Little Habits
How I’m using little wins to make big changes.
I’ve been studying habits a lot lately. My current non-fiction book is the Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. I’ve also been watching a lot of YouTube videos on the subject. The science behind why we do what we do (even when it’s contrary to our goals) is fascinating.
I didn’t expect to fall down this rabbit hole as deep as I have, but there’s something about the subject that fires my brain. I expected to watch a couple of videos and read Atomic Habits and be done.
This week, it’s all about keystone habits, the ones that seem to cause you to change other habits in your life almost automatically.
I’m a sucker for the little hits of dopamine I get by ticking something off my to do list. I start my day by getting an early win by straightening out my side of the bed when I get up (quite the feat when my husband and dog are still asleep). That one small thing has lead me to fold my pajamas when I get dressed and make sure all of my dirty laundry makes it into the hamper instead of the floor.
Working out every morning lead to eating a healthier breakfast (I still miss sugary cereal some mornings) and packing my lunch for work to cut down on junk food runs. Studying lead to keeping my desk clean and reviewing my goals every day.
It’s amazing how such tiny things have such a huge impact on my life. I’m back to being a voracious reader, both of fiction and non-fiction books. I’ve lost about 40 pounds (still a shocking number for me to get my head around). I’m more organized and productive.
Most of the time, I don’t have to summon up any willpower to do my morning routine, not because I love every second of doing it, but because it takes more energy to dread it than it takes to do it.
That’s my secret: I deliberately keep my individual habits small, even if they add up to 45 minutes of activity every morning. I only think about what the next task is instead of the whole process. Squats done? Good, time to move on to breathing exercises. When I get to my journal, I know I’m done and can spend the remainder of my morning as I choose.
All of my studying has lead me to notice other habits in my life: I always brush my teeth in the same pattern, put the shoe on my left foot first, immediately turn on YouTube when I sit at my desk, etc.
Noticing is half the battle. I’m trying to figure out the cues for the habits I want to cut as well as my psychological reward for doing them so I can change them. I have a long way to go to be the person I want to be, but I’m enjoying the process of learning how to get there.
What’s one habit you’ve implemented recently or one you want to change?
Weekly Goals
Write 7K words: Success! Finally!
Read one book: Success! I finished Son of No One by Sherrilyn Kenyon.
Sew ten dice bags: Success!
Go to the gym twice: Success with a butt kicking from one of my buddies.
Go to class: Success! With aching muscles to prove it.
