Most of what you do in a day is habit. You wake up, brush your teeth, take a bath, sip your morning tea or coffee, scroll your phone, maybe take a walk, go to the gym—or light a cigarette. The list is endless. Some of us want to double down on our good habits, while others are desperate to get rid of the bad ones. Either way, it’s impossible to deny how much habits shape our lives.

But here’s the truth: identifying a bad habit is just as important as building a good one.

Many people fool themselves into thinking that a harmful activity is “just this one time.” That’s how habits sneak in unnoticed. If you’re endlessly scrolling through your phone, admit it. If you spend more time consuming than creating, recognize it. If you can’t find time for anything creative, be honest with yourself—it’s not lack of time, it’s lack of habit. Sometimes the first step is simply pausing, reflecting, and calling things out for what they are.

What is a Habit?

Every habit has three elements: cue (trigger), process, and result.

• Brushing your teeth: waking up is the cue, brushing is the process, and a fresh breath is the result.
• Smoking: boredom is the cue, lighting the cigarette is the process, and the nicotine hit is the result.

Big companies have mastered this formula. They don’t try to change the result—because once your body knows the joy, it craves it. Instead, they change the process. That’s why rehabilitation centers often struggle, but vaping and nicotine patches find success. They provide the same result through a different process. Similarly, people replace sugar with natural sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit to satisfy the same craving for sweetness, or swap coffee with green tea or matcha to get alertness without the same caffeine load.

You can do the same in your life. If your cue is boredom and your process is screen time, replace the process. Go for a walk. The result—temporary joy—still comes, but in a healthier way.

How to Keep it Simple

At the end of the day, don’t overcomplicate. Just do it. Overthinking is the thief of joy.

I used to order fries with my burger every single time. I thought salad would ruin the meal. One day, I experimented. To my surprise, the burger with salad tasted just fine. After repeating it a few times, it became a habit. I’ve never looked back at fries again.

On the flip side, I once discovered the art of “listening” on YouTube instead of watching. That turned into hours of podcasts—some great, many pointless. I had to admit that I had unknowingly built another habit, one that now needs fixing. While knowing the fundamentals of habit helps, quick action always takes precedence. If you are in the moment and thinking of trying a healthier snack, painting, writing that blog, or taking that vacation—just do it. That very experiment can teach you whether you found temporary joy in the process. Then you will have the choice to repeat it and make it a good habit. A shot never taken is a shot missed.

The Truth About Habits

“A good habit is not formed out of fear of disliking the process. A bad habit is formed out of the illusion of joy.”

And that illusion is temporary. The joy of a cigarette fades, the joy of endless scrolling disappears, the joy of one more drink passes. But a good habit—like eating clean, creating, walking, writing—stays with you, building strength quietly over time.

The choice is yours: illusion or truth, temporary or lasting.

👉 Reflect on your day today. Which one habit—good or bad—is steering your life more than you realize?