Whether you realize it or not, a lot of your daily behavior is composed of habits. These are automatic behaviors that you do without thinking. You do them in the same way every day. From the moment we open our eyes in the morning, get out of bed, brush our teeth, take a shower, or fix breakfast, we are running on habits.
According to researchers, we can get remarkable results by making one tiny change at a time.
Simplicity changes behavior. When a behavior is easy to do, it doesn’t require lots of motivation. Weeding your garden for 2 minutes requires less motivation than weeding for 5 hours. Cleaning and putting away a few dishes is easier than cleaning the whole kitchen. Motivation is not reliable. It shifts day by day, even minute by minute.
Here are a few ideas for building habits you want and getting them to work for you:
- What makes you come alive or fills your heart with joy? Look for a habit that would do just that.
- Stay engaged in this new habit. Our brains LOVE novelty. “Wake up” out of your old habitual programming.
- Create an attitude of gratitude. If you look at changing a habit as something you are grateful for, you have more reason to do it.
- Connect with your purpose. Why am I doing this? Look at the big picture and remember the reason you want this new habit.
- It’s the little things that count. Remember what John Wooden wrote: “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”
J. Fogg, a Stanford University professor, created a method for designing new habits. He calls it a recipe and it has three parts:
- After I… You connect an already existing routine in your life that will remind you to do the new habit.
- I will… The new habit you want and make it super tiny and super easy.
- Then celebrate! Something you do to create a positive feeling inside yourself like a big smile, clap your hands, do a fist pump, give yourself a thumbs-up, tell yourself good job.
Here are several examples:
- After you brush your teeth, don’t snack anymore. Clap your hands.
- After you notice you are feeling stressed, take a few deep breaths. Then congratulate yourself.
- After you hear your alarm in the morning, get up without hitting snooze. Then smile.
When you feel successful you’ll want to do that habit again.
Reflection: Think of one habit that you would like to add to your routine.
Today’s Practice: Run the habit through the Recipe:
After I…. I will…. And then congratulate yourself.