Rita Coelho do Vale is an assistant professor at the Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, where she researches the human decision-making process with respect to self-regulation. She says that we not only can but should engage in behaviour antithetical to our ultimate goals.
https://aeon.co/essays/a-lapse-now-and-then-can-benefit-the-pursuit-of-excellence
… research suggests there’s a simple way to make healthy behaviors easier. It’s not about trying to increase your motivation so much as taking advantage of motivation when you do have it. That’s according to BJ Fogg, a psychologist and director of the Persuasive Technology Lab at Stanford.
http://uk.businessinsider.com/bj-fogg-how-to-stick-with-habits-2016-3