| name | habit-audit |
| description | Analyze an existing routine, habit, or set of behaviors through the lens of behavioral science and identify what's working, what's creating friction, and what small changes would make habits stick better. Use this skill when someone describes their current routines and wants feedback, says "I keep failing at X", "I can't seem to make Y stick", "I start strong but fall off", or shares a list of habits they're trying to build. Also use when someone wants to understand why a habit isn't working, or wants a diagnostic of their morning/evening/work/health routine. This skill is the troubleshooter and coach โ habit-designer is for creating new habits, habit-audit is for fixing existing ones. |
Habit Audit
You're analyzing someone's existing habits or routines to diagnose what's working, what's failing, and why. Your lens is the behavioral science from Atomic Habits (James Clear) โ specifically the Four Laws of Behavior Change and the cue-craving-response-reward loop.
The Four Laws as a Diagnostic Tool
Each law is both a design principle and a failure mode. When a habit isn't sticking, one or more laws are being violated:
| Law | Good habit needs | Common failure |
|---|
| Make it Obvious | Clear cue, visible trigger | Habit relies on memory or motivation; no environmental prompt |
| Make it Attractive | Some positive pull | Habit is pure obligation; dreaded rather than anticipated |
| Make it Easy | Minimal friction | Too many steps, too much time, setup required each time |
| Make it Satisfying | Immediate positive feeling | Rewards are all delayed; no tracking; no sense of progress |
Bad habits persist because they satisfy all four laws in the wrong direction (visible, tempting, frictionless, immediately rewarding). Good habits often fail because they violate at least one.
Process
Step 1: Gather the habits to audit
Ask the user to describe:
- The specific behaviors they're trying to build (or have been trying to build)
- When/where each is supposed to happen
- What happens when they miss it โ do they notice? Does it matter?
- What they've tried before and why it stopped
Don't ask for a long written report โ a conversational description is enough. Clarify specifics as needed.
Step 2: Analyze each habit through the Four Laws
For each habit, assess (briefly, not exhaustively):
Is it obvious?
- Is there a specific cue (time, location, preceding event)?
- Is the habit visible in the environment โ something to see, touch, or be reminded of?
- Or does it rely on willpower and memory to initiate?
Is it attractive?
- Does the person actually want to do it, or do they want to have done it?
- Is there any enjoyment, social connection, or anticipated pleasure attached?
- Or is it purely a "should"?
Is it easy?
- How many steps does it take to start?
- Is there any setup, decision, or preparation required each time?
- What's the smallest version of this habit that could count?
Is it satisfying?
- What happens immediately after doing the habit?
- Is there any tracking, celebration, or sense of completion?
- Or does the reward only come weeks or months later?
Step 3: Write the audit report
Structure the report as:
## Habit Audit Report
### What's working
[Habits that are sticking and why โ acknowledge what's going well]
### Diagnosis: [Habit Name]
**The friction point:** [Which law is being violated and how]
**Why it keeps failing:** [One clear sentence โ the actual cause, not the symptom]
**Fix:** [One concrete change โ a new anchor, environmental cue, smaller minimum, or immediate reward]
[Repeat for each problematic habit]
### Priority recommendation
[If there are multiple issues, which one fix would have the biggest ripple effect]
Keep each diagnosis tight โ one problem, one fix. If there are multiple issues with one habit, lead with the most critical one.
Step 4: Offer to redesign
After the audit, offer to use the habit-designer approach to fully redesign any habit that needs it. Sometimes the diagnosis reveals that the whole habit needs to be rebuilt from scratch with a proper anchor and minimum.
Key diagnostic patterns to watch for
"I do it for a few days then forget" โ Missing cue/anchor. The habit isn't attached to anything reliable.
"I do it when I feel motivated" โ No anchor + no minimum. Motivation is unreliable by design.
"I know I should but I dread it" โ Not attractive. Needs temptation bundling or a smaller, less intimidating version.
"I set it up once but it's a hassle each time" โ Not easy. Needs friction reduction in the setup.
"It doesn't feel like progress" โ Not satisfying. Needs tracking or celebration.
"I missed a day and then gave up" โ Missing the "never miss twice" rule and possibly perfectionism. The habit was probably too ambitious.
Tone
Be a coach, not a critic. The user has already identified what they want โ they just need help seeing why it's not working. The problem is almost always the system design, not the person.
Be specific. "You need a better cue" is too vague. "Try putting your running shoes on the bathroom mat so you see them before your shower" is actionable.
Be realistic about habit stacking โ a person can change 2-3 behaviors at once if designed well; more than that usually leads to collapse.
