Why Your Problems Keep Coming Back (And How to Fix Them For Good)
Have you ever solved the same problem multiple times?
You fix it, it seems to work, and you feel relieved. But three months later, it’s back.
- Maybe it’s your workout routine. You start strong, but by week three, it collapses. You restart, and it happens again.
- Maybe it’s a work issue. You address a missed deadline or a communication breakdown, but somehow, the team keeps falling into the same dysfunction.
Here is what is actually happening: You are treating the symptom, not the root cause.
No matter how many times you fix a symptom, the underlying problem will keep creating new ones. To break the cycle, you need the fourth systematic thinking move: Backward Time Travel.
This method allows you to trace problems back to their actual source so you can fix what is really broken, not just what is visible.
The Pattern: Recurring Failures
To understand why we get stuck, let’s look at Marcus.
Marcus has tried to build a fitness habit five times over the past three years. Every single time, the pattern is identical:
- Weeks 1-2: He is excited and motivated.
- Weeks 3-4: A small disruption occurs—a deadline, a family event, a cold.
- Week 5: The habit is completely gone.
After the fifth failure, Marcus is frustrated. He asks, "What is wrong with me? Why do I lack discipline?"
Look at his five attempts to fix it:
- "I need more willpower."
- "I need a better, more optimal program."
- "I should start smaller (10 minutes instead of 30)."
- "I need a different time of day."
- "I need to track everything (calories, steps, sleep)."
Five different approaches. The exact same result.
Here is the critical insight: If Marcus tried five different solutions and they all failed at the same point, the problem isn't the solution he picked. The problem is his diagnosis.
Willpower, program quality, and tracking are all surface-level variables. Marcus has been frantically treating symptoms while the root cause continues to generate failure.
Three Flawed Approaches
When faced with recurring problems, most of us default to three strategies that look smart but ultimately fail.
Approach #1: The "Try Harder" Trap
The Logic: "This time I’ll be more disciplined. I’ll just push through."
Why it fails: If your life structure is incompatible with the habit, willpower is a finite resource that will eventually run out. You are applying more effort to a broken system.
Approach #2: The Optimization Hunt
The Logic: "I need to find the perfect, science-backed method."
Why it fails: Marcus’s problem wasn't that his workouts were "sub-optimal." His problem was that he couldn't show up. No amount of research on hypertrophy or heart rate zones fixes a sustainability problem.
Approach #3: Surface-Level Pattern Recognition
The Logic: "I see the pattern! I always quit when I get disrupted. So, I just need to avoid disruptions."
Why it fails: This is still treating the symptom. You cannot avoid disruptions; life is disruptions. The question isn't "How do I avoid disruptions?" The question is "Why does a single disruption kill my entire habit?"
The Systematic Solution: Backward Time Travel
Backward Time Travel is the systematic move of tracing problems backward through causal chains until you find the source. It relies on a technique known as the "5 Whys"—asking "why" multiple times until the root cause is revealed.
Let’s apply this to Marcus to see what he missed.
Step 1: State the Problem Clearly
Don't say, "I'm bad at fitness."
Say: "At week 3-4, a small disruption ends my fitness habit, and I never restart."
Step 2: The 5 Whys Analysis
Now, we trace it backward.
Why #1: Why did the habit end at week 3?
Answer: A small disruption (work deadline) occurred, and I missed a few days.
Why #2: Why did missing a few days end the whole habit?
Answer: Because I had no recovery protocol. One miss felt like "failure," so I quit.
Why #3: Why was there no recovery protocol?
Answer: Because I treat workouts as "add-ons" to my life, not replacements. I was trying to add 30 minutes of effort to a 100% full schedule.
Why #4: Why did you treat them as add-ons?
Answer: Because I never examined my existing time and energy structure to see what had to go.
Why #5 (The Root Cause): Why didn't you examine your structure?
Answer: Because I assumed the problem was the program (what I do), not my life design (how I live).
Step 3: Distinguish Symptom vs. Root Cause
- Symptoms: Lack of motivation, missing workouts, quitting after a skip.
- Root Cause: A life structure designed for zero exercise, attempting to add behavior without removing anything.
Step 4: Design Root-Level Solutions
Now that Marcus knows the real problem (Structure, not Willpower), the solutions change completely:
- REPLACE, Don't Add: He reallocates time. Workouts now replace his morning social media scrolling. He isn't "finding" time; he is trading it.
- Remove Friction: Gym clothes are laid out the night before. The bag is packed.
- Design a Recovery Protocol: He creates a rule: "If I miss a workout, I do a 15-minute walk that same day to keep the habit thread alive." Disruption is now part of the plan, not the end of it.
Three months later, the habit is still sticking. Why? Because he finally fixed the root cause.
The "Aha!" Insight
"Recurring problems aren't bad luck. They are unsolved root causes producing new symptoms."
When a problem keeps happening, it is not the universe punishing you. It is a signal. It is telling you that you have not gone deep enough yet.
As long as the root cause exists, it will keep manufacturing new symptoms. You can fight the symptoms forever, or you can travel backward and turn off the machine that is creating them.
Your Next Move
This post covers Backward Time Travel, the final move in our systematic thinking foundation series. You now have the full set:
- Parallel Tracks: To explore options without premature convergence.
- Pattern Extraction: To turn experience into repeatable wisdom.
- Forward Time Travel: To choose destinations, not just starting points.
- Backward Time Travel: To fix root causes, not symptoms.
These four moves work together as a complete operating system for your mind.
But knowing them isn't enough—you need to know which ones you actually use.
Take the free Systematic Thinking Scorecard to find out:
- Which of the 4 Moves is your dominant strength?
- Which is your "Blind Spot" that causes your biggest mistakes?
- How can you balance them to make better decisions?
→ Take the Free Systematic Thinking Scorecard
Pick one recurring problem in your life this week. Don't try to fix it yet. Just ask "Why?" five times. You might be surprised by what you find at the bottom.