March 16, 2025 | #31 | read on The Happier Studio | Free Version
Welcome to The Happier Newsletter, a weekly newsletter where I provide actionable ideas to help you build a happier, healthier, and more meaningful life.
What’s On Today
- 3 Powerful Reminders to Building a Life You Love
- The Myth of Motivation (and What Actually Works)
- 3 Things I’m Grateful For This Week
3 Powerful Reminders to Building a Life You Love
Most people believe that to truly change their lives, they need to make massive, dramatic shifts. They wait for the perfect moment—the start of a new year, a Monday, or some other milestone—to begin.
But the truth? Big changes don’t happen overnight. They happen through small, consistent actions, repeated over time.
When you focus on daily progress rather than sporadic bursts of effort, you tap into the power of steady improvement. The small things you do each day might seem insignificant, but they compound over time, leading to massive change.
Here are three reminders to help you stay on track:
1. The Power of Compounding Effort
Think of progress like compound interest. When you invest a little effort each day, your results start to multiply. At first, it might not feel like much, but over weeks, months, and years, those small actions add up in ways you never expected.
Consider these examples:
- Writing just 200 words a day might not seem like much, but over a year, that’s 73,000 words—enough for a book.
- Exercising for just 10 minutes a day adds up to 3,650 minutes, or more than 60 hours of movement in a year.
- Spending 5 minutes a day on gratitude journaling might feel small, but over time, it rewires your brain to focus on the positive.
- Reading 10 pages a day doesn’t seem like a lot, but in a year, you’ll have read 3,650 pages—equivalent to about 12 to 15 books.
None of these actions require drastic changes. But through consistency, they generate life-changing results.
This is why people who take small, steady steps tend to be more successful than those who rely on bursts of motivation. Progress compounds, making seemingly tiny actions incredibly powerful.
2. Progress Over Perfection
One of the biggest reasons people stay stuck is because they wait for perfect conditions before taking action.
They think they need the right mindset, the best tools, or an ideal situation to get started. But here’s the reality: perfect conditions never come.
There will always be distractions, self-doubt, or unexpected setbacks. If you wait until everything aligns perfectly, you’ll never start.
Instead of aiming for flawless execution, aim for consistency. Small, imperfect actions taken daily will always beat big, perfect actions taken rarely.
- Don’t wait until you have an hour to work out—move for five minutes today.
- Don’t wait for inspiration to write—jot down a few sentences now.
- Don’t wait for the perfect moment to start learning a new skill—spend just a few minutes on it today.
Momentum is built through action, not perfection.
3. The Magic of Showing Up Every Day
The people who achieve the most aren’t necessarily the most talented or the most disciplined. They’re the ones who show up every single day, even when they don’t feel like it.
Progress doesn’t require grand gestures—it requires small, consistent steps.
The best way to keep going? Make it easy to show up. Lower the bar so it’s impossible to fail.
- Want to write more? Start with two sentences, not two pages.
- Want to exercise regularly? Do five push-ups instead of planning a full routine.
- Want to read more? Commit to just one paragraph.
Once you’ve started, it’s easier to keep going. A short workout can turn into a full session. Two sentences can turn into a full paragraph. One paragraph can turn into ten pages.
Progress doesn’t happen in a single moment. It happens one small step at a time. So instead of waiting for motivation, focus on what you can do today—because today is all that truly matters.
The Myth of Motivation (and What Actually Works)
Most people think they need motivation to take action. They wait for the spark—the moment when they feel inspired and ready. But here’s the hard truth: motivation is unreliable.
Some days, you’ll feel energised and productive. Other days, you won’t. If you only take action when you feel like it, your progress will be inconsistent at best.
What actually works? Systems and habits.
Instead of relying on motivation, make action inevitable:
- Want to work out more? Lay out your gym clothes the night before.
- Want to write every morning? Open your document before bed so it’s the first thing you see.
- Want to spend less time on your phone? Move social media apps off your home screen.
Action leads to motivation, not the other way around. The more you do, the more motivated you feel.
If you struggle to start, don’t wait to “feel ready.” Lower the bar, make action easy, and let momentum take care of the rest.
3 Things I’m Grateful For This Week
- I'm grateful for finally getting a good night's sleep—something I haven't had in a while, and it makes such a difference.
- I'm grateful for the flexibility of working part-time, giving me more time for what truly matters.
- I'm grateful for the warm weather.
What are you grateful for this week?
