Build Your Best Self

Tiny habits can spark big changes. By starting small, you’ll find it easier to sustain habits that add up to significant results over time. Here’s how…

Ever feel like making a change in your life is like trying to climb Everest in flip-flops? Yeah, that mountain-sized goal can seem impossible. But here’s the thing: you don’t need to move mountains. Real change starts by tackling the small stuff—teeny, tiny habits that eventually snowball into big, bold shifts.

Picture your life as an enormous cruise ship… one of those jaw-dropping "Icon of the Seas" behemoths. Piloting a vessel of such mass and proportion sounds like a Herculean task, right? You might be surprised. Enter the trimtab—a tiny device that can shift the course of the biggest ship with just a slight nudge:

A trimtab is a tiny part of the ship's rudder - the “rudder’s rudder” - powerful enough to nudge the massive rudder just enough to set the whole ship on a different path… minimal effort; massive impact. And, just like that trimtab, your small habits have the power to steer your ship of life toward a whole new direction.

Small Habits: Your Personal Trimtabs

You might think of small habits as being the hidden trimtabs in your daily life. Maybe they seem like no big deal on their own, but when you stack them up, they change they can generate is profound. It’s truely amazing how their effect can proliferate over time—think of them like mental clarity boosters, well-being enhancers, and life-shifters all rolled into one.

When you think about becoming the trimtab of your own life, it's about spotting those little "rudders"—small habits—that, when tweaked, have the potential to take you in entirely new directions. These small actions, accrue over time, create momentum. They don’t just add up—they multiply exponentially, turning your tiny efforts into something big.

The Domino Effect of Tiny Changes

Every small habit you have is like the first domino in a long, winding line. Giving it that first, tiny push has the potential to set off a chain reaction, tipping each domino into the next. Before you know it, that one little nudge has impacted a whole series of dominos, each bigger and bolder than the last.

Your dominos can work for - or against - you. It all depends on the habits you stack...

Let’s say your morning starts poorly. Maybe you had a lousy night sleep or spilled coffee on your way to work. That first unwelcome domino may well trigger a whole avalanch of hasty decisions and irritated interactions that leave your day tasting sour, if not just a bit… off.

But here’s the thing about dominoes: they can just as easily fall in your favor.

Picture what can happen when your morning starts with a simple, intentional habit. You take five minutes to breathe, stretch, or jot down a few things you’re excited about. That positive action is your first domino, and when it tips over, it animates a ripple of calm and focus that can infuse the rest of your day.

What’s even cooler? The momentum from these small habits builds up. A tiny action, like doing a quick stretch in the morning, doesn’t just stop there. It can set off a cavalcade of positivity, nudging your mood, interactions, and energy levels in the right direction. And as these daily habits stack up, they don’t just add to your progress—they multiply better than you can imagine. Just like a line of dominos falling faster and faster, those small wins create bigger and better results over time.

Meet Mia: A Case Study in Small Wins

Let’s talk about Mia. She’s like a lot of us—life felt overwhelming, her routine jam-packed with endless to-dos, and personal growth? Well, that kept getting shoved to the back of the line. But instead of trying to overhaul her entire life in one go, Mia took a different approach… she started small.

Mia didn’t begin with sweeping resolutions. Instead, she carved out 10 minutes each morning for journaling. That tiny commitment turned into her favorite part of the day—a quiet moment to reflect, set intentions, and clear her mind. And once she saw the power of this one small change, Mia was hooked.

Next up, she added short evening walks to her routine. Not marathon training, just a quick stroll to unwind after work. Then she began volunteering an hour each week—giving back became a way to connect to something bigger than herself. She even started winding down at night with a book instead of scrolling through her phone, letting her mind relax.

No one of these habits flipped her world upside down. But together, they created a powerful shift. And, over time, those small wins added up to something remarkable. Each little change gave her more confidence - and built her competence - to tackle bigger challenges.

The Art of Associating Habits

Here’s the secret to making small habits stick: link them to something you already do. It’s called habit stacking, and it’s brilliant. You take an existing habit, something as familiar as making coffee or brushing your teeth, and add a new habit to the mix.

Let’s say you’re trying to be more mindful. Instead of making “mindfulness” this big, abstract goal, you attach it to your morning coffee. While your coffee brews, you take a moment to breathe deeply and center yourself. Voilà—your caffeine fix becomes a mini mindfulness session.

The trick is to be specific. Don’t aim for “exercise more.” Try something bite-sized, like “do 10 push-ups after I brush my teeth.” When you tie a new habit to an old one, you create a trigger, making the new behavior feel almost automatic. Over time, that tiny effort becomes second nature, and it feels weird not to do it.

How to Build Your Trimtab: A Step-by-Step Guide

Becoming the trimtab in your life doesn’t require heroic effort. You just need intention, a plan, and a little bit of reflection. Here’s a roadmap to small habit success you might find useful to get started:

1. Identify Your Sphere of Influence: Start by figuring out where you actually have control. Look at your routine—what’s one small area you could tweak? Maybe it’s your morning routine, or how you wind down before bed. Pick something that’s yours to control.

2. Pick One Tiny Habit: Start small—like, really small. Maybe it’s setting your alarm 10 minutes earlier or drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning. The smaller, the better.

3. Make it Measurable: Vague goals lead to vague results. Instead of “move more,” try “walk 10 minutes after dinner.” When your goal is clear, it’s easier to track and accomplish.

4. Stack it with an Existing Habit: Take a habit you already have and stack your new one right on top. Want to read more? Try reading a page or two right after brushing your teeth at night. The existing habit serves as your trigger.

5. Track & Tweak: Keep an eye on your progress, and be open to adjusting as needed. If something isn’t working, it’s okay to pivot. The point is to adapt and evolve.

6. Rinse & Repeat: Once one small habit feels automatic, add another. Slowly, you’ll build a collection of positive habits that steer your life in the direction you want.

Change doesn’t have to be some grand, intimidating leap. It can be as simple as a initiating new morning routine or pausing for a few minutes of reflection. So, what’s one tiny habit you can start right now?

Remember: building your best self isn’t about making massive changes all at once. It’s about those small, daily habits that add up over time. And before you know it, you’ll be cruising toward a life that feels calmer, clearer, and more in control. One small habit at a time.