The No-Willpower Approach To Breaking Any Habit - by Amy Johnson

COURSE

The No-Willpower Approach To Breaking Any Habit

With Amy Johnson

Deep, lasting freedom from habits, addiction, anxiety and worry comes from seeing differently first. When we have a shift in consciousness–when we glimpse who we are beyond our psychology in a brand new way–our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors begin to change in ways we couldn’t make happen before.


Meet your Teacher

Amy Johnson, PhD is a psychologist, coach, author, and speaker who shares a groundbreaking new approach that helps people find true, lasting freedom from unwanted habits via insight rather than willpower. She is the author of Being Human (2013), The Little Book of Big Change: The No-Willpower Approach to Breaking Any Habit (2016), and Just a Thought: A No-Willpower Approach to End Self-Doubt and Make Peace with Your Mind (2021). In 2017 she opened The Little School of Big Change, an online school that has helped hundreds of people find freedom from anxiety and habits and live a more peaceful life. Johnson has been a regularly featured expert on The Steve Harvey Show and Oprah.com, as well as in The Wall Street Journal and Self magazine.

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4 Days

764 students

4.7 stars

33 min / day

Addiction

English


Lesson 1

What Are Habits And Why Do We Have Them?

In this first video, Dr. Amy discusses the fact that all habits are essentially the same. We aren’t looking at how habits show up in the world, but what’s behind them. In this way, substance-related habits (food, alcohol, etc.), behavioral habits (e.g., internet addiction, shopping, gambling, etc.) and even thought and feeling habits (like worry, compulsions, insecurity) are the same. They come to life and operate in the same way, so everything we’ll explore here applies to any and all habits you might have. Amy will also talk about why our brain loves habits, and how habits get started and take root. It’s very good news! Coming to understand the function of habits allows you to see the wisdom in them, and it helps to clear up the misunderstandings that leave us feeling powerless around them.

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Lesson 2

Clearing Up The Misunderstanding

Humans feel stuff. We experience discomfort. We feel heavy, tight emotions. We feel far from “home” at times. Of course all of that is perfectly normal, but when we misunderstand those feelings–when we think those feelings are meaningful, that they reflect our true selves, or that we need to do something to change our feelings–things can go south quickly. You are not your experience. You are the habit-free, peaceful consciousness within which experience rises and falls. Seeing that begins to leave all experience looking very different.

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Lesson 3

What's A Feeling, Really?

In this video, we’ll look at what feelings truly are: energy + thought (story). If we didn’t fear and resist feelings, would we even have habits? We come to not fear our experience by understanding it. When we see thought and feeling for what they are, they are far less scary.

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Lesson 4

The Ironic Way Change Happens

Habits live in your ever-changing psychology. They are not inherently meaningful and they have nothing to do with who you are. They also don’t need you to change them. Psychological experience is always changing. You couldn’t stop it if you tried! Knowing that you are not your experience, fearing it less, and seeing that it’s always changing on its own, allows you to enjoy the change that’s already always taking place.

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4.7 (57)

Recent Reviews

Jamie

November 16, 2025

Love this guidance , I am the sky allowing life to be ever moving 🙏👍

Anastasia

November 1, 2025

Good concept but doesn’t go very deep Good for basically healthy people with minor habits but doesn’t address biochemistry or actual physical effects of substances or physical pain.

Bonnie

June 28, 2025

Thank you very much! Such an insightful life changing course.

Shani

May 11, 2025

I loved this course. Dr Amy has such a gift for explaining how to truly make life so much easier with less struggle and less resistance. Even if you do not have a habit you wish to change or stop please listen to this course. The insights I gained are priceless and I highly recommend this course for every human on this planet.

Anne

March 17, 2025

Yeah, what can l say except quietly give this series of talks 5 stars? It can't be improved upon by me rabbiting on about its virtues. Virtues it will take me a while to digest anyway.

ilinca

November 25, 2024

Excellent course, full of wisdom. I loved listening to it, and it helped me get rid of an unhelpful habit already. Thank you! 🙏🤗

Siri

August 19, 2024

There are so many powerful insights shared in this that I find helpful. I just purchased your book and I’m looking forward to learn more about The sky and the weather that comes and goes.

Kurt

May 14, 2024

No real practical advice IMO.

Steph

May 5, 2024

Such a needed learning for everyone for anything! So wonderful

Rob

April 21, 2024

This short course illustrates what happens when wisdom principles are articulated as eloquently and naturally as Dr. Johnson’s gifts. She is inspired and highly insightful in a way that is natural, unconditional and congruent with the many of us who want to choose joy and freedom in our life but may be slavishly stuck to unnecessary habits. I highly recommend this and look forward to exploring more of Amy Johnson, PhD’s offerings! Rob A. Kansas

Deborah

April 11, 2024

Empowering

Tim

April 9, 2024

Very clear and understandable. Glimpses into habits, human thought and behavior, what is reality. A great entry way for more reading, listening, experiences to find some freedom. A lot of simple, yet traditionally ignored, ideas and concepts about this human life.

Cathy

April 7, 2024

Wow, life changing! I don't need to change my experience, it is what it is. Awareness of the thoughts,feelings and emotions as not being personal and allowing them to flow through me, without the storytelling and additional suffering. It will take me repeating this course a fair few times to embed it. Gratitude 🙏

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