"Brick by brick."

I’ve been referring to self-improvement lately as a process that happens “brick by brick”.

In the name of improving our lives, we wish that we could introduce sweeping changes to our lives all at once… But the reality is that positive change  needs to be introduced one element at a time for it to be truly sustainable and lasting. 



The term ‘brick by brick’ refers to the process of building a brick home or a wall. It’s a slow job of smearing some mortar and cement, positioning a single brick on top of it, and repeating the process over and over again. Each brick needs to be placed precisely in order for the entire structure to be strong.

When it comes to self-improvement, people overestimate how much they can take on at once but underestimate how profoundly they can change over time. They think they can lay 10 bricks at the same time and don’t realize how quickly they can lay 1000 bricks when they follow a disciplined process. One habit, routine, and life-system at a time, brick by brick you can build up your life.

This is what it looks like. Let’s say that you have some bad habits and you want to completely revolutionize your health. The unsustainable approach is to begin a new diet plan and commit to working out out every day starting immediately. But adding too much all at once will cause your foundation to crumble. 

Focusing one week at a time, starting with getting into the gym twice, then three times, then four times, then adding cardio and ramping it up progressively… And then starting a new diet plan by cutting out sugar after 8pm, then completely, then swapping extra carbs with plates of vegetables… In 2 months you could actually achieve your big health goals and feel like it wasn’t that hard to do. 

From there you can take on even more ambitious health initiatives like running your first marathon, and you’re so much more likely to succeed with it because you have a foundation of muscle and strength that makes you less vulnerable to injury, and you are in the habit of fueling your body better so that you can maximize your recovery.

That’s what it looks like to introduce positive change to your life ‘brick by brick’. That’s the sustainable path toward becoming the best version of yourself. And if you need help building the discipline and structure you need to succeed with this incremental approach, this is something I know will help.