I used to equate great seasons with big, dramatic goals. Then the garden changed my mind.
One late September evening, I walked past the rose arbor—last light sliding through lattice, blossoms still glowing the last of the sun’s rays. The plant wasn’t “done.” It was wise. Not as vigorous as it’s big showy June flush, but still sharing it’s reminder of its glory with a few buds. Sugars retreat to the stems, the leaves go honest-gold, rose hips ripening to a warm red, and energy slips back to the roots. What’s unnecessary is released. What matters is preserved.
Standing there with pruning shears in hand, I realized: my best seasons don’t come from cranking harder; they come from tiny course corrections I repeat until they look like character.
“As you start to walk on the Way, the Way appears.” — Rumi
Think about flying. A pilot doesn’t set a heading and hope. Winds shift, traffic stacks, weather rolls. If they didn’t course-correct, they’d land tens of miles off target. We live in the same turbulence—meetings, moods, cravings, late nights, blue light, a thousand tiny pulls. If we don’t design micro-decisions, we drift into a version of ourselves we didn’t intend.
This Fall, let’s fly the plane.
The B3 Way: Identity → Rhythm → Gratitude
Become. Be Strong. Be Grateful. That’s the backbone. Here’s how it feels in real life.
Become — Identity before activity
A founder I coach used to start each day with “inbox first.” By 3 pm, her brain felt like a browser with 37 tabs. We changed one thing: every morning, before she opened a single message, she whispered an identity line while looking at her calendar:
“This Fall, I am the kind of leader who protects focus, fuels with intention, and ends each day grateful.” Then she chose three outcomes. Not tasks—outcomes. By lunch, she’d usually nailed two. That single micro-decision shifted her posture from reactive to pilot-in-command.
Be Strong — Rhythm beats willpower
On a tough Tuesday, I’ll take rhythm over motivation every time. In my house, two non-negotiables: a 90-minute deep-work block (phone in another room) and an evening “lights-down” ritual. I don’t always feel like either. But like watering the garden at the same times, those rhythms make the rest of the work…work.
Be Grateful — Endings fuel beginnings
At night, I write three lines: one win, one lesson, one person I’m grateful for. Some evenings the “win” is “didn’t eat dessert standing up.” The magic isn’t the list—it’s the closure. Gratitude tucks the day in so tomorrow doesn’t inherit its chaos.
“Little by little, a little becomes a lot.” — Tanzanian proverb
Your Micro-Decision Operating System (4 Domains)
Below are tiny course corrections with mini-stories so you can see yourself doing them.
1) Physical: Energy you can trust
Goal: Stabilize physiology so your brain can lead.
- Light Before Scroll (AM, 10–15 min): Last October, a CFO I work with started stepping outside within 30 minutes of waking—hoodie, coffee, no phone. After a week, he said, “It feels like my brain boots up faster.” Morning light anchors your clock. It’s a tiny choice with massive downstream benefits.
- Hydrate then Caffeinate: Try one glass of water before coffee and delay caffeine 90–120 minutes. A client called this “the crash protector.” She didn’t drink less coffee; she just timed it better. Her 11 am brain thanks her.
- Protein-First Bite: When I start with eggs or Greek yogurt before carbs, I’m calm at 10:30 instead of rummaging for snacks. Micro-decision: order of operations—not restriction.
- Micro-Movement Rule: On long Zoom days, I stand at the top of each hour and do 10 slow squats or a hallway lap. Looks silly. Works wonders. By 4 pm, my mind is clearer because my body wasn’t abandoned.
- Evening Dim: One founder swapped bright kitchen lights for a lamp after 8:30 pm. “It’s like my house exhales,” she said. So did her sleep.
Where Better Bite Buddy™ fits (guide, not guru): Before dinner, spend 30 seconds scoring your meal in Better Bite Buddy™. See one item you can upgrade (swap fries for roasted squash, add salmon, throw sheet-pan broccoli in the oven). You’ll feel that decision two hours later—and you’ll sleep better.
“What stands in the way becomes the way.” — Marcus Aurelius
2) Mental: Attention as an asset
Goal: Reduce drift by reducing friction.
- Rule of 3 (Daily): I once watched a VP write 19 to-dos, then sigh. We switched to three outcomes: “Send pricing draft,” “Finish onboarding flow,” “Call Mom.” At 5:15, he texted: “I actually finished the day.” Micro-decision = finish line you can cross.
- One 50–90 Minute Deep Block: Picture this: door closed, tabs trimmed to calendar + doc, phone in the other room. I set a sticky note outside: “Heads down until 11:15—text me if building is on fire.” People laugh. They also leave me alone.
- Theme Your Week: Monday became Strategy, Tuesday Clients, Wednesday Build, Thursday Pipeline, Friday Admin/Learning. Like rows in a garden bed, themes keep context from tangling your roots. Build meal ideas around your theme days, too. Keep your Taco Tuesday, of course! Be creative. Monday could be Strategic Leftovers, Wednesday- Build a Salad and so on.
- Friction Hack (Default Tabs Only): I ask: “Does this tab serve my Rule of 3?” If not, it closes and goes in a to-do list of tasks for tomorrow if you are hesitating. It’s shocking how many problems vanish when you stop giving them screen real estate.
- If-Then Card: If a request arrives during deep work → it goes in “Later” and I keep going. It’s not rude; it’s honest about the cost of switching.
“We suffer more in imagination than in reality.” — Seneca
3) Emotional: Steady in the weather
Goal: Name it, frame it, move it.
- 90-Second Name-It: A founder pinged me: “I’m spiraling.” We set a timer. He said, “I’m anxious about disappointing the team.” At 1:30, he exhaled: “Okay. I’m going to call my ops lead.” Naming reduces intensity. Action returns.
- 2-Minute Walk-Off: In my house we have a rule: when voices rise, feet move. Front porch. Two minutes. Everyone returns more civilized. Same with cravings—move the body, move the state.
- Gratitude 3 (Night): A client in M&A started this under protest. Three weeks later: “I’m less snappy at home.” Gratitude isn’t decoration; it’s nervous-system hygiene.
- Boundaries Script: “That doesn’t fit my bandwidth this week. Can we revisit next Tuesday?” We practiced it out loud. The next day he used it—twice—and something wild happened: nobody was mad.
“Your daily life is your temple and your religion.” — Kahlil Gibran
4) Spiritual: Presence and purpose, in micro-doses
Goal: Align action with meaning.
- Three Presence Breaths (between tasks): I do this before I switch from “builder” to “dad.” Inhale through the nose, soften the belly, long exhale. It’s like changing shoes so you don’t bring mud into the house.
- One Act of Service (daily, tiny): A sincere thank-you note. A five-minute intro call for someone new. The paradox: when you give away a little presence, you feel like you have more.
- Nature Touchpoint: Hand on a tree; face turned to the sun; five barefoot steps on grass. I know it sounds woo. Try it. Watch your nervous system drop gear.
- Mini Examen (PM, 2 min): Where did I feel aligned today? Where did I drift? What’s tomorrow’s tiny correction? Shoghi Effendi spoke of rectitude of conduct—trustworthiness, truthfulness, perseverance. These aren’t slogans; they’re micro-decisions repeated until they’re who you are.
“The moral law is not a leash; it is a lifeline.” — (reflections inspired by the stoic and spiritual traditions)
Autopilot vs. Pilot-in-Command (write your Flight Cards)
Pilots don’t fight turbulence; they anticipate and adjust. Write four If-Then cards and tape them where you’ll see them:
- If late-night hunger hits → tea + handful of pistachios + kitchen closed.
- If I miss my morning walk → 12-minute walk after lunch, non-negotiable.
- If a meeting overruns → move my deep block to 3:00–4:30 pm (calendar invite myself).
- If a 3 pm slump hits → protein snack + two-minute hallway walk + three presence breaths.
Looks small. Feels doable. Flies straight.
The 7-Day Micro-Decision Challenge (tiny, joyful, repeatable)
Each day, choose one from each domain:
Physical
- Morning light OR protein-first bite OR 10 squats per hour.
Mental
- Rule of 3 OR one deep block OR “default tabs only.”
Emotional
- 90-second name-it OR gratitude 3 OR 2-minute walk-off during a trigger.
Spiritual
- Three presence breaths between tasks OR one micro-service act OR mini examen at night.
Better Bite Buddy™ add-on (twice this week):
- Before dinner, score your meal in Better Bite Buddy™ and make one upgrade you’ll feel two hours later.
- Sunday, spend 10 minutes reviewing your lowest-scoring meals and choose one habit to improve next week.
“Between stimulus and response, there is a space… and in that space is our power to choose.” — inspired by Viktor Frankl
A Day Designed by Micro-Decisions (you’ll recognize yourself)
- 7:10 Step outside with water (no phone); light hits your eyes, brain wakes kindly.
- 7:30 Protein-first breakfast; you’re steady at 10:30.
- 9:00 Rule of 3 set; deep block 9:30–11:00 (door sign posted).
- 11:00 Three presence breaths; return texts without the edge.
- 1:00 12-minute walk after lunch; default tabs restored.
- 3:00 Slump shows up; protein snack + hallway lap + three breaths.
- 6:30 Better Bite Buddy meal score; swap one item for a Fall staple.
- 9:00 Lights dim; gratitude 3; mini examen; kitchen closed.
By Friday, the distance between who you say you are and how you actually live has closed—not with heroics, with micro-decisions.
Your Turn (Pilot’s Log)
- Pick one micro-decision from each domain and run it for seven days.
- Write four If-Then Flight Cards and keep them visible.
- Tell me in the comments: What tiny course correction are you making today? I’ll be there cheering you on.
CTA (Better Bite Buddy™ first):
- Start Better Bite Buddy™—Make my next bite intentional—and keep your daily course true.
- ❤️ this if it helped; 🔔 ring the bell to follow; share with a leader who’s ready to stop drifting.
- Secondary: Curious which “Inner Critic” whispers at 9 pm? Take the quiz and we’ll review it together.
#theB3Way #leadership #longevity #healthiswealth #mindset #DeepWork #microdecisions #habits #nutrition #NSDR #circadian #emotionalfitness #spiritualhealth #BetterBiteBuddy
