The FoolProof System to Breaking Bad Habits

read time: 4 minutes

Bad habits…suck.

They drain us in every possible way and keep us from achieving what we truly want in life.

Even after recognizing how bad they are for us, we can’t get ourselves to break them.

Why do we have bad habits? What are they so excruciatingly hard to break?

The Cycle of Stuck

Bad habits are caused by pressure and stress.

When the world feels like it's caving in on you, you slip into doing sh*t you wouldn’t usually do.

Next thing you know, you’re trapped in a “cycle of stuck”.

No matter what you try, you can’t seem to shake them.

I know the feeling…

I used to have every ‘bad habit’ in the book.

I was

• eating like sh*t

• procrastinating

• sacrificing my sleep

• and indulging in 3+ hours of cheap dopamine every day (Netflix, Social Media, Youtube etc.)

I remember how I would feel every night when I finally would be by myself.

That feeling of disappointment and dread knowing that I’m actively working against achieving my dreams.

Then, I finally decided to do something about it.

Before I get into my experience & what you need to do to break your bad habits, we first need to understand why we have bad habits in the first place.

The Reason We Have Bad Habits

There’s a reason we have habits in our life, regardless if they are bad or good.

Even the worst habits provide some kind of ‘benefit’ to your life.

For example, Social Media.

Even though scrolling on social media isn’t good for your mental health or attention-span, 90% of Americans use social media actively. (source: demand sage)

And on average, ADULTS (over 21) spend 4-5 hours a day, not even teenagers.

Why is this? Because of the way it makes you feel and the perceived ‘negatives’ to quitting.

Social media overstimulates our minds, and quitting is uncomfortable because we think our friends & family will think less of us if we do.

The downsides far outweigh the upsides, yet there still are upsides that our brain wants.

I Was Approaching Breaking Habits the Completely Wrong Way.

After reading Atomic Habits by the legendary James Clear, I came to a major realization.

It finally hit me.

I had been trying to “get rid of my bad habits” the traditional way: force & willpower. 

I would fight my way through the day trying not to do the habit, just to fall back into the pit.

The problem? In trying not to do the habit, I was constantly thinking about it.

So you’re probably asking, “Matt, how do I replace these bad habits?”.

Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

How to Easily Replace Bad Habits FOR GOOD (4 Simple Steps)

#1: Recognize Why You Have The Habit (3 Clarity Questions)

The first and most obvious step, recognize what bad habits you actually have.

To do this, answer these 3 ‘Clarity Questions’:

• What does it do for you?

• How does it make you feel?

• Why do you want to quit?

Example: I want to quit doom-scrolling social media.

Action:

• Identify the ‘why’ behind the habit by answering the 3 clarity questions.

#2: Choose a Substitute With ‘The Box’

The box is the desire to feel or not feel a certain way. It is a craving.

Brainstorm ideas for positive habits that have the same effect as your bad habit.

Bad habit: social media

Why?: To relieve stress

What are some habits that are positive that relieve stress?

• meditate

• walk

• exercise

• journal

Action:

• Find a replacement for your bad habit through brainstorming.

#3: Track, Track, Track

Become aware of the conditions that make you relapse:

Answer the 4 W’s:

• why?

• who?

• where?

• when?

This will allow you to figure out what situations to avoid in order to keep yourself from falling back into “the cycle”.

Action: 

• Figure out the conditions that make you relapse with the 4 W’s.

#4: Cut-Out Triggers

With quitting every bad habit there comes withdrawals and triggers. 

Going the extra mile to keep yourself away from the ‘4 W’s’ conditions will make quitting 100x easier.

Example:

If you’re trying to quit social media, delete the apps off your phone.

Even go as far as staying off your phone as much as possible to keep you from redownloading the apps.

Action:

• Keep yourself away from the ‘4 W’s’ conditions.

Final Thoughts

Don’t judge yourself when you fall short.

Quitting bad habits is not easy. It took me 4 tries to quit social media, and I had to repeat the process for a while as I kept falling back into it.

Get back up and keep trying.

Fail forward.

Matt “Fail Forward” Harriman

PS:

Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help:

1. Grab my FREE self-reflection guide to break your burnout & make consistent progress in life & business easy.

2.  Book a 1-1 Strategy Session to gain clarity on your routine, habits, and systems.