The power of small steps
- Catherine Greenwood
- Apr 14, 2024
- 4 min read
January 2023
"It is so easy to overestimate the importance of one defining moment and underestimate the value of making small improvements on a daily basis."
James Clear, Atomic Habits
So much of what we do in life is habit. And much of that we don't even notice as adults - thanks to decades of mental programming.
Did you know, over 40 per cent of the actions we perform each day are unconscious habits?
Our brain uses these autopilots to save the mental energy of making milions of tiny conscious decisions. To do so would be exhausting!
Habits make our every day life possible. But are they all great?
I'm guessing there are some that you'd like to replace or new ones you'd like to adopt.
Personally, I'd love to drop my nightly habit of scrolling through social media once the kids are in bed, pointlessly putting my 'comparison-itis' tendencies into overdrive. It's not the best state of mind for a relaxing evening, or a decent night's sleep!
We all have different takes on new year resolutions and how successful this annual exercise can be (or not). But for many of us this is a self-reflective time of year, and what better place to start than to establish some new habits to support us in living the life we want.
The two-minute rule
In his brilliant guide to behaviour change Atomic Habits, James Clear advises we follow the "two-minute rule": Any new habit should take less than two minutes to do. He suggests breaking down your chosen habit to a two minute version, making it as easy as possible to start. The idea is to build a 'gateway habit' for larger behaviour change or bigger ambition you're ultimately working towards.
For example:
"Be a better partner" begins with "make my partner a cup of coffee every morning'
"Be more present for my kids" begins with "look up from my phone when my son talks to me"
"Live a healthier lifestyle" begins with "drink a glass of water first thing when I wake up in the morning".
Putting it into practice
Maybe you have the intent, but need a reminder of that first tiny step towards your new habit? Perhaps you still need some motivation? If that’s the case, here are a few suggestions adapted from the ever practical Carla Miller:
1. Create a ‘cue’
Set up a prompt beforehand and make it as easy and accessible as possible. If the habit is to exercise first thing, lay out your gym kit the night before so it’s there ready for you. Now, you’ve removed some barriers and have a visual reminder when you wake. One of my clients even slept in her sports bra the night before and found it really helped her establish a regular morning yoga routine.
2. Habit stacking
Do you have daily habits e.g. brushing teeth, having a shower, boiling the kettle that you could tag your new habit onto the end of it? Let’s say you’d like to walk 10,000 steps a day – you could walk up and down the stairs 10 times or around your flat 5 times each time you boil the kettle. My husband adopted this approach following advice from his physio to do daily leg stability exercises after a running injury. As a family we’re very used to seeing him balancing on one leg whilst he brushes his teeth every morning!
3. Connect your habit to something you really want to do
Some habits can be harder to muster up enthusiasm for. You may have heard the benefits of daily gratitude or journalling but can’t help but see it as a chore. If you love your morning coffee then why not combine the two and write whilst enjoying your first coffee of the day?
4. Make technology your friend
There are apps for forming new habits that track the number of days you’ve done something, to build up ‘streaks’. An activity that started with my 7 year old a few months ago as trying to fill a few minutes before bathtime, has now turned into a daily practice of him learning French through an app. He was so proud recently to pass a 150-day streak! It’s now engrained in our evening routine and we’d both feel quite lost without it
How can this help me?
First, you need to be really clear on what change you want to make. What's the end goal?
It may be something broad like having a healthier work-life balance or being more confident. Or something very specific such as taking up yoga or mindfulness everyday. Maybe you want to start a new business venture?
To make success more likely, Clear suggests tapping into the identity you want to embody by adopting these new habits, rather than focus purely on outcomes. For example, a daily habit of making your bed helps embody the identity of a tidy and organised person. Or when you make nutritious food choices and are active every day, you embody the identity of a healthy person.
Think of it as each habit you adopt casting a vote for your desired idenity.
Secondly, for real behaviour change to take place, it is also crucial that the change is important to you and not what someone else wants or expects of you. You have to really want it and your actions must be intentional.
The final step is to break the habit down into its 2 minute version
Think tiny steps that you can easily achieve – so tiny that they are almost laughable.
Give it a go!
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