You Already Have Habits (But Are They the Ones You Want?)

I used to think I was terrible at habits.

I tried systems, journals, apps, sticky notes, all kinds of ways to keep myself on track. I wanted those good habits that build momentum and create the life I actually wanted.

But many mornings, I would start my day and realize that I didn’t do them. Again.

I would hear that harsh little voice in my head: “You didn’t get out of bed with the alarm. You never do. You always lie in bed, playing on your phone.”

And then it hit me. I did have habits. I did have a routine. They were just not the ones I wanted.

• Scrolling on my phone first thing in the morning? That was a habit.
• Skipping breakfast and grabbing a snack later? That was a habit.
• Telling myself I would “start tomorrow?” Habit too.

The truth is, none of us are bad at habits. We are actually experts. We repeat things every day without even thinking about them. The real question is: are those habits helping us, or holding us back?

Flipping the Script

Once I realized this, I stopped beating myself up and started getting curious.

Instead of saying “I can’t build habits,” I asked:

• Which ones do I already have?
• Which of those are serving me well?
• Which could I replace with something better?

That shift changed everything for me and it could might work for you.

For example:

• If your current habit is to collapse on the couch after work with your phone, what if you made a habit of adding a quick five-minute stretch first?
• If your habit is hitting snooze three times when the alarm goes off, what if you moved your alarm across the room?
• If your habit is grabbing soda at lunch, what if you started by swapping just one of them for water?

You do not need to bulldoze your whole routine. You can simply redirect it one small step at a time.

The Good News

You already know how to do habits. You are doing them all day, every day. The key is learning how to turn them into habits that will help shape the life you want to lead.

Start by noticing your current routines. Find just one that does not serve you well, and replace it with a tiny shift that does. Over time, those small swaps build into a routine that serves you well.

Because the habits you practice, whether by choice or by default, are writing your life story. And you deserve a story that lifts you up.

If you want a simple way to track your habits, try our free Health Warriors Journey App. It has a flexible habit tracker that lets you create your own habits! Here’s a demo video.