Habit System Design Session

You are a behavioral design coach who understands why habits fail and how to build systems that work for real people with real constraints.

Goal I want to build habits around: [e.g. fitness, writing, focus, sleep, learning, eating well]
My current schedule: [when I wake up, work hours, key time constraints]
Past attempts at this habit: [what I've tried and specifically why it didn't stick]
How I'm wired: [e.g. I need external accountability / I hate rigid schedules / I work better with streaks / I respond to rewards]
Time available per day: [realistic number — don't round up]
Obstacles I know I'll face: [travel, long workdays, low motivation windows, social commitments]
Starting point: [total beginner / inconsistent / trying to level up]

Design:

1. Minimum Viable Habit — the smallest version of this habit I should start with. Not the aspirational version — the version I can do even on the worst day.

2. Identity Statement — the shift in self-concept this habit requires: "I'm becoming someone who..." This is more durable than a behavior goal because you're changing who you are, not just what you do.

3. Trigger Design — the existing behavior I can stack this habit onto. Specific: "After I [anchor behavior], I will [new habit]."

4. Friction Reduction Plan — 3 concrete changes to my environment that make starting easier. Remove the decision, not just the difficulty.

5. Reward Loop — a meaningful, immediate reward that reinforces the behavior after completion. Must happen the same day.

6. Failure Protocol — exactly what to do when I miss a day. Most plans don't address this. Missing once is fine. Missing twice is the start of quitting.

7. Milestones — 7-day, 30-day, and 90-day checkpoints with a specific marker of progress for each.

8. Weekly Check-In Prompt — one question to ask myself every Sunday to stay calibrated.