No behaviour happens alone. Checking your phone leads to scrolling, scrolling delays the report, the delayed report produces the late night, and the late night sets up tomorrow’s first bad decision. Behaviour Chains maps those sequences link by link, so you can see where a chain actually starts, which is almost never where you think. The practical payoff: you stop trying to fix the visible behaviour, which is late in the chain and hard to change, and instead break an early link, which is small and easy. This is the same behavioral mapping I teach in class as part of the Lines of Life framework, and it works as well on teams as on individuals.
Frequently asked questions
What is a behaviour chain?
A sequence where one action reliably triggers the next. Chains explain why willpower fails: by the time the problem behaviour appears, you are four links deep and momentum is against you.
Where should I break a chain?
At the earliest link you can control, ideally the trigger itself. Removing the phone from the desk beats resisting the phone on the desk. Early links are cheap to change; late links are expensive.
Can this be used for building good habits, not just breaking bad ones?
Yes, chains run both directions. Attach a new behaviour to the end of an existing reliable link and the chain carries it for free. That is why after I pour coffee, I write one sentence works and I will write more never does.