Have you ever sat and watched a baby while it is learning to walk?
They don’t just stand up and start walking immediately, do they?
First, they roll over, then they crawl, and slowly they take their first steps.
Eventually, they’re unstoppable and you end up chasing them all around the home!
This shows us something important about how we can achieve our goals.
And the secret is?
Start with small steps.
The Power of Thinking Small
When we set our goals, we often dream big and seem to forget about the small steps it takes us to get there.
We get so focused on the end goal that we overlook the importance of starting small.
Big goals are great for motivation, but it’s the small, consistent steps, or what we call “micro habits,” that get us there.
So What Are Micro Habits?
Micro habits are tiny actions that are easy to do and don’t take a lot of effort.
And because they’re so simple, it’s kind of hard to fail at them.
This means you’re more likely to stick them out.
And when you stick to these little habits, they can add up to big changes over the long run.
These small habits lay the groundwork for achieving your bigger goals.
The key is that they’re so small when you are doing them, they almost feel too easy.
Change Your Life with Micro Habits
The micro habits you choose should be steps that are geared towards your bigger goals.
It’s about making tiny changes that over time, lead to big transformations that can change your life.
So let’s jump in and explore some micro habits you can kick off with today that can make a significant impact on your life.
Try Reading Each Night
Reading for fun is more than just diving in and enjoying a good story.
It can help you in learning new words, improve your thinking, and even get to understand yourself a bit more.
But not everyone is used to reading books regularly, and a big reason is because they don’t often set aside the time for it.
The Easy Way to Start Reading
If reading a lot seems to be a bit of a struggle for you, just start small.
Maybe you can start by trying to read just one page each night.
Even if you’re really tired, try to read a single page.
It’s just a small step, but it can lead to finishing a whole book before you even realize it.
This simple little habit can slowly turn you into a regular reader, and before long you’ll start seeing all those benefits I just mentioned.
Prepare for the Next Day before You go to Bed
Mornings can be quite hectic for a lot of us, and we end up doing stuff like skipping breakfast and rushing through showers.
Make Your Mornings Easier
To help make your mornings run a bit smoother, do a few things the night before.
It’s a bit like giving your future self a helping hand.
Simple Steps Can Make a Big Difference
This can be as simple as picking out what you are going to wear tomorrow or just getting your lunch ready.
Even tidying up your work bag can make a lot of difference.
More Time for What Matters
By handling these small tasks beforehand, you can free up some precious time in the morning to sort out things that are more important.
Change Bad Habits One Step at A Time
We’ve all had some bad habits at one time or another that we’re not very proud of, like smoking, binge eating or just staying up late.
These habits stick because they give us one of those quick, feel good moments.
As opposed to good habits, which take more time for their benefits to start showing themselves.
Start Small to Make a Big Change
The trick to breaking a bad habit is to reduce it bit by bit.
Cutting Down on Smoking
If you’re trying to give up smoking, try having one less cigarette each day.
Instead of sparking up, go for a five-minute walk, that’s about the time it takes to smoke one cigarette.
And the benefit of those walks will far outweigh the 5 minutes you stood there puffing away.
Better Sleep Habits
Want more sleep?
Try going to bed an hour earlier than usual.
You might not fall asleep right away, but it’s a step towards a better sleep routine.
Press Delete on the Shopping List
If you find you are constantly picking at or binge eating a particular junk food snack, when it comes to adding it to the shopping list, delete it and don’t buy it.
Instead, switch it up and get some fruit, so that when the old habit kicks in, you have no choice but to start a new one.
Building Life-Changing Micro Habits
These small changes can lead to big improvements in your life.
Try thinking of more micro habits you could do, based on what you want to achieve.
Aristotle said:
“We are what we repeatedly do.“
This means our habits are built by doing things over and over.
Micro habits break down big goals into small easy steps that are hard to mess up.
Having a big goal is good, but it’s these small habits that will set you on the path to getting there.
