One simple tweak to break your worst habit today
Relying on willpower is a trap - here’s 4 simple steps to outsmart your habits.
Everything was fine until I started working from home. I’d always been able to manage my weight — up and down for sure — but active enough to keep things in check. Then, the perfect storm hit: working from home, pre-menopause, and suddenly living a sedentary life. The weight piled on fast.
I used to be the type to be able to see the weight increasing, go right into popping up at 5 a.m., and then hitting the gym on a mission. But this time? My newly gained habit of laying in bed and scrolling social media after waking up held me down like concrete.
No amount of willpower was going to break that. I had to try something different.
So I gave myself a new cue: put my workout clothes by the bed every night. The second I woke up, those clothes went on, and I was out the door to the gym. No overthinking. No "I'll workout later." First thing, committing to five minutes. That’s it.
If after five minutes I wanted to leave, cool. But here’s what happened - I never stopped at five minutes. The bad habit loop was broken.
Did you know that only 8% of people actually follow through on their goals?
Most people think they need to rely on willpower to crush bad habits, but that's complete nonsense. Willpower fades. You can't trust it. What you need is a solid plan to outsmart the habits holding you back - tracking your triggers, then using them to shift your behavior.
My T.R.A.P. Framework will guide you through breaking bad habits and building new ones that actually stick:
T – Track Your Triggers: Start logging when and where your bad habit shows up. Is it when you’re stressed? Bored? Trigger logging is your intel. Without it, you’re flying blind.
R – Recognize Patterns: Once you have the data, look for patterns. If you don’t know where it starts, you won’t know how to stop it.
A – Alter the Routine: Identify the point where you can interrupt the habit loop. This is where you make your move.
P – Practice a New Cue: Like I did with the workout clothes by the bed. Make it simple, make it automatic, and your brain won’t fight you as much.
Why This Works
When I stopped relying on sheer willpower, everything changed. It wasn’t about motivation - it was about setting myself up so I didn’t even need motivation. You can do the same. It’s about removing friction and creating triggers that work for you, not against you.
Here’s what you’ll get out of it:
Clarity on why your habits aren’t changing.
A clear game plan to stop repeating the same patterns.
Finally, the ability to build habits that stick without battling willpower.
“Habits beat motivation every time.”
Your Turn
Set up your own trigger log today. Start tracking those moments that lead to the habit you’re trying to break. Then use the T.R.A.P. framework to release yourself from it.