Ideas Worth
Understanding.

Citation: Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998–1009. doi:10.1002/ejsp.674.

Material reviewed: Publisher abstract and citation reviewed.

Scope: Self-reported behaviours and fitted models do not establish a universal habit deadline or validate Balance by S7.

Relevance to S7: Encourage consistent cues and flexible progress rather than a fixed 21-day promise or punishment for one missed day.

Reviewed for S7’s reading collection on 3 October 2026.

Citation: World Health Organization (2020). WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Geneva: WHO. ISBN 9789240015128.

Material reviewed: Official guideline overview reviewed; complete guideline not reviewed in this update.

Scope: The overview does not specify a personalised exercise routine; repetition counts or S7 coins are not measures of medical benefit.

Relevance to S7: Let people choose realistic activity goals appropriate to their circumstances.

Reviewed for S7’s reading collection on 3 October 2026.

Citation: Harkin, B., Webb, T. L., Chang, B. P. I., Prestwich, A., Conner, M., Kellar, I., Benn, Y., & Sheeran, P. (2016). Does Monitoring Goal Progress Promote Goal Attainment? A Meta-Analysis of the Experimental Evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 142(2), 198–229. doi:10.1037/bul0000025.

Material reviewed: Author-repository abstract and publication metadata reviewed.

Scope: The review covers varied goals and interventions; it does not test Balance by S7’s coin system or establish a medical outcome.

Relevance to S7: Make progress easy to record and inspect while preserving privacy and user control.

Reviewed for S7’s reading collection on 3 October 2026.