A few years ago, I felt like I was falling behind in every direction. Work was hectic, my energy was low, and I kept telling myself I’d feel better if I just moved more. So, I made a plan: fifteen minutes of morning workouts. Nothing ambitious, just something to anchor the day.
I downloaded a habit-tracking app, bought a yoga mat, and set a 6:30 AM alarm.
The enthusiasm lasted exactly one morning. After one half-hearted stretching session, I skipped the next three days. Frustration immediately crept in. The habit felt harder than it should have, and I quietly gave myself permission to let it go.
Then, one afternoon, I walked to the grocery store and noticed my Samsung Watch had logged it as exercise. It wasn’t a workout by any normal standard, but I decided to count it anyway.
That small choice changed everything. I came home and did ten minutes of yoga. The next day, I walked again and added a few stretches. Within a week, I had a streak, not because I’d become more disciplined, but because I let myself believe I was already in motion.
Psychologists have a name for this.
And once you understand it, you’ll start seeing it everywhere.
Why a Fake Head Start Works
In Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive, Robert Cialdini and his co-authors describe a study that reveals something strange about how we’re wired.
Researchers handed out loyalty cards at a car wash. One group got a card with eight blank spots. Another got a card with ten spots, but two were already stamped. Both groups needed eight washes to earn a free one. But the second group—the ones with a fake head start—were far more likely to finish.
It turns out our brains don’t just respond to progress. They respond to the feeling of progress. Even when it’s a lie.
This is called the Endowed Progress Effect. It works because a blank slate feels heavy. But partial progress—even fake progress—makes the finish line feel closer. We want to keep going because we believe we’ve already begun.
You’ve probably felt this. Duolingo gives you “credit” for reviewing one word. Project apps reward you for checking off your first task. Even a half-filled online form makes it harder to quit.
Momentum doesn’t care whether it’s earned. Once it starts rolling, we follow.
How to Use This Today
The Endowed Progress Effect isn’t about tricking yourself. It’s about lowering the barrier between you and movement.
- Want to journal? Don’t wait for a fresh day or a clean notebook. Open a half-finished doc, write one sentence, and call it Day Two.
- Trying to declutter your garage? Don’t stand in the doorway feeling overwhelmed. Remember the boxes you recycled last spring. Count them. Pick up where you left off.
- Need to write a slide deck or proposal? Start by opening an old draft. Write one sentence. Now you’re not starting. You’re editing.
And here’s one you might not expect: Been avoiding replying to a problematic email? Open it. Type the salutation. Hit save. You’ve started. Your brain will want to finish what you’ve begun.
When something feels unfinished, we want to complete it. When something feels started, we want to continue. That’s the switch. You don’t have to wait to feel ready.
You just have to feel like you’ve begun.
Progress Isn’t Earned, It’s Claimed
We’re taught to believe progress comes from discipline, grit, or sheer force of will. But often, it starts with a single, quiet decision: to count something that almost doesn’t feel like it counts.
That walk to the store.
That draft you skimmed.
That sentence you nearly deleted.
They don’t look like momentum. But they are—if you let them be.
So here’s the invitation: Think of something you’ve been putting off. A project. A habit. A conversation. Find one tiny action that lets you say, “I’ve already started.”
Then believe it.
Because momentum doesn’t care how you got moving.
It just wants you to keep going.
Leave a Reply