Louk / Guides
Guides on habits, cravings and goals
What the research suggests about how habits form and fade, turned into things you can try tomorrow morning. No hype, no 21-day promises.
How long does it take to form a habit? Not 21 days
The 21-day rule is a myth. The research points to about two months, with a huge range — and missing a day barely matters.
Read the guideBuilding habits
How to build a morning routine that actually sticks
Mornings are the easiest time to build a habit. Keep the routine short, anchor it to something you already do, and start tiny.
Read the guide Building habitsHow to build an exercise habit when you hate exercise
You don't need to love working out. Start smaller than feels serious, pair it with something you enjoy, and give it longer than you think.
Read the guide Building habitsHow to read every day: a reading habit that survives busy weeks
Start with one page, put the book where your cue is, and take back a scrolling slot. A reading habit small enough to survive a tired evening.
Read the guide Building habitsEvening journal: 30 simple questions to close the day
Two lines, a mood and one plan for tomorrow. A tiny evening journal you can keep — with 30 questions for the nights you're stuck.
Read the guide Building habitsHow to keep a journal: start small and make it last
Which kind of journal, paper or app, when to write and how to restart after a gap — a simple way to keep a journal for more than two weeks.
Read the guideQuitting habits
How to break a bad habit: ride out the craving instead of fighting it
Willpower isn't the lever. Change the cue, add friction, and learn to let a craving rise and fall — without turning a slip into a relapse.
Read the guide Quitting habitsA month without alcohol: how to make it to 30 days
A dry month works best as a planned experiment: a clear reason, a plan for the risky evenings, and a count of days clean.
Read the guide Quitting habitsHow to stop scrolling your phone in bed
Scrolling in bed is a cue, not a character flaw. Move the phone, plan the last ten minutes, and let the urge pass.
Read the guide Quitting habitsHow to stop sugar cravings without fighting yourself
Sugar cravings tend to follow tiredness, stress and routine. Notice the pattern, ride out the urge and plan a better afternoon.
Read the guide Quitting habitsHow to stop impulse buying: the 48-hour rule and other simple tools
An impulse purchase is an urge that fades. The 48-hour rule, a bit of friction and a clear goal give it time to pass.
Read the guide Quitting habitsHow to stop late-night snacking, gently
Evening snacking is usually cued by the sofa, the screen and tiredness. Change the routine around it, kindly.
Read the guideGoals and consistency
How to reach your goals: turn them into daily habits
A goal is a direction, not a plan. Turn it into one to three habits, attach them to if-then plans, and lay one stone at a time.
Read the guide GoalsSetting intentions: say what you'll do, then follow through
Specific intentions, who to tell (and who not to), and a simple loop to check them every day — so what you say becomes what you do.
Read the guide ConsistencyHow to track your habits (and keep tracking them)
Tracking works best when it's tiny: a few habits, one check-in a day, and a weekly look at the pattern — not the streak.
Read the guide GoalsHabit stacking: 25 examples of “after X, I do Y”
The easiest reminder for a new habit is an old one. Why anchoring works, how to write a good anchor, and 25 examples to borrow.
Read the guide GoalsNew Year's resolutions that actually last past February
Resolutions work better than their reputation — if you set approach goals, turn them into habits and plan for the February dip.
Read the guide ConsistencyMissed a day? Why a broken streak won't ruin your habit
One missed day barely affects habit formation. The real danger is the all-or-nothing reaction — and there are simple ways around it.
Read the guide ConsistencyNo motivation? How to keep your habits going anyway
Motivation is a great way to start and a terrible way to continue. How to keep going on flat days — without guilt.
Read the guide ConsistencyHow to keep your habits on holiday (without making it a chore)
Choose what pauses and what stays, keep a tiny version of what matters, and plan the first day back before you leave.
Read the guide