The problem with positive habits that payoff tomorrow is that our brain invariably sees them as a chore, whereas habits that give joy today are much easier to do, even though they pay-off tomorrow too - I love my daily walks today (the fresh air, the views, the space to think) and they just happen to deliver better health tomorrow too, whereas healthier eating is mostly a tomorrow payoff (I want that chocolate now more than I want looser jeans tomorrow).

The way forward, then, is to turn the ‘better tomorrow’ habits into ‘better today and tomorrow’ habits, and now that we understand the challenge, our subconscious can start looking for the solution….