One Way To Build Better Habits That Actually Stick

One of the most fascinating things I've come to realize through my work in habit change is that most of the advice is isolated on behaviours.

Almost all of it ignores emotions, spirituality, environment, values and philosophy.

Yes, behaviours are the actions that form the habits.

But there are core anchors that support the positive change of a habit or the destructive continuation of a negative one.

Let me show you…

We’ve all been told to start small, stack it, and make it obvious.

And sure, those things work. But they’re only one layer.

There are deeper layers of sustainable habit change.

They live in how you feel, where you focus, what you value, and the state of consciousness you're in when you act.

I call this approach Flow State Habit Design.

It’s a 4-part method for turning ambitious goals into sustainable habits that stick with less friction and more energy.

Flow State Habit Design
Build habits from the inside out that are aligned with your biology, energy, values, and attention.

1. Anchor the Aim (Identity & Emotion)
   Most habits fail because they’re not tied to who you are, or who you're becoming.

   • What would this habit mean to your future self?

   • How would it feel to already be that person?

   • When your habit is emotionally compelling and identity-driven, motivation becomes internal.

2. Align the Environment (Design & Triggers)
   Change happens with your surroundings, not despite them.

   • Make good habits frictionless.

   • Make bad habits invisible.

   • Surround yourself with cues, tools, and people that align with the outcome you want.

3. Architect the Action (Clear, Rhythmic Goals)
   The brain loves rhythm. So give it tempo.

   • Tiny, clear goals build momentum.

   • Link actions to ultradian rhythms (90-minute cycles of peak alertness).

   • Build rituals, not tasks.

   • Remember, clarity creates flow. Rhythm sustains it.

4. Access the State (Flow Triggers & Recovery)
   Habits stick when they feel good. Not dopamine-scrolling good. Fulfillment good.

   • Use flow triggers like novelty, challenge, feedback, deep focus.

   • Recover like it matters: breathwork, nature, stillness.

   • Let your nervous system lead.

   • The state you’re in determines the success of the system you build.

You’re not a machine. You’re a rhythm.

Most habit models are mechanical. This one’s biological.

It honours energy, attention, meaning, and the human experience underneath the checklist.

Habits are forever, they’re a lifestyle.

When they match higher order, meaningful goals and they sync with your identity, your environment and your biology, they become part of your natural unconscious pattern.

Try this:

Pick one habit you’ve struggled to make stick.

Ask yourself these 4 questions:

1. Does this habit align with the person I want to become?

2. Have I designed my environment to support this action?

3. Can I make the action clearer, smaller, or more rhythmic?

4. What state am I usually in when I try to do it?

Start there.

Stop forcing it to happen and start understanding the reason why it hasn’t happened yet. It’s much more than just your behaviour.

Much Love,

Cory Firth
Creator of One Minute Weekend

Let’s work together!