How to Start Changing Your Habits—and Why It Will Transform Your Entire Life

1. Introduction:

You’re not lazy. You’re not broken. You’re just running on habits that were never consciously chosen by you.

In fact, up to 95% of your daily behavior is driven by subconscious habits (Yale University, 2006).That means: if your results suck, it’s not because you’re not trying—it’s because your autopilot is pointed in the wrong direction.

The good news? You can reprogram that autopilot.And once you do, your energy, confidence, health, and results will finally match the vision you have for your life.

Let’s get into the science, the strategy, and the daily steps to get started.

2. Understanding the Core Issue: What Are Habits, Really?

Let’s break it down in a way that makes sense and shows you the science.

-       What is a habit?

A habit is a shortcut your brain creates to save energy.It’s a behavior that becomes automatic after enough repetition. You do it without thinking.

Every time you repeat an action,whether it’s brushing your teeth, checking your phone, or drinking coffee at 3 PM,your brain strengthens the connection between the cue (the trigger) and the response (the action). This connection is stored in a brain structure called the basal ganglia.

-       Neuroscience insight:

Habits are formed through a process called chunking, where your brain links actions into one fluid routine. This reduces mental effort and frees up cognitive space for other tasks (Graybiel, MIT, 2005).

That’s why you can drive home from work without even remembering how you got there. Your conscious brain (prefrontal cortex) steps aside, and your habit brain takes over.

-       Why is change so hard?

Changing habits is difficult not because you’re weak or unmotivated, but because you’re literally going against how your brain is wired to work.

Your brain loves efficiency. It resists change because:

·        Change = more energy use.

·        Change = uncertainty (and the brain loves safety and familiarity).

·        Change = breaking existing dopamine reward loops.

“Neurons that fire together, wire together.” – Donald Hebb, Neuropsychologist

This means: the more you repeat a habit, the stronger the brain connection becomes. To break it, you need to create a new pathway, and that takes repetition, patience, and consistency.

📌 If this part resonates, check out my other blog “You’re Not Stuck or a Failure, You’re Just Not Using the Power”. It dives deeper into why your brain resists change and how to overcome the mental resistance built by old patterns.

-       What happens in your brain when you do change?

When you successfully change a habit, even something small like getting up 10 minutes earlier, your brain lights up in amazing ways.

Every time you complete a new habit, your brain releases dopamine, the "feel-good" chemical. But here’s the key: dopamine isn’t just about pleasure. It also teaches your brain what’s worth repeating.

-       Scientific Fact:

Dopamine acts as a “teaching signal,” helping the brain remember and reinforce behaviors that lead to rewards (Schultz, Wolfram, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2016).

So when you make progress, your brain rewards you chemically. This reward makes it easier to repeat the behavior next time, forming the foundation of your new habit loop.

This process triggers a positive feedback cycle:

• New action → Dopamine → Sense of success → Repeat action → Stronger pathway

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Over time, your self-trust, motivation, and belief in your ability to change increase.

-       Why this matters for success:

Every result you want in life. Better health, more money, stronger relationships, or a focused mind. Comes from repeated behaviors, not big breakthroughs.

By mastering your habits, you’re not just changing your behavior, you’re literally restructuring your brain and preparing yourself for long-term success.

Changing one small habit can lead to:

·        Better sleep → Better focus → Higher performance

·        More energy → More confidence → Better communication

·        Less phone time → More clarity → Better decisions

In short: Habits are how your life is shaped, moment by moment, choice by choice.

Once you understand this, you're no longer stuck. You’re in the driver’s seat of your own transformation.

3. Breaking It Down: Why Habits Shape Your Life’s Results

Now that you understand how your brain forms and protects habits, let’s zoom in on where these patterns show up, and how they quietly run your life behind the scenes.

The truth? Your habits are not random. They’re results of repeated decisions, responses to discomfort, and your brain’s attempt to keep you safe and efficient.

Here’s where most people feel the impact:

Energy & Health

The Situation:You wake up late. You scroll your phone before getting out of bed. You skip breakfast or grab something processed. You’re “too tired” to work out.

The Result:Low physical energy, poor concentration, midday crashes, and general brain fog.

Why This Happens:Your current autopilot habits are based on short-term comfort, not long-term energy.Your brain’s default setting is to conserve energy, so unless you’ve trained it otherwise, it chooses the path of least resistance. Unfortunately, that often leads to unhealthy routines.

Science says: Sedentary, screen-based habits reduce natural dopamine production and lower sleep quality, contributing to fatigue and cognitive decline (Walker, Why We Sleep, 2017).

Finances & Career

The Situation:You procrastinate on important tasks. You jump from one tab to the next. You check your phone every 7 minutes. You avoid the hard work that moves the needle.

The Result:Stuck in the same job. Underpaid. Overwhelmed. Or simply not reaching your potential.

Why This Happens:Your brain craves quick wins, dopamine from scrolling, watching, avoiding hard decisions.That’s your reward system in action. The habits that feel “easiest” or most comfortable win, even when they work against your goals.

Studies on behavioral economics show that people consistently choose immediate gratification over long-term reward, unless actively trained to delay gratification (Mischel, The Marshmallow Test, 2014).

And guess what?Your brain doesn’t care if it’s good for you—it only cares if it’s familiar and rewarding.

Confidence & Self-Worth

The Situation:You compare yourself to others. You hesitate to speak up. You avoid trying new things. You replay old mistakes and talk yourself down.

The Result:Stuck in self-doubt. Little to no growth. Missed opportunities. Feeling like you’re “not good enough.”

Why This Happens:These are also habits, mental habits. Your RAS (remember that filter?) picks up on the things that confirm your inner beliefs. If your internal script says “I’m not capable,” your RAS shows you evidence to back it up. Over and over again.

Brain scans show that negative self-talk activates the same neural pathways as physical pain, reinforcing emotional discomfort and withdrawal behaviors (Lieberman, UCLA, 2012).

Your self-image isn’t fixed.It’s built through repetitive inner dialogue, reactions, and micro-decisions. In other words: habits of thought.

Putting It All Together

It’s easy to assume that your lack of results means you’re lazy, unmotivated, or broken.But that’s not true.

If any of this sounds familiar, late starts, brain fog, self-doubt, procrastination—now you know:That’s not your personality. That’s your programming.

You’ve simply built habits that align with surviving, not thriving.

And this is where things get exciting:

Because if habits can hold you back…They can also be rewired to launch you forward.

You don’t rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. (James Clear - Atomic Habits.)

And habits are your systems.

Let’s now dive into how you can start reshaping them to serve you, not sabotage you. Ready?

4. How to Apply This in Real Life: Start Rewiring Your Habits Today

Here’s your step-by-step strategy to start making real change:

✅ Do This:

1. Identify ONE habit to changeKeep it small. Think:

• “Drink 1 glass of water after waking up.”

• “10 minutes of movement every morning.”

• “Write 3 things I did well today.”

2. Use Habit StackingAttach a new habit to an existing one:"After I brush my teeth, I’ll meditate for 1 minute."This technique works because it uses your brain’s existing pathways to build new ones.

3. Make It Easy & ObviousIf it takes more than 2 minutes, start smaller.Want to run daily? Start by putting your shoes on and stepping outside.

4. Use Rewards and RepetitionHabits form through dopamine feedback loops.Celebrate each win. Feel proud. That emotion locks the habit in.

5. Track ItYour brain loves feedback. Use a habit tracker, checklist, or journal. Seeing progress keeps you going.

❌ Avoid This:

-       Trying to change 5 things at once → Overload leads to failure. Start small.

-       Waiting for motivation → Motivation follows action. Not the other way around.

-       Beating yourself up for missing a day → Perfection isn’t the goal. Consistency is.

5. The Final Takeaway: Change Your Habits, Change Your Life

You are not your past. You are your patterns.And the moment you decide to change them, you reclaim your power.

Science confirms it: With repetition, intention, and consistency, your brain literally rewires itself.Neurons that fire together, wire together.New habits mean new identity, new behavior, and eventually, new results.

So here’s your challenge:What’s ONE tiny habit you’ll start today?Drop it in the comments, commit to it, and start watching your life shift.

The only question that matters now is this:Will you take control of your patterns, or will they continue to control you?

You’ve got this.

Let’s build the life that’s waiting on the other side of your habits.

Your biggest supporter,

Sjoerd