In partnership with

Welcome to another edition of the 1% Habits Newsletter!

This is where you’ll get up-to-date information on small wins to improve your habits, productivity, and life satisfaction. 

Let’s get to it.

— SPONSORED AD —

The key to a $1.3T opportunity

A new trend in real estate is making the most expensive properties obtainable. It’s called co-ownership, and it’s revolutionizing the $1.3T vacation home market.

The company leading the trend? Pacaso. Created by the founder of Zillow, Pacaso turns underutilized luxury properties into fully-managed assets and makes them accessible to the broadest possible market.

The result? More than $1b in transactions, 2,000+ happy homeowners, and over $110m in gross profits for Pacaso.

With rapid international growth and 41% gross profit growth last year, Pacaso is ready for what’s next. They even recently reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.

But the real opportunity is now, before public markets. Until 5/29, you can join leading investors like SoftBank and Maveron for just $2.80/share.

Invest in Pacaso today.

_{This is a paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals. Under Regulation A+, a company has the ability to change its share price by up to 20%, without requalifying the offering with the SEC.}

— END SPONSORED AD —

📈 How I’m Using “Tiny Projects” to Learn New Skills

Have you ever found yourself stuck in “learning mode”—watching endless tutorials, reading books, or taking courses—without actually doing much with the new skill you’re trying to learn?

Trust me, I’ve been there. It’s easy to feel productive while soaking up information. But here’s the truth: you don’t really get better at something until you start creating little projects and actually finish them.

This is the “Ship It” mindset, and it’s the single best way I know to turn learning into real progress.

Why Shipping Matters More Than Studying

There’s a classic idea from Seth Godin called “Ship It.” The concept is simple: instead of endlessly tinkering, tweaking, and learning, you need to finish something and put it out into the world. (If you want a deep dive, check out The ShipIt Journal.)

Shipping is where the magic happens. It’s the moment you move from theory to practice. When you actually complete a project—no matter how small or imperfect—it forces you to wrestle with real-world challenges, make decisions, and learn from your mistakes.

My AI “Slop” Videos: Learning by Doing

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with AI tools to make “faceless” videos. I mentioned this in my last newsletter [The Secret to Learning (Almost) Anything for Free], where I talked about my “Buddy the Beagle” video experiments.

Here’s the thing: most of these videos are what I like to call “AI slop.” They’re rough around the edges, far from perfect, and sometimes downright goofy. But I’m learning a little bit more with each misstep—better prompts, clearer captions, tighter storytelling. Every video is a mini project, and every project teaches me something new.

If you want to see what I mean, here’s the Buddy the Beagle YouTube Playlist

My goal isn’t to create the greatest AI videos on the internet. My goal is to improve on ONE thing with each video I make. Maybe it’s writing better prompts. Maybe it’s adding explainer captions. Maybe it’s just telling a slightly better story. The key is to finish each project, learn from it, and then move on to the next.

The Cooking Example: Start Small, Then Expand

Let’s say you want to learn how to cook. Most people make the mistake of biting off more than they can chew (pun intended). They sign up for a fancy course, try to make a five-course holiday meal, and end up overwhelmed.

Instead, what if you challenged yourself to master just one really good dish? You pick something simple—maybe a killer omelet or a homemade pasta sauce. You make it, tweak it, and serve it to a friend. Then you add another recipe to your arsenal. Over time, you build up a repertoire of dishes, each one a completed project that teaches you something new.

This approach works for any skill: writing, coding, learning a language, painting, woodworking, public speaking—you name it. The secret is to break your learning into small, shippable projects and actually finish them.

— SPONSORED AD —

Stay organized and achieve your goals with the Time Management & Productivity Printable Bundle. 

Featuring 25+ tools like habit trackers, goal planners, time-blocking templates, and daily schedules in various increments, it’s designed to suit any lifestyle. 

From project planning to energy audits, this bundle has everything you need to streamline your day and make progress effortlessly.

— END SPONSORED AD —

Why This Works

● You learn by doing. Watching and reading are great, but nothing compares to rolling up your sleeves and trying it yourself.

● You get real feedback. When you ship something, you can see what works and what doesn’t. Others can give you input, too.

● You build momentum. Each completed project gives you a sense of accomplishment and motivation to tackle the next one.

● You avoid perfectionism. Shipping forces you to let go of the idea that everything has to be perfect. Done is better than perfect.

Your “Ship It” Action Plan

Ready to put this idea into practice? Here’s a simple action plan to help you start (and finish!) your own tiny projects:

1. Pick a Skill You Want to Learn

What’s something you’ve always wanted to get better at? It could be anything—writing, photography, cooking, coding, drawing, making videos, you name it.

2. Define a Tiny Project

Don’t aim for a masterpiece right out of the gate. Choose a project that you can complete in a few hours or a weekend. For example:

● Write a 500-word story.

● Cook one new recipe.

● Edit a 30-second video.

● Build a simple website homepage.

● Record yourself speaking a foreign language for two minutes.

3. Set a Clear Goal

What’s the one thing you want to improve with this project? Maybe you want to focus on editing, storytelling, presentation, or just finishing something for once.

4. Give Yourself a Deadline

Deadlines create urgency and help you avoid the endless “I’ll finish it someday” trap. Mark it on your calendar and commit to shipping—even if it’s not perfect.

5. Ship It—No Matter What

When the deadline hits, finish your project and put it out there. Share it with a friend, post it online, or just save it in a folder. The important thing is that you complete it.

6. Reflect and Iterate

After you ship, take a few minutes to reflect. What did you learn? What would you do differently next time? Use those lessons to make your next project even better.

7. Repeat

Start your next tiny project. Focus on improving one thing at a time. Over weeks and months, you’ll be amazed at how much progress you make.

Final Thoughts

Learning a new skill isn’t about hoarding knowledge or waiting until you’re “ready.” It’s about rolling up your sleeves, starting small, and shipping your work—over and over again.

I’m still making plenty of “AI slop” videos, and I’m proud of every one. Each one is a stepping stone to getting better. And honestly, it’s a lot more fun than just watching tutorials and dreaming about what I could do “someday.”

So, what’s your next mini project going to be? Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to cheer you on.

📰 Newsletters You Might Like

🎯 How Brands Win: Discover the strategies behind iconic brands. Get their famous "7 Positioning Sins That Cost B2B Brands Millions" guide when you join.

⚙️ All the Hacks: Discover the latest and greatest hacks, deals, and recommendations to upgrade and optimize your life, money, and travel – all while spending less and saving more.

👣 Deep Walks: The newsletter for deep thinkers. Perspective-changing quotes, reflections, and essays on everything from world religion to ancient philosophy.

🗂️ The Resource Roundup

💲 Rich in Resilience: A gentle reminder that your track record of overcoming tough times is proof of your resilience, with practical tips for building confidence and silencing self-doubt.

🫸 The Need to Be Right: An honest reflection on how the urge to be right can cost us connection, and how learning to let go of certainty helps us focus on what truly matters.

🦠 The Pandemic: A personal exploration of the pandemic’s impact, weaving together lessons on uncertainty, adaptation, and the surprising ways we find meaning in difficult times.

Thanks for reading.

Talk soon!

Cheers,

Steve Scott