Friction Audit

Friction Audit

Systematically identify and reduce friction in any behavioral system.

Purpose

The friction hypothesis: most failures are friction failures, not knowledge failures. You know what to do. Friction stops you from doing it. This skill audits friction and applies the reduction hierarchy.

The Friction Reduction Hierarchy

1. ELIMINATE  — Remove the step entirely (best)
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2. AUTOMATE   — Make it happen without attention
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3. REDUCE     — Make it easier but still present
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4. TOLERATE   — Push through with willpower (worst)

Most people operate at "tolerate." Move up the hierarchy.

Types of Friction

Type	Definition	Examples
Activation	Cost to start	Decision fatigue, setup time, context switching
Execution	Cost to continue	Effort, complexity, time required
Feedback	Cost to learn	Delayed results, noisy data, unclear attribution

Each type needs different interventions.

The Audit Process

1. List All Friction Points

For each tracked behavior, identify friction at each stage:

Behavior	Activation Friction	Execution Friction	Feedback Friction
[behavior]	[what stops starting]	[what makes continuing hard]	[what blocks learning]

2. Score Each Friction Point (1-5)

• 1 — Trivial, barely notice
• 2 — Minor inconvenience
• 3 — Noticeable effort
• 4 — Significant barrier
• 5 — Often prevents the behavior

Focus on 4s and 5s first. These kill behaviors.

3. Apply the Hierarchy

For each high-friction point:

ELIMINATE — Can we remove this entirely?

• Do we need to track this at all?
• Can we remove this step from the process?
• Can we eliminate the decision by pre-committing?

AUTOMATE — Can we make it happen without attention?

• Can technology do this automatically?
• Can we create triggers that remove thinking?
• Can systems run on their own?

REDUCE — Can we make it simpler?

• Can we reduce the number of steps?
• Can we simplify what's tracked? (detailed → boolean)
• Can we batch it? (real-time → end of day)
• Can we template it? (same every day → no logging)

TOLERATE — Accept consciously

• Some friction is irreducible
• Accept it explicitly
• Budget willpower for only these items

4. The Tracking Paradox

Tracking itself is friction.

Every input added is execution friction. The goal is minimum viable tracking — enough feedback to iterate, not so much that tracking becomes the obstacle.

Signs of over-tracking:

• More than 5-7 daily inputs
• Tracking takes more than 2-3 minutes
• Logging is frequently skipped because tedious
• Data exists that is never reviewed
• Tracking feels like a chore

Solution: Eliminate low-value tracking. Keep only what gets reviewed.

5. Redesign the System

Document transformations:

Before	Friction Score	Intervention	After	New Score
[original]	[4-5]	[eliminate/automate/reduce]	[new version]	[1-2]

Output Format

friction_audit:
  date: [date]
  domain: [domain]

  high_friction_items:
    - behavior: [name]
      friction_type: [activation|execution|feedback]
      current_score: [4-5]
      intervention: [eliminate|automate|reduce]
      description: [what to change]
      new_expected_score: [1-2]

  eliminated:
    - "[tracking/behavior removed and why]"

  automated:
    - "[what now syncs automatically]"

  reduced:
    - "[what was simplified and how]"

When to Re-Audit

• Behavior compliance drops below 80%
• After 2-4 weeks of stable tracking (optimization opportunity)
• When adding new targets or behaviors
• When life circumstances change significantly

Common Friction Reductions

Friction Source	Tolerate	Reduce	Automate	Eliminate
Deciding what to do	Think each time	Weekly planning	Fixed schedule	Same thing daily
Data entry	Manual each event	End-of-day batch	Device sync	Don't track it
Finding tools	Search each time	Dedicated location	Always ready	Fewer tools
Multiple apps	Switch between	Single dashboard	Unified system	One app