⚡️ Super Skill: Creating Life Algorithms (+ why willpower fails)
Hello friend! 👋
Ever notice how willpower seems to vanish exactly when you need it most?
When stress is high — deadlines piling up, emotions running hot, life pulling you in ten directions — willpower feels almost unreachable.
And yet, that’s precisely when you expect yourself to make the right call.
To eat well.
To exercise.
To not reach for the phone at midnight.
Here’s the thing most people miss:
Willpower was never meant to carry you through those moments.
It’s a limited resource. It drains throughout the day much like your phone battery. By the time stress kicks in, you’re often running on 10%.
So the real question isn’t “how do I get more willpower?” it’s “how do I need less of it?”
The answer: you build systems that run without it.
I call them life algorithms.
An algorithm is simply a rule: if this happens, then do that.
It’s the backbone of every app on your phone. And it works just as well for your daily habits.
Think about it; you already run on algorithms. You put zero effort into reaching for your phone first thing in the morning and scrolling through notifications. Nobody taught you that. Nobody motivates you to do it. It just… happens.
That’s conditioned behaviour.
Your brain’s autopilot. And it’s powered by an ancient structure called the Basal Ganglia that lives for repetition.
The problem?
Most of your autopilot routines were never designed by you. They were shaped by convenience, by apps engineered to hook you, by whatever was easiest in the moment.
The opportunity?
You can reprogram that same autopilot, deliberately.
Here’s how, in three steps:
1. Pick one small action and commit to it in advance.
Not when stress hits. Before it does. That’s the whole point; you decide now so you don’t have to decide later. Example: 5-15 minutes of movement every morning.
2. Lock in the when and where.
Vague plans die fast. “I’ll exercise more” is a wish. “Every morning before work, in my living room” is an algorithm waiting to be activated.
3. Attach it to something you already do (this is where the magic is).
Find a behavior that’s already automatic and chain your new action right after it. Example: the moment I finish washing my face, I walk to the exercise mat. No gap. No thinking. Bathroom → mat.
That last step is everything. It removes the pause where procrastination lives.
Once you get this, you can stack algorithms into a sequence that flows on its own:
Wake up → Journal → Move → Meditate → Deep work.
Each action triggers the next. No willpower needed between them. No standing around wondering “what should I do now?” which, let’s be honest, usually ends with you on your phone.
Here are mine:
If I wake up → I grab my journal to map the day (not my phone)
If I’m done with exercising → I sit and meditate, even briefly
If I catch myself not breathing intentionally → I take one deep breath right there
These aren’t massive commitments. They’re tiny rules. But because they’re linked, they create a chain reaction that carries me through the first two hours of my day without needing to summon any motivation.
And when stress spikes later in the day? I’ve already banked my most important actions. The pressure doesn’t derail me because the hard part ran on autopilot before the stress even showed up.
Back to you:
What’s one ‘if this, then that’ rule you can set right now so that when stress inevitably shows up, the decision is already made?
Look at your morning. Look at your transitions between tasks. Look at the moments you usually lose focus.
Pick one. Anchor it. And make it stupidly simple to start.
And don’t forget to make it fun 😊
Have a Super Sunday! 💪
With much joy,
Hashim
PS. How did this Super Sunday land? It is slightly longer than usual, and I am testing if this feels more enjoyable for you to read. Let me know how I did (hit the poll below or reply to this email with any thoughts).