The One Thing You Must Do For Success

What I’m about to say is straight-up game-changing if you commit to it. This advice might sound a little over the top, but trust me, it’s 1000% legit, tested, and facts.

This is not an original JenWeirism. I borrowed it from an old homeschooling curriculum I used, about a century ago. (Ok, maybe not a literal century, but close enough—it was before Google and YouTube ruled the world. Wild times, lol.)

In any case, the whole idea is super simple: You take what’s already easy for you and add one new thing to it. Once that new thing feels normal, like it’s no big deal, you add another. Rinse and repeat. In schooling, for example, we don’t jump into noun declension in Latin on day one. We learn what declensions in Latin are first, we memorize noun endings, that sort of thing.

Here’s why this works: When you try to do too much all at once, your brain basically freaks out and you end up doing… nothing. Been there, done that.

For example: When my husband passed, my life felt like it hit a brick wall. Everything stopped—except it didn’t. I still had to run the house, parent the kids, do all the things… and oh yeah, deal with grief. It was overwhelming, and I was out here thinking I had to juggle it all at once. The truth was: I didn’t. But my mindset at the time? It was not giving what it needed to give. It and culture were telling me everything falls on my shoulders. It didn’t, but as you all well know, mindset is king.

Now let’s talk about you. Let’s say you want to get into fitness. Never a bad idea. The first instinct? #DoAllTheThings. Hit the gym 7 days a week, cut out carbs, train like you’re prepping for the Olympics!! Sounds productive, right? Not even close. That’s a fast pass to burnout.

Instead, you must start small. Like, really small. Ask yourself: “What’s one easy thing I can do to move toward this goal?” Maybe it’s as simple as buying some cute workout clothes or downloading a free fitness app. (Pro tip: Don’t blow your budget here—starting cheap means you’re doing this for YOU, not because your bank account’s guilt-tripping you into using that $300 gym membership. No one likes guilt. Period.)

Oh and a little fitness fact from someone who knows, the cheaper your shoes the better off your feet will be. Those fancy high dollar shoes do more damage than good. It's all marketing, don't fall for it.

Next step? Add ONE more thing. Maybe you plan a 10-minute walk. Maybe you scope out a local trail. Maybe you journal about what kinds of workouts sound fun (because yes, fun workouts exist). The point is to build momentum. When 10 minutes feels easy, you make it 15. When walking a block feels amazing, you double it.

And here’s the cool part: This “Easy Plus One” thing? It works for everything. Fitness, career goals, relationships, self-care—you name it. ,

Big dreams like “lose 100 lbs” or “make a million dollars this year” are all the rage on January 1, which is awesome! But most people don’t have the stamina to go from 0 to 100 overnight. That’s why gyms are packed on January 1 and empty by February. People go too hard, too fast, and crash.

If you want to win the long game, the key is sustainable routines. Start with what’s easy. Add one new thing. Then another. And another. Stick with it, and I promise—you’ll get where you’re trying to go.