3 Tiny Habits That Changed My Career

How I Went From Surviving to Leading

In 2017, Uber’s CEO resigned.

On paper, the company looked unstoppable. It was worth billions. Growing fast. A household name.

But inside?

The culture was falling apart. People were quitting. Trust was gone.

The board launched an investigation.

They fired over 20 people. And a few months later, Travis Kalanick, the founder, the face of Uber, was out.

He wasn’t stupid. He was smart.

But the same habits that helped him win in the early days — moving fast, taking control, pushing through became the reason he had to step down.

That story hit me hard.

Because in 2020, I almost burned out..

I was leading a team of 4. Writing code. Reviewing PRs. Jumping on every fire. I felt useful. Until I realized I was just surviving. Not leading. Not scaling. Not growing.

So I made a small bet.

Not on a big system. Just on tiny habits, small shifts I could actually stick to.

The quiet habits that made me more focused, more present, and a better leader.

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1. I started writing before replying

Every time I got frustrated, Slack messages piling up, vague tasks, or someone misunderstanding me, I’d want to fire back fast.

But I learned this: the first reaction is emotional. The second is useful.

So I opened a doc. Wrote what I wanted to say. Then rewrote what I needed to say.

Writing forced clarity. It cooled the heat. Helped me lead without ego.

2. I scheduled thinking time

At first, it felt ridiculous. “Think from 10:30 to 11?” Like booking a meeting with myself.

But without space, I was stuck in reactivity. Solving bugs. Answering DMs. Never seeing the bigger picture.

So once a week, I blocked 90 minutes.

No code. No calls. Just thinking.

Some of my best decisions: process changes, mentorship ideas, even quitting a project—started in that quiet.

3. I stopped saying 'yes' immediately

Saying yes felt helpful. Collaborative. Until my calendar became a mess.

So I built a buffer: “Let me get back to you.”

It bought me time to check priorities. Or just breathe.

It was a tiny shift. But it protected my energy and my focus.

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These three habits didn’t make me perfect.
But they made me present.

They helped me shift from doing the work to building the people.
From surviving to leading.