Better With Every Loop: You Don't Have A Discipline Problem. You Have A Design Problem.

by M.K. Abugharbieh

Genres: Self Help

231 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2026

About the author

M. K. Abugharbieh is a senior software engineer with over a decade of experience building reliable, large-scale systems. He spent years applying engineering principles at work while watching his personal routines collapse over and over, until he realized the same principles he used to build resilient software could build a resilient life. Better With Every Loop is the framework he eventually built for himself, now distilled into a book.

He also writes a free newsletter of the same name. Every Sunday: one way to make a habit survive a bad week, and one question he actually wants you to answer. Read it at read.betterwitheveryloop.com.

More at betterwitheveryloop.com.

Reviews

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes an interesting approach to habit formation by looking at the difference between habits and systems. It spends quite a bit of time defining what a habit actually is, what a system is, and how the two can work together. It also provides practical examples and different approaches for building habits and systems around the things you want to accomplish.

I found the practical tips and tricks genuinely useful, but the book also falls into a somewhat one-size-fits-all way of thinking. It repeatedly suggests that our days are essentially structured around habits, which may be true for many people, but certainly isn't true for everyone. People respond very differently to routines, habits, and systems, and I would have liked the book to acknowledge that more explicitly. The different approaches it provides help somewhat, but this limitation still comes through in many chapters.

I also found the referencing unusual. The sources and references are placed under a chapter called "Notes." While I understand the reasoning, I found it slightly confusing because these are really references rather than notes in the usual sense.

Overall, this is still a useful book and an interesting starting point for exploring whether habits or systems work better for you. I just wish it had taken a little more account of the fact that people are not one-size-fits-all when it comes to developing routines.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Joel Muluh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible book. I usually take down notes at the end of a chapter but while reading this book, it felt like every single sentence is worth remembering. The book isn't just providing information, it's practical and it is providing principles. You don't just read the book and say "Oh what a nice write-up", you read it and shout "Now, I know exactly what I must do!!!". This is so worth it. Thank you for providing this masterpiece to us!