Tag: Tiny Habits

  • You need a system (and so do I)

    You need a system (and so do I)

    Fun disclosure: my loved ones will laugh when they read this. As with most of my blogs, I am growing up in public, sharing what works – and doesn’t work – for me, hoping it may work for you as well.

    If you tend to regularly forget your phone, loose your keys and waste your own time, then this will help: automation.

    If you are like me, it may sound unappealing at first. After all, we’re not robots, right? But I gave it a try and by now, I have incorporated wholesome behaviors into my life, mostly things that are otherwise easy to forget or that just don’t get the priority they deserve.

    Automating parts of my life helps me stick to my priorities, frees up brain space for stuff that matters most and saves time. Plus it helps me feel great and grateful several times a day. I like to see it as some kind of ninja training.

    Behavior

    One trick is to hook desired behaviors into your daily routine by connecting them with other stuff that happens anyway, things like getting up, brushing your teeth, going to the toilet, leaving the house. This is called the Tiny Habits method and I wrote this article about it: On Tiny Habits (or: why pee wins where willpower fails).

    When you automate your behaviors, they become habits. Example: I have a habit of drinking healthy, medicinal drinks (sole, smoothie, green tea, turmeric) every single day, just because I built that into my system. Years ago, I used to have a habit of drinking alcoholic beverages because I built that into my system – the choice is up to you ;).

    Organization

    Creating a system that works is also about shaping the environment to support your intentions. Example: I love smoothies and have a ‘smoothie basket’ ready in my fridge. Every morning after I get up, all I have to to is slide out this one basket and all ingredients are right there. No need to go find them in five different cupboards.

    Another example: my keys have one place in my bag for when I’m on the road and one in my room for when I’m home. They are always in the same place and I can blindly point them out to someone. The reason: I used to leave them everywhere and always be looking for them. I would curse myself but didn’t see the simple solution for a long time.

    TED talk

    I didn’t come up with this automation/system thing all by myself. Some years ago I watched a TED talk by a programmer who was all about systems. If you loose your keys all the time, she said, then what you need is a system. And that made so much sense to me. (Please, if anyone of you knows which talk I am referring to, let me know in the comments, I’d love to watch it again and give the lady credit.)

    Mindfulness

    Also, mindfulness plays a big role here. As long as I’m mindful, I’ll keep track of my stuff, whether consciously or even unconsciously: the info is stored somewhere and available when it is needed. But if I get carried away in the heat of the moment by something like the joy of a social interaction, the my attention for the practical stuff gets… well, lost.

    What helps then, is to just sit down and meditate (I practice Vipassana). It can be quite revealing!

    (Article coming soon: What if the system keeps failing?)

    Bottom line

    If something repeatedly doesn’t work in your life, in computer terms it means your system is flawed. Simply identify what’s wrong in your approach, and change it. It will require some conscious effort at first. Using the Tiny Habits method may make things easier, depending on the issue. And organizing your life in a way that supports your intentions, is key.

  • On Tiny Habits (or: why pee wins where willpower fails)

    Do you have the tiniest inclination to make a change in the way you spend your days? Then watch this video on creating Tiny Habits. It may change your life.

    For all the times you tried to incorporate something into your lifestyle and gave up after a few tries or even only one… this is the thing that truly makes a difference.

    Here’s how it works: in stead of using willpower, which costs you a lot of energy and is far less effective, you can set tiny goals and make yourself successful at them time and time again.

    You’ll start liking your new behavior, feel great about yourself and, out of enthusiasm (as opposed to willpower) naturally extend your new tiny habit into a Big one.

    [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_2″ last=”no”]

    Tiny examples

    • After i pee, i do 5 situps.
    • After i brush my teeth, i floss 1 tooth.
    • After i stand up from my chair, i pick up 1 thing to clean.
    • After i send an email, i take 1 minute to watch my breath.
    • After i get up in the morning, i light 1 candle.

    [/fusion_builder_column]

    [fusion_builder_column type=”1_2″ last=”yes”]

    What’s this thing about pee you mentioned?

    Using the Tiny Habits method, you will hook your new behavior into your day by anchoring it to something you do anyway. My favorite trigger has always been peeing: “after i pee, i will…”.

    I love having a strong belly. It makes me feel grounded and full of energy and inner strength. To strengthen my belly, i want to do daily situps. I choose an amount of situps that (to me) is ridiculously low, so i will have no excuse to skip. So i picked up this tiny habit:
    [/fusion_builder_column]
    Each time i pee, i will do 20 situps.

    I started only two days ago, i already did about 8 or 10 times 20 situps and i feel great about it!

    Btw, i know that to many, 20 situps is not ‘tiny’ but rather a lot. So whatever you consider tiny is personal. If i would do pushups, i would probably start with 3. The trick is to set your goal to an amount that is something you can not NOT do because there is just no excuse. It may sound silly but this is the way it works.

    How does it work?

    Tiny Habits is a great method to introduce new habits in your lifestyle in a fun and super-sustainable way.

    I have been using it often to get started with wholesome habits in my life such as drinking lemon juice every morning, sprouting my own beans, exercising daily and tidying my home.

    Here are the steps according to B.J. Fogg, the creator of Tiny Habits:

    Step 1: Get specific
    What behavior do you want?
    Translate target outcomes and goals into behaviors.
    And be specific.

    Step 2: Make it easy
    How can you make the behavior easy to do?
    Simplicity changes behavior.

    Step 3: Trigger the behavior
    What will prompt the behavior?
    Some triggers are natural. Others you must design.
    No behavior happens w/o a trigger.

    Just watch the video, then all of the above will make even more sense. Or ask your question in the comments, i will do my best to answer from my own experience and insight.

    If you want to know more and get automated email guidance by B.J. Fogg, the creator of Tiny Habits, check out this site: http://tinyhabits.com/ (new window).[/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]