Issue #470: The Secret to Sticking With Tough Habits

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, September 9th.

In today’s email:

Learn: How to Stick With Tough Habits
Try: The Friction Rule
Inspire: The 100-Yr Old Skydiver
Move: The Healthiest Game on Earth
In the News: Unplugged
Brain Games: Calcudoku

👉 Don’t Wait Until January!

Health doesn’t reset on New Year’s. Get your labs, screenings, and preventive care scheduled now - with your Advisor in your pocket 24/7.

Stat of the Day

The percentage of what we do everyday that is a habit when we’re on autopilot. (Duke University)

Learn

How to Stick With Tough Habits

I rarely skip a workout. Even when time gets crunched, I always seem to find a way to get in a 4-mile run or make it to the gym for a quick lift.

But yoga? Seems like I always skip that when my schedule gets crazy.

Mobility? Gratitude journaling? Meditation? Flossing?

I do all of them - but not consistently.

And that’s the problem. The habits that aren’t hardwired into our identity are the ones most vulnerable to chaos.

As Tom Smeets (PhD clinical psychology) puts it:

“Habits demand less cognitive effort, and thus become our default mode of behavior when stressed.”

Why Habits Break Down

Charles Duhigg described it as a 3-part loop:

Cue → a trigger (seeing your yoga mat)
Routine → the action (stretching)
Reward → a payoff (increased mobility, dopamine hit)

When the loop is strong, it runs on autopilot.

When it’s weak, the brain requires willpower (a finite resource).

That’s why I’ll always work out. I associate my identity with being a runner and someone who is strong. But mobility isn’t as tied to that identity when I look at myself in the mirror. I need to break through this box and create a new vision of who I am and what’s important to me as I get older.

And when life gets chaotic, anything that isn’t automatic gets skipped.

Here are 3 things to make it easier to build good habits:

1. Environment > Motivation
People eat more fruit if it’s placed in a visible bowl on the counter - not tucked away in a drawer in the fridge. You don’t need to push harder - you just need to make it easier on yourself to do it with easier access. Our motivation goes up and down - the more our environment helps us, the less we need to overcome a big mental hurdle to do something.

2. Emotions Drive Stickiness
Research from the University of Pennsylvania found habits tied to positive emotion after doing the habit were up to 3x more likely to last. A small fist pump after journaling (sounds weird, but it works), or saying out loud that you’re proud of yourself by keeping the streak alive, wires the brain with dopamine. Grit alone doesn’t work - we all need that positive reinforcement.

3. Keystone Habits Ripple Out
Duhigg calls them “keystone habits.” Exercise is one. People who work out tend to sleep better, eat healthier, and manage stress more effectively - even if they never set out to. Build one right habit, and others start to follow. So find that first habit that creates momentum and watch it snowball.

And here’s what we often miss:

We think change only happens when we add a habit. But not doing something is a habit too.

If I skip yoga or stretching, it doesn’t feel like anything changed. But as I get closer to 50, sticking with the status quo is a choice - and my body will absolutely change because of it.

So don’t just imagine what you’ll achieve or who you’ll become if you start a new habit. Ask yourself - who will you become if you don’t!

Try

The Friction Rule

Make it harder to not do something than to actually do it.

The fruit (above) is just one example - check out what I did with my floss picks:

I have to literally reach over or around the floss in order to get to my toothbrush. It hits hard if I’m so challenged that I do that instead of just actually flossing.

By the time I’m through that jar, then it’s a habit and my routine 2x a day is on autopilot with brushing and flossing.

The same thing can be done with dumbbells, yoga mat, running shoes, etc.

Redesign your environment to make it easier to do a habit and harder to skip it.

✅ Bottom line: Change doesn’t only come from new habits - it also comes from the habits we silently don’t build. Which version of yourself do you want to practice today?

Thrive25 Partner Spotlight

You invest for retirement - but what about your health?

Thrive25 gives you a Personal Longevity Advisor in your pocket to build a plan that fits your life.

With one secure health hub you can organize everything from lab results to doctor notes. Get a personalized blueprint to help you move better, think clearer, and stay independent for decades to come.

This is the tool we built for ourselves - because we wanted a smarter, simpler way to feel great today and stay active with our families tomorrow.

Start your own journey now with $6.99/month (or $50/year) early access pricing. Click HERE to take control of your health today!

Inspire

The 100-Yr Old Skydiver

Jimmy Hernandez can still drive, climbs up on his roof to make home repairs and just jumped out of a plane - at age 100.

He lives on his own with his 91-year old wife and is a great-great-grandfather.

Seems like the genetics are good in his family - but he’s no doubt done his part for longevity.

His top hacks for longevity (hint: it’s not cold plunging or creatine):

Work Hard

Since serving in the Pacific during WWII - Jimmy worked as a carpenter for nearly 70 years. He finally retired at 91. He also worked side jobs to support his 12 kids.

“I worked hard all my life - very hard for many hours for my job.”

Life isn’t better when it’s easy - don’t shy away from the work.

Stay Active

This might be the quote that sums it up best - “You can’t just sit and watch TV because you get fat. You’ve got to exercise…you can’t just let yourself go.”

Have Fun

Jimmy calls himself an optimist (tied to longevity) and enjoys human connection.

“Love people. That’s what my mom and dad taught us - to love and hug each other. You’ve just got to enjoy life and trust and respect others.”

Full story HERE.

Move

The Healthiest Game on Earth

If you play one sport - it should be tennis.

It might be the absolute best single workout for your brain and body - studies show tennis players live 10 years longer than people that don’t exercise and longer than swimmers, cyclists, and runners.

But it’s not just that it builds muscle, elevates your heart rate (way more than pickleball) and improves density - the biggest benefit might be for your brain.

Think about what’s actually happening when someone hits the ball to you - while moving you have to quickly assess the speed, spin, height of the bounce and then decide how to hit it back - the angle, spin, speed.

It demands massive complex brain coordination that shortens our reaction time, improves our decision-making and may even improve memory and long-term brain health.

It builds muscle
Elevates your heart rate (gotta move more than pickleball)
Improves bone density

So if you’re looking for one sport to keep you strong, sharp, and thriving for decades - pick up a racquet. Every point is a workout for your body and a challenge for your brain. The healthiest game on earth might also be the most fun.

Speaking of Tennis - The Hottest New Rivalry is Here

The Big 3 once felt untouchable - winning 31 of 33 Grand Slams (94%) across nine years. Many said we’d never see dominance like that again. But 2025 is starting to look a lot like 20 years ago.

Roger Federer’s Wimbledon breakthrough in 2003 kicked off a run where the Big 3 claimed 10 of 13 majors. On Sunday in New York, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner widened the gap with the rest of the field. They’ve now matched that mark - 10 of the last 13 Slams - and they’re just getting started.

Men’s Grand Slam Winners by Year - Inspired by Ben Rothenberg

Comparing the Big 3 vs. Alcaraz & Sinner

Total wins (%): 66 of 81 Slams (81%) | Alcaraz & Sinner: 10 of 13 (77%)
Longest streak: Big 3 won 18 straight | Alcaraz & Sinner are at 8 and counting
Dominance despite a blip: The Big 3 won 29 of 30 slams in one stretch | Alcaraz & Sinner are 9 for the last 10
Getting started: Federer won the first 4 for the Big 3 | Alcaraz had 4 of the first 5

The Big 3 became a trio only after Djokovic broke through - after Roger and Rafa had already piled up 15 slams. Today, Djokovic sits atop with 24 - Nadal has 22, Federer 20. By comparison, Alcaraz (6) and Sinner (4) have a long road ahead…but the question is, will anyone join them to make it a new Big 3?

H&L in the News

Unplug to Fully Recharge: Stuck to your phone? Experts share surprising, science-backed strategies - from “digital sabbaths” to reverse streaks - to help you reclaim focus, freedom, and more meaningful moments in real life. (NYTimes)

Stretch Into Your Potential: Tight hips? Stiff back? This 7-move flexibility routine boosts performance, reduces pain, and helps you move - and live - better. No fancy gear needed. (Outside)

When Titans Collide in Space: OJ 287, the heaviest black hole duo ever seen, is spiraling toward a colossal merger. New ultra-high-res images reveal flares, jets, and physics that push Einstein to the brink. (Big Think)

Brain Games

Calcudoku

The objective is to fill in the grid with the correct digit in each cell, between 1 and 6:

Each row contains exactly one of each digit
Each column contains exactly one of each digit
Each bold-outlined group (with same color) must equate the result with the numerical operation - addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*) and division (/)

It’s go time - this one is tough, solve this in under five minutes. Ready…set…go!

Credit: Brainzilla

** For answer, scroll to the bottom of the email

Thanks for joining us today!

Want to see what we’re up to? Sign up for early access to our platform
Check out the latest videos on our YouTube channel
Got feedback, recommendations or stories to share? Tell us what’s on your mind here
Want this direct to your inbox? Sign up here

Brain Games Answer

Why Thrive25

We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.

This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at team@thrive25.com.

To health!

Sign up for free:

The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25, Inc. does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.