Place triggers at the exact decision fork where behaviors…

When This Fires

• When placing any physical trigger cue intended to redirect behavior away from a default
• When a well-placed visible cue (Place trigger objects at eye level in routine paths…) still isn't redirecting behavior — it may be placed after the decision fork
• When mapping the physical environment for behavioral agent installation
• When competing behaviors occur in the same space and you need the cue to intercept the fork

Common Failure Mode

Placing cues in the "right room" but at the wrong position: a "drink water" reminder on the desk when the decision fork is at the kitchen entrance (where you choose between coffee and water). The cue is in a room you visit, but it arrives after the competing behavior (making coffee) is already in progress. The fork where water-vs-coffee diverges is at the kitchen entrance, and that's where the cue belongs.

The Protocol

(1) Identify the competing behaviors: what's the default you want to redirect, and what's the designed alternative? (2) Map the decision fork: where in physical space (and temporal sequence) do these two behaviors diverge? Walk through the routine and find the exact moment of choice. (3) Place the trigger cue at that fork — not before it (too early, not yet relevant), not after it (too late, default already winning), but at the exact point of divergence. (4) Test: walk through the routine naturally. Does the cue intercept your attention at the moment of choice? If you see it after already starting the default → reposition closer to the fork. (5) For digital behaviors, the same principle applies: the cue should appear at the digital decision fork (browser homepage, app launcher, desktop wallpaper), not buried in a folder.