More often than not, we fail because we take on too much all at once. Lose weight, build a nest egg, be a better parent, volunteer to help others, be better at backing, learn a foreign language, watch less TV, pick up trash in the truck stop parking lot, be nice to the nasty guy at the distribution center you deliver to. The list is, for some of us anyhow, endless.
And, its a prescription to fail.
A guy named Stephen Guise has an alternative. He suggests we work on creating mini habits, ones so small that you can’t fail at them. Do these mini habits often enough and they stick, they become part of your life. He even wrote a book about it Mini Habits: Smaller Habits. Bigger Results. Not surprisingly, he also has a website and a Facebook group to help keep you on track. There are apps for your smartphone as well.
Guise believes that doing a little something is better than doing nothing. And, if you do a little something often enough, it becomes something bigger and more meaningful.
Mini Habits is available for an e-reader or in paperback online. He also has a separate book about weight loss.
It’s possible that 2019 is the year you make big changes in your life by thinking small. In fact, here are five small things you can try to do to get change started:
- Get outside for just 10 minutes a day.
- If you order a sandwich, get it on whole wheat instead of white bread.
- Stretch while watching Netflix on reviewing Facebook in your sleeper.
- Eat a serving of fruit each day.
- Sing the ABCs song — to yourself if you’re in a truck stop restroom — every time you wash your hands. This ensures you get your hands truly clean, which is important during cold and flu season.
