Willpower is like a matchstick in a rainstorm—quick to ignite, quicker to extinguish. It’s an unreliable foundation for lasting change. Because…you are not a robot that can execute against a set of known instructions. You are human.
If you’ve ever blamed yourself for not having enough discipline or willpower to achieve your goals, keep reading because the truth is:
Goals require more than grit.
The Willpower Myth
We’ve all been there: January 1st rolls around and we craft elaborate plans to revolutionize our lives. We’re going to exercise daily, meditate for an hour, meal prep every Sunday, and finally write that book. Our motivation rises and our willpower feels infinite—until it isn’t.
Work becomes unexpectedly busy or your toddler has an ‘uh-oh’ moment that derails your plans for the day. Life has a way of throwing us curveballs. Although we want to “just plow through”, the reality is that we don’t have absolute control over our outcomes.
Soon enough, you are back to our old patterns, feeling like a failure, wondering why you can’t just “push through” like ‘everyone else’ on social media posting their highlight reels.
Here’s what nobody tells you: high achievers don’t operate exclusively on willpower. They master something far more powerful: the art of tiny habits.
The Power of Tiny Habits
Transformation doesn’t happen in grand, sweeping gestures. It occurs in moments so small they seem insignificant. Because…every time that you put on your gym clothes, you vote for the version of yourself that lives an active lifestyle. Just getting dressed is a tiny habit that sets the stage for the next habit: working out.
And each tiny habit that you commit to has a compounding effect. Consider this…
The Math of Micro-Progress
If you:
– Read one page per day instead of attempting to read 30
– Write 50 words instead of trying to write 1000
– Meditate for one minute instead of forcing yourself to sit for 20
By the end of the year, you will have:
– Read 365 pages (that’s several books)
– Written 18,250 words (a quarter of a novel)
– Meditated for 6 hours
But here’s the really amazing part: you’ll likely do more because starting is the hardest part. Once you’ve read one page, you might read five. Once you’ve written 50 words, you might write 500.
The Revolutionary Approach
Instead of setting ambitious goals that require willpower, try this subversive approach:
MAKE THE HABIT EASY.
Want to start exercising? Don’t commit to an hour at the gym. Commit to putting on your workout clothes.
REMOVE FRICTION.
Place your workout clothes beside your bed the night before. Set out your journal and pen where you’ll see them first thing in the morning.
STACK HABITS.
Attach your new tiny habit to an existing one. “After I pour my morning coffee, I will write one sentence in my journal.”
Remember: tiny habits have a compounding effect that adds up to big gains over time.
Want to Turn Your Life Around In 6 Months?
If you have a big goal, you can begin at any time. There are two key things to keep in mind.
1 – Focus on your identity.
This journey isn’t about forcing change – it’s about gentle transformation. Instead of “I need to lose weight,” you become “I’m someone who nourishes my body with love” – even if that starts with drinking one extra glass of water daily.
2 – Break down the goal into tiny habits.
What tiny habit could you start tomorrow that would take less than two minutes? And what is the tiny habit after that? How easy can you let it be?
Remember:
– If you’re resisting, it’s too big
– If it requires motivation, it’s too big
– If you have to talk yourself into it, it’s too big
The path to transformation isn’t paved with grand gestures and heroic efforts. It’s built one tiny habit at a time, through actions so small they seem almost laughable.
Because the truth is, you don’t need more willpower. You need smaller habits.
Conclusion
Changing your habits isn’t about forcing change—it’s about gentle transformation. Instead of “I need to lose weight,” you become “I’m someone who nourishes my body with love” – even if that starts with drinking one extra glass of water daily.
So let go of the willpower myth. Stop waiting until you feel motivated enough, strong enough, or disciplined enough. Start tiny. Start now. And watch as these microscopic changes compound into the transformation you’ve been seeking all along.
Want More Support?
→ Go one level deeper and grab the book, “Atomic Habits”.
→ Go as deep as you dare, join the Kalibra challenge.
