The 1 Minute Secret to Forming New Habits

You know how resolutions often go: you set a goal and start strong ... then the motivation runs out and feelings of frustration and shame creep in.

The struggle is real -- but what if it doesn't have to be?

Sociologist Christine Carter shares a simple step to shift your mindset and keep you on track to achieving your grandest ambitions.

"It's because once we hard wire a habit into our brains, we can do it without thinking, and therefore without needing much willpower or effort. A better-than-nothing habit turns out to be incredibly easy to repeat again and again until it's on autopilot."

"Here's why we need to be willing to be bad: being good requires that our effort and our motivation be in proportion to each other. The harder something is for us to do, the more motivation we need to do that thing."

"When motivation wanes, plenty of research shows that we human beings tend to follow the law of the least effort, meaning we just do the easiest thing."

Watch Christine's TED talk here: