Out of Sight, Out of Mind

In partnership with

This is the exact strategy that helped me lose 135 pounds. 

We've all heard the phrase “Out of sight, out of mind.” It's simple, but when it comes to habits—good or bad—it’s incredibly effective. Whether it’s booze, sports, candy, or even doom-scrolling on your phone, the less accessible something is, the less likely you are to indulge. And guess what? The science backs it up. 

Brian Wansink, a food researcher at Cornell University, conducted a fascinating study on this concept using M&M’s. Here’s what he found:

• If a bowl of M&M’s is within arm’s reach, you’ll eat a LOT of them.

• Put those M&M’s in an opaque jar (so you can’t see them), and you’ll eat fewer.

• Move the bowl across the room, and you’ll eat fewer still.

• Place the M&M’s on the top shelf of a 12-foot cupboard, in an opaque jar? You’ll hardly touch them.

• And if you don’t have M&M’s in the house at all? You won’t eat any.

The takeaway? If you make a bad habit inconvenient, it naturally loses its grip on you.

Applying the M&M Method to Your Life and Business

You can—and should—apply this principle to every bad habit in your life. For example, if you’re glued to your laptop at all hours (we’ve all been there), try this:

• Start by putting it in a desk drawer.

• Move that drawer to a rarely used room.

• Go a step further and stash it in your kid’s room—because who’s braving that chaos?

• Want to get really extreme? Leave your laptop in the car in the garage.

Each layer of inconvenience creates friction between you and the habit you're trying to break.

Flip the Script: Make Good Habits Easy

Here’s the kicker: this method isn’t just for ditching bad habits. You can use it to supercharge your productivity by making good habits convenient.

• Want to read more? Keep books everywhere—in your car, by your bed, even in the bathroom.

• Struggling to stay active? Schedule workouts with a personal trainer during your most vulnerable times of day.

• Need to prospect more? Set up easy-to-access systems or tools that eliminate excuses.

Make it so easy to do the right thing that you can’t help but follow through.

The Bottom Line: Stack the Odds in Your Favor

The key to mastering your habits is designing your environment. Make it inconvenient to indulge in distractions, and make it effortless to stick to the behaviors that drive your success.

No better time to start than today. What’s your M&M habit, and how will you make it inconvenient? Let me know—I’d love to hear your strategies!

Receive Honest News Today

Join over 4 million Americans who start their day with 1440 – your daily digest for unbiased, fact-centric news. From politics to sports, we cover it all by analyzing over 100 sources. Our concise, 5-minute read lands in your inbox each morning at no cost. Experience news without the noise; let 1440 help you make up your own mind. Sign up now and invite your friends and family to be part of the informed.

Sign up today!