Behavioral Friction Speed Bumps
Interrupt autopilot by making unwanted actions harder and wanted actions easier.
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 96%
Behavioral Friction Speed Bumps redesign the path around a choice. For an unwanted behavior, identify the cue and add a small obstacle before the action can be completed: remove saved payment details, sign out, relocate an item, or otherwise require an extra step. The obstacle is not meant to prove distrust or make the action impossible. Its job is to disrupt autopilot long enough to remember the earlier decision and reconsider. Apply the reverse to a preferred behavior by removing a step, as Izadi did when she slept in gym clothes to make exercise easier to begin. The mechanism is asymmetric effort: slightly more effort before the unwanted response, slightly less before the wanted one. Izadi presents this as a practical aid for general behavior change, not a universal treatment for compulsive behavior or addiction.
Origin
Extracted from The Diary of a CEO
Core principles
- 01Internal negotiation does not physically force an action.
- 02A small obstacle can create time to reconsider an automatic response.
- 03Friction can support choice without being framed as mistrust.
- 04Reducing steps makes a preferred behavior easier to begin.
- 05The environment should support reflection rather than claim to eliminate every urge.
How to run it
- 1
Map the autopilot path
Identify the cue, the action that follows, and each step between them. Focus on a repeated sequence rather than a vague intention.
Pro tip Look for saved details, convenient placement, and one-tap actions.
Watch out A cue may be emotional as well as physical.
- 2
Add one speed bump
Place a reversible extra step before the unwanted action. Make it inconvenient enough to be noticed but not so elaborate that the system is abandoned.
Pro tip Move an item, log out, or delete stored details before trying an absolute ban.
Watch out Friction is a pause, not proof that the underlying need has disappeared.
- 3
Use the interruption
When the obstacle appears, recall why you installed it and decide deliberately whether to continue. Treat the internal negotiation as information rather than a command.
Pro tip Prepare one short reminder of the consequence you wanted to avoid.
Watch out Adding friction without a reflection prompt can become mere annoyance.
- 4
Clear the preferred path
Remove one action, decision, or preparation step from the behavior you want instead. Make its starting point visible and easy to reach.
Pro tip Prepare clothes, equipment, or the first task in advance.
Watch out Convenience cannot make an unsuitable or unsafe behavior appropriate.
- 5
Review the result
Observe whether the speed bump creates conscious choice and whether the preferred action starts more often. Adjust the smallest useful part of the path.
Pro tip Evaluate the change after several real cues, not only on the day you install it.
Watch out Seek professional support when the behavior remains dangerous or unmanageable.
In the wild
Izadi says that when working late she could start thinking about ordering Deliveroo and later regret it. She deleted the app's stored card details and address so ordering required more steps. She describes those moments as prompts to remember that she had not wanted to make the automatic choice.
→ The altered path creates time to reconsider before completing the order.
When Izadi disliked exercise, she says she slept in her gym kit so there was one fewer task between waking and starting. This applied the inverse rule: remove friction from the action she wanted to take.
→ Exercise required one less preparatory decision.
Common mistakes
Treating friction as prohibition
The stated purpose is to interrupt autopilot and support a decision, not necessarily to make the behavior impossible forever.
Ignoring basic conditions
Izadi notes that a practical issue such as being hungry may matter; environmental tricks should not replace attention to basic needs.
Changing only the unwanted path
Adding obstacles works better as a complete design when a preferred action also becomes easier to start.
Is it for you?
Best for
Everyday habits in which convenience, cues, or a short automatic sequence repeatedly outrun deliberate choice.
Not ideal for
Medical emergencies, severe addiction, or eating-disorder symptoms that need qualified support beyond environmental adjustments.
From the transcript
“impose some friction give yourself some speed bumps”
“make it harder for myself to do the thing that I don't want to be doing”
“there was just one less thing to do”
From the episode
Behaviour Change Scientist: How I Lost 120lbs With Kindness: Shahroo Izadi