Written by: January 4, 2026
The evidence-backed technique to increase workout consistency—and get in amazing shape:
Principle-First
The new year is a fantastic time to begin building healthier habits. But if exercise has taught us anything, it’s this:
Workouts don’t fail because we forget they’re good for us. They fail because, day after day, mental friction adds up—cold mornings, low energy, competing priorities, slow initial results.
The mental side of working out is often harder than the physical.
As a result, we need something stronger than willpower or self-discipline. We need better design.
Which brings us to temptation bundling.
Behavioral scientist Katy Milkman popularized this idea: pair something you should do with something you want to do.
Applied to exercise, the rule is simple: only allow yourself to enjoy a favorite show, podcast, or audiobook while working out.
Studies show this pairing can increase weekly exercise by 10–14%. Over time, your brain starts craving the workout—because that’s where the reward lives.
For example, Arianna Huffington says she loves shows like Succession and Billions, but only lets herself watch them on the treadmill.
SUPERHUMAN SCORING
In every edition of System Sunday, I assess the featured system across three superhuman dimensions: impact, setup, and maintenance.
Unlike your typical review, I focus on factors that influence personal growth. Get to know the evaluation system.
Impact (8.5/10)
I’m a big fan of audiobooks. I just finished Cry Havoc by Jack Carr—and loved it.
But if I’m not careful, audiobook time can bleed everywhere: downtime that should be more present, moments that should be more intentional, or hours better spent focused on work.
At the same time, I don’t wake up excited to work out every day. Few people do.
So I added a simple constraint: “entertainment” audiobooks are only allowed during exercise, like runs or strength training.
That one rule changed everything. Workouts became something I looked forward to. Consistency stopped feeling forced. Exercise became the price of admission for something I genuinely enjoy.
Setup (9.5/10)
The setup is simple:
- Pick something you love: a podcast, show, audiobook, magazine, or playlist.
- Make a clean rule: you only get it while exercising.
- No exceptions. The positive constraint does the work.
That’s the system.
Maintenance (9.5/10)
Catch yourself consuming your “reward” outside of exercise? Pause and turn it off. Save it for your next workout.
To make this effortless long-term, keep a backlog of content reserved exclusively for workouts—so you’re never skipping a session because you haven’t decided what’s next.
Some of my favorite audiobooks from 2025:
Pro tip: Once temptation bundling clicks for exercise, it scales easily.
- Favorite audiobook → only while decluttering
- Special coffee or tea → only while doing admin or deep work you avoid
- A beloved playlist → only during stretching or mobility work
BRINGING IT HOME
The older I get, the clearer this becomes:
Success isn’t about heroic self-discipline. It’s not even about willpower.
It’s about designing incentives so the right behavior becomes inevitable.
All systems go,
