"I understand systems thinking concepts, but how can I apply them to real life?"

Recently, a friend and former colleague asked me this question. To me, this person is a natural systems thinker, and I’ve seen them apply it with seemingly little effort in their work. However, as systems thinking has become a more central focus in their organization and their whole team has undergone systems thinking training, my friend expressed feeling stuck. They told me, “I love the ideas and the tools, but it isn’t always realistic to do a facilitation or map something. I want it to be an embedded part of our work, not something separate or occasional.”

We often encounter questions like these in our work at the Waters Center. And from our experience providing capacity-building, consulting, and coaching services across various industries, moving from understanding to consistent action is a common challenge. Systems thinking isn’t just about learning concepts—it’s about making it a natural part of how we think, work, and make decisions every day. It's about making it a habit.

And habits are something we are known for at the Waters Center, specifically the Habits of a Systems Thinker. The 14 Habits of a Systems Thinker help individuals understand how systems function and how actions influence outcomes over time. "The Habits" serve as guiding principles that encourage thoughtful questioning and provide a practical framework for applying systems thinking in real-world contexts. By practicing the Habits, systems thinking becomes less of an occasional practice and more of a natural way of engaging with the world.

At first, my friend thought they needed more tools—but what they really needed was a shift in mindset. And that’s where the Habits come in.

The Habits of a Systems Thinker

The first version of the Habits of a Systems Thinker were developed in 2006, building on over 15 years of systems thinking work in early childhood and K–12 education. Inspired by Art Costa and Bena Kallick’s Habits of Mind and shaped by collaboration with renowned systems thinkers like Linda Booth Sweeney, Donella Meadows, George Richardson, Barry Richmond, and Peter Senge, the Habits were designed to make systems thinking practical and accessible. Nearly 20 years later, they have found their way into classrooms, boardrooms, and organizations worldwide, helping people integrate systems thinking into their daily work and decision-making.

Each Habit represents a different way of seeing and engaging with the world. Some help us zoom out and get a more complete view, like "Seeks to Understand the Big Picture”, while others encourage us to pause and better understand the meaning we add, like “Surfaces and Tests Assumptions”. Some push us to consider potential ripple effects, like “Considers Short-Term, Long-Term, and Unintended Consequences of Actions,” while others help us find potential opportunities for meaningful change, like “Uses Understanding of System Structure to Identify Possible Leverage Actions.”

To help practice the Habits, each card has an illustration—like the relatable image of balancing a desire for a treat and the long-term dental implications on the “Recognizes the Impact of Time Delays When Exploring Cause-and-Effect Relationships” card. The cards also offer guiding questions on the back, inspired by real-world experiences across education, leadership, and organizational development. These questions prompt deeper reflection, helping users recognize when they are engaging in systems thinking and guiding them toward meaningful application in their unique contexts.

Making the Habits, Habits: Science-Backed Strategies

Now that we understand the power of habits, how do we actually make systems thinking second nature? The good news is that small, intentional shifts can create a significant impact over time.

Like other habits, behavioral science gives us useful clues about how we can make systems thinking part of how we move through the world. Research in neuroscience, such as Nicole Vignola’s Rewire (2024), highlights how intentional, repeated actions strengthen neural pathways, making new habits more automatic over time. The same principles apply to systems thinking—by deliberately engaging with the Habits of a Systems Thinker, we can rewire our brains to naturally approach problems through a systems lens.

Here are a few practical strategies to start building the Habits of a Systems Thinker into your daily life.

Start small and build momentum. We don’t have to overhaul the way we think all at once. When I’m coaching or working with clients on bringing the Habits into their daily practice, I ask, “What’s one Habit that already feels natural to you?” Starting from a place of familiarity makes it easier to build confidence and create meaningful change.

For example, if “Making Meaningful Connections Within and Between Systems” is already part of your thinking, you might naturally recognize relationships between different departments in your organization or see parallels between challenges in your field and broader societal patterns. To deepen this Habit, you could start mapping out those connections visually, engaging colleagues in discussions about cross-disciplinary links, or intentionally seeking out diverse industries or communities to compare how similar issues are addressed in different contexts.

Stack the Habits onto what you already do. One of the simplest ways to build a new habit is to anchor it to something you're already doing. Like drinking a glass of water after brushing your teeth to meet your hydration goals. BJ Fogg’s research (Tiny Habits, 2019) highlights this as habit stacking, a strategy where new behaviors are paired with existing routines, making them feel effortless over time. By linking systems thinking to daily actions, we make it a natural part of how we approach challenges and decisions.

For example, if you already have a journaling practice, you can incorporate systems thinking by adding a reflection question about how you applied a Habit that day. If your team meetings have a regular check-in question, you could use one from the back of a Habit card or craft a new question that encourages systems thinking in your discussions. By embedding the Habits into routines you already follow, systems thinking becomes a seamless part of how you work and think.

Create reminders and visual cues. Ever notice how setting your vitamins out reminds you to take them? Or how keeping a notepad nearby encourages you to jot down ideas as they come? These small environmental cues shape our behavior, often without us realizing it. That’s because visual cues prime our brains for action (Clear, 2018). The same principle applies to systems thinking—by making the Habits visible, they stay top of mind and become easier to integrate into daily routines.

Clear outlines the four laws of behavior change: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying. One way to make systems thinking habits more visible is by taping the Habits on the wall or designating a "Habit of the Week" and keeping that card with you or in a place you see often. You can also get creative—objects, images, or quotes can serve as reminders of key systems thinking principles. For example, placing a slinky on your desk can symbolize “Recognizing that a System’s Structure Generates Its Behavior.” Similarly, setting a rotating systems thinking quote on your phone’s lock screen can keep these ideas top of mind throughout the day.

Reflect and learn in real-time. Tracking progress and self-reflection can create a feedback loop that increases motivation and consistency (Clear, 2018). Research in cognitive science also suggests that reflection strengthens neural pathways by consolidating experiences, improving problem-solving, and fostering adaptability (Vignola, 2024). Reflection can take different forms, from structured practices like journaling to real-time moments of intentionality.

For example, after reading an email or text that may be activating, pause to "Surface and Test Assumptions" before responding and identify follow-up questions you could ask to get a more complete understanding. Beyond individual reflection, engaging in collaborative reflection can further deepen systems thinking. This could mean leveraging coaching sessions, creating a learning team at work to share insights, or partnering with an accountability buddy to exchange voice notes or messages about your reflections.

Practice in community. Bring others along on your systems thinking journey! Research from Tiny Habits (Fogg, 2019) emphasizes that behaviors are more likely to become habits when they are practiced in a supportive environment. Social reinforcement, accountability, and shared experiences make habit formation more sustainable. By embedding systems thinking into team discussions, collaborative problem-solving, and everyday interactions, individuals can reinforce their learning and deepen their application of the Habits of a Systems Thinker.

Making the Habits stick isn’t about adding extra work—it’s about rewiring the way we approach challenges and opportunities (Clear, 2018).

Your Systems Thinking Habit Challenge

Systems thinking becomes second nature through small, intentional shifts. It’s not about adding more to your plate—it’s about adjusting how you engage with challenges and decisions. By embedding systems thinking into everyday actions, building habits purposefully, and creating space for reflection, it transforms from an abstract concept into a practical, intuitive way of navigating complexity.

This week, choose one Habit of a Systems Thinker and commit to practicing it daily. Keep it visible, talk about it, and reflect on how it shifts your thinking. Maybe you start by asking one new systems thinking question in a meeting, or by pausing before making a decision to consider its long-term impact. Small steps, practiced consistently, lead to powerful change.

By embedding these Habits into our work and lives, we build the systems thinking capacity needed to make more thoughtful decisions and create lasting impact.

Which Habit will you focus on first?

Works Cited

Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Avery.

Fogg, B. (2019). Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Vignola, N. (2024). Rewire: The Neuroscience of Changing Your Behavior and Achieving Your Goals. HarperCollins.