Why Small Habits Beat Big Decisions
Most of us are waiting for a defining moment. We imagine that one day we'll finally decide to get fit, save money, strengthen our relationships, become more organised, or grow spiritually. We picture a breakthrough that changes everything overnight. Those moments do happen from time to time. A health scare can transform someone's priorities. A new job can change the direction of a career. The birth of a child can completely reshape the way a person sees the world. But if we're waiting for one dramatic event to improve our lives, we may be waiting a very long time.
This week's parsha offers a different perspective. The word Eikev literally means "heel". Our Sages explain that it also refers to the mitzvos that people tend to "trample with their heels", the small commandments that seem insignificant and therefore receive little attention. It's a powerful image. The heel is not the most glamorous part of the body. It simply takes one step after another. Yet every great journey depends on it. The same is true in life. We often overestimate the importance of big decisions while underestimating the power of small habits.
It's easy to think that success comes from major turning points. In reality, it is usually built through hundreds of ordinary actions repeated consistently over time. You don't become healthy because you completed one exhausting workout. You become healthier because you decided to do two push-ups every day and then kept going. Small actions rarely feel significant in the moment. That's why they're so easy to dismiss. But they accumulate quietly until, one day, you realise they have changed the direction of your life.
This doesn't mean that big moments don't matter. Of course they do. Some decisions change everything. Accepting a job, getting married, moving to another city, starting a business, or making a major life commitment can alter the course of our future. The problem is that we cannot rely on those moments. We don't know when they will come, and we certainly can't build our lives waiting for them. What we can control is what we choose to do today, and then choose again tomorrow.
James Clear writes in Atomic Habits that if you improve by just one percent each day, the results compound over time. Long before the outcome becomes visible, the habit is already shaping who you are becoming. Perhaps that is one of the messages of Parshas Eikev. Don't overlook what seems small. The mitzvah that feels insignificant. The kind word that takes only a moment. The extra few minutes of learning. The short walk. The healthy choice. The phone call you've been meaning to make. The prayer said with a little more concentration. None of these actions seem life-changing on their own. Yet, like the steady footsteps of a journey, they carry us further than we ever imagined.
So instead of asking, "What dramatic change do I need to make?", perhaps a better question is: "What is one small habit I can begin today that, if I repeated it every day for the next year, would quietly change my life?" The biggest transformations rarely begin with the biggest decisions. More often, they begin with the next small step.
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About the author: Elimelech Levy is a Rabbi, educator, and coach based in Sydney, Australia. He is the director of Chabad Youth NSW, where he develops programs that support Jewish identity, confidence, and community connection for young people and families.
Alongside his communal work, Elimelech holds an MBA from Macquarie University and is a member of the International Coaching Federation. His coaching focuses on helping individuals gain clarity, set meaningful goals, and take consistent action.
He is also the founder of the Knei Lecha Chover initiative, a global peer coaching network for rabbis, and is involved in property development projects that reflect his broader interest in building sustainable communities.
More at elilevy.com.au
