December 10, 2025
Hey there. If I wanted to become an incredible storyteller in 2026, I’d probably ignore 99 percent of the advice out there and just focus on three simple habits.
Let’s start with habit number one.
Imagine two people.
Both wake up at 7 in the morning. They scroll a little bit through their phones. They grab coffee and head to work. Same routine, but here’s the difference:
The first person rushes through it all, checking messages, half listening to the conversation, sipping the coffee without really tasting it.
But the second person does the exact same thing with different awareness.
On the way to work, he notices the barista’s smile when he walks in. He feels the warm, yummy coffee going down his throat. He catches that tiny look of relief on a teammate’s face once the project finishes.
It’s the same routine, but a totally different awareness.
That’s what separates good storytellers from great ones.
And no, it’s not about living a much more interesting life. It’s about noticing the life you already have. Because if you don’t notice those small moments, you’ll never have enough stories to tell.
So here’s the habit: Notice small moments.
There’s a beautiful exercise for this called Homework for Life by Matthew Dicks. I’ve been doing this exercise for years, every single day.
Here’s how it works:
At the end of each day, ask yourself: If I had to tell a story from today, what would it be? What was the one moment that touched my heart? The moment that made me realize something?
It could be a small win, a weird encounter, a funny conversation, a kind gesture. Anything that touched your heart.
Then write down the date and that story-worthy moment.
For example, yesterday my moment was going to a singing circle here in Ubud, Bali, where I felt super awkward at first, but then ended up loving it.
It doesn’t have to be a big dramatic moment. It just has to be real and human.
Once you do this every day, you start seeing beautiful moments everywhere. And those are the exact moments that can be turned into captivating stories.
And once you start noticing them, the next step is to tell them.
When I first got into storytelling, I signed up for a story slam — one of those events where people share personal stories on stage.
For that moment, I spent weeks crafting the perfect story. Every word, every pause, every gesture was planned.
When the day came, I delivered it exactly as I had rehearsed. And honestly, after the story, I thought, “Wow, well done, Philipp. You crushed it.”
But then the organizer came up to me and said, “Philipp, that was a beautiful story. Such a pity you delivered it like a robot.”
What? Ouch.
It stung. I felt terrible because I had put so much work into it. But I didn’t let that stop me.
Six months later, I went back to that same place with the same story. But this time, I hadn’t rehearsed a single word.
Before going on stage, I closed my eyes and went back to the moment. I saw the room again. I saw what was happening. I felt the emotions of the story.
When I spoke, I simply described what I saw as it unfolded in my mind.
This time, a guy came up to me afterward and said, “Wow, that was the most powerful story I have ever heard in my life.”
And I just stood there thinking, The story hadn’t changed at all. The first time I rehearsed it word for word. The second time I relived it.
In the age of AI, anyone can tell a well-written story. But AI can’t copy your emotion. To make people feel something, you have to feel it first.
Which brings me to the next habit: Relive the story.
Reliving means going back to the specific moment.
You see the room. You see the actions unfolding. You hear whatever was said. You notice the thoughts running through your head. And then you speak it out loud, describing what’s unfolding in front of your eyes.
Don’t worry about perfect words. Just share what you see and feel.
Retelling a story is like showing someone a photo. Reliving the moment is like bringing them there with you.
If you wanted to have a six-pack this year, what would you do?
You’d make a plan and try to hit the gym five times a week. You’d lift, sweat, and push yourself again and again.
What you wouldn’t do is show up at the gym once a month and expect a miracle. That would be delusional.
But that’s exactly what most people do with storytelling.
They tell one story every few months when there’s a big presentation, a dinner party, or a job interview — and then they wonder why they aren’t becoming magnetic storytellers.
If you want to become a great storyteller, you need reps. And the good news is, you can get those reps in one specific situation every single day:
Every day, people ask you one simple question: How are you?
Most of us waste that opportunity. We say, “Good.” “Fine.” “Busy.” “Traffic was crazy this morning.”
Nothing wrong with that, but it’s a missed opportunity to practice storytelling and to connect with someone.
Which brings me to the third habit: Tell micro stories.
Anytime someone asks, How are you? respond with a short story. Something small that shows a little more about you as a human.
For example, today someone asked me, “How are you?” and here’s what I said:
“I’m pretty good. Yesterday I went to my first kirtan ever. It’s a singing circle where everyone is wearing white, everyone is barefoot, just a bunch of hippies together. At first it was so awkward, but then it was kind of liberating. That was the latest new thing I tried. What about you? What was the last new thing you tried, and how was it for you?”
It’s a tiny story. Nothing dramatic. Sure, I could tell bigger stories, but that’s not the point. The point is getting reps telling micro stories.
The more you do it, the more you realize you’re not just exchanging words. You’re building connection. Storytelling isn’t built on stages. It’s built on small everyday moments that matter.
That’s it. If you focus on these three simple habits, you’ll become a master storyteller fast.
But once you’re comfortable telling stories, it’s time to spice them up.
If you want to learn how to turn any average moment into a captivating story, check out the next article where I share some of my favorite storytelling techniques.
See you there.
P.S. Want to become a stronger communicator?
Here are two ways I can support you:
👉 Want to tell more engaging stories? Join our next Storytelling Workshop.
👉 Want to speak with confidence and clarity? Check out our Communication Skills Training.
Both are fun, practical, and designed to help you grow fast.
Are you ready to transform your storytelling skills?
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