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Micro habits, often overlooked in favor of grand gestures, hold the key to sustainable change and long-term success. These small, incremental actions may seem insignificant on their own, but their cumulative impact is profound. By focusing on micro habits, individuals can cultivate a mindset of consistency and gradual progress, which is crucial for achieving and maintaining goals.
Here are the eight steps to developing micro habits, inspired by Stephen Guise's book Mini Habits, and also include my personal insights.
Step 1: Choose Suitable Micro Habits and Plans
Many people mistakenly think that micro habits are easy and quickly create a long list of them, such as “66 Micro Habits to Cultivate in 2024.” Instead, it's better to focus on 3 to 4 micro habits at a time.
Consider adopting a flexible weekly plan: implement a micro habit for a week, evaluate its effectiveness, make adjustments, and then set a long-term plan. Also, decide between a single or multiple micro habit plans based on your goals, breaking them down into tiny, manageable steps.
Step 2: Discover the Intrinsic Value of Each Micro Habit
Finding the intrinsic value of a micro habit helps sustain it. Asking “why” repeatedly can reveal the core reason behind your motivation. For example, if you want to write daily because you love it, the joy and fulfillment it brings are intrinsic values. In contrast, waking up early might be driven by external pressure to conform.
Step 3: Integrate Your Micro Habits into Your Schedule
Incorporate your micro habits into your routine either by time (e.g., exercise three times a week) or by actions (e.g., walk after dinner). The key is consistency and flexibility. Micro habits work for most people because they can be easily adjusted to fit different schedules.
Step 4: Establish a Reward System for Your Micro Habits
Creating a reward system is crucial. Immediate rewards, such as a treat or a small gift, can be more motivating than long-term benefits like better health. These instant rewards make the habit more enjoyable and reinforce the behavior until the long-term benefits take hold.
Step 5: Track and Record Your Micro Habits
Keep a record of your progress. Checking your micro habits at the end of each day helps you stay aware of your progress and identify any issues. Use methods like a large calendar for marking daily achievements or digital apps for tracking.
Step 6: Start Small and Aim to Overachieve
Micro habits should be small but achievable. Starting with a minimal goal, such as one push-up or two pages of reading, often leads to doing more once you begin. This approach reduces the pressure of high expectations and increases the likelihood of overachieving, which boosts motivation.
Step 7: Stick to Your Plan and Avoid High Expectations
Even after overachieving, avoid raising your expectations too quickly. Stick to your original micro goals to prevent the pressure of higher targets from causing burnout. Consistency in small goals is more sustainable and effective in the long run.
Step 8: Recognize Signs of Habit Formation
Pay attention to signs that a behavior is becoming a habit:
1. No resistance: You no longer dread the activity.
2. Identity: You start to see yourself as someone who enjoys the activity.
3. Automatic action: You perform the habit without needing to decide.
4. No worry about missed days: Missing a day doesn’t derail your progress.
5. Normalization: The habit becomes a regular part of your routine.
Micro habits can transform your life. Small positive actions, consistently applied, lead to significant changes over time. Use a habit tracker app like ShineDay APP is a very good way to start.
Let's start with micro habits and gradually become the best versions of ourselves.
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