It’s day 36 of the lockdown and the bounce in my step is definitely gone. It feels like mile 18 of a marathon. Hitting that proverbial __wall.__

But in this case, I’ve identified the culprit. His first name is José. Last name Cuervo. Pre-pandemic I was an _every-other-day_ drinker. One stiff cocktail on alternating weekdays. A few extra on the weekends. But now I’m on a 36 day streak of __multiple margaritas a night.__ (Skinny, of course… 3 limes, tequila and a dash of agave) I mean, I need something – _anything_ – to break the __never-ending groundhog__ day of Kindergarten Worksheets, washing dishes, changing diapers and bickering with Lisa. Here’s the visual representation:

I’m ready to __break the cycle.__ Why? For starters, every day feels like a Peloton hill climb set at a 99 resistance. (With _Despacçito_ playing in the background.) But more importantly, I’m feeling a tiny shift. Here in LA, a virus hotspot, there’s a tiny ray of light at the end of the lockdown tunnel. As the curve slowly flattens and society gradually reopens, I want to __regain my pre-pandemic flow.__ As a fellow RadReader texted me: __“It’s time for me to rediscover my growth mindset.”__ Thankfully there’s a tiny tweak that can exponentially (and effortlessly) boost your productive energy. ## __Meet your Keystone Habit__ Charles Duhigg first coined the term in _The Power of Habit:Small wins are exactly what they sound like, and are part of how keystone habits create widespread changes. A huge body of research has shown that small wins have enormous power, an influence disproportionate to the accomplishments of the victories themselves._ Here’s James Clear describing “the habit that puts the rest of my life in place,” __Fitness.__ When I worked out, I wanted to eat better. Even though I could have rewarded myself with chocolate bars and ice cream, I felt like eating real, healthy foods.I also slept better. And when I was awake, I seemed more productive. Especially in the hour or two after working out, when my mind seemed to think clearer and my writing was crisper. Thoughts flowed easily.When I didn’t exercise, however, I was more prone to eating junk food. I would stay up later working on unimportant tasks. I started to feel tension in my back. __Discovering Wu-Wei__ There’s a mind-bending concept from Daoism called Wu-Wei, which can be translated as ___effortless action.___ You’ve tasted Wu-Wei when: * ___Time melts away___ as you solve a complex work problem * A blog post somehow ___writes itself___ * You drop into Warrior 2 with ___perfect alignment___ Keystone habits stack the deck in your favor and are an bottomless source of ___effortless action.___