Today's special episode is brought to you by Noom, a science-backed weight loss program that pairs

GLP1 medical treatment with psychological support to help people build and maintain healthy habits.

We'll explain more in a bit, but first, let's get into the episode.

Flossing, focusing on your health, and practicing gratitude.

The new year is a great time to make plans, set goals, and evaluate your habits, especially

if there's anything you could be doing differently to stay on track.

But if you've ever tried to build or break a habit, you know how challenging it can be.

Sometimes we all need a little support.

Welcome to Force of Habit, tools and tricks for hacking goal setting.

I'm Liz Smith.

I'm a content director at the skim, and I've always been fascinated by the motivations

that drive people to do what they do.

With the new year approaching, we had a feeling you might be a little curious too.

So we call Dr. Leah Katz, a clinical psychologist and author who specializes

in self-compassion and goal setting to break down the science behind habits and recommend some

tips we can all use in the year ahead. Let's dig in.

Hi, Dr. Katz. Thank you so much for being here. Do you mind just telling us a little bit about yourself?

Sure. I am a clinical psychologist. I practice in South Florida and Boca Raton. I'm also an author. I published my first book in 2022. It's called Gutsy Mindfulness Practices for Everyday Bravery, where I talk a lot about how we can bring mindfulness

into our lives to live a braver life. Amazing. Well, I'm excited to chat all things habit formation

with such an expert. Diving right in. There are definitely things I personally do without consciously

thinking about them, but how do decisions and behaviors actually become habits? That's such a good question.

So the science behind building habits in a very simplified way goes like this.

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