers a radically different path: one of strategic alignment. It’s about being clever, not just being strong. It acknowledges a simple truth about human nature, we are all, to some degree, motivated by immediate pleasure.
Instead of fighting that impulse, you can harness it. You can build a life where moving forward doesn’t always feel like a struggle. Where your desires aren’t the enemy of your goals, but the very engine that pulls you toward them. It’s not about having more discipline than everyone else.
It’s about building better systems. So take that thing you’ve been putting off, find what you truly love, and bind them together.
