IN MOST of my workshops, I ask people
to do one thing: touch your nose with your
finger. Almost everyone does it instantly.
Then I ask: ‘Why did you do that?’
The answer is always the same: ‘Because
it was easy.’
Exactly.
Then I say: ‘Now let’s do a 5-kilometre
run.’ People laugh, and look at each other.
‘Not now, sir.’
I don’t explain anything after that. The
contrast is the lesson.
WHAT IS A HABIT
Your brain has a side that constantly scans
for threats. Anything unfamiliar triggers
caution because the mind prefers safety,
certainty, and familiarity. That is why
big goals feel exciting on day one and exhausting
by day ten. It is why New Year
resolutions collapse by end January.
But a small action battles the resistance.
It’s too small to fail. When asked, people
usually say, ‘Something done daily’, ‘Something
automatic’, or ‘Something easy.’
All true. But in my definition, a habit is
something you can do on your worst day,
not your best. On your best day, anybody
can appear disciplined. If your routine only
works when you feel inspired, it is not yet
a habit.
THE MISSING INGREDIENT IN CHANGE
Every meaningful change in life needs
three things: awareness, action, and consistency.
Awareness helps you recognise the gap.
Action gets you started. But consistency
is where most people fail. People begin
with dramatic plans that are impossible to
sustain. Big actions create excitement, but
small actions create continuity. And continuity
changes lives.
So start small. Here is a simple rule:
every time you go to the restroom, do
two push-ups. Just two. Over time, two
becomes five, then ten, then twenty.
The important thing is not intensity. It is
repetition.
I did something similar while writing
my first book. The idea of writing 60,000
words paralysed me. For two months
I did nothing. Then I realised I was already
writing more than 1,000 words
daily through emails, WhatsApp messages,
and notes. Why not redirect 500 of
those words towards the book?
I chose a café as my writing spot. The
moment I entered, my brain knew: writing
time. Just 500 words in about 30
minutes.
By day 85, I had a first draft. The tree
grew because I focused only on watering
the seed.
We use the same principle with people
trying to start exercising. Sometimes
we tell them: don’t go to the gym yet. Just
wear your gym clothes. That alone is
the habit.
CELEBRATE EVERY WIN
After every small action, celebrate immediately.
Say ‘Hooray.’ Smile. Pat
yourself on the back. Have a biscuit or a
cup of tea. The reward itself matters less
than the emotion attached to it. Your
brain begins associating the action with
something positive, and that emotional
loop slowly becomes habit.
And finally, start somewhere. Small
actions work best when you are building
something new. Start smaller than
your ego wants to. The seed never looks
impressive. Still, plant it every day. One
morning, without quite noticing when
it happened, you will realise the tree
has arrived.