Can you relate to this? You're stuck in a cycle of less than ideal behaviour.

Maybe it's going to bed too late, drinking too much or not going to the gym enough.

Whatever those bad habits are, you know your current state isn't moving you toward an ideal self. 

But why is it so hard to break bad habits and form new ones? 

There are a few answers, and luckily solutions exist to help break you out of those less than ideal routines. 

Acclaimed motivational speaker Mel Robbins did a recent Ted Talk on the phenomena of breaking habits, and finding motivation.

Spoiler alert: there is no magic answer. While her approach could be deemed as a bit *abrasive*, it's just that she's choosing not to sugar coat her findings. 

What are Mel's thoughts? Just do it. You're never going to find the motivation – it's about forcing yourself. In that 5 second moment where you have an idea, or a burst of energy, is when you need to act.

If you wait, or decide to put it off, you'll likely never follow through. She goes on to share that it's not easy – no one actually wants to get out of bed at 5am, or go for that run in frigid weather.

But the more your practice, the easier it becomes. Slowly but surely what may have felt like pulling teeth, will become a part of your daily routine. 

Another approach employed by therapists is the 1% rule. Instead of telling yourself you'll go to the gym for an hour (when you haven't worked out in months or years), start by doing 5 squats a day, and adding 1% each workout.

What's likely to be more successful: going to the gym for an hour, potentially risking injury, and then being too sore to go back for a week, or starting small and adding incrementally? 5 squats per day x 7 days = more than you probably would have done in one workout anyway. Consistency and cumulative effort reigns. 

We're pressured more than ever to "grind" or "hustle" but with that comes a belief that success should be painful. 

Take it day by day, act on those thoughts, and add 1% everyday. You might be shocked at the change you see in a relatively short period of time.