Have you ever started something with the intention of keeping it up, only to stop after just one day? Or maybe three days?
I know I have.
But I realized something:
“Those who succeed are the ones who consistently take small steps every day.”
The Power of Small Steps
Watching many students over the years, I also noticed another truth about human nature:
“Very few people can consistently stick with things they find tedious.”
In my experience, even among 50 students who perform slightly above average, only about two have the power to persevere.
These students usually have clear goals and high motivation, which helps them stay on track.
Most students, however, don’t have that kind of mindset.
Their attitude is more like, “I have to study because I go to school, and I guess I want to get into a good university.”
When I give these students advice on how to study, their reactions vary.
One student might say, “Wow, that sounds great!” with shining eyes, only to lose all enthusiasm after a night’s sleep.
Another student might exclaim, “Amazing!” and work diligently for an hour that day, but the next day, their study log disappears.
Why We Fail to Continue
From these experiences, I identified the key conditions that lead to failure:
・Overestimating oneself
・Taking on too much at the beginning
・Finding it hard to keep going
・Letting emotions control actions
Why We Succeed in Continuing
On the other hand, I also found the conditions that lead to success:
・Lacking confidence and thinking, “Can I really do this?”
・Knowing one’s limits and working within them
・Deciding exactly what needs to be done
In short, those who overestimate themselves and take on too much are almost guaranteed to fail.
Conversely, those who humbly wonder if they can even do a little tend to succeed.
This shows just how important accurate self-assessment is.
Don’t Rely on Motivation Alone
Studying shouldn’t depend on motivation alone.
As adults, we don’t say, “I’ll go to work if I feel like it, and stay home if I don’t.”
Of course, we’re human, so our mood and energy fluctuate, but our actions shouldn’t swing drastically because of them.
It’s the same with studying.
If you rely on motivation, you will almost certainly fail.
Start Small to Succeed
The very first thing you need to do to build continuity is:
“Figure out the smallest amount you can absolutely manage.”
As you go, there will be some ups and downs in what you accomplish, but you can adjust along the way.
Setting an initial goal that feels almost “too small to matter” significantly boosts your chances of success.
In fact, having some external pressure can increase the odds even more.
One of my roles as a cram school teacher is to provide this “appropriate pressure.”
Going it alone is tough.
In such cases, it might help to tell someone about what you want to keep doing.
What matters most is taking those “small steps” every day.
Let’s build our persistence and succeed in various aspects of life!