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
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
So you’ve decided to embark upon a new daily exercise routine and today is Day 1. As you near the gym you begin going through your mental checklist:
Water bottle?
Check.
Towel?
Check.
Comfortable workout shoes?
Check.
New gym membership?
Check.
But as you step foot inside the gym, you suddenly notice dozens of people walking around, stretching, and using funky looking equipment and you think to yourself
You’d be surprise how many first-timers gym users feel this way internally.
If you’ve had similar thoughts, I promise – you’re not alone! The overwhelming feeling of not knowing where to start is something myself and many others have experienced our first time at the gym. Eventually, what worked for me was starting out with easy and familiar exercises. This kept me from feeling overwhelmed and fearful. My mindset at the time was simply:
‘Familiarity’ is key when first getting to the gym. Start with any exercise that easy for you to do!
Another way of saying this is to “become a master at what you already know”. Such a mindset helps calm your nerves when figuring out where to start at the gym.
For instance, if the treadmill is the only exercise machine that you’re familiar with, then start “treadmilling” away as if you’ve been doing it for years. Or perhaps you’d like to build muscles and the only exercise you’re familiar with are dumbbell curls. Your best bet is to walk right over to that dumbbell rack, pick up a suitable weight, and start curling away!
Walking on the treadmill is a great way to acclimate to any gym.
Not only does “mastering what you already know” help settle you down, it ultimately gives you that much needed sense of belonging in the gym.
Although it helps having a wider range of exercises down the line, you initially want to find your comfort zone. Comfort leads to confidence, and confidence will give you that “sense of belonging” you need in order to thrive!
“A little progress each day adds up to big results” -unknown
Key Takeaways:
We’ve all felt “lost” in the gym at one point
Become a master at what you already know: start easy and familiar
Being comfortable in the gym leads to confidence, confidence gives you a sense of belonging.
