Consumer Update
There’s a new smart product gaining traction on Kickstarter that’s just what you need to get on track to a healthier lifestyle. The product is called Klikkit, a smart reminder button that makes forming healthy habits so easy that even I’ll be able to maintain my fitness routine and take my supplements on schedule. The beauty of Klikkit is that you can form habits that will last a lifetime with just a click.
The idea is simple. You attach a Klikkit smart button to any object connected to the habit you want to build – for instance, on a pill bottle if you want to remember to take your medication, or a fitness mat to keep track of your workout routine. Each button comes with swappable color rings so you can make your medication button blue, your fitness button green, or whatever you like.
Button, meet app
Klikkit works with an app and once you’ve paired it with the button you can quickly set up a plan for your activity. Medication – one pill a day at noon; fitness – every other day at 8 am, check!
When the time comes to perform that action, the app will remind you with a handy notification, both on your phone and on the button itself, which chimes (very politely) until you click it.
Each time you complete your activity and click the button, Klikkit logs your success in the iOS or Android app, via Bluetooth. You can see all of your clicks right there in the app, so it’s easy to look back and see when you last took your pill or how many times you’ve done your sit-ups on that exercise mat. We all know knowledge is power – and in this case, seeing your progress in the app not only keeps you on track, it encourages you to stick to it.
Get in the habit loop
That’s not the only way Klikkit helps you build habits. Behind this smart button, there’s a smart bit of science called the habit loop. No, it’s not Elon Musk’s latest invention – the habit loop is a well-known concept of behavioral science that explains how habits are formed by connecting a visual cue, an action and a reward.
With Klikkit, the button acts as the visual cue reminding you to perform an action associated with it (it can nudge you with audio cues too, if you like). Clicking the button when you’re done is the reward. Good job, Nick – medication taken, push-ups completed. The simple action of clicking even releases a bit of dopamine – the neurological equivalent of getting a feel-good pat on the back. And that’s the secret of training your brain to remember, so you can build your activities into habits.
Kickstart any habit
Best of all, Klikkit can be used to build a wide range of positive habits: anything from watering the plants to ensuring that you take regular downtime. My goldfish, no doubt, would like me to improve my habit of feeding him on time, too.
If you’d like to get some help forming your good habits, my advice is to head over to Kickstarter and be among the first to get your hands on Klikkit. It’s the smart move.
