2024 is the year of positive change, which is why you may already be familiar with the term ‘micro habits.’ We all have big goals and aspirations, but in order to achieve them, we need a practical and actionable plan. That is where micro habits come in.
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Whether you’re looking to excel in your personal or professional life, micro habits can assist you in reaching all of your goals with longevity. And the best part? It’s very easy to start. Here’s 10 ways you can use micro habits right now.
But first… What is a micro habit?
A micro habit is a small and simple action that you can implement daily that will lead to big results over time. Rather than setting goals without an actionable plan, micro habits encourage you to focus on consistent and manageable steps that can steer you towards reaching your personal and professional aspirations.
Micro habits are powerful because they’re easy to stick to, even on your busiest days. By focusing on consistency rather than ambitious targets, you’re more likely to turn your resolutions into lasting lifestyle changes. Over time, your micro habits can grow, but the important thing is to start small and build momentum.
Big changes can require a lot of time, energy, money or focus, and, for most of us, those resources are in short supply. Our intentions are good, but we lack the bandwidth to make those changes stick, and failure to follow through can send us spiraling into frustration and fatigue.
Tinkering with micro habits is a great way to avoid that spiral, and, in my experience, serves as a powerful springboard for much bigger changes down the line.
forbes health, micro habits: do they make a difference?
How you can use micro habits
• If your goal is to become a consistent reader, rather than aiming to read 1 – 2 books per month, start by reading 3 pages per day.
• If your goal is to eat healthier, rather than overwhelming yourself with new recipes, start by adding one vegetable to your dish each night.
• If your goal is to walk more, rather than aiming for 1,000 more steps each day, dedicate 5 minutes of your lunch break to go for a walk.
• If your goal is to meditate, rather than setting a timer for 30 minutes, start by taking 3 deep and slow breaths when you wake up and again before bed.
More examples include…
• Move and stretch your body first thing in the morning
• Practice 2 daily affirmations before starting your day
• Exclude your phone from your morning routine
• Drink 1 glass of water before your morning coffee
• Be mindful and create a simple to-do list for the day
• Spend 2 minutes tidying up your space before work
• Write down 2 things you’re grateful for today
• Find 2 things to declutter from your drawers
• Cut down on your screen time by 5 minutes
• Go to bed 5 minutes earlier than normal
2 books to check out include…
1) Atomic Habits by James Clear
Goodreads Rating: 4.36
Pre-order on Amazon
From the publisher: If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you’ll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.
2) Tiny Habits by B.J. Fogg
Goodreads Rating: 4.14
Order on Amazon
From the publisher: The world’s leading expert on habit formation shows how you can have a happier, healthier life: by starting small. When it comes to change, tiny is mighty. Start with two pushups a day, not a two-hour workout; or five deep breaths each morning rather than an hour of meditation. You just need Fogg’s behavior formula: make it easy, make it fit your life, and make it rewarding.
It’s easy to get ahead of ourselves, especially when it comes to setting new goals and making lifestyle changes. By starting small and celebrating each mini milestone, you can build momentum and achieve what may have once felt impossible. What are some of your favorite micro habits? What are some you’d like to adopt? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
RELATED POST: How to Stop Procrastinating Using The 2-Minute Rule
I haven’t heard of micro habits before, but I do believe that small changes can lead to big results. It’s great that the micro habits are easy enough for anyone to incorporate into their routine to help them reach their goal.
It’s a great way to get started! Thank you for reading Karalee.
Loving these micro-habit ideas! Starting small and building up is so much more manageable than trying to make drastic changes. Thanks for the inspiration to make some positive tweaks in my daily routine!
I agree, it guarantees your success in adopting healthy habits in your daily routine. Thank you for reading Candice!
Not a term I’ve come across before but it makes perfect sense to break down big tasks into manageable chunks.
It’s such a great term that people are embracing, it makes achieving your goals much more manageable and practical! Thank you for reading Sarah.
Your post is a great reminder to focus on making small changes every day. Taking a big goal and breaking it down makes progress so much more feasible.
I agree, it creates a solid foundation on how you can achieve your goals. Thank you for reading Heidi!
Excellent tips, small steps make great changes in time! <3
http://www.couture-case.com/
Absolutely! Thank you for reading Jelena.
Brilliant tips!
Thank you for reading Hena!
Oh I love this! Start with small and manageable baby steps! I might have to incorporate adding one more vegetable to my dinner dish 🙂
https://makeupisdelish.com/
That sounds great Melanie! It’s all about the baby steps. Thank you for reading!
I find that micro habits are so much better than resolutions. I love how micro habits make it so much easier to achieve a bigger goal which can seem impossible, but slow and steady wins the race!
I absolutely agree! Small steps lead us towards achieving our goals and micro habits makes it much more practical. Thank you for reading Winnie!
I have been implementing this for myself (I call them happiness habits), and it has been making such a difference. I introduce a new micro habit once I have fully integrated a previous one, and it is this wonderful way to build on something positive. Great post and book suggestions!
I love that you call them happiness habits, Molly! Taking small steps is the best way to achieve our goals. I’m glad to hear it’s been working so well for you!
Really awesome post! One goal I have is to lose weight! I’ve been trying to exercise but I fell off because of an injury. I’m feeling better now so I’m going to try to get back into exercising. I love that you’re focusing on mini victories because it means you’re not going to see big results right away. While I was exercising I kept looking in the mirror hoping to see results fast and trying to exercise for long periods of time. I’m going to try lowering the amount of time I exercise, and increase it little by little as time goes on when I feel I’m ready. I think that will help me exercise consistently. Thanks for This post!
I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better now, Charli! Celebrating small wins is so important and it motivates us to keep going. Good luck on reaching your goals!
I’m doing it now, doing micro habits to make big changes and reach my ultimate goal. Great post and informative.
That’s great to hear Fransic. Best of luck to you on reaching all of your goals!
Gracias por el consejo. te mando un beso.
Thank you for reading Citu!
Great post! I’m on a journey to better health, incorporating small changes like adding fruits and veggies to my meals and hitting the gym once or twice a week. Celebrating these victories, no matter how small, is crucial for maintaining momentum. And “Atomic Habits”? It’s a game-changer! I’m currently on chapter 3 and learning so much from it.
That’s wonderful Fritzie! Atomic Habits has a ton of helpful information and I’m glad you’re enjoying it so far. Thank you for reading!
I definitely think micro habits would help me focus and be more productive!
It’s definitely helpful! Making tiny changes to our daily routine makes it so much easier to get started. Thank you for reading Chloe!
I need to incorporate some of these micro-habits, especially the one of excluding my phone from my morning routine x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Yes, that’s a big one! Good luck on your micro habit and thank you for reading Lucy.
I hadn’t heard of this term before but it makes great sense! Thanks for sharing about it and providing some examples Winnie.
My pleasure Jodie! We often focus on the big picture, but it’s the small steps that get us there. Thank you for reading!
These are all great tips to help make small improvements to your everyday life! Thanks for sharing this! 🙂
https://melissakacar.com
Absolutely, it’s all about the small steps. Thank you for reading Melissa!