The 1 Habit That's Killing 99% of Your Dreams.

Read time: 6 minutes

Hey, welcome back.

Last week, we explored the Identity Trap, how tying our worth to labels like “founder” or “dad” can shape, or shatter, our self-belief.

​You can read that (and all past issues, here).

By the way, if you're finding these insights helpful, I've started collecting all these tools, resources, and one-sheets in the ever-growing 'Science of Success' vault. Check it out here for additional materials on today's topic and more.

Today, I want to double down on something even smaller.

Not your job. Not your goals.
But your floor.
Your sink.
Your floss.

Let’s talk about micro-actions and how they silently signal to your brain whether or not you’re actually serious about your future.

The Lie of Big Plans Without Small Proof

Everyone wants the big stuff:

• The £1M business
• The bestseller
• The life-altering relationship
• The healthy, energised body

But your brain isn’t convinced by plans.
It’s convinced by proof.

And when you make massive promises without any micro-proof to back them up-your nervous system quietly stops believing you.

This isn’t woo-woo. It’s wiring.

You’ve told yourself:
“I’ll become more focused… once I scale.”
“I’ll get healthy… once work calms down.”
“I’ll finally be happy… once I hit that goal.”

But your bedroom’s a mess.
Your unread notifications stress you out.
You haven’t made your bed in weeks.

Your brain notices.
It’s watching you.
And it’s quietly concluding:
​"This person says they want change, but they won’t even clear their desk."

The Psychology of Self-Sabotage

Here’s the silent cost of neglecting the micro:

Every time you plan for the future-but take no small action today-you train your brain to distrust yourself.

It’s not conscious.
But it’s corrosive.

If your goals feel overwhelming or secretly out of reach, it might not be the goal that’s the problem.
It’s the lack of micro-momentum beneath it.

Big dreams require emotional scaffolding.

And that scaffolding is built from:

• Making your bed
• Cleaning your keyboard
• Doing the boring admin
• Showing up once, even if it’s messy

Each action whispers: “I’m the kind of person who does what they say.”
“I can follow through.”
“I deserve to have what I want.”

Micro-Actions Signal Readiness

Think of micro-actions like pre-orders for your future self.

You’re not just doing them to “be tidy” or “stay productive.”
You’re proving to your subconscious that you’re ready.

Ready for responsibility.
Ready for momentum.
Ready to be taken seriously by others and yourself.

And the good news?
The tiniest acts compound:

• Floss one tooth, not your whole mouth.
• Wipe down your mirror, not the whole bathroom.
• Do 2 minutes of journaling, not 20.

This isn’t laziness. It’s leverage.

Pray for peace. Build for peace.

Let’s raise the bar.

When you’re setting goals, don’t just list revenue and headcount. Add this to the sheet:

• Am I proud of how we treat people?
• Do I sleep well at night?
• Do I still feel like myself?
• Would I want my kids working here?

We’re not just praying for jobs. We’re praying for alignment. For leaders who care. For environments that don’t drain the life out of talented people.

You Don’t Need a Breakthrough—You Need a Broom

Sometimes you think you need clarity. Or motivation. Or a strategy call.

But what do you really need?

To change your sheets.
To inbox-zero 3 emails.
To take out the trash that’s been mocking you for 4 days.

Because once you do?
You feel lighter.
More in control.
More likely to tackle the next thing.

And slowly, those tiny votes of confidence add up.

They become belief.
They become action.
They become identity.

To micro-wins that scale your future,
​Dan

P.S. This week, try something: Before you plan your goals, clean your room. It’ll change how you think.

SOS (Science of Success) Curated:

LinkedIn of the week: It's okay to disconnect from everyone to connect back to yourself.​
​

Podcast of the week: You're procrastinating 80% of your time (here's how I fixed it)​

My Tweet of the week: How to feel human again​

Research Worth Reading — The Power of Small Wins (Harvard Business Review, 2011)

Researchers Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer studied thousands of “workday events” across 238 knowledge‑workers, noticing one striking pattern: minor progress - small, visible wins - lit up employees’ days. These micro wins consistently unlocked better motivation, sharper focus, and longer-lasting energy than major goals ever did.
Harvard Business says:

Takeaway:​
Your brain doesn’t subscribe to grand vision alone. It tracks evidence of consistency. Doing the small things - making your bed, wiping down your sink, flossing - are like micro wins that tell the subconscious: “You follow through. You’re trustworthy.” Over time, those tiny neural nudges compound conviction and fuel bigger steps.

​→ Link to stud​y​

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1-1 Coaching with Dan

In my goal to help more entrepreneurs/people who are looking to level up their careers, I've just started taking 1-1 consulting calls (only 1 a week)

Why book a call? Some of my expertise/success:

I've built 5 startups. 1 win, 1 fail, and 3 still going.

E-Commerce: Heights - with revenue over $15M a year.

Community: Foundrs, one of the UK's top founder communities

Podcasting: Leaders Media - bootstrapped media company that makes the UK's top business podcasts, Secret Leaders, with over 50M downloads.

Health/Mental Health: Managed to overcome burnout, insomnia, depression & anxiety in pursuit of success as I talk about in my interview with Steven Bartlett on Diary of a CEO​

Angel Investing: I've invested in over 90 startups

Coached & Mentored: Certified coach & done lots of mentoring

Personal Brand: Have grown to 178k on LinkedIn and X (Twitter) in the past 12 months

So if you're interested in booking a session with me to talk all things business or building a personal brand, book for 30-minutes or 45-minutes. (limited spots).

Science of Success Vault

I'm building a vault of valuable tools, resources, and one sheets that I hope help you succeed.

These will be stored in the ever-growing 'Science of Success' vault - you can always access that here

Want to take your success (even more) seriously? 👇​
🧠 Fuel your brain and feed your gut, try Heights here (use code 'SOSDMS' for 15% off your first month of any subscription

🎧 Check out my podcast Secret Leaders here​

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