Keep Your Streak Alive With Minimal Viable Actions

The ridiculously small moves that maintain your habit connection when doing the real thing feels impossible

Welcome to issue #023 of the SovLyfe. Each week, I send one empowering essay to help you take action to build health, mindset and freedom.

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If you’ve abandoned more health streaks than you care to admit - maybe it’s not you and you’re not lazy or undisciplined. Maybe you’ve designed your system for your best days and real life keeps serving up your worst ones?

The secret is refusing to let a single deviation become total abandonment. The difference between people who maintain health long-term and those who perpetually restart isn’t motivation or willpower. It’s having Minimal Viable Actions that can happen whatever life throws at you.

Let’s get to it...

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What Are Minimal Viable Actions?

A minimal viable action (MVA) is the smallest possible behaviour that maintains your habit connection without requiring motivation, energy, or time you don’t have.

It’s not about results. It’s about refusing to break the chain.

Think of your health habits like a campfire. Your full workout, or complete routine? That’s a roaring blaze. But on depleted days - if you’re sick, travelling, overwhelmed, or just utterly exhausted - trying to maintain that blaze is what can kill the fire entirely.

Minimal viable actions are the ember you protect. Barely noticeable, not impressive, but alive. And you can restart a fire from an ember.

Thinking “If I can’t do it properly, I won’t do it at all,” is the perfectionism trap that guarantees failure sooner or later.

Research shows missing one day of a habit makes us 50% less likely to maintain it long-term. But it also shows: any action, no matter how small, resets back to zero.

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Why MVAs Work

Your brain doesn’t distinguish between “I did a full workout” and “I put on gym clothes and did 10 press-ups” when it comes to identity formation.

Both actions send the same signal: “I’m someone who works out.” The difference is one requires resources you don’t have on hard days. The other doesn’t.

This is about designing for reality. The system needs to survive our worst days, not just our best.

30+ years of doing this has taught me that consistency beats intensity every single time. The person who does something 300 days a year will outperform the person who goes all-in for 30 days, burns out, and quits for 11 months.

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Maintenance Actions

These are actions that keep the habit alive without expecting progress.

They maintain your identity connection. They prove you’re still in the game. They prevent the cascade from single deviation to total abandonment. They’re about survival, not improvement. And survival is what builds long-term consistency.

Below is a non-exhaustive example library for when life inevitably gets hard. Adjust them to your life.

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Minimal Viable Actions List (Examples)

Strength Training and Movement

When you have 30 seconds:

• Do 10-20 press-ups

• Hold a plank for 20 seconds

• Do 15 bodyweight squats

• Hang from a pull-up bar for 20 seconds

• Do 20 calf raises

• Do neck circles 10 each direction

• Shrug your shoulders 15 times with tension

• Do 20 standing glute squeezes

• 10 lunges total (5 each leg)

• Wall sit for 20 seconds

• 15 jumping jacks

• 15 slow mountain climbers

• Shadow box with intent for 20 seconds

• 5-10 pull-ups or assisted pull-ups

When you have 2 minutes

Pick and do 3 rounds of any mix of the above.

When you have 5 minutes

Pick and do 6 rounds of any of the above or 3 of the above with one of the following:

• One set of your main lift at 50% normal weight

• 100 steps of walking lunges

• Kettlebell swings - 3 sets of 10

• Farmers carry anything heavy for 1 minute

• Sprint up your stairs 5 times

• Turkish get-up - 1 each side, light weight

When you’re injured or sick:

• Move the uninjured limb through full range

• Do isometric holds of uninjured muscles

• Walk for 5 minutes at gentle pace

• Do breathing exercises with core engagement

• Gentle mobility work on pain-free joints

• Wall push-ups if regular ones hurt

• Seated marching for 2 minutes

• Ankle circles - 20 each direction

• Gentle neck rotations and tilts

• Stand from sitting 10 times (squat pattern maintenance)

When you’re travelling - any of the above.

Nutrition and Eating Better

When you have 30 seconds:

• Drink one full glass of water

• Eat one piece of fruit

• Eat a palm full of raw nuts

• Have 3 bites of protein (chicken, eggs, fish)

• Eat one serving of vegetables

• Drink a greens powder mixed with water

• Take one tablespoon of fish oil

• Eat one square of dark chocolate (70%+)

When you have 2 minutes:

• Make a protein shake (powder and water)

• Eat a tin of sardines or mackerel straight from the tin

• Hard boil eggs (set timer and walk away)

• Make overnight oats with protein powder and put in the fridge

• Make Greek yoghurt bowls with a few nuts and put in the fridge

• Eat Greek yoghurt or cottage cheese from the tub

• Grab handful of berries from freezer and eat them frozen with some nuts

• Slice and eat one apple with nut butter

• Eat 3 boiled eggs you prepped earlier

• Eat overnight oats you prepped earlier

When you have 5 minutes:

• Scramble 3 or 4 eggs

• Make a simple omelette (eggs + anything)

• Grill or pan-fry one chicken breast

• Steam frozen vegetables

• Air-fry salmon fillet

• Make basic salad (leaves + protein + olive oil)

• Roast a tray of vegetables (set and forget)

• Cook basic stir-fry with prawns and frozen veg

• Bake sweet potato in microwave (7 minutes)

• Pan-fry steak or burger

When you’re travelling:

• Eat pre-cooked chicken

• Get mixed nuts from petrol station

• Buy ready-made salad with protein

• Get Greek yoghurt from any shop

• Buy protein bars (check ingredients)

• Drink protein shake

• Order meat and vegetables

• Eat whole fruits with nuts

• Get hard-boiled eggs from any supermarket

When you’re sick or depleted:

• Bone broth from a mug

• Scrambled eggs

• Protein shake with just powder and water

• Banana with nut butter

• Plain Greek yoghurt

• Tinned soup with added protein

• Soft-boiled eggs on toast

• Mashed sweet potato

• Steamed white fish

• Chicken and rice (plain)

Health, Recovery and Lifestyle

When you have 30 seconds:

• Take 3 deep belly breaths

• Step outside for fresh air

• Splash cold water on your face

• Roll your shoulders back 10 times

• Stand up and stretch arms overhead

• Close your eyes and scan your body mentally

• Drink water immediately upon waking

• Do 10 shoulder blade squeezes

When you have 2 minutes:

• Box breathing (4-4-4-4 pattern, 8 rounds)

• Walk around the block once

• Cold water face immersion

• Massage your temples and jaw

• Roll your feet on tennis ball

• Do grounding exercise (5-4-3-2-1 method)

• Stretch your hip flexors (hold 30 seconds each)

• Foam roll your calves

• Sun exposure (face the sun, eyes closed)

• Contrast shower (30 seconds hot, 30 cold, repeat)

When you have 5 minutes:

• Take a cold shower

• Guided meditation app session

• Walk barefoot on grass

• Sit in sunlight with eyes closed

• Progressive muscle relaxation

• Gentle yoga flow (cat-cow, child’s pose, downward dog)

• Ice bath for legs only

• Deep tissue massage one body part

• Stretching routine for tightest areas

• Breathing exercises with extended exhales

• Take a 5 minute walk

When you can’t sleep well:

• Go to bed at exact same time

• No screens 30 minutes before bed

• Sleep in completely dark room

• Keep room temperature below 18°C

• Eat magnesium-rich foods for dinner

• Do 10 minutes of gentle stretching

• Read fiction for 10 minutes in dim light

• Practice 4-7-8 breathing in bed

• Use blackout curtains or eye mask

When you’re travelling - any of the above

When you’re injured or sick:

• Sleep extra hour if possible

• Drink water consistently throughout day

• Get sunlight exposure for 10 minutes

• Gentle walking if energy permits

• Contrast shower on unaffected areas

• Meditation for pain management

• Breathing exercises to maintain calm

• Stretch uninjured areas gently

• Eat anti-inflammatory foods

• Rest completely without guilt

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How to Use This List

Step 1: Identify your triggers for abandonment What situations consistently derail you? Travel? Illness? Work stress? Family pressures?

Step 2: Pre-select your MVAs Don’t wait until you’re depleted to figure this out. Choose 3 actions:

• One for strength/movement (or whatever exercise you do)

• One for nutrition

• One for health/recovery

Step 3: Write them down Put them in your phone. Stick them on your fridge. Make them visible.

Step 4: Deploy without negotiation When the trigger hits, you don’t think. You don’t debate. You execute one minimal viable action.

Step 5: Count it as a win This is critical. You don’t apologise for the minimal viable action. You celebrate it. Because it kept you in the game.

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My 80/20 Insight

The person who maintains connection through minimal viable actions will outperform the perfectionist who collapses entirely.

Your body doesn’t care about your excuses, but it does respond to consistency. Show up, even minimally and keep the ember alive.

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Until Next Time

Remember; our bodies doesn’t care about our excuses, but they do respond to consistency. MVAs on your worst day beats zero full routine and a guilt spiral.

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What’s your go-to minimal viable action when life gets chaotic? Hit reply or leave a comment.👇

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Until next time…

Leigh

PS. Please share this post by copy and pasting this link:

https://sovlyfe.substack.com/p/minimal-viable-actions

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References:

1. Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H., Potts, H. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998-1009. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.674

2. Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Avery.

3. Fogg, B. J. (2020). Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

4. Wood, W., & Rünger, D. (2016). Psychology of Habit. Annual Review of Psychology, 67, 289-314. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-122414-033417

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Disclaimer: The contents of this email are provided for informational and educational purposes only, based on my personal learnings and experiences. This information does not constitute medical, healthcare, or professional advice, and no professional-client relationship is created through your use of this information. I am not a licensed medical practitioner. Do not rely on this information for medical diagnosis or treatment decisions. Individual results may vary, and I make no guarantees regarding specific outcomes. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health, fitness, or nutrition regimen. Use of this information is at your own risk, and I disclaim all liability for any injury, loss, or damage arising from your use of or reliance on this content.