In This Issue:

• Building Habits for Better Running

  • Outcome-Based Habits vs Identity-Based Habits

  • The Four Laws of Behavior Change 

  • Key Takeaways

• Work With Us

Building Habits for Better Running

It’s the new year, which means a lot of people are making resolutions. But as common as it is to make them, it’s just as common to fail in sticking to them. Research estimates that less than 25% of people actually uphold their resolutions past the first month—and fewer than 10% stay committed through the entire year.

The numbers aren’t exactly encouraging, but they also aren’t a reason to avoid setting goals in the first place. The start of a new year is a great opportunity to check-in—to reflect on your routines, see what’s working, and identify what can improve. And as runners who love a good challenge, why not look at that 10% stat and use it as motivation to stay committed?

Last year, I read Atomic Habits by James Clear. In it, he gives valuable insight into the psychology behind building habits and gives practical tips for how to make them last. I found this book really useful for how I structure my own work and lifestyle habits, so for today’s newsletter, I wanted to take some of those core ideas and apply them to running. If you’re making any running-focused resolutions this year, these tips can help you approach them in a way that ups your odds of sticking with them through all of 2026 and beyond.

Outcome-Based Habits vs Identity-Based Habits

Most athletes fixate on what they want to achieve — run a half marathon, make the varsity seven, qualify for NCAA Regionals — or how they plan to do it — 40-mile weeks, consistent lifts, training with the top group. But few start at the core of what matters: their identity.

Simply put: you will fight hardest to stay consistent with habits that align with who you believe you are. Goals can motivate you, but identity reinforces behavior when motivation disappears.

Consider an athlete who wants to win a state championship. Compare these mindsets:

• “I want to win a state championship”

• “I am a state champion contender"

There’s a key difference that shifts aspiration to expectation. The athlete with the second mindset lets their identity - the core belief that they are a state champion contender - guide their behaviors, not the other way around. For instance:

• Skipping a workout feels out of character. It contradicts the belief that they are a champion.

• Recovery, sleep, strength sessions, and nutrition become non-negotiable. These are simply what state-level athletes do.

• They act because the behavior is no longer optional; it’s a reflection of self.

Identity establishes the standard, and habits become evidence for who you believe yourself to be. Decide who you want to be, and let your habits fall in alignment.

The Four Laws of Behavior Change 

These four laws break down any behavior change into small, sustainable, and actionable habits. If you have a resolution this year, this framework will help you build a system that supports it.

1. Make it Obvious

Build cues that trigger action. Don’t leave your habits to chance.

• Habit Stacking: Place your habit next to something you already do.

  • After I get home from school/work, I will immediately change into my running clothes.

  • After I finish my run, I will do 5 minutes of core or drills before taking off my shoes.

  • After my cooldown, I will eat a protein bar before changing and leaving practice.

• Remove ambiguity: Be precise. Define when and where the behavior will happen.

  • “I’ll run more this winter” → “I will run at 6:30AM Monday - Thursday before work”

  • “I need to email coaches for recruiting” → “Every Sunday at 4 PM, I will send one email to a coach on my list”

2. Make it Attractive

If you enjoy something, you’ll do more of it.

• Build social accountability:

  • Meet a teammate at the track before school. Harder to skip when someone is waiting.

  • If you're new to running: join a run club or ask one friend to commit to two days a week with you.

• Temptation Bundling - Pair the habit with something you like:

  • Only listen to your favorite podcast during your easy runs.

  • Plan a stop at your favorite café for a latte and pastry after finishing your morning long run.

• Make it fun:

  • Fresh trainers, an outfit you love, a new location, a playlist that fires you up…all these things make getting out the door that much easier, and something you actually look forward to.

3. Make it Easy

When habits feel cumbersome, they don’t last. Start simple and build from there.

• Reduce friction:

  • Make it ridiculously easy to take action. Bonus: less time to talk yourself out of it.

  • Lay out your shoes, socks, and outfit the night before you get up early to run.

  • Keep a foam roller, lacrosse ball, or band where you actually end your run, not hidden in a closet.

  • Put your yoga mat down before you leave, so it’s waiting for your stretching and core routine afterwards.

• The Two-Minute Rule:

  • Scale habits down to a version that feels ridiculously easy. Literally, set a timer and limit the new habit to 2 minutes or less. This is purely about building the habit of showing up.

  • “I’m going to run 3 miles” → “I will put on my shoes and go outside”

  • “I’m going to strength train 2x/week” → “I will do one set of squats and one plank after my run.”

• Once the behavior of showing up is consistent, gradually expand it. (Putting on your running shoes becomes running 5 minutes, which becomes running a mile, etc)

4. Make it Satisfying

Give yourself an immediate reward or sense of day-to-day progress.

• Track effort visually:

  • Checklists — mark mileage, lifts, sleep, hydration. (marking things off a list is surprisingly satisfying)

  • Put a pebble in a jar after every day you run. Watch the jar fill.

• Give yourself small wins to reinforce progress:

  • HS athlete aiming for top-7? Celebrate the stepping stones to get there - running in the top 15, top 10, top 8, etc.

  • New runner? Track days completed, not pace or distance. Progress is in the consistency, not the metrics.

Progress you can see is what carries you through periods of low motivation, especially in the pursuit of big goals.

Key Takeaways

• Shift your perspective. Instead of seeing new habits as chores, view them as daily evidence for who you aspire to be.

• Real change is all about removing friction and starting simple. Remember the 4 laws of behavior change:

  • Make it obvious

  • Make it attractive

  • Make it easy

  • Make it satisfying

• Resolutions don’t have to be something you just wish will work out. Build small daily actions that align with the runner you say you are, and you will be surprised by what long-term consistency produces.

Build a system that lasts - Start here.

Get the structure, accountability, and individualized support necessary to reach your goals this year. Working 1-on-1 with a HAX coach takes the guesswork out of training and racing. We help you build the habits - and the belief - to get you where you want to go in your running journey.