Am I Doing It Wrong? – Podcast Summary

Episode: Forget Resolutions. Here's How To Form Habits That Will Actually Stick

Hosts: Raj Panjabi-Johnson & Noah Michelson
Guest: Dr. Wendy Wood, Behavioral Scientist at USC & Author of Good Habits, Bad Habits
Release Date: January 15, 2026

Main Theme

This episode tackles our collective struggle to form and maintain habits—especially as the new year tempts many into high-minded resolutions that often fizzle. The hosts dive into the science and psychology of habit formation with Dr. Wendy Wood, focusing on practical strategies for making changes that stick, why most resolutions fail, and what we’re actually doing wrong.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Nature of Habits

• Habits vs. Routines

  • Habits are subconscious behaviors triggered by context and repeated over time; we often don’t notice them.
  • Routines are usually sequences of habits (e.g., morning routine) (05:22).
  • Quote:

    "You can't really tell when you have a habit and when you don't, except by observing your behavior." — Dr. Wendy Wood (03:33)

• Good, Bad, and Neutral Habits

  • Most habits are neutral until evaluated by our goals. What starts as a ‘good’ habit can turn ‘bad’ if our goals shift (06:32).
  • Quote:

    “Most of our habits really are good for us in that sense that they help streamline decision making..." — Dr. Wendy Wood (06:32)

Why Habits Are So Hard to Change

• Habits reside in a part of our brain that’s separate from conscious goals and beliefs (07:58).
• Changing a habit isn’t as simple as deciding to do so—it requires environmental & contextual change.

The Science of Habit Formation: The Three Components

• Context: The setting or trigger for the behavior (12:21)
• Repetition: Consistent practice in the same context
• Reward: A positive outcome, either immediate or felt over time
• Quote:

  “If you repeat a behavior often enough in a given context, all you have to do is get into bed and you start thinking about picking up the book, not your phone. And then, you know, you formed a habit.” — Dr. Wendy Wood (12:21)

Making Habits Stick: Practical Advice

1. Make It Easy

• The easier it is to do the new action (and the harder it is to do the old one), the more likely it will stick.
• Example: Want to read before bed? Take your phone out of the bedroom and leave a book there instead. (09:12)
• Quote:

  “It’s not changing and focusing on yourself and your willpower. It's focusing on what's going on around you that would make it easy for you to repeat the behavior that you want to form into a habit.” — Dr. Wendy Wood (09:12)

2. Find a Reward

• Immediate, tangible rewards support new habits far more than distant, abstract goals (“weight loss in 6 months” isn’t motivating now) (34:57).

3. Be Specific

• Don’t set vague goals (e.g., “get healthier”). Break it into concrete actions (e.g., “eat one more vegetable at lunch each day”). (23:13)

4. Use Context Changes to Your Advantage

• Major life changes (moving, starting new job/relationship) disrupt old cues, making it easier to establish new habits (31:45; 34:21).
• Quote:

  “The best time to start a habit [is] when your life changes in some way.” — Dr. Wendy Wood (31:45)

5. Repetition is Key

• Habits form only with consistent repetition; struggling constantly suggests you haven’t set things up right (19:36).

6. Apps and Technology

• Most habit-forming apps don’t work long-term; adding tracking/monitoring makes change harder and less fun. Real human interaction is more effective (24:46).

7. It’s Not a Moral Failing

• Failure to form habits isn’t a character defect; it usually means the context or setup isn’t right (26:59).

8. Aging and Habits

• It can be harder to form new habits with age due to neural decline and less contextual change, but staying mentally active and exposing oneself to new experiences helps (36:31).

Memorable Quotes & Key Moments

• Habits are not conscious:

  “You can't really tell when you have a habit and when you don't, except by observing your behavior…” — Dr. Wendy Wood (03:33)

• On why repetition is essential:

  “Repetition is really the superhero here when we're trying to make habits. And repetition is the thing that...sticks.” — Noah Michelson (19:25)

• Why most apps fail:

  “Most behavior change apps...don't talk about what science knows about habits, which is you make it easy and you make it fun and you have to repeat the same thing." — Dr. Wendy Wood (25:13)

• Changing habits during life transitions:

  “The best time to start a habit [is] when your life changes in some way...The cues to your old habits aren't there anymore.” — Dr. Wendy Wood (31:45)

• Simplest advice for habit formation:

  “Make it easy and find something that's rewarding or make it rewarding.” — Dr. Wendy Wood (41:45)

• On failure and self-compassion:

  "If your habit doesn't stick, it's not a moral failing. You're probably not going about it in the best way for you." — Raj Panjabi Johnson recapping (46:31)

Important Segment Timestamps

• What is a habit? — 03:27–05:17
• Habits vs. routines — 05:17–06:16
• Good, bad, and neutral habits — 06:16–08:52
• How to start a habit that sticks (the phone/book example) — 09:12–11:53
• Three components to habit formation — 12:12–14:45
• Making working out a habit (context, reward, routine) — 14:45–15:38
• How long does it take? Easy vs. complex habits — 15:38–16:30
• Why strategizing and planning matter more than willpower — 26:59–29:58
• Using life transitions for new habits — 31:45–34:21
• Myth: Older people can’t change habits — 36:04–38:13
• Addiction vs. Habit — 38:13–41:14
• Top recommendations for forming habits — 41:37–43:07
• Episode Takeaways — 46:01–47:57

Top Five Takeaways (as recapped by hosts)

1. Habits are subconscious actions that enable us to function day-to-day. (46:01)
2. Habits require context, repetition, and reward. (46:06)
3. Make habit-forming as easy as possible. (46:17)
4. Forming new habits is easiest during life changes/disruptions. (46:22)
5. If you fail, it’s not a moral flaw; you probably just need a new approach. (46:31)

Closing Reflections

Both hosts and Dr. Wood debunk the myth that willpower is the key to change; instead, they urge self-awareness, environmental cues, and rewards. New Year's isn’t "magic time"—it’s all about context. And beating yourself up for failed resolutions does more harm than good.

“As long as there are things to get wrong, we're going to be right here to help you do them better.” — Raj Panjabi Johnson (48:08)

For anyone hoping to change their habits this year, Dr. Wood’s advice can be boiled down to: Make it easy, make it fun, and don’t expect brute force or guilt to carry you through.