Mindset is the filter through which you see the world. Changing your mindset is fundamental to changing anything else. Put another way, until you shift your perspective to recognize that you need a change and are willing to do what it takes, nothing can change. Habits are how your mindset gets implemented. But, let’s talk about the power of micro habits.
Without effective habits, even the best mindset and great motivation will struggle to gain traction. This all sounds great, but I can hear you saying “Wow. That’s daunting and sounds complicated. I don’t have the time or energy to take that on right now.”
This is a very common (but erroneous) response.
People often think that change takes a massive amount of time and energy
In reality, it doesn’t take any more time than you already have. Plus, making these changes towards micro habits CREATES energy!
However, getting there means shifting priority or focus. More importantly, it involves shifting your perspective to see the opportunities around you.
Yesterday I was doing a book signing and heard variations of this excuse from many people.
A parent would come in with a couple (or more) kids in tow, and be looking at books. When they found out that my book was more of a “self-help, personal performance, take action” type of book, the excuses would come out.
I don’t have time for that, oh…I’m good…I already have a gym membership, kids take up all my time, and I’m not interested.
The fact that they were looking at (and purchasing) books meant they had already allocated time for reading. As for the time excuse, we all have the same amount.
Yes, having kids creates challenges, but also opportunities!
If you are an overworked parent, stressed out, unhealthy, and barely managing to cope, do you think this is a good role model for your children?
Kids are sponges. What do you think they are learning about self-care, personal growth, health, and happiness from whom? As a parent, I see this as one of my most important roles.
Without confidence and competency in these things, life is constantly difficult and often seems overwhelming. Showing your kids that yes, life throws curveballs at you, and mistakes will be made, but how you deal with those curveballs is the most important part.
Once you decide to make a change (the most important part), there are a couple of ways to go about it
Sometimes people like to make massive changes in a short amount of time. This happens when people go “cold turkey” on quitting negative habits. Think of joining a 6, 8, or 12-week challenge.
This “dive in head first” mentality can work if the result is to build new habits. However, if you are merely surviving the onslaught of new behaviors, but haven’t shifted your mindset to accept these changes, the habits will not be built.
You may end up seeing some great short-term results, but will inevitably end up losing your improvements, and finish mentally exhausted from “going against who you are in your mind”.
This is why so many fitness, weight loss, and “transformation” challenges fail
They aren’t designed to change mindsets and habits. They are simply trying to force extreme fitness and restrictive behaviors onto someone who hasn’t accepted this change at the deepest level of their being.
Sometimes this happens inadvertently through the process, but it typically isn’t the focus.
Most times, people go back to doing what they did before the challenge, and wonder why they are constantly on the gain/loss/frustration roller coaster.
Creating Micro habits is another way to look at this
Micro habits are small, seemingly inconsequential daily habits that provide a massive stimulus for greater change. Sometimes I refer to these as “gateway habits” since they open the door to greater future changes.
Unfortunately, most people don’t think of these as being helpful, so they overlook or neglect them for flashier, large-scale changes.
The great thing about micro habits is that they are SUPER EASY to do, take almost no time, and anyone can do them. The bar is set so low that it’s silly not to do them.
The important thing to remember is that a shift in MINDSET must first precede these habits. It would be best if you were committed to transforming your mindset, habits, and daily actions over the long term.
This isn’t something you will do for a while and then stop. It may be for the rest of your life, or until you find a better, more effective way of reaching your goals. Setting this in your mind is critical for sustainable success.
This is where micro habits are great
Most people who are inactive will struggle with the thought of doing an hour of exercise every day for the rest of their lives. The shift is too great.
However, I’ve yet to meet someone who couldn’t do one minute of mobility every morning and another minute before bed at night. This change is doable and much easier for the brain to embrace.
There are many examples, but here is one simple story to illustrate how easy creating a micro habit can be
Yesterday, I stopped at the grocery store to do some shopping for the family. The parking lot was packed, and cars were waiting for spots. One guy, in particular, was adamant about getting a spot near the entrance.
He was waiting in his car while the lady in the spot loaded her groceries, packed her kid into the car, took the cart back, started the car, adjusted the mirror, and who knows what else.
During this time, I passed him, drove 50 meters to the end of the lot (where there were many spots open), parked my car, walked past him and into the store.
By the time I entered the store, this man still hadn’t got into his parking spot. Crazy!
People often say they don’t have time for exercise. This mindset essentially puts the blinders on that makes people fail to see the opportunities around them.
While this man was waiting for a parking spot (likely in a frustrated mood), I was able to get 4-5 minutes of brisk walking in, was relaxed, and enjoyed the fresh air (as much as it can be in a grocery store parking lot).
The micro habit in this story is having the mindset to park further away from the store where parking spots are plentiful, and you are less likely to get a dent in your car.
This allows a lower stress experience while also providing some additional activity…or even exercise (if you walk faster than you normally would…YES exercise is defined as general activity above your baseline of intensity).
Hopefully, you can see the power and simplicity of micro-habits
Imagine how awesome your transformation would be if you could add one new micro habit every week. In a year, you would have 52 new ways to stay healthy, and none of them would have seemed difficult.
You can create micro habits in all 4 of the Pillars of Personal Performance (Mindset, Habits, Movement, Fuel)
Here are some more examples of micro habits
- Drink a big glass of water within a few minutes of waking up
- Do 1 minute of head-to-toe movement/mobility as soon as your feet hit the floor in the morning
- Do the same thing before you crawl into bed at night
- Eat a vegetable at every meal
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator (even 1 floor, and then the elevator the rest of the way)
- In the evening, write down your top 3 “must-do” priorities for the next day
- Drink a glass of water every time you go to the bathroom and at every meal
This is how transformative long-term change happens. It’s easily within your reach.
Let me know what micro habit you are going to start TODAY! Waiting until tomorrow means you are another day further from your goals.
Comments
Microhabits are incredibly important! These small steps are so important to making BIG changes in your life.
Exactly Emily. Thanks for commenting!
I need to start making more microhabits for myself. It can be daunting to do big steps/habits, but a bunch fo small steps can lead to massive mindset and habitual changes.
You are absolutely right Michelle. Thanks for commenting!
Small corrections are usually the best way to make changes, so micro-habits seems like just the thing for ongoing success.
Thanks for commenting!
An insightful dive into the transformative potential of mindset and micro habits! This post beautifully captures the essence of personal growth and empowerment through small, consistent actions.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Great post! I can say I’m guilt of making excuses at times, but I’m now moving forward to making small steps to changing things. I would agree too that micro-habits are very important and vital to making changes in our life.
Thanks for the feedback Lisa!
I change by making small changes. I learned long ago that trying to make large changes, especially to more than one thing at a time, is a good way to fail.
Great to hear that and thanks for sharing!
Having a mindset that is great will help you to do this or make it a part of your lifestyle. Thanks for sharing this because it provides motivation on me to continue.
You are welcome! We are glad you find our post helpful.
Kids really are sponges. I believe they repeat what they see, not just what they hear, so it’s important to set good examples with our actions and habits that they are seeing (and eventually probably repeating).
Totaly agreed. Thank for commenting!
Great read, small changes always make a big impact in our life. There’s no point in rushing things, what counts is going at your own pace, one step at a time.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
I like this because it highlights the crucial connection between mindset and habits in achieving transformation. The emphasis on micro habits resonates with me because it makes the process feel more manageable and less overwhelming.
Thanks for the feeedback!
I’m a firm believer in building small, manageable habits. Like reading for 30 minutes a day or doing 10 push-ups before bed. I was gradually and consistently making progress without feeling overwhelmed!
Thanks for sharing!
It’s true that changing your mindset is crucial for making progress in any area of your life. Without changing your mindset, you may get stuck in certain situations.
Thanks for commenting!
Your article does an awesome job reminding us of the pivotal role of mindset and micro habits in driving transformation, dispelling common misconceptions about time and energy constraints. Thank you for your insights!
Thank you for the feedback!
Anyone who wants to get into shape needs to read this. Mindset is everything to success. It keeps you motivated!
Exactly Claudia. Thanks for commenting!
Mindset is so important. Until I believed I could get fitter, I wasn’t able to do it. I changed my mindset and started to develop small manageable changes in my routine, and I saw success.
Great example Ben! Thanks for sharing!
Delving into the concept of unlocking transformation through mindset and micro habits is a profound exploration! ‘m eager to uncover the secrets behind harnessing the power of mindset and small daily habits for impactful change.
Thanks for commenting Catherine! And good luck!
I know lots of people who make excuses about things. It really is about making changes — even the smallest changes add up to big changes. Micro habits are a great strategy!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
I love your approach to shifting perspectives to see opportunities—it’s so empowering! I often catch myself making excuses about not having enough time, especially since I’m a parent, but you’re right about the fact that we all have the same amount of time; it’s all about how we choose to use it.
We are glad you liked the article. Thanks for the feedback!
I agree with you, shifting our focus and perspective to see the opportunities is very important. Love this post and hope a lot of people read it and learn this helpful knowledge.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
I agree with you that creating micro habits would be helpful and effective as this also helps us become more consistent.
Also, I agree with you regarding the parking area. We prefer to park at the back even if we have to walk because it’s safer.
Thanks for the feeedback Clarice!
Developing good microhabits goes a long way and is truly important in transforming our lives for good! Every big goal begins with a small step.
Exactly Archana. Thanks for commenting!