How to Kill the Habits That Are Holding You Back

Bad Habits Are Like Weeds

Bad habits are like weeds in your garden.

They choke out the space for growth, drain your energy, and leave you stuck.

If you want to level up in life, whether it's your fitness, finances, or relationships, you’ve got to root them out.

But here's the thing... cutting out vices isn't just about willpower. It's about strategy.

Let’s break it down.

Habits Are Hardwired

Your brain is wired for efficiency. It wants to conserve energy, so it creates shortcuts, habits.

When you repeat an action long enough, it moves from the energy-intensive cerebellum to the basal ganglia, the part of your brain that runs on autopilot.

Good news? You don’t need to think about brushing your teeth or tying your shoes.

Bad news? The same mechanism locks in destructive habits like scrolling endlessly on TikTok or smashing a bag of chips at midnight.

Breaking these habits feels like swimming upstream because your brain is lazy by design. But there’s a way to rewire it.

Start Crowding Out the Bullsh*t

Don’t waste energy fighting bad habits directly. Instead, flood your schedule with actions that align with your goals.

When you’re too busy working, training, or building, you don’t have time for vices.

Look at my calendar. Every hour is booked.

There’s no room for distractions. When your day is structured like this, bad habits don’t just disappear, they get crowded out.

Action step: Plan your day down to the hour. Fill it with productive tasks so there’s no white space for nonsense.

Be Ruthlessly Focused

Most people fail because they try to fix everything at once.

They want to quit smoking, hit the gym, eat clean, and learn a new skill, all on the same Monday. That’s a recipe for burnout.

Focus on one or two habits that will create the most impact. If you’re broke, work on doubling your income.

If you’re out of shape, nail your diet. Ignore the fluff like journaling or making your bed unless it directly supports your main goal.

Discipline is a finite resource. Don’t waste it on things that don’t matter.

Go All-In or Stay Average

Moderation is a lie. Extreme results come from extreme actions. You can’t half-ass your way to greatness.

I stopped smoking cold turkey after 15 years because I drew a line in the sand. I didn’t “try” to quit. I decided I was done. No exceptions, no cheat days. Trying is just an excuse in disguise.

Whatever vice you’re dealing with, commit fully to eliminating it. Don’t taper off or give yourself wiggle room. Burn the boats.

Build a Fortress of Discipline

Discipline isn’t something you’re born with; it’s something you build. The trick is to make your habits automatic. Once they’re locked into your basal ganglia, they run on autopilot.

Here’s how you do it: track everything.

Track your food, your money, your workouts, whatever moves you closer to your goals.

When you’re tracking, you stay accountable.

Back in the day, I used to track every dollar with Mint. Now, I use Monarch to keep tabs on my finances and expenses.

The same applies to my macros. I’ve been weighing my food for over a decade, and now it feels as natural as brushing my teeth.

The goal is to make discipline effortless by turning it into a system.

Replace, Don’t Erase

Trying to "stop" a bad habit without replacing it is setting yourself up for failure.

Your brain craves patterns and predictability. If you don’t give it something better to do, it’ll fall back on what it knows.

If you used to waste an hour scrolling Instagram, replace that time with something productive, like hitting the gym or learning a skill.

It’s not enough to say “no” to the bad stuff; you’ve got to say “yes” to something better.

Fill your calendar with meaningful actions, and soon, your vices won’t just disappear, they’ll feel irrelevant.

Never Miss Twice

Consistency is king. The moment you slip up, you risk falling back into old patterns.

Missing one workout or one clean meal isn’t the end of the world.

But miss twice? That’s a crack in the foundation. It’s a slippery slope back to mediocrity.

Think of your habits like a rocket.

It takes an insane amount of fuel to break the atmosphere. If you quit before you’re in orbit, you’re starting from scratch every time.

Be relentless. Don’t take breaks. Don’t allow inconsistency to creep in. Once the momentum is there, protect it at all costs.

Draw Your Line in the Sand

When it comes to cutting out vices, moderation isn’t the answer. It’s easier to quit something entirely than to dabble in it.

I smoked cigarettes for over 15 years. Quitting was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But the moment I decided, “I don’t do this anymore,” everything changed.

You have to make a hard decision and commit. Draw the line. Don’t ease into it. Don’t “try.” Just stop.

Success Is Extreme

If you want extreme results, you have to take extreme actions.

Most people settle for moderation.

They tell themselves it’s about balance. That’s why they stay broke, out of shape, and stuck. If you want more out of life, you can’t live like everyone else.

Decide what kind of person you want to be, and then take the steps to become them.

Fill your days with actions that push you forward. Be relentless. Be consistent. And most importantly, be extreme.

Bad habits are weeds. You can’t just cut them down, you have to rip them out by the roots and replace them with something better.

That’s how you win. Every single day.

The BMM Takeaway

Cutting out vices and bad habits isn’t about balance or moderation; it’s about replacement and commitment.

You have to outwork, outthink, and outlast the habits holding you back.

Track your progress relentlessly, pack your calendar with purpose, and replace the bad with the good.

Once you commit fully and stick to the plan, you’ll find that success isn’t just possible—it’s inevitable.