The Goldilocks Rule

Happy Monday!

Today to start us off for today’s let me tack you back to that one night, when at 3AM you were hit with that strong motivation of “fixing your life” or “having a comeback”. You promise to yourself that you’ll become more physically fit and have your academic comeback, you stand up from your desk and say —“I’m going to start waking up at 5 AM, work out for an hour, study for five hours, and read a book every day.”

Day 1: You push through. You wake up at 5 am, you do the workout, you study and you read that one dusty book which has been waiting on your shelf from the last year.
Day 2: It’s harder, but you manage. You wake up at 6 but you get the workout in, you study 3 hours and you get through another 10 pages of the book.
Day 3: You hit snooze…I’ll wake up at 7…but then you skip that alarm too so you just decide to sleep in..

And just like that- boom! Your habit breaks off like you expected and here goes another try to change up your life~

A week later, you get hit with the questioning yourself, feel defeated, wondering why you couldn’t stay disciplined and when exactly you will make that comeback happen.

All this sounds familiar?

In today’s issue we talk about The Goldilocks Rule so that you never have to go through broken resolutions and incomplete goals again and most importantly learn to build long lasting habits and by long we mean decade long habits.

This is not just another self improvement article- it’s a psychological method which has proved to work over several centuries and success stories so let’s dive right in!

An Example, Not a Story

In 1955, Disneyland had just opened in Anaheim, California, when a ten-year-old boy walked in and asked for a job. Labor laws were loose back then and the boy managed to land a position selling guidebooks for $0.50 apiece.

Within a year, he had transitioned to Disney’s magic shop, where he learned tricks from the older employees. He experimented with jokes and tried out simple routines on visitors. Soon he discovered that what he loved was not performing magic but performing in general. He set his sights on becoming a comedian.

Beginning in his teenage years, he started performing in little clubs around Los Angeles. The crowds were small and his act was short. He was rarely on stage for more than five minutes. Most of the people in the crowd were too busy drinking or talking with friends to pay attention. One night, he literally delivered his stand-up routine to an empty club.

It wasn’t glamorous work, but there was no doubt he was getting better. He spent another decade experimenting, adjusting, and practicing. He took a job as a television writer and, gradually, he was able to land his own appearances on talk shows. By the mid-1970s, he had worked his way into being a regular guest on The Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live.

Finally, after nearly fifteen years of work, the young man rose to fame. He toured sixty cities in sixty-three days. Then seventy-two cities in eighty days. Then eighty-five cities in ninety days. He had 18,695 people attend one show in Ohio. Another 45,000 tickets were sold for his three-day show in New York. He catapulted to the top of his genre and became one of the most successful comedians of his time.

His name is Steve Martin.

This is an extract from the world famous book Atomic Habits and it portrays The Goldilocks Rule perfectly in action. Now the question which arises is What is Actually The Goldilocks Rule? and How can YOU apply it into your own life? to build long lasting habits which help you in the long run of life.

The Science of The Rules

The Goldilocks Rule gets its name from the classic fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears. In the story, Goldilocks stumbles into a house and tries three bowls of porridge—one too hot, one too cold, and one just right.

In James Clears’ words, the Goldilocks Rule essentially states that humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities. Not too hard. Not too easy. Just right.

The Goldilocks Rule is rooted in science and psychology, demonstrating that humans are most motivated when challenges are just beyond their current abilities—not too easy, not too difficult, but just right. This principle extends beyond human behavior and is observed in various scientific fields. In astronomy, the "Goldilocks Zone" refers to the ideal planetary distance from a star where life-sustaining conditions exist—not too hot, not too cold. In biology, enzymes function best within a specific temperature range, beyond which they become ineffective.

The same balance applies to human motivation and learning. Imagine you're trying to learn a new language. If you're only practicing basic words you already know, you’ll quickly lose interest. On the other hand, if you jump straight into reading complex philosophical texts, you’ll feel overwhelmed and discouraged. But if you challenge yourself with slightly more advanced sentences—ones that push you to think but are still within reach—you remain engaged and motivated.

This optimal difficulty is what keeps us progressing, improving, and staying committed to our goals. Martin’s comedy career was a perfect example of what The Goldilocks Rule looks like in the real world. Each year, the length of his comedy routines expanded, but only by a minute or two. He was always adding new material, but he also kept a few jokes that were guaranteed to get laughs. There were just enough victories to keep him motivated and just enough mistakes to keep him working hard.

Action - Real and Lasting

Applying the Goldilocks Rule to your life is about picking the right challenges but more importantly—it’s about maintaining motivation over time so that you continue to keep going. Here’s how to you can do it:

Find Your “Just Right” Challenge

The key to staying engaged is to work on tasks that are neither too easy nor too hard. If something feels boring, increase the difficulty slightly. If it feels overwhelming, break it into smaller steps. Example: If you’re learning a new skill, asses your current level and then aim for something just beyond your current level in a set time limit, so progress is possible but not guaranteed.

✅ Instead of waking up at 5 AM → Wake up just 30 minutes earlier than usual.
✅ Instead of a 1-hour intense workout → Do a 15-minute movement routine.
✅ Instead of 5 hours of studying → Start with 90 minutes with short breaks.

🔹 Momentum matters more than intensity.

 Measure Your Progress

Seeing improvement keeps motivation high. The human brain craves immediate feedback, whether it’s through tracking workouts, skill levels, or small wins in business. Example: If you’re building a habit of writing daily, track your word count and celebrate consistency, not just big achievements.

✅ Use a habit tracker (like the “Atoms” app or a simple notebook).
✅ Track something small but meaningful (e.g., ✔️ for completing any workout, 📖 for every 5 pages read).
✅ Set micro-goals: “I will exercise for 10 minutes” instead of “I will get fit.”

🔹 Wins—no matter how small—create motivation loops.

 Enter a Flow State

Peak motivation and happiness happen when you’re fully immersed in a task. To reach this "in the zone" state, ensure your challenge level is optimal and that you’re getting instant feedback on your progress. Example: A musician knows they’re improving when they can play a song smoother and with fewer mistakes, providing immediate reinforcement.

✅ For workouts: Follow fun, dynamic routines instead of repetitive gym exercises.
✅ For studying: Use the Pomodoro technique (25 min study, 5 min break).
✅ For reading: Read something interesting, not just what you “should” read.

🔹 Enjoyment sustains motivation longer than willpower alone

Focus on Small Wins, Not Just Setbacks

On the road to success, don’t just count failures—track victories. Every bit of progress matters, and success compounds over time. Keep a record of skills mastered, milestones reached, and lessons learned. This helps you build trust in yourself and build better systems where you can take on as many tasks as needed and complete them all.

✅ If you miss a day, resume immediately—not next week, not next month.
✅ Set realistic expectations: “I aim to work out 4 days a week,” not “every single day forever.”
✅ Reframe failure: Missing once is normal. Missing twice is a choice.

The Takeaway

Success isn’t about making drastic overnight changes—it’s about making small, consistent improvements that keep you engaged and motivated. The Goldilocks Rule teaches us that sustainable progress happens when we challenge ourselves just enough—not too much, not too little.

Instead of chasing unrealistic perfection, focus on building habits that evolve over time. Start small, track your progress, and enjoy the process. The key isn’t just discipline—it’s designing a system that keeps you moving forward.

So, the next time you feel the urge to “fix your life” at 3 AM, remember: real change isn’t about extreme resolutions. It’s about finding the right level of challenge, sticking with it, and letting success compound over time.

For more Psychology based strategies that help you master self-discipline, productivity, and mental resilience—without losing yourself in the process subscribe to Mindset Matters if you already haven’t -

That’s all for this issue,

See you on Friday!

~The Mindset Matters Team