[Introduction 2] The reason you can't do it is not because you have a weak will

"I want to do it, but I can't."

When this continues, people tend to think very poorly of themselves.

"I'm lazy."
"I lack persistence."
"I guess I'm not serious about it."

But I want you to look at it a little more calmly.

Working from the morning, being considerate of your boss and clients, replying to emails, chasing numbers, commuting, attending meetings, and going home.

By that point, you have already used up quite a lot of energy.

From there, you try to add even more:

"Okay, let's exercise."
"Let's study investing."
"Let's fix my diet."
"Let's try not to look at my smartphone."

Trying to do all of this through sheer willpower is tough.

Of course it's hard.

We aren't robots, so when we're tired, we gravitate toward the easy path.
And the smartphone is the representative of that easy path.

If you open your smartphone, you can immediately distract yourself.
If you watch videos, you can forget about work for a little while.
If you look at social media, you feel like you're connected to someone.

So, reaching for your smartphone on a tired night is, in a sense, quite natural.

But the problem is what happens after that.

Even though you should have been soothed by your smartphone, for some reason you feel tired before going to sleep.
And then you blame yourself for not being able to do it today either.

In other words, while your smartphone soothes you for a moment, it doesn't necessarily help your future self.

What is needed here is not to make your smartphone your enemy.

If you try to quit using your smartphone entirely, you probably won't be able to keep it up.
If you aim for perfection right away, you will break immediately.

What is important is this:
Before looking at your smartphone, insert just one action for your future self.

For example:

When you get home, drink some water before looking at your smartphone.
Do five squats before changing your clothes.
Walk for just five minutes before taking a bath.
Read just one page of an investment book after brushing your teeth.
Decide on tomorrow's breakfast before going to sleep.

This much is fine.

You might think, "Wait, just that?"

But you can't keep it up because you try to exercise for 30 minutes from the start.
It becomes painful because you try to study for an hour every day from the start.
You revert back due to the backlash because you try to quit snacks, alcohol, and your smartphone all at once from the start.

People who change aren't doing amazing things from the start.

They are just making it small enough to continue.

This is very important.

Effort doesn't have to be big to be good.
If it doesn't continue, it ends up being zero.

Conversely, if it continues for even five minutes, proof remains within you.

"I was able to do a little bit yesterday too."
"I did it today, at least."
"Maybe I'm not completely hopeless."

This small proof will gradually reduce your self-loathing.

Therefore, what you should aim for first is not a perfect life.

What you should aim for is:
A step so low that even a tired you after work can do it.

It's okay to be low.
It's okay to be small.
But do it.

Let's start changing from here.