How Do Habits Shape Our Behavior?

Four years ago, I started practicing something called resistance training—a type of physical exercise that builds strength in the body.

I recently read a paper on PMC that explained how habits make our behavior more efficient by automating regular actions, freeing up mental energy for more demanding tasks. It struck a chord with me because I’ve seen this principle play out in my own life.

Take strength training, for example. One fascinating thing about it is its effect on confidence. As a teenager, one of my first jobs in writing and marketing was at a gym in Nairobi. Part of my role was writing Instagram posts about how the gym could shape behavior and turn you into a confident motherf***er.

Looking back, that job was short-lived—mainly because of my naivety and lack of confidence—but it planted a seed in my mind. The habit of exercising can genuinely change the way you behave.

That’s exactly what resistance training has done for me over the past four years. As a weekly habit, it’s not only sharpened my study skills—I’ve read countless articles, tried out what worked, and learned from what didn’t—but it’s also transformed my confidence.

Today, I write in public, speak at events, approach business prospects with boldness, and have left behind the naivety I once carried. My habit of hitting the gym has given me a stronger body, yes, but it’s also made me an active, decisive individual.

When I’m with people, I notice how much more energy I bring to the table. I’ve also become quick to make decisions—no overthinking, no sweating over small problems. And on top of all that, I’m much calmer. Resistance training, paired with other fitness routines, has brought me a sense of inner peace.

Fitness is often talked about in the self-development world, but for me, it’s not just talk—it’s real. Habits, when built with intention, automate regular actions and free us to focus on bigger goals. That’s the truth about habits and behavior. Of course, habits aren’t always positive. They can be bad, too.

If you understand this information not as motivation or advice, but as reality—you might come closer to understanding self-development.

Until next week,
Nick

P.S.
Here are some past issues for your exploration:

• Letters or prescriptions.

• How to Study Your Mental Life.

• This is Development. What is This?

P.S.S

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