Stephen Guise's Blog

I wrote my book Elastic Habits because I discovered that flexibility was the main driver of behavior change. If behavior changes through consistent action, then whatever enables consistent action is the most valuable activator. That’s flexibility.

Everyone does well when they’re fully motivated and have enough time and energy to act. That’s what, 5% of the time? Real progress requires constantly overcoming internal and external resistance to action.

In case you don’t know, there’s evil in this world. Beyond that, humans experience tragedy that can’t be explained. Life can get awfully dark when the tide turns against you.

Enter my favorite movie series, The Lord of the Rings, based on the classic books by J.R.R. Tolkien. Like many, I instantly fell in love with these movies when I first saw them. And besides the incredible soundtrack from Howard Shore, I think it’s the deep, powerful themes they pre...

Alcoholism and gambling addiction often go together, as do smoking and gambling. There’s something about doubling your vices that makes for a good time. And for about a decade, I drank alcohol and gambled frequently. Now? I don’t gamble or drink.

If you currently drink and/or gamble too much, you’re going to want to read this.

This is my blood test before and (5 months) after magnesium oil application.

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. Check with your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about adding magnesium oil to your routine.

I understand that using “[blank] oil” and “miraculous” together gives snake oil salesman vibes. But I have ZERO incentive to sell you anything, except for my desire for you to discover this. While I’m going to...

Today marks 50 days without drinking alcohol. What I learned in this time surprised me, because nobody seems to talk about it.

From the earliest days of human civilization, alcohol has flowed through our veins. And it’s no surprise. Alcohol serves multiple purposes. It’s a “social lubricant,” helping Anxious Andys become Cool Craigs in just a few sips. It feels great, because consumption triggers a release of dopamine and increases GABA prod...

Life is temporary, as are all things in it.

“Enter the Dragon” was a critically and commercially successful film released in 1973. Notably, this martial arts film was backed by Warner Brothers, a first and a big win for the genre. These films were popular in China since the 1920s, but it took someone special to popularize them in the United States. Warner Brothers took a chance on “Enter the Dragon” because it starred Bruce Lee.

Lee is of the most recognized mart...

My father, Curtis Guise, died on October 12, 2022. I write this (coincidentally) exactly two months from that day. He was a great father and person, and I want to share three of the most lessons my father taught me.

Life is too short to be overly serious and stressed out. My dad certainly thought so. He was a master at delivering canned jokes and sayings at an alarming rate.

“Take the rest of the day off.”
“I want a ...

The only thing we can be certain of is that life will bring us heaps of uncertainty. Life stability is not a matter of preventing uncertainty, but dealing with it appropriately and effectively.

There’s a lot to love about life. For example, I just ate a delicious breakfast. But life is also dark and miserable at times. Furthermore, father time eventually crushes every person, and it’s never prett...

Chasing success is like bathing in oil. Everyone does it, but nobody likes to admit it. Chasing success, however, is a dangerous game, and here’s why.

It has happened many times throughout history. A person desires success so much that it becomes a dominant fixation. Anything that gets in the way of it is an unacceptable threat. Before you know it, they are bending their values to get the...

Life can really beat you up, I’ve noticed. When you’re beaten up, on the ground, how can you find the courage to get up and fight again? It’s easier said than done when it seems like all of your efforts are met with shapeless hostility from the world.

When enough things go wrong in a row, it’s tempting to throw your hands up and stop trying. After all, nothing you do has seemed to help thus far, so wh...