Mike MichalowiczBusiness Author & Keynote Speaker Empowering Entrepreneurs

ChatGPT's Secret to Forming New Habits

30 Jul 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:05

In this YouTube talk, Mike Michalowicz recounts an article titled "I'm Addicted to Running" about a man who despised running but needed cardiovascular fitness. The man asked ChatGPT for a plan to become "addicted" to running. ChatGPT responded with a highly constrained, micro‑step program: Day 1 – buy sneakers; Day 2 – put them on; subsequent days allowed only minimal activity (e.g., run a single mile). The constraints created resistance, which paradoxically built momentum and eventually turned the man into a dedicated, healthy runner. Michalowicz extracts a broader lesson: for people facing mental‑health challenges such as depression, lasting change doesn’t come from a single big action (like a credit‑card swipe) but from tiny, consistent daily improvements, accepting inevitable setbacks like injuries. By repeatedly taking small chunks of action, habits can form and personal well‑being can improve.

Chapters

There's another article I read in the last year entitled I'm Addicted to Running. It was a guy who hates running but wanted to get cardiovascular fit. So he went on ChatGPT and said, I hate to run, but I know I need to get fit, and I think running is the most accessible thing for me. How do I get addicted to it? And it said, oh, here's the process. Here's what was interesting. It did very micro movements. It said day 1, buy a pair of sneakers. That was it. So, and then day 2 was, you know, go put them on. But here's what was interesting. It said, "You may not do more than that." It actually constrained it. And it's human nature, when there's constraint, we give resistance. So he's like, "I bought the sneakers, Mike. Come on, can I just put them on? Can I wear them for around the house?" "No." You always were anticipating. And so it started building its momentum. And now it's like, "You can only run a mile today." He's like, "I want to run more." It's like, "No." And so now the guy is addicted to it. He's an extremely effective runner and healthy. There's a lesson there. If you are experiencing mental health challenges, depression, don't expect No, one credit card swipe and this is fixed. It's going to be small incremental improvements and there will be setbacks like too. Injuries happen, but just little chunk every single day and things could turn around. Right. Will turn around.