What if I told you that everything you’ve ever wanted to achieve is possible—but only if you stop looking for shortcuts?

Years ago, I had a dream that felt completely impossible: I wanted to learn the entire Torah. I’m talking about Tanach, Mishnah, Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi, Rambam, Midrash, Shulchan Aruch—the whole thing. It seemed too big, too overwhelming, and completely out of reach.

I didn’t know where to start. I didn’t know how long it would take. And so, like many people facing a massive goal, I kept putting it off.

Breaking the Impossible into Steps

Then, one day, I realized something. If I did Daf Yomi, I could finish the entire Talmud Bavli in about seven and a half years. If I did Shnayim Mikra, I would go through the entire Chumash every single year. If I learned just a few Mishnayot each day, I could finish all of Mishnah in a couple of years.

Suddenly, it wasn’t impossible anymore. It was just a matter of getting started and consistency.

The real breakthrough came when I realized that I don’t need to finish in one year or even in ten years. Baruch Hashem, life is long, and every day is an opportunity to move forward. If I could stay consistent, I could finish in 30 years—or maybe even less. And even if I didn’t finish, as Pirkei Avot (2:16) says: Lo alecha hamelacha ligmor, v’lo ata ben chorin l’hibatel mimena—“It is not upon you to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.”

The System That Changed Everything

Once I committed, I needed a system. I created a spreadsheet to track my learning. Every day, I update it, marking my progress. I set mini-goals—completing a specific masechta, seder or a section by a certain date—and I celebrate each siyum as a milestone along the way.

Right now, I’m aiming to finish Seder Moed Yerushalmi by Purim. I’ve been pushing myself to stay on track, and as of today, I have 10 dafim left with about 17 days to go. It’s more than within reach, but only because I built this system to keep myself accountable.

Quick Fixes Won’t Change You

Many people look for shortcuts—crash diets, quick-fix business hacks, or accelerated learning methods. But real, lasting change doesn’t happen overnight.

If you want to lose weight, you can’t just do a 90-day shred or a crash diet. Even if it works, you’ll likely revert back unless you build the long term  habits of a healthy person.

If you want to become a Talmid Chacham, you need to adopt the habits of one. You need to learn daily, surround yourself with people who prioritize learning, and read what they read.

In Parshat Balak, Bilam asks to die the death of a tzaddik. But life doesn’t work that way—you can’t just choose the outcome without living the life that leads to it. If you want to die the death of a tzaddik, you must live the life of a tzaddik.

The Power of Small, Consistent Efforts

Growing up, learning was always hard for me. I wanted to learn, but it just didn’t seem possible. I often loved the grand gestures of big efforts for quick results. But I learned over time that those things don’t work. It’s the small and consistent efforts that make the difference.

The Midrash presents a machloket about the most fundamental pasuk in the Torah. Rabbi Akiva suggests “V’ahavta L’reiacha Kamocha”—love your fellow as yourself—a powerful principle. Yet, the “winning” pasuk is a seemingly simple one about the Korban Tamid:

“Et hakeves echad ta’aseh baboker, v’et hakeves hasheini ta’aseh bein haarbaim.”

Every morning and afternoon, without fail, this offering was brought. The message? Consistency is everything. It’s not the grand gestures but the small, steady efforts that create real change.

To do this, I found ways to make learning easier for me—using ArtScroll, English books, and listening to a lot of shiurim. Over time, these small steps built a massive foundation of knowledge.

I remember years ago, I was learning Gemara Bava Batra, and many parts were extremely difficult for me to understand. Fast forward a few years later, after learning more of Seder Nezikin and expanding my understanding, I went back to review Bava Batra. What had once seemed so confusing now made so much sense.

It was all the consistent learning in between that had built my foundation and allowed me to understand concepts that had once seemed impossible. Now, I can learn, teach, and grow in ways I never thought possible. I’m nowhere near where I want to be, but I can see how far I’ve come—and I’m still growing every day.

Rabbi Akiva and the Water on the Rock

Rabbi Akiva’s journey in Torah learning began when he saw water dripping onto a rock, slowly wearing it away over time. He realized: if soft water could carve through hard rock, then Torah could certainly penetrate his heart—even though he had started learning late in life.

This is exactly how growth works. It’s not about huge leaps—it’s about small, repeated actions that eventually shape who you are.

As Pirkei Avot (5:26) teaches: L’fum tza’ara agra—“According to the effort is the reward.” The harder something is, the greater the impact and reward for sticking with it.

Become the Person You Want to Be

There are still areas of my life where I know I need to grow. Health is one of them. Just as I’ve built the habits of a learner, I know I need to build the habits of a healthier person—exercising regularly and eating better. If I want to be healthier, I need to live like a healthy person and make the consistent decisions that a healthy person would make.

Once you decide who you want to be, you need to identify the habits that define that person. Then, you build the system that will get you there and stick to it. What gets measured, improves.

Hashem believes in you more than you believe in yourself. Where you want to go, Hashem will help you get there. But you have to take the first step.

As the Chofetz Chaim teaches, small, consistent actions accumulate over time, just like saving pennies eventually leads to wealth.

You have a choice. You can stay where you are, or you can take action. One year from now, five years from now—you will look back either with regret that you didn’t start or gratitude that you did.

The Choice is Yours. Start Today.

What will you choose? The person you dream of becoming is waiting for you. Hashem is waiting for you. You just have to start. So, what will you do—right now?

What’s one habit you’ll commit to today? Share in the comments!