The Month I Almost Quit

Hi there, I got genuinely frustrated last month.

Not the dramatic kind of frustration.
The silent one.
The kind that slowly builds up when something good starts slipping out of your hands.

I couldn’t follow my morning routine.

And what made it worse was—this routine was actually helping me.

Earlier, I had shared in my newsletter and on my social media that I watched a video by Jay Shetty where he spoke about four simple things to start your day with:

Thankfulness
Inspiration
Exercise
Meditation

On paper, it sounded perfect.

In reality, some days I missed one thing.
Some days I missed two.
Some days I missed everything.

And slowly, guilt crept in.

That familiar voice started talking:
“If you can’t do it properly, why do it at all?”

So I did what most of us do.

I quit.

This is a pattern I’ve seen again and again—not just in myself, but in people around me.

When something doesn’t work exactly the way it’s prescribed, we drop it entirely.

But quitting isn’t always the smartest move.
Adapting is.

That realization changed how I looked at habits, advice, and even life in general.

Because here’s the truth no one tells you:

Nothing works perfectly for anyone.
But almost anything can be made to work.

Let me explain.

Jay Shetty suggested starting the day with thankfulness by texting one person every morning and expressing gratitude.

Sounds simple, right?

I couldn’t do it.

Some days I didn’t know whom to text.
Some days it felt forced.
Some days I just forgot.

So instead of quitting the idea of gratitude altogether, I asked myself a different question:

“What’s a substitute that gives me the same feeling?”

That’s when I decided to write gratitude to myself.

Every morning, I started writing down the good things I did for others.

If I helped someone, I wrote it down.
If I showed up when it mattered, I noted it.
If I stayed disciplined on a hard day, I acknowledged it.

Sometimes I even wrote something as small as:
“Thank you for bringing me coffee.”

Surprisingly, it gave me the same—if not a better—feeling.

Next was inspiration.

Jay Shetty suggested watching inspirational videos daily.

Again, great advice.

But some days, I genuinely didn’t have the time.
And some days, watching a video felt like another task on the checklist.

So instead of quitting inspiration, I changed the format.

I set my iPad wallpaper to inspirational quotes that change every day.

Now even if I miss a video, I still see inspiration.

It’s passive.
It’s effortless.
But it works.

And that’s when something clicked for me.

In any game, if the main player gets injured, what happens?

A substitute steps in.

Life should work the same way.

For every habit, advice, or action—you need a substitute.

If Plan A fails, Plan B shouldn’t be “quit”.
Plan B should be “adapt”.

The real beauty lies in making something yours, even if it wasn’t designed for you in the first place.

This thinking didn’t stop with habits.
It followed me into content creation too.

This year, I restarted creating content in English.

Zero followers.
No safety net.
Just showing up.

One thing I’ve observed very clearly: content is a volume game.

The more you upload, the higher your chances of winning.

Ideally, yes—you could upload 10 posts a day.

But I don’t have that bandwidth.

So instead of quitting because I can’t do “more”, I chose a substitute habit.

One post a day.

Not perfect.
Not viral every time.
But consistent.

And consistency compounds.

That’s another lesson January taught me:
You don’t need to do everything.
You just need to do something that works for you.

Anyone gives you advice—take a pinch of it.

You don’t need the whole recipe.

Sometimes, just that pinch can change more than you expect.

January is over now.

One month gone.
Eleven months left.

And instead of rushing into February, I wanted to pause and acknowledge progress.

Here are six good things that happened in January—each one a step forward.

This one is special.

I’ve been writing for over four months now, and I finally completed the first draft of my book.

I’m planning to launch it this month.

Just thinking about the fact that I’m launching a book before I turn 26 makes me smile.

I’ve also shared the first draft of the book cover with you—feel free to share your honest feedback. It genuinely helps.

Being fit has been on my bucket list for years.

Not “thinking about it” fit.
Actually showing up fit.

I’m hoping 2026 will be the year I stay consistent with this.

Because fitness gives you confidence like nothing else.

When you walk into a room feeling strong, it changes how you carry yourself.

I restarted content creation on Instagram in English from zero followers.

Still learning.
Still experimenting.

So far, I’ve gained around 670 followers.

Honestly, I’m happy—not because of the number, but because if even one person finds value in what I share, that’s enough.

Last week, I met the Governor.

Three years ago, I started something small—without knowing where it would lead.

And looking at where it landed me today reminded me of this:

Start something today.
You never know how far it can take you.

My goal was four.

I didn’t hit it.

But that’s okay.

With LectureHead work going on, I read whenever I could.

And I’ve realized something important:

Spending less time learning and more time experimenting what you’ve learned is often better.

Many people do the opposite.

This is a new habit I unlocked.

Not sure if I should call it a skill or a habit—but it taught me a lot.

Tracking my days gave me insights into:
How I spent my time
What I actually achieved
Where I overestimated myself

Awareness itself is progress.

So here’s my question for you:

What did January teach you?
And what are your plans for February?

My February goal is simple and focused.

Launching LectureHead.

One goal.
One direction.

Let’s make this month count.
-Agnel John D