Last week habits expert James Clear released a simple but powerful list: “The 8 Forces That Cause Habits to Fail.”
I talk a lot about how to form habits, and confronting challenges in advance is a key step in building habits over the long term. But what are some of the most common challenges to forming habits? What are the habit killers?
I’ve witnessed habit killers up close, through my own experience and experience working with people one-on-one. James Clear’s list, based on surveys with over 40,000 data points, is an excellent overview of the habit killing forces that stop us from achieving our goals. They are:
- We don’t have time
- We procrastinate
- We plan too much
- We get overwhelmed
- We get bored
- We backslide
- We give in to temptation
- We stop believing in our ability to change
These forces are at play in a wide variety of habits and affect a range of goals. But the way they manifest themselves in your behavior, the way they affect your everyday actions, changes from goal to goal.
I’ve seen a lot of people struggle with these, and I’ve struggled with them at times myself (I’m especially susceptible to over planning and getting bored). This is how each force shows up when you’re trying to establish a fitness habit.
Need help forming habits in the first place? I put together a guide and worksheet to help you work out more consistently. Just let me know where to send it.
(You’ll also get the free eBook 51 Motivation Tips, for when you need an extra boost)
1. We don’t have time
There are only so many hours in the day, and it’s hard to find time for everything you want to do. You need to take care of the things that absolutely need to get done, like going to work, eating, sleeping, and cleaning, before you even consider working out.
And even then, there are other things you want to do. A bunch of your buddies are going out to shoot some pool, or there’s a networking event to check out, or your want some time to catch up with Netflix.
Even if there is literally a little bit of time when you could work out, you’re exhausted and have other stuff to do. A two hour workout can sound brutal on top of a full day.
The Fix
Don’t do two hour workouts.
A surprisingly small amount of exercise can have a surprisingly large effect on your general well being. Even better, a short exercise routine, even if you only start by doing it at home once a week, can be a jumping off point to building a larger habit.
I wrote more about the psychology of forming long-term habits in this article.
2. We procrastinate
Procrastination goes hand-in-hand with not having enough time, and it winds up looking similar.
When you don’t have an existing habit, you have to consciously make the decision to exercise for each workout. That means every workout is a difficult battle between the part of you that knows exercise is important and the part of you that is tired and wants to watch Netflix.
Is it any surprise people say “I’ll work out tomorrow?”
It’s easy to justify procrastination by saying things like “oh I’m really tired today, a workout wouldn’t even be worth it.” But how often do you really get up and work out tomorrow?
Especially since I started working 9–5, there have been few workouts where I go in thinking “I’m feeling fantastic, totally awake, and I’m ready to bend some barbells in half.” But even if it’s never the ideal time to work out, it’s the right time.
The Fix
This problem, too, can be solved by using the psychology of habit formation.
If working out is always a conscious, deliberate decision that weighs how you feel and what other things you want to do on a given day, it’s a lot harder to consistently work out — especially if you make that decision when you’re already tired.
If, instead, you can create an environment that pushes you towards a workout (whether that’s by bringing workout clothes to work, finding a gym right next to your office, or creating some other habit change), the problem of procrastination starts to magically disappear.
3. We plan too much
Oooh boy. This is one that still gets me.
I think over planning is a little less universal than others on this list, but it’s still a major challenge for those that struggle with it.
Do you know someone that’s constantly talking about the effects of different diets or exercise programs, or is always debating whether to start Program X or Program Z, but never seems to start anything?
When you don’t know anything about fitness, over planning is a way to feel like you’re accomplishing something without really confronting fear of the gym.
On my first day at the gym, I was surrounded by chalk dust and muscle-y dudes. I had no idea how to do anything, and wound up very nearly decapitating myself with a barbell. It was terrifying, and it took a long time before I went back.
But before I did, I had done extensive research on what program to use. Should I do compound exercises or machines? Interval training or long treadmill runs? Barbells or dumbbells?
I got so wrapped up in planning that I forgot to actually work out. The same thing happened the first time I tried to count calories.
It’s impossible to get results without doing any work. Your first program doesn’t need to be 100% optimal, and you can change your plan as you learn more and develop your habit.
I think over planning can also be caused problem number 8 (not believing success is possible). If you don’t think you can be successful, endless planning is “safe” and protects you from failure.
The Fix
Plan a little, and take action while you do.
For your first workout, you don’t need to know the long-term effects of strength training on cell nuclei. You don’t even really need to know whether high reps or low reps are better. You need to pick a program and stick to it for a little while.
Also, do something while you research. Even if it’s just going to the gym and doing a few push-ups, establishing the beginnings of a habit while you decide on a longer term plan will make it much easier to follow through in the long run.
Plus, if the planning falls through you’ll at least be doing push-ups.
For what you need to get started, check out my article reviewing five popular beginner programs. Or, even simpler, read about exactly what you need to know for your first day at the gym.
4. We get overwhelmed
Which exercises should you do? At what weight? How often? Is running really good for you, I heard it might suck.
Especially in fitness, there’s a lot of noise to sift through when you start your habit. There are a ton of fitness “gurus” peddling contradictory advice, and it’s difficult to figure out who to listen to.
One response to being overwhelmed is over planning. The other is to totally shut down.
Imagine walking into the gym, wearing basketball shorts and an old t-shirt you had lying around. In front of you is the free weights section, filled with all manner of dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells. But what do you use them for?
To your left are the bikes, ellipticals, and treadmills. There are a couple open, but uhhhhg cardio is soooooo booooooring.
To your right are the weight machines, dozens of them, with diagrams for every body part and seats that you can’t quite figure out how to adjust.
And, of course, all around you are the ultra fit people is muscle-y tank tops and yoga pants.
You may not have to imagine this scenario — for me it’s something I experienced and remember. When you walk into an open gym with no idea what to do, it’s really easy to feel overwhelmed.
The Fix
First, figure out what to do.
This is where people get sucked into over planning, and it’s where I went wrong the first time around in my own fitness habit. Without learning the functional anatomy behind a bench press, find a program that you like and watch some video on the exercises. My articles on popular programs and the first day at the gym might be helpful.
Then, try to tackle your gym anxiety at the source. It’s true that not knowing what to do is a key cause of overwhelm and gym anxiety, but are there other forces at play?
My article on dealing with the four factors of gym anxiety (social comparisons and feeling judged are biggies) might help.
5. We get bored
Not a lot of nuance to this one: we want results fast and novelty wears off quickly.
That said, this is a super common problem — so common that there’s a term for people who switch exercise programs from week to week: program hoppers.
When you start a new exercise routine, it can get boring pretty quickly. You’re doing the same exercises week in and week out. Sure you’re increasing weight, but eventually that slows down and you’re hunting for a change.
Or else, the exercise itself is boring. You hate lifting, but you’ve heard that strength training is just too good for you to not do. You hate running, but everyone talks about how important cardio is. You get bored and quit or switch programs because you’re doing things that you hate.
The Fix
Hang in there.
Fitness results don’t come overnight, and it’s going to take some time on one program before you start to see the improvements you’re working towards. Especially with the fitness industry constantly promising fast results, it’s easy to feel like you’re bored and not making progress.
But hang in there.
At the same time, try to make exercise entertaining and avoid doing things you hate. If there are exercises you particularly enjoy, throw them into your workout. If you hate running, don’t run. If you find it easier to do group fitness or play a sport, do that.
If exercise is something you enjoy, you’re more likely to stick with it. So find something you enjoy doing and make it part of your exercise.
6. We backslide
“I can miss just this one workout. I’ll make it up tomorrow.”
That’s a dangerous phrase, and a common one. It’s true that missing one day isn’t the end of the world, but it’s easy to have that one day spiral into two days, the four, then eight.
And then before you know it you’ve got a gym membership you have used in months.
It’s worth noting that backsliding is much, much more common in people new to exercise. People with consistent exercise routines either don’t miss workouts or really do make them up as soon as possible.
But while you’re forming an initial exercise habit, backsliding is dangerous.
Before the habit is established, the chain of actions that help you follow through is fragile. Any disruption carries with it the possibility that the chain will break, leaving you lying on the couch wondering why you’re still spending 40 bucks a month on XSport Fitness.
Even when you have an existing habit, backsliding can happen when your environment suddenly changes. If you move to a new apartment or switch jobs, for example, a significant part of your daily routine has changed. The things that used to cue you to work out are no longer around, so you fall off the bandwagon.
The Fix
Defend your chains in advance.
Anticipating challenges is one of the most important steps to my guide on building a gym habit, because anticipating a challenge helps you deal with it while looking at the big picture.
Why are you backsliding? Is it because you’re tired? A friend wants to hang out during your workout hour? You needed to stay late at work?
Coming up with potential solutions for these problems in advance can help you overcome them. And if you really do need to miss a day, so be it. Keeping the big picture in mind will make that feel like less of a failure and help you actually work out the next time around.
If you know that a big environmental change is coming up, know that it’s going to affect your habits and plan accordingly. You might miss a few sessions while you get up to speed, but try to get some new cues in place as soon as you can.
7. We give in to temptation
Temptation goes hand-in-hand with backsliding, but specifically happens when something pops up in our environment and we just can’t say no.
Is it a sudden invite to a friend’s birthday party (that means skipping a workout for some drinks)? The free donuts someone brought to the office? There are any number of temptations present in everyday life, and it’s hard to say no all the time.
The Fix
Try to avoid scenarios where you’re likely to get tempted.
If you don’t keep cake lying around the house, you’re less likely to get tempted to eat cake. If you don’t go into the kitchen at work, you’re less likely to be tempted by a donut.
Removing cues for “bad” behaviors from your environment is by far the easiest way to stop doing them.
Of course, that won’t always be possible. But, similar to backsliding, try to anticipate temptations and create specific plans for how to deal with them.
And if you do wind up giving in, remember that it isn’t the end of the world.
8. We stop believing in our ability to change
This is the most insidious force of the bunch.
Unlike some of the others, you will usually not be aware this is happening. You know when you don’t have enough time. You know when you give into temptation.
But you might not realize when you’ve given up on the possibility of change.
When I was growing up, there was this one kid in my grade who absolutely killed it on my soccer team. I looked at him dribbling around defenders, breaking ankles, and generally being the best, and it was incredibly clear how far behind him I was. It felt like I could never do what he did.
Then one day my dad commented that he had seen that kid, my teammate, at the school. He was spending hours passing and trapping a soccer ball against the brick walls. That’s what it took to get his skills.
For a long time, I was a skinny kid who believed that change was impossible. I didn’t think I could ever really pack on muscle or look fit.
But just like with my middle school soccer team, I didn’t understand what it took to get fit. I tried some stuff that didn’t work, burned out, got no results, and gave up.
Even when I hit on the right programs, it took some time to get going on them. I struggled to be consistent, failed, and kept not getting results.
What makes this force so difficult to deal with is that it builds with every failure. When every spurt of motivation sputters and fails, leaving you exactly where you started, it’s hard to keep going.
It’s hard to believe that you can succeed.
The Fix
It would be easy for me to tell you “of course you can be successful! Fitness works for everyone!” And of course, fitness does get results if done well and consistently.
But that does get at the heart of this force: your beliefs. Having me tell you something accomplishes nothing. Believing in your own opportunity for success has the potential to be extremely motivating, but it needs to come from you.
Change in this area takes time. It starts by identifying your fitness beliefs, but even once they’re out in the open they can be difficult to change.
Start with identifying your beliefs. Write them out, observe how they affect your behavior. And then, once you fully understand them, start to challenge them.
I’ve written more on developing your personal fitness philosophy here.
Need help forming habits in the first place? I put together a guide and worksheet to help you work out more consistently. Just let me know where to send it.
(You’ll also get the free eBook 51 Motivation Tips, for when you need an extra boost)
