six obvious ways to make an activity less convenient: * Increase the amount of physical or mental energy required (leave the cell phone in another room, ban smoking inside or near a building). * Hide any cues (put the video game controller on a high shelf). * Delay it (read email only after 11:00 a.m.). * Engage in an incompatible activity (to avoid snacking, do a puzzle). * Raise the cost (one study showed that people at high risk for smoking were pleased by a rise in the cigarette tax; after London imposed a congestion charge to enter the center of the city, people's driving habits changed, with fewer cars on the road and more use of public transportation). * Block it altogether (give away the TV set).