Break Bad Habits and Build Good Habits That Stick

Living an enriched life often comes down to the small choices we make daily that compound over time. But enacting lasting positive change through new habits can feel utterly overwhelming. Where do you even start in building routines that stick?

For business owners, endless demands and constantly shifting priorities make it tough to drive consistent gains toward key personal and business objectives through stable systems and routines. 

This article removes the mystery from breaking old, unwanted habits and forming (and keeping) desired habits (plus some tips by James Clear). Backed by behavioral science research, packed with relatable anecdotes, and laying out clear habit-building frameworks, it’s a powerful primer for taking control of the patterns and practices that shape your days.

Why Habits Matter

Habits are routine behavior repeated regularly and are usually subconscious. They drive up to 45% of our daily decisions, according to psychologist Wendy Wood. Those little routines dictate everything from what you eat for breakfast, to how you commute to work, when you do household chores, and how you unwind after dinner.

When positive habits rule your routines, you tap into what author Gretchen Rubin calls “the happiness advantage.” Tiny gains compound dramatically over months and years spent living intentionally. From improved health to enhanced creativity and productivity, desired habits unlock lasting benefits across every life domain.

On the flip side, negative daily patterns erode well-being. They’re why New Year’s resolutions to get fit or save money often flame out fast. We get derailed when situational cues pull us into old ways of operating on autopilot.

Ultimately, habits wield incredible influence. And you can either take charge of them intentionally through mindful daily effort or let them control you haphazardly to less satisfying ends.

Identifying Bad Habits (And What to Do Next)

You may already have some ideas in mind, but I want to point out some subtle areas that end up stealing your precious time. If you own your own business, you may even feel this at a deeper level. Don’t be overwhelmed! We’re going to talk through how to sidestep these suckers. 

• Distraction Addiction – Compulsively checking devices and scrolling feeds every few minutes derails deep focus. This distraction addiction steals hours from time otherwise dedicated to mission-critical work. James Clear (author of Atomic Habits), says stress and boredom cause bad habits. 
• Task Switching Mania – Jumping frantically between administrative minutiae, emails, meetings, product development, marketing campaigns, finance tracking and more leaves little progress in any single domain. Task switching mania ensures days feel busy but ultimately unproductive.
• Poor Timeboxing – Not properly delimiting key activity blocks by framing them within set start and stop times inevitably leaves priority efforts bleeding into each other and suffering from rushed execution or distraction creep.
• Personal Neglect – Finally, the utter failure to practice regular self-care through proper sleep, exercise, nutrition, and relationship connection accelerates burnout. The WHO now classifies burnout as an official syndrome definition, impacting overall health and happiness when left unchecked.

Don’t worry, we’re not going to start a pity party. It’s important to call out the ‘tough stuff’ so we can get practical about overcoming it. I know you are strong, confident, and have deep determination to not let these things win. However, when it comes to effectively replacing deeply ingrained but unproductive patterns, research by Wendy Wood at Duke University reveals an inconvenient truth: sheer willpower alone fails most of the time. Entrepreneurs who solely rely on so-called “grit” end up falling painfully short of instituting lasting habit change. Grit partnered with good habits is transformational!

Okay, so we’ve called out some subtle not-so-great habits that steal our precious time. Before outlining a step-by-step framework to build desired habits (both business and personal), let’s explore common reasons new practices often fade fast. This is important to review so you can actually implement those new habits instead of being frustrated about how they just won’t stick!

Common Obstacles to Breaking Bad Habits (And How to Overcome Them)

1. Lack of Clarity 

You set a vague goal like “eat healthy,” but with no concrete markers to measure progress or clear steps to implement. Define micro-behaviors that roll up into your broader objective. Not just “I will improve my diet,” but “I will eat two servings of vegetables at both lunch and dinner daily.” Tracking bites, not just pounds lost, fuels motivation through signals of tiny wins. 

Get specific, and make it make sense. Don’t go from zero vegetables a day to being a vegetarian. Do babies come out of the womb running? Incremental steps build confidence, knowledge, and trust in yourself.

2. No Accountability System

Going it alone exposes you to wavering willpower, excuse-making around exceptions, and creeping self-doubts about progress. Clear calls this “joining forces with somebody”. Seems simple enough. Build in accountability through partners, groups, or even something as simple as a checklist on the fridge. According to studies, you’ll be up to eight times more likely to achieve a goal.

Accountability does not mean guilt trip. This should be energizing and optimistic, not something that makes you feel bad about having missed a goal. Make it fun to make it last!

3. Failure to Plan for Slips Back to Bad Habits Promotes De-Motivation

Not proactively preparing for known obstacles spells disaster for new practices. If Monday deadlines always derail breakfast routines, build a meal prep habit on Sunday. Failing to anticipate and adjust ensures you’ll fall prey to friction points.

In one article, Clear mentions that we should “plan to fail”. We’re human and we will mess up, and that’s okay. Account for this, and don’t let it derail you. Keep going.  

Put a system in place that will help you stick to what you said you wanted to do for yourself. No one else has to do it, so do something that works for you. If checklists don’t work, don’t do them. Find an alternative, but stick to it.

Alright, finally! We’re getting to the best stuff – building those positive habits and making them stick.

Step-by-Step Better Habit Creation

Leading habit formation models, from researchers like B.J. Fogg to self-development author James Clear, feature remarkably similar stages. Synthesizing the essentials, here’s a blueprint for effectively cultivating new routines:

1. Select Your Habit

Define the specific routine or micro-behavior you aim to enact. Select just one at a time to avoid overload.

To narrow down options:

• Where could incremental progress through daily actions create big change over time? Review goals across health, relationships, creativity etc. and identify gaps holding you back. 
• What are your triggers? Consider current problem times or activities vulnerable to less than ideal habits. Morning productivity lags, evening snacking temptations, commute boredom eating, etc.
• How can you make your selected habit small and manageable? Get micro with your definition and aim for “tiny gains” versus extreme overnight shifts.

2. Build Motivation for Desired Habits and Break Old Patterns

Connect your chosen habit to deeper personal values and broader goals to fuel disciplined practice even through discomfort.

Use tools like asking “why” several times to get to the real root, picturing your future self, or linking actions to top priorities like family health or purposeful work. Revisiting the “why” restores commitment when willpower wavers.

3. Plan Cues for the Good Ones

What existing situational reminders can enforce this new norm? Piggybacking onto contextual prompts you already experience (like seeing your accountability friend at the gym each morning) makes remembering your commitment to the new practice easier. This also cements relationships in your brain between your environment and the new practice. 

4. Celebrate Tiny Wins (So Good Habits Stick)

Every single loop of doing, from the first time you wake up extra early to the 10th yoga session you go to, or whatever your new norm is, is progress worthy of acknowledgment. Track completions, tally up cumulative small gains, and self-congratulate through positive self-talk.

Neuroscience shows that celebrating micro milestones lights up reward pathways, rewiring your brain to associate feel-good neurotransmitters with the habit which fuels cravings for repetition.

Maintaining Habits Long-Term

The initial introduction of new routines is just the first phase. Sustaining practices for the long haul requires several additional considerations.

1. Make It Easy

Increase friction for bad habits and reduce barriers for desired ones. Hide the ice cream and leave your running shoes by the bed. Put your laptop in the case after work and don’t open it until the next day. When resistance to the new norm strikes, enable the path of highest resistance of the old habit to support the new, positive patterns. 

2. Design For Consistency

Don’t let “all or nothing” thinking derail progress. Doing a habit every day may not be realistic. Maybe it’s sticking to weekends or three times per week minimum. Build in off ramps versus over shooting too high and crashing hard.

3. Allow Imperfect Action

Abandoning a habit over isolated mistakes strains longevity. So you missed the gym yesterday or ate fast food for lunch. Self-forgiveness and return versus harping on momentary lapses keeps you locked into the routine over the long game. 

4. Revisit Purpose

Regularly reconnect to the “why” of key habits, especially during periods of fatigue or flagging enthusiasm. Review goals, dig into research on results, talk to accountability partners about wins, and circle back to the deeper personal meaning to reinvigorate intrinsic motivation.

Where to Go Next

Daily habits dictate everything from health and happiness to how quickly we progress toward dreams and outcomes. By strategically selecting new patterns, tapping into emotional rewards through celebration of small gains, and actively sustaining behaviors using the tips above, you can take back control of your routines for enhanced well-being and fulfillment.

Start simple, and start small. Grow in your awareness with questions like these:

• When does this bad habit occur?
• Who are you with?
• Where are you?
• What triggers you to do it?

Remember, no shame or guilt here – just awareness so you can take action.

Rather than vague resolutions, commit to one new habit at a time using the tips we’ve talked about. You’re empowered to not only start but to sustain those new practices you want! Tiny gains truly do compound into enormous transformation.

One last question: which micro-behavior will you begin practicing today?