Comment by RossBencina | Hacker News Reader

Comment by RossBencina | Hacker News Reader

The part about task initiation induced stress -> flight or fight -> distraction/relief-seeking resonated with me. I hadn't noticed that before. The small steps bit reminds me of BJ Fogg's "brush one tooth."

One common failure mode of "do the smallest/easiest thing first" that the article didn't address was that sometimes it's so easy to "buy the running shoes" that you end up with a house full of "easy first steps." I think a better approach is to aim to eliminate unnecessary complexity in moving towards the goal. You can do this by aiming for the smallest, easiest, and simplest first step that simultaneously maximises progress towards the goal. e.g. "I want to make a stand to hold my XYZ." Bad first step: Buy a 3D printer. Good first step: Improvise something out of cardboard.

Ha--totally agree about the 'house full of easy first steps'. I have a few.

But I think it all still applies; the key is to keep taking small steps toward the thing, not just 'keep taking small steps'. You look at a successful small step and (like I wrote) ask 'what's the next step?' that will build on it.

Love BJ Fogg's Tiny Habits!

2025 was the first time I have been able to implement and maintain a series of routines for the entire year (still going strong), and the concept of starting tiny was a key epiphany for me. I wrote about my experiences with it recently on my blog[0], but the point you make about good first steps is a great one.

A phrase I heard some time back that has stuck with me is "don't buy something hoping to be someone." In other words, don't buy running shoes hoping to become a runner.

In my personal experience, a good first step is the smallest version of doing the thing you ultimately want to be doing. "Brush one tooth" is a great example. Doing one push-up is another. For running, maybe just getting dressed, walking outside, and doing some stretching. The idea is that it's the stuff you would have to do anyways if you were going to do a more robust/thorough version of the thing you're trying to ultimately do. Buying shoes, on the other hand, is just purchasing more stuff.

[0] https://onebadbit.com/posts/2025/12/year-in-review/

And hunting for the perfect first step product becomes a dopamine chasing activity itself.

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