I Failed at Napping. Here's What It Taught Me About Your English

A few years ago, I tried to build a micro-napping habit. I failed. Yes, I failed at napping, something most people do without any training.

My goal was 22 minutes in the middle of my day. It was too big for me to start, so I quit. Maybe your English plan has the same problem. An hour every evening. Three lessons a week. One big Sunday session. Then you miss two days, feel guilty, and stop.

What I did instead

I switched to meditation, and I started with one minute. One minute is almost embarrassing, and that was the point. I could not fail, so I came back the next day. Slowly, I built it up.

Today I meditate for 11 minutes every day in the middle of my day. Sometimes I do it twice, which is 22 minutes. That is the same amount I wanted from the nap at the start. The goal never changed. Only the starting size did.

Why tiny works

This is the main idea of Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg, one of the books in my Life Optimization course. A habit happens when three things meet: motivation, ability, and a prompt (a reminder to start). Motivation goes up and down, and you can't control it.

So change the other two. Make the action so small that it's easy, and attach it to something you already do. "After I pour my coffee, I will read one English headline out loud." That is a complete plan.

Five tiny English habits

Each one takes two minutes or less. Pick one, not all five.

1. After you pour your coffee: read one headline out loud in English. Thirty seconds.
2. On the tram or in the car: listen to one minute of English audio. Stop when the minute ends.
3. When you open your laptop: write one sentence in English about your first task. One minute.
4. Before a meeting: say your first sentence out loud once. Thirty seconds.
5. When you close your laptop: write one new word and one real sentence with it. Two minutes.

After each habit, celebrate. Say "Yes!", smile, or make a small fist. It feels silly. In the book, Fogg explains that the good feeling is what teaches your brain to repeat the habit.

How it grows

Do one habit for a week. Then add one minute, or one more habit. Mine grew slowly, and I'm fine with that, because I still do it every day.

Fifteen minutes is a good place to land. It is one lesson in my book courses: read, listen, learn the words, and speak. Four small steps in one coffee break. You are not starting there. You are growing into it.

Trend Watch: Learning Is Getting Harder to Find at Work

A 2026 PwC survey of about 49,000 workers found that only 51% said they can access the learning and development resources they need. A year earlier, it was 59%. At the same time, work keeps asking people to learn something new, from AI tools to a better level of English.

So learning moves to evenings and weekends, which is where big plans die. You will hear people say, "I don't have the bandwidth" (I don't have enough time or energy for it right now) or "I need to carve out time" (to make time on purpose). Try the second one. It sounds like a decision, not an excuse.

English Upgrade: Talk About Your Habits Like a Pro

✗ "I try to study English every day."
✓ "I make a point of reading in English every morning."

✗ "I have a habit to read before meetings."
✓ "I'm in the habit of reading before meetings."

✗ "I want to make a routine."
✓ "I want to build a routine."

✗ "I missed a week, so I stopped."
✓ "I missed a week, but I'm back on track."

Want a 15-Minute Start?

My book courses are built for this size: about 15 minutes a lesson. Every lesson follows my Mindful Learning Process, and it ends with you saying something out loud. If you can read a simple news article with a little help, you're ready.

Don't take my word for it. Join the free waitlist and start a full course for free first (The Personal MBA or Mindset). Waitlist members get in first, on Friday 20 November at 12 noon CET. Everyone else gets access on Monday 23 November. If you decide to buy later, you have 7 days to ask for a full refund.

See the book courses and join the free waitlist →