How to Build Habits That Stick (Without Willpower)

How to Build Habits That Stick (Without Willpower)

It’s easy to feel like we need big actions to make a difference. That if we don’t have an hour to spare, it’s not worth starting. But the truth is, real change often begins in the tiniest ways.

One puzzle helped me learn that lesson.

There was a half-finished jigsaw puzzle on my table for months. I’d completed the easy parts, edges, obvious colours, clear patterns, but the rest felt too hard and my usual approach wasn’t working. I was about to pack it away when my dad and his partner came to visit, turns out she’s a puzzle whiz and finished it for me.

After they left, I tackled a few more puzzles, some easier, some not. Then I hit another one with huge blocks of similar colours. Familiar overwhelm crept in and I had a choice: let it sit there again, or try something different.

So I broke it down. I had a quiet nudge of an idea: What if I just found one piece a day? No pressure, no finish line, just one piece.

What I didn’t realise at the time was that I was forming a tiny habit. Not long after this, I read Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg, and it validated everything I’d just done. I never did just one piece, but the low bar helped me begin. I kept showing up, I never gave up and a month later, the puzzle was complete.

Rethinking Habit Formation

The Tiny Habits method flips the traditional view of habits on its head. Instead of relying on willpower or motivation, both of which are unreliable and eventually let you down, Fogg encourages us to design for ability.

At the core of his research is the B=MAP model:

• Behaviour happens when Motivation, Ability, and a Prompt come together.

Rather than trying to boost motivation, Fogg suggests we design habits that are easy to do even when motivation is low.

One of the simplest ways to do that is by using his habit recipe:

After I [existing routine], I will [tiny behaviour], then I celebrate [how you’ll celebrate].

Examples:

• After I make my morning coffee, I will drink a glass of water, then nod in encouragement.

• After I make my tea, I will sit down and do one piece of my puzzle, then give a small fist pump.

• After I turn my alarm off, I will get up and put on my workout clothes, then smile in the mirror.

This simple structure links your new habit to a reliable anchor, keeps it doable, and ends with a small celebration, like a smile, fist pump, or silent “yes!” to generate a positive emotion. That feel-good moment helps your brain encode the habit more powerfully than repetition alone.

By anchoring your habit to something familiar, keeping it small, and celebrating each success, you make it easier to stay consistent, even on your busiest days. And often, that tiny habit begins to grow, not because you force it, but because it feels good to keep going. That’s the power of starting small.

Troubleshooting

If your habit isn’t sticking, it’s usually a design problem, not a motivation one. Here’s how to troubleshoot it:

1. Prompt - Is there a clear and reliable trigger? Without one, it’s easy to forget.

2. Ability - Is the behaviour simple enough given your energy or resources? Could it be even easier?

3. Motivation - Do you genuinely want to do this? If not, try reframing it or picking something more meaningful.

It’s often the smallest shifts, like choosing a stronger prompt or making the action more doable, that lead to the biggest gains. For me, letting go of all-or-nothing thinking was part of that shift. As the puzzle taught me, progress builds not in leaps, but in tiny actions, and that mindset helped me keep showing up, even when routines were disrupted, like when I was travelling.

Tiny in Practice

I still had intentions to work out while I was away, I had my clothes laid out, ready to go, but I also gave myself permission not to, if it didn’t feel right. My rule since creating the habit in February has always been to make that call the night before, not in the moment. One morning when travelling, I forgot to turn off my alarm. It went off, and I wanted to stay in bed but I couldn’t convince myself. Even a half-hearted session felt better than nothing. That’s the power of consistency. It wasn’t about motivation, it was about identity.

I’ve noticed the same thing in my creative practice. I used to feel like I needed two or three uninterrupted hours for painting to be worthwhile. After becoming a mum, time was more in demand than ever -that shift in life stage also shifted my thinking. Now, even 30–45 minute sessions feel valuable, because they add up. One session can quickly become three across the week and that progress is better than waiting for a 2-3 hour chunk of time.

Tiny actions, like 10 minutes of movement, a five-minute journal entry, or a short focused time with a brush, might not look like much in the moment, but they compound over time. 

Ready to Start Your Own Tiny Habit?

You don’t need a new planner, a perfect routine, or a sudden burst of motivation to begin. You just need a starting point.

Think of one thing you already do every day, like brushing your teeth, turning on the kettle, or checking your calendar. Then ask: What’s the tiniest version of my new behaviour I could add right after that?

It could be a stretch. A breath. A note in your journal. One mindful sip of water.

If you’re ready to give it a go, I’ve made a free resource to help you take that first step:

Download your free Path to Clarity: Tiny Habits Builder Template

Because big change doesn’t have to start with a big gesture, it can start with something small you actually do. Tiny isn’t just enough, it compounds.