Best Ways to Build Better Habits & Break Bad Ones | James Clear

About this episode

James Clear is an expert on behavioral change and habits and the author of the bestselling book Atomic Habits. We discuss the best ways to build new healthy habits and end bad ones without relying on motivation or willpower. Rather than list off categories of tools or acronyms, James explains how anchoring the changes you want to make in your identity and physical environment allows you to make desired changes quickly and ones that stick. Whether your goal is better fitness and physical health, productivity or mental health, you'll learn actionable, zero-cost protocols to build powerful and meaningful habits.

Sponsors

AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman

Lingo: https://hellolingo.com/huberman

Wealthfront*: https://wealthfront.com/huberman

Joovv: https://joovv.com/huberman

Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman

Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman

Timestamps

00:00:00 James Clear

00:02:57 Common Habits, Tool: Habit Success & Getting Started

00:06:16 Make Starting a Habit Easier, Tool: 4 Laws of Behavior Change

00:10:18 Sponsors: Lingo & Wealthfront

00:13:26 Writing Habits, Seasons & Flexibility; Adaptability, Tool: Bad Day Plan

00:18:42 Consistency, Flow vs Grind, Master Showing Up, Learning & Practice

00:24:54 Chunking, Getting Started at Gym

00:28:01 Flow Don’t Fight, Dissatisfaction & Effort, Tool: Identity-Based Habits

00:34:10 Friction, Competition & Effort; Credentials

00:39:38 Make Effort Rewarding, Mindset, Tools: Previsualization, Emphasize Positives

00:45:59 Sponsors: AG1 & Joovv

00:48:56 Reflection & Learning, Tool: Self-Testing; Perfectionism, Tool: Curiosity

00:55:18 Striving vs Relaxation, Balance, Tool: Turn On/Off; Hiking, Nature Reset

01:04:20 Identity & Professional Pursuits; Choosing New Projects; Clinging to Identity

01:14:24 Sponsor: Eight Sleep

01:15:42 Criticism; Identity & Growth

01:21:47 Failure, Identity, Sports, Tool: Rebounding & Reaching; Public Failures

01:30:03 Daily Habits, Tools: Day in Quarters; Never Miss Twice; Meal Timing

01:38:22 Daily Habit Timing & Sequencing, Tool: Mindfully Choose Inputs

01:45:37 Creativity, Specialization vs Generalization; Books

01:51:31 Sponsor: Function

01:53:18 Habits & Context, Environmental Cues, Tools for Minimizing Phone Use

02:02:01 Bad Habits, Checking Phone, Tools for Breaking Bad Habits

02:08:21 Physical & Social Environment, New Habits, Tool: Join/Create Groups

02:18:40 Family, Habits; Kids & Parenting, Tools: Stimulus; Good Conditions

02:26:05 Impact of Habits, Habits as Solutions; Upcoming Projects

02:32:45 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

*This experience may not be representative of other Wealthfront clients, and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Experiences will vary. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.  Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The base APY is 3.50% on cash deposits as of November 07, 2025, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum. If eligible for the overall boosted rate of 4.15% offered in connection with this promo, your boosted rate is also subject to change if the base rate decreases during the 3 month promo period. Funds in the Cash Account are swept to program banks, where it earns the variable APY. New Cash Account deposits are subject to a 2-4 day holding period before becoming available for transfer. Investment advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value.

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