Book
Fogg BJ. Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 2019. 320 p.
Why we cite it
The practical behavior-change manual for the project’s “start small” messaging. Fogg’s B=MAP model (Behavior = Motivation × Ability × Prompt) provides the theoretical framework for why tiny actions succeed where ambitious plans fail: making a behavior tiny maximizes ability, so minimal motivation suffices. The Tiny Habits Recipe — anchor to an existing routine, perform a tiny version of the desired behavior, celebrate immediately — gives readers a concrete, repeatable method. The emphasis on positive emotion (“Shine”) as the mechanism that wires habits neurologically distinguishes this from willpower- or discipline-based approaches. Backed by 20+ years of Stanford research and coaching 40,000–60,000+ real participants, this is the primary source for habit-formation methodology in the companions.
About the author
– BJ Fogg (Brian Jeffrey Fogg): Founder and Director of the Stanford Behavior Design Lab (founded 1998 as Persuasive Technology Lab, renamed 2018). PhD in Communication from Stanford University (advisers: Clifford Nass, Byron Reeves, Terry Winograd, Philip Zimbardo). Coined the term “captology” (study of computers as persuasive technologies). Maccoby Prize recipient. Fortune Magazine “New Guru You Should Know.” ~31,000 citations. Has personally coached 40,000–60,000+ people in behavior change. Notable lab alumni include Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom (Instagram co-founders), Tristan Harris (Center for Humane Technology), and Nir Eyal (author of Hooked).
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