Frequently asked questions

  • Habits for a Better World is a nonprofit initiative focused on improving the world by helping people adopt practical, research-informed habits that have been shown by science to address one or more global challenges. We translate evidence into simple actions people can try in real life—then we support those actions with our AI Assistant and our Community Hub.

  • HBW focuses on big, interconnected challenges—including environmental sustainability, animal and human suffering, health and well-being, and the societal impacts of technology (including generative AI). Rather than trying to “solve everything at once,” we focus on specific habit changes that can scale.

  • Awareness and policy are important but aren’t sufficient by themselves. Inspiring individual behavior changes, supporting them to become habits, and then having many people do that together is how we’ll impact the major problems. HBW focuses on habits because they’re:

    • Actionable (people can start today)

    • Repeatable (small actions compound)

    • Scalable (many people making small changes can create large impact)

  • HBW is for anyone who wants to make a difference in making a better world, including:

    • People looking for practical ways to live more aligned with their values

    • People wanting to improve their health, save money, save time, while having impact on the world

    • Community members who want challenges and get peer support

    • Volunteers (research, design, filmmaking, writing, tech, partnerships)

    • Organizations seeking evidence-based, non-performative action pathways

  • It reflects the shift from individual intention to collective action. HBW is designed so people don’t have to do hard changes alone—habits are easier to build when you have:

    • a clear plan,

    • science-inspired,

    • supportive community,

    • accountability,

    • and stories that help habits “stick.”

  • Our approach blends:

    • Research (to find what works and what’s realistic)

    • Design (to make it simple, motivating, and usable)

    • Community (to sustain behavior change)

    • Storytelling/film (to inspire, normalize, and spread change)

  • We prioritize habits that are:

    • Evidence-informed (supported by credible research)

    • High-leverage (meaningful impact relative to effort)

    • Practical (realistic for real lives)

    • Inclusive and adaptable (options for different contexts)

    • Non-shaming (progress over perfection)

  • A Habits Challenge is a time-bounded, community-supported program where participants try a specific habit (or set of habit options) with:

    • clear steps,

    • supporting resources,

    • peer/community encouragement,

    • and reflection to help the change continue.

  • Options typically include: