Obsessive Compulsive Order

Fifteen years morning workouts.

Six years of “5‑Mile Fridays.”

Sixteen months 100 % alcohol‑free.

These are just some good streaks, I have plenty of bad habits too, lol. Just riding a streak I refuse to break. When you swap “Should I do it today?” for “Will I protect the streak?”, hesitation disappears.

1. Start microscopic

Pick one keystone habit that matters but takes <10 minutes—filling a water‑bottle, one push‑up, a two‑minute journal entry. Repetition wires it fast; most habits crystallize around the 66‑day mark.

2. Stack it

Attach the new action to something already automatic: “When the coffee brews, I stretch 60 seconds.” Behavioral scientists call this habit stacking, and it piggybacks on neural pathways you’ve owned for years.

3. Track publicly

A wall calendar, notes app, or smartwatch ring turns effort into visible progress—and visible progress fuels dopamine. Daily cues keep conscientious brains humming without decision fatigue.

4. Shrink to fit bad days

Life blows up; streaks crack. Instead of all‑or‑nothing, scale down: walk one block when five miles feels impossible. Tiny reps preserve the chain and protect self‑trust.

5. Fail forward

Even I’ve restarted streaks—travel, flu, family emergencies. The win isn’t never slipping; it’s re‑loading quickly. Self‑compassion triples the odds you’ll rebound and stick to healthy behavior long‑term.

Orderly rituals can morph into productive rocket fuel—an Obsessive Compulsive Order that propels your body, mind, and mission. Protect the streak, and the streak protects you. Hack Your Health: An Algorithm to Better Energy | Paperback

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