Pair Pleasure with Painful Tasks to Make Habits Stick

Few things make you leap to the treadmill until you know your favorite show starts only when you’re on the belt. That clever trick is pairing—a simple but powerful way to link something you love with something you avoid. When chores become the ticket to a treat, your motivation shifts.

Neuroscientists describe a cross-circuit between the brain’s reward centers and habit centers. Pleasure triggers help smooth the friction of starting a task. For example, Sarah dreaded filing but turned it into a weekly ritual by only listening to her favorite jazz playlist during that hour. The tunes sparked joy and blocked her urge to scroll social media.

In my apartment I never read magazines at the kitchen table—only on the StairMaster at the gym. I know I’ll get my fix of design spreads only after I warm up my legs. That anticipation made hopping on the machine feel like a gift, not a grind. My heart races not just from exercise, but from excitement to dive into glossy pages.

Pairing works best when the treat is clearly contingent on the chore: “no show, no reward.” It’s not about trickery, but about respecting your psychology. Coupling hefty tasks with your unique delights transforms daily life from drudgery to delight.

This approach draws on behavioral economics—the idea that bundling an unpleasant task with a desirable one increases total value. When you marry the two, the promise of pleasure eclipses the dread of effort.

Choose one task you avoid—say, clearing email—and one activity you love—say, listening to comedy podcasts. Decide you’ll play that podcast only during your email session. Then, the next time you open your inbox, hit play. Watch as the dread dissolves into anticipation. Give this pairing a try today.