alt Hacker NewsBut that's what I mean. I'm pretty much clinically incapable of intentionally forming and maintaining habits. And I have a sinking feeling that it's something you either win or lose at in the genetic lottery at time of conception, or at best something you can develop in early life. That's what I meant by "being past my pre-training phase and being stuck with poor prompt adherence".
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I used to be like you but a couple of years ago something clicked and I was able to build a bunch of extremely life changing habits - it took a long while but looking back I'm like a different person. I couldn't really say what led to this change though, it wasn't like this "one weird trick" or something. That being said I think "Tao of Puh" is a great self-help book
I thought the same thing about myself until I read Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg. Changed my mental model for what habits really are and how to engineer habitual change. I immediately started flossing and haven't quit in the three years since reading. It's very worth reading because there are concrete, research backed frameworks for rewiring habits.
You appear to have successfully formed the habit of posting on Hacker News frequently, isn't this a starting place? :)
I can relate. It's definitely possible, but you have to really want it, and it takes a lot of work.
You need cybernetics (as in the feedback loop, the habit that monitors the process of adding habits). Meditate and/or journal. Therapy is also great. There are tracking apps that may help. Some folks really like habitica/habit rpg.
You also need operant conditioning: you need a stimulus/trigger, and you need a reward. Could be as simple as letting yourself have a piece of candy.
Anything that enhances neuroplasticity helps: exercise, learning, eat/sleep right, novelty, adhd meds if that's something you need, psychedelics can help if used carefully.
I'm hardly any good at it myself but it's been some progress.