Working as both a therapist and lifestyle coach, I’ve witnessed countless clients struggle with the gap between who they are and who they want to become. The breakthrough often comes not from dramatic overhauls, but from understanding the profound power of tiny, consistent actions.
Every habit is essentially a vote for the type of person you want to be. When a client tells me they can’t stick to exercise, we don’t focus on motivation—we examine their identity. Are they someone who moves their body daily, even if it’s just a five-minute walk? As James Clear emphasizes in “Atomic Habits,” the goal isn’t to read a book but to become a reader. This shift in perspective transforms everything.
Small habits compound in ways that initially seem insignificant but become transformative over time. A client who implements a two-minute morning gratitude practice may not feel different on day one, but after six months, their entire neural pathway for processing daily experiences has shifted. Depression and anxiety often stem from accumulated negative thought patterns—positive habits can slowly rewire these same pathways.
I’ve learned that clients who focus on systems rather than outcomes achieve lasting change. Instead of “I want to feel less anxious,” we create systems: “I will do three deep breaths every time I check my phone.” The beauty lies in the process becoming automatic, removing the daily decision fatigue that exhausts so many people.
Your environment shapes your behavior more than willpower ever will. We work together to design spaces that make good habits inevitable and bad habits difficult. This might mean placing a water bottle by the bed or removing social media apps from the phone’s home screen.
Real transformation happens in the margins—in the small, seemingly insignificant choices we make hundreds of times each day. Check out Atomic Habits and read about the impacts of good and bad habits on your life!
Salt + Cedar Collective 