One Habit a Day : 31 Habits to Transform Your Life

by Ashdin Doctor

31 HABITS TO TURN YOUR LIFE AROUND. TM, Ashdin Doctor, is here to help. With his simple yet assured approach and his easy-breezy style, Ashdin not only picks the best habits for a positive outlook but also tells you how to go about making them a part of your life. Whether you are someone struggling to increase your self-worth, or are trapped in a worry cycle, or simply do not have enough masti in your life, Ashdin has solutions for you. His simple and straightforward guidelines are designed to make things better. Based on his popular podcast, The Habit CoachTM, Ashdin Doctor’s One Habit a Day is replete with easy-to-apply advice and fun exercises. Inculcating positive habits has never been so enjoyable!

Genres: Self Help

180 pages, Paperback

Published October 30, 2023

Reviews

[Veenit Mavani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent book. Ashdin doesn't harp too much on any specific habit. He is succinct and to the point in delivering message while using etymology to make it interesting. The short exercise at the end of each chapter are handy to help practice what he preaches. Based on where you are in life, some of the chapters will appeal more than others. Some of the chapters that intrigued me were - Get yourself a shark, Be the first or be the last, Grow by 10x, Create vs Compete & Stop Whinning.

Like all self help books, don't pick this up if you have a know-it-all mindset as there is nothing earth-shattering in this book. However, if you are open to exploring self or working towards the best version of yourself, this might not be a book.

[Sameer Gudhate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some books arrive in your life like a loud motivational speaker with a mic that’s a notch too high. Others slip in quietly, pull out a chair, order cutting chai, and say, “Listen, try this one small thing today.” One Habit a Day belongs firmly to the second category.

I remember reading it late one evening, phone on silent, the house finally exhaling after a long day. No dramatic before-and-after promises. No “change your life by tomorrow” bravado. Just a steady, calm voice — the kind that doesn’t rush you, doesn’t judge you, and doesn’t pretend you’re broken.

That voice, of course, belongs to Ashdin Doctor — better known as The Habit Coach™. If you’ve ever stumbled upon his podcast during a commute or a restless morning walk, you’ll recognize the tone instantly. It’s familiar, grounded, lightly humorous, and deeply reassuring. The book feels less like a self-help manual and more like a curated extension of his podcast — distilled, slowed down, and given space to breathe.

At its core, One Habit a Day offers exactly what the title promises: 31 habits, one for each day, designed to gently nudge your life in a better direction. Not overhaul. Not revolution. Nudge. And that word matters. These habits aren’t exotic or intimidating. They’re deceptively simple — the kind that make you nod and think, “Oh. I already knew this… didn’t I?” And yet, knowing and doing remain distant cousins.

Ashdin doesn’t pretend otherwise. He doesn’t harp. He doesn’t sermonize. Each chapter is succinct, purposeful, and ends with a small exercise — a prompt that quietly asks you to stop reading and start noticing. The exercises aren’t flashy, but they linger. Like a pebble in your shoe. You feel them long after the page is turned.

What I particularly enjoyed was how Ashdin uses etymology and everyday metaphors to keep things interesting. Habits here aren’t abstract concepts; they’re lived ideas. A “shark” isn’t marine biology — it’s motivation with teeth. “Create vs Compete” isn’t a buzzword — it’s a mirror held up to our constant comparison culture. “Stop Whining” lands not as a scolding, but as an invitation to reclaim agency.

The writing style mirrors the philosophy. Clean. Conversational. Unpretentious. There’s no academic stiffness, no jargon-laden paragraphs trying to impress you. Instead, Ashdin sprinkles in personal experiences, moments from his journey, and insights gathered from working with people across the world. You can almost hear the soft pause between sentences — that coaching silence where reflection happens.

Structurally, the book is forgiving. You don’t have to read it cover to cover. You can dip in, skip around, linger on what resonates, ignore what doesn’t — and that’s intentional. Depending on where you are in life, some habits will feel urgent, others irrelevant. This isn’t a flaw; it’s the design. Growth, after all, is contextual.

Emotionally, the book doesn’t aim to overwhelm. Instead, it gently slows you down. There were moments when I caught myself rereading a line, not because it was profound in a quotable way, but because it quietly named something I’d been doing on autopilot. Those pauses — those small internal nods — became the real reward.

That said, this is not a book for the know-it-all mindset. If you’re hunting for earth-shattering revelations or radical frameworks, you might feel underwhelmed. The habits here are familiar. The magic lies not in novelty, but in consistency and clarity. For some readers, that may feel too soft. For others — especially those tired of being shouted at by productivity culture — it will feel like relief.

One strength worth highlighting is how humane the book feels. Ashdin doesn’t position himself as a guru on a pedestal. He feels like a fellow traveller — a few steps ahead, waving back, saying, “This worked for me. Try it if you like.” The inclusion of fun, reflective prompts reinforces this sense of companionship rather than instruction.

As I closed the book, I didn’t feel transformed. I felt steadier. And that, perhaps, is its quiet triumph. In a world obsessed with dramatic change, One Habit a Day reminds us that real transformation often happens in whispers — in the habits we repeat when no one is watching.

If you’re open to exploring yourself, to becoming a slightly better version of who you already are, this book might just sit beside you like a patient friend. No pressure. No hype. Just one habit today. And maybe another tomorrow.

[Shreya Chakrabartty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally don't enjoy self help books. But I'm trying to keep an open mind :)

Things for me to take forward: habit of happiness, Stop busy-ness, grow by 10x, Radical ownership.

list of 31 habits:

- Don't judge. Keep an open and learn from everyone
- Build a habit of happiness. Convert worry to positivity
- Garden your mind by learning new things and keep out negative thoughts. Be patient
- Anger is Useless: Recognise triggers and pause, identify the actual feeling that caused anger, work on dealing with these feelings
- Rewire yourself to be more positive
- Be grateful: Recognise and call out things to be grateful for
- Push the pull door : be curious and do things differently to make things interesting
- Cultivate the rich mindset: identify role of money in your life and have a definite role of money in your life.
- Get yourself a shark, to stay on your toes and stay away from complacency
- Reverse paranoia: believe people around you want you to succeed
- Stop catastrophising: instead of thinking the worst, force yourself to think of the best outcomes
- Importance of Masti: take time out for fun
- Potato or Egg: Stop complaining and comparing with others (everyone is different); instead of fighting the pain, work with it; Stay positive
- It's not impossible: Start. rest will follow
- Teflon mind: Practice meditation
- Are you comfortable: Doing something everyday will make you better (compounding effect)
- Busyness: Relax and do only productive tasks.
- Be the 1st or Last: Either be a trend setter or learn from everyone and do it best, last.
- Don't be a Copycat , take inspiration and be a dreamer to create new things
- What if: be curious and try new things
- Wisdom and reflection : reflect, don't react
- Grow by 10x for exponential growth
- Increase your self worth: Keep adding value to your life by building a foundation on Discipline and consistency: Nutrition, exercise, sleep, hydration, distressing, breathing
- Radical ownership : you have a choice to make a change.
- Create vs compete : possible to win without completing. be unique
- Persistence!!! pursue your goal relentlessly
- Stop worrying : can you do something about it?
- Curiosity : keep the wonder in life alive
- Pigeon nest : if you want to change, change your environment to a more conducive ones
- Be bold: convert fear to courage
- Stop whining : convert tone to a fun Happy one. be grateful for what you have.

[Vidhya Thakkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing read that inspires us to make small changes in life. The small habits that will help us grow and become better. Simple, straightforward and with a practical approach, the book has exercises and Prompts, that help us gain clarity. What I loved most was his candid and captivating writing style. He adds his experiences, and his journey, making it more relatable.

It's a book that will make us pause and reflect, make us aware of our habits and the change we need to bring in ourselves. A book with lessons that will help us transform ourselves.

[Nitin Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Habit a Day by Ashdin Doctor is a practical guide to building sustainable habits through small, daily changes. Doctor covers the fundamentals of habit formation effectively, breaking down behavioral psychology into manageable lessons. He relies heavily on personal anecdotes to illustrate his points, which can feel generous but ultimately helps ground the concepts in real-world application. It's a worthwhile read for anyone seeking an accessible, encouraging approach to self-improvement without rigid prescriptions.

[Sambasivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy and simple to read.
All 31 are very good habits.
The sooner one gets used to these the faster the person can start living a happy and calm life.
Go for it.

[Anshuman Rath · Rating 2 out of 5]

A mish-mash of ideas that you will find in a bunch of books in the self-help genre. Nothing new, just some more old wine in new bottle.