I finally stopped relying on willpower to break my worst habits — built something that actually works instead
For the longest time I was stuck in the same cycle: I'd swear off a bad habit (doomscrolling, impulse buying, whatever dopamine trap had me), last a few days, then cave the second the trigger hit. Every habit tracker I tried felt like it was just yelling “be stronger” at me while the apps and websites stayed wide open.
I got fed up and started treating it like a security problem instead of a motivation problem. Zero-trust style: assume the bad habit will try to sneak back in, so you block the pathways before it can. No more “just don’t click it” — make it actually impossible.
I ended up building a tool around that idea. It’s called Resolve. It has a network-level blocker that kills addictive apps and sites at the DNS level (no workarounds), a financial vault that basically puts impulse money in lockdown, and a little Gemini AI coach that talks you through cravings in real time using actual CBT-style questions. Everything runs locally on your phone, nothing gets uploaded, and there’s a clean tactical dashboard that shows your “Neural Resistance Score” so you can actually see progress instead of just hoping you’re doing better.
I’ve been running it on myself for a while now and it’s the first thing that’s kept me in something close to Monk Mode without constant white-knuckling.
I’m not here to sell anything — I genuinely just want to know if this approach would help anyone else who’s tired of the same old willpower apps. If you’re fighting something similar (gambling urges, porn, shopping loops, endless scrolling, whatever), I’d love honest feedback. Does the concept sound useful? Too hardcore? Missing something obvious?
Link if you want to check it out: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.resolve.habitbreaker
Appreciate you reading. What’s been the most effective thing that’s actually helped you break a stubborn habit? I’m still learning too.
