You need a Trojan horse habit

Hey friend, 

Six months ago, I shared a goal that had nothing to do with fitness: I wanted to wake up by 6 AM every morning. I told you I was going to try using Pilates classes as my strategy.

But let me back up. Late last year, I announced I was going to wake up even earlier: at 5 AM. I did it for a few months, but eventually fell off and felt guilty about failing at something that should be "simple."

That's when I realized the problem wasn't my discipline—it was my approach.

So when I tried again at the more reasonable 6 AM, I needed a different game plan. And guess what?  It worked brilliantly! What’s more, there’s a surprising psychology behind why it worked so well, and the reasons might not be what you'd expect.

I had zero fitness goals when I started. I wasn't trying to get abs, tone my arms, or achieve any Instagram-worthy transformation. The seemingly random choice of Pilates became what I later discovered is called a "Trojan horse habit"—a strategic vessel that smuggled my real goal past all my usual resistance and excuses.

If you've ever struggled with discipline or willpower (and who hasn't?!), this isn't about having more self-control. It's about getting creative with how you set up your environment and incentives. Sometimes the most effective path to your goal isn't the obvious one; it's about gamifying the process and working with your psychology instead of against it.

The Problem I Actually Wanted to Solve

Waking up late made me feel like my day was dragging me around by my hair. I'd stumble into morning meetings unprepared, spend the first few hours playing catch-up, and never quite feel in control. I knew that getting ahead of my day would change everything, but willpower alone wasn't cutting it.

The 6 AM wake-up call felt impossible until I reframed it entirely.

The Strategy: Hide Your Real Goal Inside Something Harder to Avoid

Instead of fighting my snooze button every morning, I signed up for 6:30 AM Pilates classes. Here’s why: 

• Financial stakes. Missing class costs me the price of the session.

• Social accountability. There's a spot with my name on it.

• Sunk cost. I've already paid for the month.

I wasn't trying to wake up early for some abstract benefit. I was avoiding immediate, concrete consequences.

What Made This Work 

• Removed Performance Pressure. Since fitness wasn't my real goal, there was zero pressure attached to the workout. This eliminated the performance anxiety that usually sabotages new habits.
  

• Leveraged Loss Aversion. Research shows we're twice as motivated to avoid losing something as gaining it. The cancellation fee tapped into this perfectly.
  

•  Created Implementation Intentions. Instead of "I want to wake up early," my brain processed "If it's 6 AM Tuesday, then I go to Pilates." This if-then structure dramatically improves follow-through rates, and research shows people are 2-3 times more likely to follow through with specific plans.
  

• Built Identity Through Action. Rather than trying to become "a morning person," I became "someone who goes to Tuesday morning Pilates." The identity shift happened through behavior, not motivation.

The Unexpected Results

Six months in, the results have been incredible:

• Primary goal achieved. I wake up by 6 AM consistently and feel in control of my day.

• Bonus physical changes. My core is the strongest it's ever been and my flexibility has improved dramatically.

• Mental health boost. Starting the day with movement sets a different tone

• Reduced social anxiety. Since I'm not there to perform, I feel comfortable regardless of others' experience levels.

The best part? I still have zero attachment to exercise outcomes. They're the pleasant side effects of solving my real problem.

The Bottom Line

Sometimes, the direct approach isn't the most effective one.  approach. Instead of battling willpower, find a habit that naturally pulls your desired behavior along with it, and make the costs of avoiding it higher than the costs of doing it. And, most importantly, remove the pressure to perform perfectly.

Your goal might be hiding in an activity you’d never expect. The question isn’t, “How can I force myself to do this?” It’s, “What would make not doing it more painful than doing it?”

What's your Trojan horse going to be?

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Until Next Time, 

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