Popular health advice prioritizes sleep, exercise, and diet. However, a lack of time is the root cause for failing at these pillars. Gaining control over your time is the prerequisite that unlocks the ability to consistently sleep well, exercise, and eat right.

True habit formation isn't about the action itself but about embodying an identity. Each small act, like one pushup, is a "vote" for the type of person you want to be. This builds evidence and makes the identity—and thus the habit—resilient and deeply ingrained.

Contrary to popular advice, long-term habit formation adheres better to your body's neurochemical state than to a rigid clock schedule. Forcing a high-energy habit into a low-energy biological phase increases friction and failure rate. Match the task to your internal state for better long-term success.

Bryan Johnson suggests focusing on a single metric: pre-sleep resting heart rate. Lowering it through specific habits (like eating 4 hours before bed) improves sleep quality, which in turn boosts your prefrontal cortex, enhancing willpower and alleviating mental health issues.

Instead of aiming for perfect daily consistency, which is fragile, adopt the rule of "never miss two days in a row." A single missed day is an error, but two missed days marks the beginning of a new, negative habit. This approach builds resilience and combats all-or-nothing thinking.

The decision to exercise is often a daily debate that drains willpower. By pre-committing to exercising every day, you eliminate the "if" and change the mental conversation to a simple logistical question of "when." This reframing makes consistency far more achievable.

Instead of building many habits at once, focus on one or two 'upstream' ones that cause a cascade of positive effects. For example, exercising regularly often leads to better sleep, improved focus, and healthier eating habits without directly trying to change them.

To ensure holistic and sustainable success, structure your daily non-negotiable habits across three key areas. This simple framework prevents you from over-indexing on work at the expense of your physical and mental health, creating a balanced rhythm of success.

Structure habits around your biology. Phase 1 (0-8 hrs awake): High dopamine/adrenaline; ideal for high-friction habits requiring focus and effort. Phase 2 (9-15 hrs): Rising serotonin; better for calmer, low-friction activities. Phase 3 (16-24 hrs): Sleep; crucial for habit consolidation.