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.

Why Atomic Habits Is the Book You Should Have Read Years Ago — TOEIC Success and Life Success Start Here

What is Atomic Habits?

James Clear's Atomic Habits is a book about how small, consistent actions create big changes. It teaches that success isn't just about setting big goals, but about the daily patterns and habits that move you towards those goals.

One of the core ideas is: "You don’t rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."

In other words, your habits and routines — the things you do every day without thinking — decide if you'll reach your TOEIC goals. So you need to work on your habits, and that's exactly what we encourage here at My TOEIC Coach (MTC). Improve your habits, and you will improve your TOEIC score — and even your life.

This is one of those books that, once you read it, you wonder why you didn’t find it years ago. As Chuck Jones once said, "The difference between you now and you in five years is the people you meet and the books you read." Atomic Habits is absolutely one of those books.

The 1% Rule: Small Wins That Build TOEIC Power

One powerful idea from the book is the "1% Rule." Instead of trying to make huge improvements all at once, you focus on small, daily actions that slowly but surely build up over time.

For example:

• A learner who reviews their vocabulary list for just 2 minutes before bed improves their word recall. Research shows that reviewing before sleep can boost memory retention by over 70%.

• Another learner watches their favourite Netflix show with English subtitles. This simple, enjoyable habit helps train their ear to English rhythm and phrasing, which often leads to better Listening scores.

These are small actions, but when done consistently, they build powerful results. It’s not about studying longer. It’s about making small habits that work for you.

Start a Great Habit Today

The ideas in this book are not complicated, but they are powerful. Even one small change — like reviewing vocabulary for a few minutes before bed — can lead to big results over time.

If you want to make lasting improvements to your TOEIC score, and to your daily life, start by reading this book. It will give you tools that keep paying off for years.

Build a better habit. Buy the book.

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Our blog is full of practical strategies that help test-takers like you build better habits, overcome common blocks, and improve TOEIC scores through smarter, easier methods.