Most people, when they try to improve themselves, often have trouble and blame themselves for lacking motivation or not being good enough. The problem isn’t them; it’s their approach. Instead of tackling the entire change at once, change should be broken down into small steps, or “tiny behaviors.” Rather than marks of failure, mistakes become small lessons that teach how to move forward.

The author began by experimenting on himself. He tried little things, like doing two pushups after every time he peed, which worked tremendously. He also tried eating an orange every day, which failed. The tiny habits he developed soon became easy and comfortable, and they grew into big changes in habits and results. Within six months, his life had improved in many areas, including diet, exercise, sleep, and work. In 2011, he began teaching the method to great effect.

Though Tiny Habits is a book about how to change habits, with few exceptions, it doesn’t teach specific habits. These are for readers to invent for themselves. The main exception is the Maui Habit: “After you put your feet on the floor in the morning, immediately say this phrase, ‘It’s going to be a great day.