Micro habits are a powerful way to instigate change in your life. But unlike a lofty goal, a micro habit is something you do often, but which doesn’t feel like much of a challenge. Brushing your teeth, for example, is a micro habit.
But most people are in the habit of doing this, and so it takes little effort. Why not use that same strategy for a larger accomplishment, such as losing weight, getting in shape, learning a new skill or even building an online business?
When most people set a New Year’s Resolution, appropriate for this time of year, they start too big. They set a dream goal which is far beyond their comfort zone. Within a few weeks, they’ve given up! But with a micro habit, you can cut away at a big goal, and zone in on the small daily actions which can help you accomplish a big goal by doing little tasks regularly over a long period of time.
Why Micro Habits
So why use micro habits? Micro habits are easy, which means they are more sustainable. When you set a bit goal, such as going to the gym every day, for example, you quit when it meets the resistance of your former long term habits. A micro habit is something teeny tiny which is ridiculously easy to do every day.
When you make a task easy, it’s easier to sustain and this is where the power of a micro habit lies. Your teeth are healthy because of the habit of brushing them every day. That’s probably a habit you’ve had since childhood which you don’t even question. Why not use that same technique on a single push up, or doing a 5 minute daily run, learning a new language, or some other new skill?
Micro habits work because they are so small, you can sustain them. Once you have habitualised something, it becomes difficult NOT to do it. In his book Micro Habits, Stephen Guise uses the push up (or press up) analogy. When it comes to fitness, this is where many people struggle to keep up with any amount of regular exercise. When it comes to turning over a new leaf, most people will set a goal which has too much resistance to it. Their old habits and behaviour patterns simply won’t allow them to support their new intention for any length of time.
This is why gym memberships are often 12 month contracts. Gym’s know full well that most people are rubbish and will quit shortly after joining a gym. So without a 12 month contract, the gyms would lose a lot of money. In fact, around 90% of gym goers will quit after 3 months!
Habits Install Momentum
The difference between a micro habit and a lofty goal is that a big goal is easier to give up on! If you set yourself a lofty goal, it can be easy to become demoralised and quit when you don’t see results quickly. A micro habit can help you build momentum slowly. Once you have “installed” a habit, it becomes part of who you are – your identity.
The identity is the self image – who you think you are, or how you “see” yourself. When this doesn’t match up with your long term goal, there’s resistance. But a mini, or micro habit helps shift this slowly over time which overcomes that resistance which will show up when you try to do too much too soon.
So, how do you set a mini habit for yourself?
Micro Habits – Setting A Mini Habit Or “Micro Commitment”
Start with something you’d like to achieve. It could be anything from learning a new language, getting in shape, to building an online business! Once you have identified something you would like to achieve long-term, find a teeny tiny daily habit you can start doing right now, today. It should be something so small, so simple, that you can do it easily – like brushing your teeth. Here’s a few examples:
- Start an online business – access these free videos, watch 5 minutes of a video daily
- Learn a new language – join a course or download an app, 1-2 minutes each day on your app
- Get stronger – 1 push up every day
- Fitter – jog around the blog 3 times a week!
Choose something simple that you have very little resistance to. The key isn’t to suddenly achieve a massive goal, only to gain momentum in the direction of your goal. Once the wheels are turning towards a particular direction, it’s much easier to gain speed. Once you’re in the press up position, for example, you can easily do another one.
Daily Steps Build Momentum
Once you have installed a habit of doing something small every day, your mindset changes. You can add to your habit over time, but don’t overwhelm yourself. When you try and do too much at once, you overwhelm yourself and therefore it’s easier to give up. With a mini habit, you are “installing” a new behaviour. Over time it takes hold and you come to think of yourself as someone who does that thing – whatever it is. This is a ket concept in behaviour change.
Behaviour doesn’t change overnight. You’ve already built up momentum in a particular direction with all the (unconscious) habits you’re already running. Some of these will get in the way of the new ones you’re trying to install. So, it takes time to notice this shift. You may even need to drop one or two bad behaviour patterns which aren’t serving you and conflict with your new strategy.
