How to Break a Bad Habit (Even When You’ve Hit a Plateau)

Last week, we talked about how adopting positive habits naturally pushes out bad ones. But what happens when you’ve built some great habits, seen progress, and then… you plateau?

You know there’s a habit that’s holding you back—maybe you’ve already cut back on drinking wine, but you realize it’s still affecting your sleep and recovery. You know if you reduced it further, you’d feel better. But how do you actually make that change?

In Atomic Habits, James Clear outlines a four-step process to break a habit. Here’s how you can apply it:

1. Make It Invisible (Remove the Cues)

Your environment shapes your behavior. If a certain snack or drink is holding you back, remove it from your house. Think of it this way: If your goldfish is sick, you don’t try to fix the fish—you fix the water. The same goes for you. Changing your environment makes it easier to make better choices.

2. Make It Unattractive (Reframe the Habit)

Shift how you think about the habit. Instead of saying, “I want a drink at night because it helps me relax,” reframe it as, “I don’t want that drink because I know it will mess with my sleep, and I’ll feel exhausted tomorrow.” When you associate the habit with a negative consequence, it becomes less appealing.

3. Make It Difficult (Add Friction)

If you can’t—or don’t want to—eliminate the habit entirely, make it harder to do. For example, if snacking on cookies is the issue, don’t keep them in the pantry. Put them in a box in the garage so you have to go out of your way to get them. Adding barriers forces you to pause and make a conscious decision.

4. Make It Unsatisfying (Add Accountability)

Use social pressure to your advantage. Tell a friend about your goal so they can check in on you. Set a rule—if you miss a workout, your friend gets to call you out on it. You could even add a consequence, like donating to a cause you don’t support if you slip up.

Breaking a habit isn’t about willpower—it’s about setting yourself up for success. Small changes in your environment and mindset can make a big difference.

What’s one habit you’re trying to change right now? Let me know—I’d love to help!