In a world that demands 100%, choosing 10% is an act of rebellion — and it’s also a path to sustainable success.

The Voice That Wouldn’t Quit

For years, I had a “voice” inside my head. You probably know what I’m talking about. Those pesky little voices that tell you how wrong or bad you are?

If you’re thinking “what voice,” that’s the voice I’m talking about.

My annoying, painful, self-deprecating voice says to me, “YOU DON’T WORK HARD ENOUGH!” Oh, she’s such a little bitch.

This voice showed up right alongside every new piece of technology I encountered. The ability to be reachable, productive, and “on” every single minute of every single day? Oh, she had thoughts about that.

I named her Mona because she was always moaning at me. (No offense to any Monas out there — I’m sure you’re lovely people!)

Here’s an example of the internal dialogue that used to constantly plague me:

You don’t have as many clients as you want because you don’t work hard enough.

You’re not making as much money as you want because you don’t work hard enough.

The thing is, I didn’t want to work all the time. But wanting rest felt like a character flaw, rather than a legitimate need.

Of course, we live in a society that praises hustle, hard work, and pushing yourself past the breaking point. Women, especially, are expected to carry it all, do it all, know it all, and take care of everyone else’s needs before giving a single flipping thought to their own.

And yes, that’s some serious bullshit — but when it’s all you’ve ever known, it’s hard to dismantle it and do something different.

It wasn’t until I discovered my Human Design that I finally understood why this “you don’t work hard enough” message was so challenging for me. (If you’re not familiar with Human Design, come to Office Hours or pull your free chart on my website — it might just change everything for you as it did for me.)

I rest way more than I work. But when I lead from alignment, it’s magnetic.

What I learned is that I’m literally not built to grind (1/3 Splenic Projector here!). I’m wired to rest first, be invited rather than chase, and lead from ease. And when I started actually doing that, more abundance began to appear in all sorts of forms — more clients, more aligned invitations, more income, more pleasure — and it all felt easier. People started calling me a go-getter, someone who hustles, which cracks me up, because I rest way more than I work. But when I lead from alignment, it’s magnetic.

This isn’t magic. Well… it might be a little quantum physics, actually. The energy of pressure brings more pressure. The energy of ease and excitement brings more of that. These days, my personal filter is simple: if it doesn’t feel like ease and excitement, it’s not for me.

The Power of “Some”

Once I stopped bullying my way through my to-do list, I discovered something even more liberating: some is always better than none.

Some self-care. Some movement. Some quiet time. Some forgiveness. Some motivation. Some action.

We’re constantly falling into the all-or-nothing trap. We wait for the day we have two hours to meal prep, so we skip the vegetables today. We wait for a perfect, uninterrupted stretch of time to write the thing, read the book, take the action — so we skip the five minutes that would’ve actually helped.

I used to believe that if I didn’t have hours and hours to sit with a book, it wasn’t worth starting one. Back then, I barely read anything. Now I read in the cracks of my life — ten minutes here, five minutes there — and I’m reading upwards of 170 books a year. I even have an entire Substack publication dedicated to books now. Please join me over at The Reading Well.

Same energy. Infinitely better results. Because a little of anything adds up.

That’s the whole idea behind the 10% rule, and it’s a cornerstone of the E.A.S.E. Pathway™.

Do anything 10% more, or 10% less, and you’ll start to notice a real shift.

A little of anything adds up.

Put your phone down 10% more when you’re with your kids — they notice, I promise you they notice. Eat 10% more vegetables and feel the difference in your body. Rest 10% more and watch your creativity come back online. Criticize yourself 10% less and feel the weight actually lift.

The 10% approach isn’t laziness. It’s not about doing less for the sake of doing less. It’s about honoring your energy as it is right now, trusting the compound effect, and letting small shifts build into something undeniable.

Growing Your 10%

If you have the capacity for more today, we can absolutely go there. But if 10% is genuinely all you’ve got right now? That is enough. I mean that.

Here’s how I support clients in sustaining and amplifying this work:

The Glimmer Lab is a group hypnotherapy experience that somehow manages to be both communal and completely personal — you’re in it together, and yet what happens inside you is entirely your own. A sacred space carved out for your sustainable inner peace and expansive joy. Ready to try it? Use code FIRSTTIME for 50% off your first session — because everyone remembers their first time. 😉

Subconscious Shift Sessions help you release the patterns that make “some” feel like “not enough” — including that relentless voice telling you you’re not working hard enough. (She’s wrong, by the way.)

Human Design Subliminal Audios are an effortless way to integrate new beliefs while you work, rest, or sleep. Low effort, high impact — kind of the whole point.

MindShift Mastery takes you deeper into simplifying your systems so that ease actually becomes your baseline, not just something you aspire to on vacation.

Success with ease isn’t a finish line you sprint toward. It’s a rhythm you settle into, 10% at a time.

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The Glimmer Toolkit

Three tiny practices that are, you guessed it, about 10% of the effort you think they require.

The Somatic Drop-In: Unclench your jaw. Let your shoulders drop. Take a breath that feels 10% softer than the one before. Notice how your body responds when the pressure to be perfect is lifted, even just for thirty seconds. That feeling is what we’re building toward.

The Glimmer Awareness Moment: Pause. Look around you. Find one small thing that’s working right now. Not a huge win, just a “some.” A plant that’s growing. A comfortable chair. The fact that you’re breathing and reading this. Notice it. Let it count. Because it does.

The Reflection Prompt: What’s one area of your life where you’ve been waiting for “100%” before you’ll let yourself start? How would it feel to give it just 10% today? Write it down. Seriously, write it down.

Sustainable Joy Through Gentle Effort

Rediscover the Simple Joys of life and embrace happiness, balance, and self-kindness in the midst of life’s challenges. Check this out, The Pursuit of Simple Joys.

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Come Hang Out in My World

Every Tuesday at 12pm CT, I host Ask Me Anything Office Hours — a free, open space for your questions, your snags, or your curiosity. Want to pull your Human Design chart and ask me what it means? Come on Tuesday. (You have to register, but it’s completely casual. No dress code. No prep required.)

Every Thursday at 12pm CT, join me for Live with Heather Vickery on Substack, LinkedIn, and YouTube — real conversations about leadership, joy, and the science of alignment.

Grab a free resource, pop in to say hi, or just poke around until something resonates. Whenever you’re ready, I’m here.

You don’t need more pressure. You never did. You just need permission to start with 10%. 💛