The 5 min/day Habit Challenge 

Become that person you want to be 

(No Willpower Required)

BEGIN YOUR TRANSFORMATION

"Small habits don't add up. They compound."

~ James Clear

You know that feeling...

 

The yoga mat rolled neatly in the corner.

The gym membership taking money from your account but you’ve stopped going to the gym.

The guitar that silently watches you from across the room. 

The journal with those first few hopeful entries, now gathering dust.

Each one a small monument to good intentions, that somehow slipped away.

I lived in that gap for eight years.

My beautiful acoustic guitar waited patiently through countless "I'll start properly next week" promises. Through bursts of enthusiasm that flickered and faded. Through the quiet disappointment of another day where "later" never quite arrived.

It wasn't that I didn't care deeply. It wasn't even a lack of discipline (my meditation practice proved I could build habits).

It was that I was fighting a battle against my own neurology... and against the natural rhythms of life as a busy mum.

Until I discovered what behavioral scientists have been trying to tell us all along...

The "Ridiculous" 5-Minute Solution That Changed Everything

One ordinary evening, with the house finally quiet and my energy reserves running on fumes, I made an almost embarrassingly small commitment:

Just. Five. Minutes.

Not a "proper practice session." Just 300 seconds with my guitar while sitting on the edge of my bed.

What happened next wasn't just surprising. It was transformative.

For 21 consecutive days, I played. Sometimes exactly five minutes. Sometimes the five minutes melted into twenty or thirty, time disappearing as I found that elusive flow state.

By the end of those three weeks, I'd played more consistently than in the previous 2 years.

The difference wasn't motivation or willpower or even time. It was approach.

I had finally implemented what Stanford behaviour scientist BJ Fogg calls the "tiny habits method" — a scientifically-proven approach that works with your brain's wiring rather than against it....

To reach your goals,
you need three things:

You've got to have a plan.

You've got to take action.

And you've got to have support.

All three of these trip people up, but none more so than the last one:

Support

The Science of Why This Works (When Everything Else Fails)


When we make habits ridiculously small:

  1. We bypass the brain's threat response system.

    Your amygdala — the primitive part of your brain designed to protect you — can't sound the alarm when the ask is so tiny. "Just five minutes" flies completely under your brain's resistance radar.

  2. We activate the reward pathways immediately.

    Neuroscience shows that the brain's dopamine response — critical for habit formation — is triggered by successful completion, not by duration. A 5-minute win creates the same neurochemical boost as a 30-minute session.
  1. We eliminate decision fatigue.

    Research from the American Psychological Association shows that each decision depletes our mental energy. The beauty of "just 5 minutes" is that it removes the daily renegotiation that kills most habits before they start.

  2. We create what psychologists call "identity-based habits."

    As you consistently show up day after day, you begin to see yourself differently. "I'm becoming a guitarist" replaces "I should practice guitar."

 

Introducing: The 5min/day  Habit Challenge

You, like me, might know all of the theory. But the thing is, we all need a bit of help putting theory into action.

If this approach worked for me — someone navigating the beautiful chaos of family life with its endless demands — what might it do for you?

That's why I've created this 21-day journey that we'll take together.

Starting April 7th, you'll join a community of fellow habit-builders committed to transforming one area of your life through the remarkable power of tiny consistent action.

Your habit could be:

  • A meditation practice to ground your day
  • Movement that honours your body
  • Creative expression that feeds your soul
  • Reading that expands your mind
  • Nutrition shifts that energise you
  • Language learning that connects you to new worlds
  • Gratitude practices that transform your outlook

The only rule? Commit to only 5min/day.

How This Challenge Creates Lasting Change (When Others Don't)


For 21 consecutive days, you'll receive:

🔹 Daily Email Nudges with Bite Sized Science-Backed Guidance

Each morning, you'll get a short pep talk email containing proven behavioural psychology principles translated into practical, accessible guidance. You'll learn exactly how to work with your brain's natural wiring rather than against it. The hitch is you need to reply to me that you've done the behaviour in order to get the next email! 

🔹 Transformation Stories & Evidence

Real examples from people who have used these exact methods to create remarkable changes — people with busy lives, competing priorities, and previous "failures" just like yours.

🔹 Micro-Action Frameworks

Specific daily prompts designed not just to strengthen your chosen habit but to build your overall "habit formation muscles." These compound over time, making each subsequent habit easier to establish.

The Critical Difference: Daily Accountability

Here's what makes this challenge uniquely powerful...

After completing your tiny habit each day, you'll hit reply to that day's email with confirmation of your action.

This isn't just a nice feature. It's the cornerstone of the entire system.

The University of London found that external accountability creates a 76% increase in follow-through rates compared to private commitments. When we know someone is specifically waiting for our check-in, the likelihood of action skyrockets.

These daily replies create:

  • A commitment contract that your brain treats differently than a private intention

  • Pattern recognition that helps you identify your personal habit triggers and obstacles

  • Momentum documentation that becomes increasingly motivating as your streak grows

The $5 Investment: Psychological Commitment Architecture


The investment to join this 21-day journey is just $5.

This isn't random.

It's intentional psychological architecture.

The $5 registration symbolically mirrors your 5-minute daily commitment — a tangible representation of the promise you're making to yourself.

Behavioral economists at Duke University discovered that even nominal financial investments create what they call a "commitment device" — a psychological mechanism that dramatically increases follow-through.

When something is free, your brain categorises it as optional. When you've invested — even a small amount — your brain recategorises it as a commitment.

Your $5 payment moves this challenge from the realm of "nice idea" to "real commitment" — precisely the shift needed to overcome the inertia that's kept that guitar (or yoga mat, or journal) gathering dust.

Imagine...

Having more energy because you made a habit of going to bed early

Feeling more soulfully connected because you finally committed to daily dance (or whatever makes your soul spark!)

Finally getting back to the habit of writing or recording daily gratitudes

Making a habit of creating some space or time to relax in your life 

Getting the benefits of a regular, habitual exercise plan

Knowing your purpose in life and being able to explore this more intentionally through regular journalling

Being brave enough to leave your job or relationship with confidence

What people are saying about working with Elise...

Is This Your Moment?

This approach is especially powerful if:

  • You've experienced the frustration of starting and stopping habits repeatedly

  • Your life is full with work, family, or other responsibilities that make traditional approaches feel impossible

  • You find yourself caught in patterns of all-or-nothing thinking ("If I can't do it properly, why bother?")
  • You've tried habit trackers, morning routines, or other systems that worked briefly then faded

  • You thrive with gentle accountability and community support

As someone who has navigated both success (meditation) and challenge (guitar) in my own habit journey, I understand the delicate balance between aspiration and reality. Between what we wish to do and what our lives currently allow.

The methods I'll share aren't about forcing transformation through sheer willpower. They're about creating the conditions where change can unfold naturally — working with your neurology rather than against it.

The Crossroads Moment

You stand at a familiar crossroads.

One path leads to the same cycle you've experienced before: initial enthusiasm, missed days, self-criticism, and eventual abandonment.

The other path offers something different: tiny actions, consistent support, proven science, and the gentle power of daily accountability.

In 21 days, you could be looking back at a calendar with 21 consecutive checkmarks. Feeling the quiet satisfaction of knowing you showed up for yourself day after day. Noticing the small but meaningful improvements and the growing confidence that comes from being someone who follows through.

For me, it was finally transitioning smoothly between chords, my fingers finding their places without hesitation. But more than the skill itself, it was the knowledge that I had found a way to honour this commitment to myself amid the beautiful chaos of family life.

What might it be for you?

Join the Habit Challenge Now

Let's take those steps together — five minutes at a time.

  1. Here's how to join:
    REGISTER HERE for $5 We start 7th April 
  2. Reply to the welcome email with:
  • The tiny habit you're committing to (remember, under 5 minutes!)

  • Why this particular habit matters to you

I can’t wait to do this with you!

Elise

YES, I'M READY TO JOIN

Frequently Asked Questions


What if I miss a day? Life happens! The challenge includes specific "recovery protocols" designed by behavioral scientists to help you bounce back without the shame spiral that typically derails habit formation. These alone are worth the price of admission.

Is this really enough time to make a difference? Stanford research shows that consistency, not duration, is the critical factor in habit formation. Five minutes daily creates stronger neural pathways than 35 minutes once a week. We'll focus on establishing the pattern first, then naturally extending duration as it feels right for you.

How is this different from other habit programs? Three key differences: 1) The science-backed "tiny" approach that works with your brain's wiring, 2) The daily personal accountability through letting me know you’ve done it 3) The focus on habit formation skills that transfer to any area of life, creating lasting change beyond the 21 days and 4) It's only $5 to join! A no brainer for what will become a life long transformation should you commit! 

P.S. Registration closes this Friday at midnight, and our journey begins together on Monday morning.