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Obsession is the Key To Habits That Stick
Because moderation is overrated (sometimes)
We’re often told that the key to a good life is balance— that the “slow and steady” tortoise always wins. But for those of us trying to sustainable habits for life, moderation is often too kind, too forgiving.
I’ve tried the balanced, moderate approach — slowly adopting actions that I’ve been told lead to overall wellness and life satisfaction. It worked for about a week or two, and then the actions slowly faded, blown away by life’s distractions.
What I’ve learned is that if I want a habit to stick for a lifetime, I didn’t need a nudge. I need to go deep.
I needed a period of obsession.
The Immersion Phase: Learning in High-Definition
Every sustainable habit I own — from my physical health to my curated home — originated from a period of intense, almost clinical obsession.
When I was in my “fitness era,” I didn’t just exercise; I treated my body like a laboratory. I counted macros to the gram and treated workouts as mandatory appointments.
In my “minimalist era,” I wasn’t just tidying; I was interrogating every object’s right to exist in my space.
