The Spark: Something's Gotta Give

The cycle starts with a spark—the moment you realize something needs to change. Maybe it’s an addiction or a lack of discipline. You get to that point where you say, “If something doesn’t change, this isn’t gonna work.”

One of my biggest wake-up calls came when my dad passed from complications with diabetes and heart disease. That hit me hard—not just emotionally, but physically. I looked at myself and realized, “If I don’t start taking care of my health now, I might end up the same way.”

The scary part? This wasn’t a new thought. As a teenager, I’d see overweight people in a fast food spot and start thinking, “Yo, this could be me if I don’t change.”

But you have to learn the hard way that thinking about it and doing something about it are two very different things, right? Without a strong reason or motivation, it’s easy to say “I’ll deal with that someday.”

Sadly thoughts don’t create habits, action does. And reaching that “spark” moment is where changing the cycle starts.

🛠️ Preparation: Don’t Overplan Yourself Out of Progress

This is the thinking about it stage. The problem is most of us overthink ourselves into not taking action. We tell ourselves: “I’ll start after my birthday... after the trip… next Monday… in January.” And then it becomes never.

Instead, start small. Pick one tiny change. A walk instead of a nap. One glass of water before your coffee. A note in your phone instead of a full content calendar.

I’m very aware that that’s easier said than done but if you stay aware of it and keep focusing on tiny improvements you’ll gain momentum.

Progress > Perfection. Always.

⚡ Action: The Hardest Part is Thinking About It

The wild part? Starting isn’t the hardest part. Thinking about starting is.

Going to the gym is easier than debating whether or not to go. Hitting publish on a messy post is easier than spending two hours trying to make it perfect. What you start to learn is that the real struggle isn’t starting—it’s staying consistent.

We think the fear is in failing. But the fear is actually in facing the unknown. Once you accept that the unknown doesn’t have to be bad and take that first step, the momentum starts to build itself.

📉 Habit Building & Fighting Instant Gratification

Staying consistent is where most of us trip up. Our culture thrives on instant gratification.

Especially when we live in a world where we can get food delivered to our door step, swipe for dates, and get Amazon packages in hours. What about our goals though? They still require lots of time, discipline, and boredom. And because we don’t see results right away, we get tempted to quit.

Real results are slow. They’re not sexy. You won’t always get claps. But every post, every workout, every salad you didn’t want is compounding—even if you can’t see it yet.

🔁 Relapse: When Life Slaps You

The relapse part of the cycle hits the hardest. You fall off. You slip. Life starts lifeing. And then the guilt creeps in or even worse you start beating yourself up about it. The scary thing is you can start to get addicted to this cycle, usually due to some past trauma or life event.

So even though you know you need to change and want better, you keep ending up in the same position like going from one toxic ex to the next. But that’s ok because awareness causes change. Every time you cycle through, you’re not on the same level you were before. Think of it like an upward spiral.

Every time, you have more awareness. You bounce back quicker, and you might go longer before the next slip-up. In investing terms, you start seeing “higher highs and higher lows,” which means you’re trending up over time—even if you dip occasionally.

⚖️ Balance: Don’t Burn Yourself Out

One thing to watch out for is going all in, then crashing hard. Those extremes feel powerful in the moment. “I’m never eating sugar again!” “I’m meditating for 30 mins every day!” But that crash… it sucks! You end up feeling worse because the drop is so steep.

Real change is quiet. It’s choosing the boring stuff consistently. Meditation and fasting probably helped me slow down and notice before I overreacted. Learning to control those impulses and not depend on burst of motivation that ultimately don’t last.

And if you’re someone whose felt like you “suck” at meditating, welcome to the club. That’s completely normal. It’s not about doing it perfectly. It’s really just about the practice.

I started off with guided YouTube meditations and an app called Headspace struggling to make it a full 5mins without opening my eyes to see how much time was left. NI’ve spent thousands of hours practicing it and I’m still not great but the consistency is what matters.

Final Thoughts

I’m not a guru. I’m just someone who’s fallen off enough times to recognize the pattern. This cycle? It’s real. It’s human. But it’s also yours to break. I wanted to share this in case you’re stuck in the same loop.

So whether you’re trying to post consistently, get your health in check, or show up for yourself in a new way—remember:

• Relapse isn’t failure.

• Progress stacks quietly.

• You’re not stuck. You’re evolving.

• And the spiral is always upward if you stay aware.

Find one thing you can do today.

That’s all it takes to keep climbing.

📌 TL;DR

You don’t break bad habits with willpower.

You break them by understanding the cycle:

1. Realize something has to change.

2. Prep—but don’t overthink.

3. Take one small action today.

4. Stay consistent even when it’s boring.

5. Accept setbacks, learn, and evolve.

Consistency > Intensity.

And awareness is your superpower.

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