The Mel Robbins Podcast

The Ultimate Guide to Making New Habits STICK | The Mel Robbins Podcast

Order your copy of The Let Them Theory 👉 https://melrob.co/let-them-theory 👈 The #1 Best Selling Book of 2025 🔥 Discover how much power you truly have. It all begins with two simple words. Let Them. — In this episode, you’re about to learn how to make your new habits stick. If you’ve struggled to be consistent with behavior change, you’re not alone. It’s easy to talk about habits; it’s a whole different thing to apply the science so you succeed. You are not the problem. The problem, when it comes to habits, is the lack of systems and hacks that help you stay consistent. There are five very specific, simple systems backed by science that you have to have in place if you want to make your new habits stick for good. Stop relying on willpower to get you through; the research says you need systems. Today, you will learn five of them. In this episode, you’ll learn: 00:00 Intro 02:30 Why it’s important to understand how to make habits stick 03:45 The 75-day challenge I’ve taken on this year 09:53 The honest conversation you need to have with yourself before any change 13:55 What to do if you don’t even know where to start with habits 21:08 The five systems that will help you finally stick to your habits 24:19 A simple hack from Harvard Business School to help you make better decisions 28:55 The simple trick that helped people be twice as successful at quitting smoking 33:21 The M&M experiment that proves decision fatigue is a real thing 36:42 Why tracking your progress is non-negotiable 51:11 The plan that will save your promises to yourself 52:50 The “keys to the kingdom” – establish this habit and others will follow more easily — Follow Mel: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melrobbins/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@melrobbins Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melrobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melrobbins Website: http://melrobbins.com — Sign up for Mel’s newsletter: https://melrob.co/sign-up-newsletter A note from Mel to you, twice a week, sharing simple, practical ways to build the life you want. — Subscribe to Mel’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/melrobbins?sub_confirmation=1 — Listen to The Mel Robbins Podcast 🎧 New episodes drop every Monday & Thursday! https://melrob.co/spotify https://melrob.co/applepodcasts https://melrob.co/amazonmusic — Looking for Mel’s books on Amazon? Find them here: The Let Them Theory: https://amzn.to/3IQ21Oe The Let Them Theory Audiobook: https://amzn.to/413SObp The High 5 Habit: https://amzn.to/3fMvfPQ The 5 Second Rule: https://amzn.to/4l54fah

Mel Robbinshost

Jan 16, 20231h 1mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Science-Backed Systems To Make New Habits Stick For Real This Time

Mel Robbins breaks down why most people fail to maintain new habits and explains that the problem isn’t you, it’s your lack of external systems. Using her own 75 Hard challenge as a case study, she contrasts rigid challenge rules with actual habit science, emphasizing that missing a day does not erase your progress. She then lays out five core, research-based systems—plus a bonus on community—to move habit cues out of your head and into your environment. Throughout, she ties in findings from behavioral research to show how visibility, planning, tracking, and social support dramatically increase the odds that habits will stick.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Missing a day doesn’t erase progress or your new neural pathways.

Unlike the 75 Hard rule set, habit research (e.g., Philippa Lally) shows that a missed day does not reset your brain; you can simply resume the habit without mentally starting from zero.

Watch out for the “what the hell effect” after a slip-up.

As Dan Ariely’s work shows, once people break a rule (“I ate cake”), they often think, “What the hell, I’ve blown it,” and overindulge; instead, acknowledge the slip, enjoy it, and immediately recommit to your original promise.

If your goal lacks a strong personal ‘why,’ it won’t stick.

Goals require both the will (intrinsic motivation) and the way (strategy); if you repeatedly abandon resolutions quickly, you likely aren’t emotionally connected to why you actually want the change.

External cues beat willpower: make desired behaviors highly visible.

Move from ‘innie’ (in your head) to ‘outtie’ organizing by putting cues in your environment—lists on the mirror, water bottle and book by the coffee maker, workout clothes laid out—so your future self is nudged without needing to remember.

Remove or complicate access to temptations to reduce bad habits.

Get problematic items out of sight or make them slightly harder to access (e.g., move alcohol off the counter, put sweets away, phone out of the bedroom); even small increases in friction, as seen in Google’s M&M study, can dramatically reduce consumption.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

You’re not the problem. The problem is you’re trying to do all this in your head.

— Mel Robbins

In life, unlike this 75 Hard challenge I’m doing, if you miss a day, all you do is miss a day and then move forward.

— Mel Robbins

If you don’t know what to do, sign up for something challenging.

— Mel Robbins

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

— Mel Robbins

There is nothing sexier than a person who keeps their word no matter what.

— Mel Robbins

Difference between habit science and rigid challenges like 75 HardThe “what the hell effect” and recovering from setbacksIntrinsic motivation and clarifying your personal “why”Innie vs. outtie organizing: externalizing cues and systemsFive science-backed systems to make habits stickIf–then planning and decision-making for your future selfThe role of community and accountability in sustaining habits

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