Last week was about the routine trap. This week is about the opposite of that.
A steady drip wears down stone.
We love reinventing ourselves overnight. The fresh start has to land on a special day, ideally a Monday, the first of the month, or better yet, the start of a whole new year. And then the entire routine, with what feels like ten thousand individual steps, is supposed to just work. Right away. Perfectly.
What if we picked just one tiny thing instead? Or better: first took the time to notice whether we even want to change it at all.
Once you’ve found that one small step, it’s worth trying it. And sticking with it, as consistently as real life allows.
It doesn’t always have to be a hundred percent. Everyone’s heard of the 80/20 rule. We’re allowed to apply it to ourselves too, guilt free.
Give yourself a streak freezer. Language-learning apps call it “streak on ice.” No time today, no energy, or you simply forgot because the tiny habit hasn’t become second nature yet? That’s fine. Just pick it back up the moment autopilot switches off and awareness comes back.
I love these small steps. They make real change possible, without having to overhaul everything at once.
And how long does it actually take to build something like this? Good question. One often-cited study (Lally et al., 2010, University College London) found a range of 18 to 254 days, averaging 66. The variance is huge.
My honest answer: it depends. I work closely with my clients for about 12 weeks. Whether a habit actually sticks in that time is highly individual. It depends on the habit. And on the mindset.
Some people thrive under pressure. Others hate it, and know immediately whether something feels right or not. A third group needs a mix of wanting to and having to.
Which small thing has been waiting, quietly, just to be noticed?
If you’d like company along the way, that’s exactly what my 12-week program is for.
Food for Thought. Structure for Change.