How many times have you bought some newfangled cool product thinking, “I’ll use this all the time!” Only to find that actually…you never really use it. The quintessential example is, of course, the exercise bike. But there’s other examples too, such as kayaks or bread makers or hot tubs.

But sometimes, it “sticks”, and you DO end up using it a lot. For my birthday a few years ago my family got me a fancy espresso machine. And in the time since, and we’re talking over a calendar year at this point, we make literally 4-5 cups with it every day. Everyone in my household drinks a cup every morning, and I frequently make myself a second cup in the afternoon.

So what is it about the espresso machine that made it “sticky”, that I actually use it? At first I thought it might be because its easier to use, but that’s not necessarily true. I still have to clean the thing every day, and I have a coffee pod machine as well and I don’t use it and that’s even easier. I think the answer really is, for me at least, that the quality of the coffee really is that much better (whereas with the coffee pods I think the quality was actually worse.) And so since the quality was better, and I actually drank the coffee, within a few weeks the patterns were set and now it is no big deal to use the espresso machine and clean it every day.

So how does this apply to tools, process, work? Let’s take automated tests and CI pipelines. At first authoring a bunch of automation seems like a hassle. But the first time that an automated test suite runs and helps you with your code quality, or the deployment automation runs and saves you those hours of hassle, suddenly the value prop clicks in your mind. You get this sense of relief that flows through you because you don’t have to go do that tedious, annoying task! Now, you have to really force yourself in the beginning to try it, but after a few weeks of that diligence, the friction wears off and now it’s an ingrained habit.

This blog post is not about “do something for 30 days to make it a habit.” There’s plenty of other blog posts for that. Instead, the point I’m trying to make is “figure out WHICH things you should invest time in for 30 days to make them habits.” Some recurring habits may not really add much value, so don’t bother. How can you tell? Well, when I took that sip of real-espresso-machine coffee, compared to a coffee pod, the value was immediate and obvious. This coffee transported me to my favorite boutique cafe, with an experienced barista lovingly crafting me a cup.

If you are trying to make something a habit for a few weeks and the value isn’t there, well, then maybe it’s not worth trying to make it sticky. Instead, think about the areas in your work or life where a truly valuable espresso machine habit could make a significant difference. Where can you find that better cup of coffee, or get that sense of relief from avoiding a repetitive task?