You and I are creatures of habits. It’s amazing how many decisions are made in our daily lives without thinking. Some studies even show that subconscious habit makes up 40% of our daily actions! Therefore, in order to keep that ‘40%’ full of healthy actions we’ll discuss how to change unhealthy habits with “mini habits”.
One misconception about habits is that they take a lot of effort to build, but I disagree. Nature shows us that a small snowball rolling downhill will eventually get bigger and stronger with enough momentum. The snowball doesn’t require much “effort” once it gets going. In the same way, we’ll use effortless mini habits to build daily momentum towards our goals.
A small snowball (mini habit) doesn’t require much effort once momentum kicks in.
There’s a saying that goes “success is built upon success”. Fortunately this quote never mentions how big the success has to be! Think of a mini-habit as a daily task towards your goal that’s SO simple that it’s hard not to do it every day. For instance:
If your goal is to improve your gym consistency, start a mini habit of driving past your local gym on the way home each day (nothing more!)
If you want to build a strong core, start a mini habit of simply laying in sit-up position on the ground for a few seconds (yep! that’s it!)
If you want to drink more watereach day, start a mini habit of simply filling up a water bottle (I didn’t even say you had to drink it!)
“Great! But isn’t this a little TOO simple…what’s the catch?”
Mini habits are designed to get you comfortable with taking the first step towards your new goal (a healthier habit).
Therefore, these too-easy-not-to-do mini-habits simply serve as your “daily bare minimum” accomplishment for the day. However, I assure you it won’t be long before you naturally feel compelled to do more simply because you “might as well”. You’ll figure:
“I’m already driving by the gym each day (mini habit accomplished), I might as well go inside on the treadmill for a couple minutes”
“I’m already down here in sit-up position (mini habit accomplished), I might as well do a couple”
“I’ve already filled my water bottle (mini habit accomplished), I might as well drink some”
Remember: The “mini habit accomplished” is your main goal, anything else is an extra bonus.
The power of a simplistic habit checklist goes a long way.
Furthermore, I would seriously recommend making your momentum visible by utilizing a journal or checklist calendar. Keeping track of your progress this way is a great way to see your “success building upon itself”. Seeing your daily momentum gives yourself a satisfying sense of accomplishment every day. The longer your daily “success streak” gets, the more you’ll want to keep it alive.
And boom – you’ve just created discipline without even realizing it.
Let’s get that snowball rollin 🙂
Key Takeaway:
New habits are best acquired through daily momentum
Daily momentum is best sustained through simple, mini habits
A mini-habit (baby step) is something that’s “too-easy-not-to-do“
Keep track of your daily progress in a journal or calendar checklist
Years ago I was at a place in life where I completely lost the motivation to exercise regularly. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for me to bounce back and start a new routine. What’s interesting is that during this period I began discovering ‘why’ exercising was important to me again.
Like most things we commit to in life, it’s important to figure out the ‘why’ in what we’re doing.
It doesn’t hurt to reflect on your current progress every once in a while.
Since I decided to take ownership over my health and well-being again, I had to figure out why I wanted to get back into my workout routine again.
My reason?
I knew that regular exercise kept me balanced in other areas of life, and helped me to become a better person.
While setting goals for your exercise program is important, your reason (WHY) serves as the backbone for your goal and takes it a step further. Quite frankly, the reason for your goal is a lot more stable than the feeling associated with your goal.
Having a meaning to your exercise not only gets you started but keeps you going.
Chances are you’re not going to feel as motivated at the gym on “Day 56” as you did on “Day 1”, but the reason why you’re working out should remain the same on both days.
Feelings of motivation ignite the flame, but your ‘why’ keeps the flame going.
In order to get the most out of your wellness experience whatever you’re doing has to be meaningful to you. A good way to begin is by identifying your personal desires. Furthermore, activities such as writing things out and daily meditation are powerful tools to use to empower you along your fitness journey.
Key Takeaways:
Take ownership over your well-being
Figure out the reason for why you’re committing to your exercise routine
“Motivated feelings” change far more that “meaningful reasons”
Make whatever you’re doing become meaningful to you
“How much time we have” is relative to what we prioritize.
Does any of this sound familiar? If so, no need to feel ashamed! Chances are, most people you know don’t exercise on a consistent basis, either. However, the very fact that you clicked on this article shows your commitment to eliminating such exercise excuses!
When it comes to time management, it goes without saying that we make time for whatever is important to us (e.g. family, kids, work, sports, etc.) Committing to the gym regularly for 20-30 minutes may seem impossible with a busy schedule. However, I’d argue that making time for the gym regularly is very possible. My general theory on time management is this:
It’s not so much that we don’t have the time to fit certain things into our busy schedules, it’s that we only make time for what’s valuable to us.
Going on regular walks with a family member, neighbor, or friend is a great way to maximize your free-time.
Case in point: Let’s pretend you have a hectic 16-hour schedule that barely permits 30-minutes of free time. Your daily routine is fully loaded with family, work, and other obligations throughout the day. It’d be completely reasonable for you to conclude that you don’t have the extra 30 minutes to work out, right? Okay, now let’s say I came along before your day got started and said, “Hey, if you can find a way to exercise for 30 minutes today, I’ll pay you $50,000.00 cash immediately after.”
Exactly.
Unless you’re the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, I’d find it hard to believe that you wouldn’t make a “slight change” in your schedule that day (even if it meant waking up 30 minutes earlier!).
This simple illustration just goes to show that we can make time for things that are valuable and worthwhile.
This leaves us with the question,
“How valuable is your health and well-being to you?”
Truth is, nothing is more valuable than the quality of your very life, so why not invest in it while you still can?
In order to continue enjoying the things in life which bring us joy and fulfillment (ie. family, hobbies, activities), a commitment to our well-being must become of value to us.
As you continue along this journey, realize that today’s fitness decisions impacts tomorrow’s quality of life.
Key Takeaways:
There’s a good chance you’re not the only person you know who doesn’t exercise regularly – no need to feel ashamed!
We manage our time per what we value (e.g. family, money, health)
Nothing is more valuable than the quality of your very life
Throughout the years I’ve learned to look at my exercise routine as a daily journey. The past several years of my exercise journey have taught me key values like discipline, consistency and mental focus, as well as a comprehensive understanding of how our body works. These exercise incentives have taught me the value of regular exercise.
This questions unlocks the key to you enjoying your lifelong fitness journey.
Excellent question! People have all sorts of exercise incentives: to fit into that wedding dress they love, a desire to feel stronger, to gain more confidence, to clear one’s head after a long day of work – the list goes on. So with that, I’m going to answer the above question with another question:
How does keeping good health impact the things that are most meaningful to you in life?
Your health affects not only yourself, but also your family, friends, and loved ones.
For instance:
Does the ability to squat down and play with your grand-kids someday have any meaning to you?
How about feeling more energetic throughout your work day?
Do you want to be able to sleep better at night before those big business meetings in the mornings?
How about a stress release at the end of a long work day?
How important is your health for those home & gardening projects you love so much?
Here’s the key: We’ll only commit to a purpose if it adds value and meaning to our lives.
Stop and write down the things that are important to you in life. Really think about it. Your exercise incentives are personalized to you.
Keeping others in mind while exercising puts you into a different mindset.
Whether it’s family, business, hobbies, or personal well-being, there are exercise incentives in just about every area of our lives. This is why it’s so important to constantly remind ourselves of what (or whom) we’re exercising for. Doing so also keeps us consistent on our journey at times where we don’t feel like working out.
Here are some additional exercise incentives:
Increased lifespan
Oxygenated body
Reduced risk of diabetes
Improved memory
Decreased stress
Even if you’ve been putting off exercise for a while – don’t worry about it! Instead, recognize today as a new day and start celebrating the beginning of a new YOU!
Key takeaways:
Your health impacts the quality of those things which are valuable and meaningful to you in life
Your exercise incentives are unique and personalized to you
It’s important to constantly remind ourselves of what (or whom) we’re exercising for
