The Elephant Who Grants Wishes: The Smallest Habit You Can Start Today

夢をかなえるゾウの教え：今日から始める、一番小さな習慣

Are you too tired to even start studying TOEIC?

You know you should study.
You want to improve.
But just thinking about TOEIC makes you sigh.

The textbooks are too thick.
The practice tests feel endless.
Even opening your study app feels like climbing a mountain.

If this sounds familiar, you're not lazy.
You’re stuck in The Burnout Block.

The Burnout Block — When Even Small Effort Feels Too Much

The Burnout Block happens when your brain has hit its limit.
You’ve worked hard before. You’ve failed, or made little progress.
Now, your mind protects itself by saying:
“Why bother?”

Traditional study methods make this worse.
They demand big effort. Big willpower. Big plans.
But if you’re in Burnout, these only make you shut down.

Ganesha’s First Lesson: Start with a Task So Small You Can’t Fail

In The Elephant Who Grants Wishes, the god Ganesha gives the main character a simple challenge:
“Shine your shoes.”

It’s not about shoes.
It’s about creating momentum with a task so small, it’s impossible to fail.

Success isn’t about working harder.
It’s about starting smaller.

MTC’s Truth: You’re Not Broken — Your System Is Too Heavy

Most TOEIC learners think they need to “try harder.”
That’s wrong.

The problem isn’t you.
It’s the size of the first step.

MTC’s approach is different:
We give you a habit so small, you don’t need motivation.

ALT Habit: Listen to Just One Part 2 Question a Day

That’s it.
One question.
No willpower. No plan. No guilt.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Open any TOEIC Part 2 audio file.

2. Play one question.

3. Pause and think: “How would I answer this?”

4. Done.

Why This Works (Even If You Feel Dead Inside)

• It’s too small to fail. You don’t need to “feel ready” — just press play.

• It builds daily momentum. One question today makes two questions tomorrow easier.

• It resets your brain’s belief. You’re no longer someone who “isn’t studying.” You’re in motion.

You Can’t Fix Burnout with Big Effort — But You Can with Small Successes

Your dream of a high TOEIC score isn’t dead.
It’s just buried under bad study systems.

You don’t need a new textbook.
You don’t need a perfect schedule.

You need one question.
One small win.
One habit that makes you feel:
“I did something today.”

Start there.
The Elephant would approve.

The Courage to Be Average: Why Comparing Your TOEIC Score Will Make You Miserable

You check your friend’s TOEIC score.
They got 850. You’re still at 680.
Suddenly, your own score feels small. Weak. Not enough.

So you study harder, trying to catch up.
But instead of feeling motivated, you feel tired. Frustrated. Stuck.

This is called Score Stagnation — and comparing yourself to others is the fastest way to get there.

The Problem with Competing Against Everyone

The book The Courage to Be Disliked has a powerful idea:
“The Courage to Be Ordinary.”

It means this:
You don’t need to beat anyone.
You don’t need to be “the best.”
You just need to be you, moving at your own pace.

But when you start comparing scores with friends, coworkers, or random strangers online,
you create a race that never ends.
No matter how high you score, someone will always be higher.

That cycle will exhaust you.

MTC Truth: Your Only Rival is Your Last Score

At My TOEIC Coach (MTC), we say this clearly:
Stop comparing sideways. Start comparing forward.

Your goal isn’t to “win” against your classmates.
Your goal is to improve on your last performance.

If last month you were 650, aim for 660.
That’s it.

Progress is a quiet, personal game.
And it’s the only game where you will always win — if you keep going.

The “1% Better” Habit — How to Break Score Stagnation

Here’s a simple MTC drill to stop the comparison loop and focus on real progress.

✅ After every practice session, write down one small improvement.
Example:

• “Today, I answered Part 2 questions faster.”

• “I noticed more signal words in Part 7.”

• “I reviewed yesterday’s mistakes.”

✅ Forget the score. Track the habits.
The score will follow.

This habit turns your attention away from others and back to where it belongs — on you.

Why This Works

• It builds a success loop. Every small win counts, keeping you motivated.

• It protects your energy. You stop wasting time on other people’s numbers.

• It gives you control. You always decide your next move.

You Don’t Need to Be “Better Than Them.”

You Just Need to Be “Better Than Yesterday.”

The courage to accept being “average” isn’t weakness.
It’s freedom.

When you stop competing sideways, you’ll notice something powerful:
You’ll start moving forward, quietly, but surely.

That’s real success.
That’s MTC style.

Are You Studying for Your Boss? The TOEIC “Social Pressure” Trap

Have you ever thought,
“I need a good TOEIC score or my boss will think I’m useless…”
Or
“If I fail again, my coworkers will laugh at me…”?

If so, you are not alone.
This is called The Social Pressure Trap — and it’s a huge reason why many learners get stuck.

You’re not dumb. You’re not lazy.
You’re just stuck in your own head, worrying about what other people think.

This kind of overthinking is what we call The Over Thinker Block.

Whose Problem Is This, Really? — The “Separation of Tasks” Mindset

In the book The Courage to Be Disliked, Adlerian Psychology teaches a powerful idea:
“What others think of you is their task. Not yours.”

It sounds simple, but it changes everything.

• Your task is to do your best study today.

• Their task is to decide what they think of you.

You don’t control their task.
You only control yours.

But when you mix up these tasks,
you start to study for your boss, your teacher, your coworkers…
And that pressure crushes your focus.

MTC Truth: Your Score is Your Task. Their Opinion is Theirs.

At My TOEIC Coach (MTC), we’ve seen this Over Thinker Block so many times.

Learners aren’t stuck because they don’t know enough.
They’re stuck because they’re carrying tasks that don’t belong to them.

Your job is not to control what your boss or friends think.
Your job is to build small, winnable habits — so your score will speak for itself.

But first, you need a habit that breaks the Overthinking loop.

The “3-Second Pause” Habit — Stop the Overthinking Spiral

Here’s a simple ALT drill to reset your brain when overthinking kicks in.

✅ When you feel that “What will people think of me?” pressure,
stop and take a 3-second pause.

In those 3 seconds, silently say to yourself:
“That’s not my task.”

Then, shift your focus to a small action:

• Read the next TOEIC question.

• Look at the answer choices.

• Breathe.

This 3-second habit trains your brain to separate your task from theirs.
It brings you back to what you can control — your next move.

Why This Works

• It interrupts the anxiety loop. You can’t overthink while you’re pausing.

• It re-centers your focus. You stop thinking about people who aren’t even in the room.

• It turns emotional pressure into a physical action. Simple. Repeatable.

You’re Not Studying for Them. You’re Studying for You.

The Over Thinker Block is not a study problem.
It’s a task problem.

You can’t control what people think of your TOEIC score.
But you can control how you react to that pressure.

Start with a 3-second pause.
Separate what’s yours and what’s not.
And watch how fast your focus comes back.

Your Past TOEIC Failures Don’t Matter — Let’s Talk About Burnout (The Real Reason You’re Stuck)

You look at your old TOEIC score.
You remember how hard you studied last time.
You feel tired just thinking about it.

And that little voice in your head says,
“Why bother? You’ll just get burned out again.”

Let’s be clear:
This isn’t laziness.
This is Burnout — the most dangerous learning block.

But here’s the truth:
Your past failures are NOT the reason you feel this way.

The “Trauma Myth” — Your Past is NOT the Problem

There’s a famous idea from Adlerian Psychology (yep, the book 『嫌われる勇気』).
It says: Your past does not decide who you are today.

Your old low score is not why you’re burned out.
It’s not your “TOEIC curse.”
It’s just a result of what you were doing back then.

What’s keeping you stuck now is not your history.
It’s your current mindset and study habits.

MTC Truth: Your Past Score Means Nothing.

The ONLY thing that matters is what you do today.

At My TOEIC Coach (MTC), we don’t care how many times you’ve failed.
We care about the one small action you take today.

And no, we’re not talking about “work harder” nonsense.
We’re talking about an unbeatable habit that even Burnout can’t stop.

The 2-Minute Study Habit — The Anti-Burnout Drill

Burnout happens when you try to do too much, fail, and blame yourself.

The fix?
Don’t fight it.
Make success so easy your brain can’t say no.

Here’s how:

✅ Pick one tiny TOEIC task you can do in under 2 minutes.
Examples:

• Read one Part 7 short passage.

• Listen to one Part 2 question.

• Look at 5 words in your vocab app.

✅ Do this EVERY day. Just this.
No extra study. No pressure.

Why This Works (Even If You Feel Hopeless)

• You can’t fail. It’s too small to mess up.

• You build momentum. Small wins feel good.

• You don’t need motivation. You just do it.

This is not a trick.
It’s a brain hack that resets your energy and starts breaking Burnout.

Your Past Isn’t Holding You Back. Your Habits Are.

You’re not stuck because you failed TOEIC before.
You’re stuck because you’re afraid to fail again.

But you don’t need to win today.
You just need to take one easy step that feels winnable.

The past is over.
What matters is what you do in the next 2 minutes.

Let’s start there.

Atomic Habits & The Speed Trap — Why Slowing Down First Will Make You Faster in TOEIC

Many TOEIC learners think,
“If I want to get faster, I need to push myself to answer quicker.”

But this usually leads to more mistakes, more frustration, and no real improvement.

This is called the Speed Trap — trying to get faster by rushing.

James Clear’s Atomic Habits teaches a smarter approach:
Slow down first, build small habits that work automatically, and speed will follow.

The Problem with Forcing Speed

Have you ever told yourself, “I need to be quicker” during practice,
and ended up making simple mistakes?

Speed is not something you can force.
When you rush, accuracy drops.
And in TOEIC, accuracy is everything.

The more you try to “go faster” without a system, the deeper you fall into the Speed Trap.

The Solution: Small Habits That Slow You Down — At The Right Moment

Getting faster in TOEIC is not about pushing harder.
It’s about removing hesitation.

Atomic Habits teaches that speed is a result of strong, automatic habits.
You need small, repeatable actions that teach your brain when to slow down, so it can move faster with control.

Example 1: The “Slow-Motion Reading” Habit — Part 7 Reading

Most people try to read Part 7 passages as fast as possible.
But this leads to skipping important details, getting lost, and having to reread everything.

Instead, build a habit of reading one short Part 7 passage per day,
using your finger or pen to trace each word as you read.

The goal is not speed.
The goal is to read every word with 100% focus, without skipping or guessing.

You don’t need to answer any questions.
You are simply training your brain to read accurately and completely.

This small daily habit breaks the urge to rush,
and builds the foundation for real reading speed when it counts.

Example 2: The “3-Second Stop Sign” — Part 5 Grammar

In Part 5, many people jump at the first answer that looks right.

This habit creates careless mistakes.

Here’s a better habit:
After reading the question and looking at the choices,
pause for just 3 seconds.

Imagine a stop sign in your mind.
In those 3 seconds, ask yourself one quick question:

• “Is this a grammar trap?”

• “Is this a vocabulary trap?”

This micro-habit builds a brief moment of awareness before you answer.
It’s fast, but it forces your brain to check for common mistakes.

The result? You answer with more accuracy, and over time, your speed increases naturally.

The Point: Speed Comes From Smart Habits, Not Rushing

You don’t get faster in TOEIC by pushing yourself harder.
You get faster by building small, automatic habits that remove hesitation.

Atomic Habits shows that real speed comes from systems, not stress.

If you’re stuck in the Speed Trap,
The answer is not to rush —
It’s to build small habits that make you faster without thinking.

Atomic Habits & The Memoriser Block — Why Remembering More Won't Raise Your TOEIC Score

Many people studying TOEIC think:
“If I just memorise more words, more grammar, more practice questions, my score will go up.”

But that doesn’t always happen.

TOEIC isn’t a test of how much you remember.
It’s a test of how quickly you can use what you know.

If you only memorise, you will get stuck.
That is called the Memoriser Block.

James Clear’s Atomic Habits shows a simple idea:
Build small habits that help you use what you know — without overthinking.

Why Memorising More Can Make You Slower

Have you ever learned a new word, but couldn’t remember it in the test?

This happens because your brain is trying too hard to find the answer.
In the real TOEIC test, you don’t have time to think slowly.

If you only use flashcards and word lists, you are training your brain to study slowly.

You need practice that makes you faster and automatic.

Example 1: The "Visual Tag" Habit — For Faster Vocabulary

Instead of just looking at a word list, build a tiny drawing habit.

When you learn a new vocabulary word (like commute or invoice),
take just 2 seconds to draw a simple, ugly sketch that represents it.

• Commute → Stick figure on a train.

• Invoice → Dollar sign with an arrow.

You don’t need to be good at drawing.
This small visual "tag" gives your brain a quick, easy hook to remember the word.

It turns boring memorisation into a fun, low-effort habit that sticks.

Example 2: The "30-Second Treasure Hunt" — For Pattern Recognition

Part 5 grammar questions feel stressful because people try to solve them immediately.

Instead, start with a quick treasure hunt.

Open a Part 5 section, and for just 30 seconds,
ignore the answers. Your only goal is to spot patterns.

For example:

• "Find every word that ends in -tion."

• "Find every sentence with because."

No pressure. No right answer.
You are simply training your brain to notice patterns automatically.

This fun, low-stakes habit helps you build the exact scanning skill needed in the real TOEIC test.

The Point: Small Habits > Big Memorisation

Memorising is important.
But memorisation alone will not help you perform in the TOEIC test.

Atomic Habits shows that small, daily habits — like sketching a quick visual or playing a pattern-finding game — are what make you faster, more accurate, and more confident.

If you’re tired of memorising and still getting stuck,
The problem isn’t your memory.
It’s time to build better habits.

Atomic Habits & TOEIC Burnout: Why Small Wins Build Lasting Energy

Many TOEIC learners feel stuck. Not because they’re lazy. Not because they lack discipline. But because they’re exhausted.

Study feels heavy. Motivation fades.
This is Burnout — and more practice tests won’t fix it.

James Clear’s Atomic Habits explains a simple but overlooked solution: design your environment to make small wins automatic.

Burnout Isn’t About How Much You’re Doing — It’s About How You’re Doing It

Most test-takers try to “push through” burnout by studying harder.
But the problem isn’t effort. It’s that every study session feels like a battle of willpower.

Atomic Habits flips this thinking.
Instead of relying on motivation, you adjust your environment and habits to make success easier, not harder.

Example 1: The “Visible Cue” Trick — Vocabulary

Rather than setting a goal to “study vocabulary 30 minutes a day”, you place your vocabulary list somewhere you naturally pause during the day — like on your desk, or next to your coffee machine.

Every time you see it, you spend just 1 minute reviewing a few words.
No timer. No app.
Just a tiny, frictionless action that builds momentum without mental effort.

It’s not a “study session”. It’s a small win that happens naturally.

Example 2: Redesigning Your Listening Practice — Not Your Willpower

Listening practice often feels overwhelming because people wait until they’re “ready” to sit down and focus.

Instead, you can simply swap your phone’s default YouTube setting to English podcasts or TOEIC listening playlists.
Now, when you open YouTube or Spotify during a break, you’re casually exposed to English without forcing yourself into a study mode.

The environment does the work.
You’re not pushing yourself harder — you’re removing friction.

The Point: Small Systems Beat Big Willpower

Burnout doesn’t come from a lack of motivation.
It comes from relying on motivation too much.

Atomic Habits teaches that small, easy wins done consistently are what rebuild energy and progress.
If TOEIC study feels heavy, the answer isn’t “try harder” — it’s build lighter systems.