Do your goals stall after a week or two? You’re not alone.
Our brains have the ability to create new habits—but they don’t really want to. The parts of our brains that control behavior will always try to ease into the comfort of existing neuropathways.
You can form new habits—think of everything you do daily that you didn't do ten years ago—but habits stick when they feel good, not just when they’re good for you. Research shows that enjoyment, low friction, and immediate rewards are the real drivers of lasting behavioral change. Choosing activities you actually like makes it dramatically easier to form a habit and keep it going.
Let’s explore how to have more fun while pursuing the best, healthiest version of yourself.
What does it actually mean to form a habit?
To form a habit means repeating a behavior until it becomes automatic—something your brain does with less conscious effort. Researchers describe this as shifting an action from the prefrontal cortex, where deliberate decisions happen, into the basal ganglia, where routine behaviors live.¹
That shift doesn’t happen overnight. And while there are different opinions about how many days it takes to form a new habit, the point isn’t the number. It’s that repetition over time creates automaticity, and that repetition is easier when the behavior feels like something you’ll actually want to return to.
That’s where fun comes in.
Most adults aren’t having enough fun: A modern problem
When you’re young, play time is a given. It’s also a key part of development. Somewhere along the way, we tend to lose it.
Most adults move from productivity straight into passive rest: work → errands → dinner → scrolling → sleep → repeat. Unwinding has its place, but it is not the same as fun. As research has shown, play is good for our health.
Actual play can look like:
- Joining a rec league, climbing gym, martial arts class, or pickleball group
- Playing board games, card games, trivia, or backyard games with friends
- Trying something you have not done in years, like bowling, mini golfing, or skating
When in doubt, think of things you loved during your childhood. Could you enjoy some of these things as a grown-up? Odds are, yes. You may look older, but there’s still a kid in there.
Fun activities don’t need a purpose behind them. But if it helps, the pure enjoyment of an activity can contribute to making healthy habits easier to keep.
Why enjoyment is the most underrated habit tool
Most habit advice focuses on discipline. Wake up earlier. Push through. Stay consistent. What it often misses is that enjoyment may be one of the biggest predictors of whether a habit lasts.
Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, describes the “habit loop” as a three-part cycle: cue → routine → reward. The reward is what reinforces the loop.² Without a clear, satisfying payoff, the habit is less likely to stick.
That’s why exercise habits built around sports or group activities often outlast solo gym routines. Tennis, recreational soccer, or a fitness class with a friend can offer immediate rewards like connection, fun, competition, and play. Your brain wants to come back.
Compare that to forcing yourself onto a treadmill every morning out of obligation, with no reward in the moment beyond the distant promise of results someday.
The same logic applies to other habits and daily rituals, including your wellness routine.
How to make a new habit easier to start
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, offers a simple framework that holds up: make it easy, make it attractive, make it satisfying.³ These three levers directly reduce the friction that kills most habits before they have a chance to take hold.
Here's how to apply them practically:
Make it easy
The harder a habit is to start, the more motivation it requires—and motivation is not a reliable daily resource. The goal is to shrink the effort involved so the habit can happen even on low-energy days.
- Stack new habits onto existing ones. Already filling a water bottle before your workout? Add a supplement powder to the mix.
- Use easy formats, like a protein bar with good macros and pre-measured supplement powders. Zhou's new stick packs are designed exactly for this—just tear one open and go. No tub required.
- Put things where you’ll see them. Visual cues trigger behavior. Keep healthy snacks front and center in the fridge and supplements within reach.
Make it attractive
This is where taste and enjoyment matter more than most people realize. If you’ve tried running and just don’t like it, fall back on an exercise you actually like. The best movement, like the best nutrition, is that which you do consistently.
If your supplement comes in a format you don’t like, you're adding friction. If it tastes good—actually good—it becomes something your brain anticipates rather than dreads.
Zhou’s gummies, powders, and chews are formulated to actually work, but they’re also designed to taste good. So if your supplement feels like a small treat, you can feel good taking it—and about taking it.
Make it satisfying
Your brain responds to immediate feedback. Long-term outcomes (better health, improved performance, more energy over time) are real—but they don't register as rewards in the moment. What does register: tasting something you enjoy, finishing a workout you liked, checking off a to-do list, or anything else that can give you a small dopamine kick in the moment.
Don't skip the small rewards. They're not frivolous. They're neurologically necessary.
[Learn more about how supplements are evolving to fit daily habit formation here →]
Why you might be overthinking your new routine
Here's a reframe that might help: a good daily habit doesn't have to be ambitious. It doesn't have to transform your life by Tuesday. It just has to be repeatable.
The productivity habit that actually builds momentum is rarely the extreme one. It's the small, sustainable routine that you enjoy enough to come back to tomorrow, and the day after that. Stack enough of those together and the compound effect does the work that willpower never could.
Start with one thing. Make it enjoyable. Make it easy to do. Then do it again.
How stick packs support better habits
Habit formation gets easier when the behavior fits into real life. That is the idea behind Zhou Stick Packs: single-serve powder packets that are portable, pre-measured, and easy to tear open.
Instead of needing a scoop, tub, or full routine reset, stick packs can go where your day already takes you: gym bags, backpacks, desk drawers, carry-ons, or cup holders. That makes it easier to pair your supplement with moments you already have.
|
Product |
Key Benefit |
Why It Helps Habits Stick |
|
Muscle mass support + exercise performance support* |
Physical performance support to execute workout habits* |
|
|
Mental stress support from Korean ginseng + mental alertness support from Cognizin®* |
Mental clarity + stress reduction + great taste* |
|
|
Electrolyte balance support* |
Post-workout replenishment you actually enjoy |
Build a routine worth returning to
Most habits fail not because people don’t care, but because the habit asks too much and gives too little back.
The fix is simple: add enjoyment, reduce friction, and connect the habit to something you already do.
The habits worth keeping are the ones that feel worth keeping. In short: have fun with it.
Explore Zhou’s new Creatine, Creatine Calm + Focus, and Hydro-Fuel™ Stick Packs to see what fits your day.
Follow @zhou_nutrition for more fitness and wellness tips!
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to form a habit?
Forming a habit means repeating a behavior until it starts to feel automatic, requiring less conscious effort over time. Researchers describe this as a shift from the prefrontal cortex, where deliberate decisions are made, to the basal ganglia, where routine behaviors are stored.
Do you form a habit in 21 days?
Not always. The “21 days make a habit” idea can be a helpful starting point, but research suggests habit formation can take 18 to 254 days depending on the person and behavior.
What are 5 key steps to form a habit?
- Start small so the habit feels easy to do.
- Attach it to an existing routine.
- Build in an immediate reward.
- Track your consistency.
- Restart without judgment when you miss a day.
What is the 3-3-3 rule for habits?
The 3-3-3 rule isn't a universally standardized framework, but in habit-building contexts it often refers to committing to a behavior for 3 days, then 3 weeks, then 3 months—each stage reinforcing the habit more deeply as it becomes more automatic.
How does enjoyment help you create new habits?
Enjoyment gives a habit an immediate reward, which helps reinforce the habit loop: cue → routine → reward. When a behavior feels satisfying in the moment, your brain has a reason to come back to it. That is why a yummy supplement or playful activity may be easier to keep up with than a routine built only on discipline.
Resources
- Dabir S. The Science Behind Habits: How the Brain Forms and Breaks Them. Thrive Online, Western University. Published 9 January 2026. Accessed 1 July 2026, https://uwo.ca/se/thrive/blog/2024/the-science-behind-habits-how-the-brain-forms-and-breaks-them.html
- Duhigg, C. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Random House, 2012.
- Clear, J. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Avery, Penguin Random House, New York, 2018. Accessed September 27, 2025. https://dn790007.ca.archive.org/.../Atomic%20habits%20%28%20PDFDrive%20%29._
