The 1% method - minimum change, maximum effect
German, James Clear, 2020
Three tips for getting into good habits
7-2-2023
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
Where do you stand with your resolutions? All out the window? Perfect! Now’s your chance to do something about that. Goals that are too ambitious are often the reason why New Year’s resolutions aren’t kept. But all it takes is a few simple steps to quickly adopt new habits.
It’s that time of year again – the season of resolutions. Strictly speaking, it’s actually already up. The early euphoria has faded and, instead, the daily grind is back with a vengeance. And as quick as a flash, we’ve once again come to terms with those things we wanted to change so badly. Understandably so. We are, after all, creatures of habit, and change is exhausting. But if you’ve already thrown your good intentions overboard, that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it may be just the thing you need to make that change now!
Quitting is the new succeeding
I’m the type of person who regularly resolves to exercise more. For years, this resolution was on nearly every one of my to-do lists (and I have quite a few of them). However, I rarely managed to tick off the box. At some point, I simply gave up and had to admit to myself that it just wasn’t going to happen. And then something strange happened: it suddenly started happening. Today, regular physical activity is part of my routine.
Less is more
Originally, I had big plans. Half an hour of cycling followed by a 45-minute workout. Daily, whenever possible. After all, I wanted it to have an effect. What a mother of a daily task I’d created! It was going to cost a huge effort to even get started. The result? I generally didn’t even try.
When I (finally) abandoned my (admittedly overambitious) plan, the path was clear for attainable goals. A few push-ups and sit-ups here and there? No biggie and not much effort. All of a sudden, riding my bike was fun, too. I no longer felt I had to force myself into the saddle. The simple hack: allowing myself to check my mood and the weather instead of forcing myself to take the bike no matter what.
Tip No. 1: baby steps Rome wasn’t built in a day, they say. Don’t be discouraged by goals that feel unattainable, but set several, realistic ones. A small success is better than none at all. And many small steps will take you a long way.
Repeat, repeat, repeat
Habits that are deeply rooted can only be changed gradually. Now that I’dbrought my goal down a notch to a doable level, it no longer felt so difficult to complete my daily exercises. Putting in the effort to do a few quick sit-ups wasn’t all that challenging. And so, not a day went passed without me exercising at least a little bit. Routine set in all by itself.
Tip No. 2: repetition is key All that matters is that you stay at it. It takes many repetitions for our brain to get used to something new. But once that’s out of the way, your new habits will almost be automatic.
Positive thinking
While I used to beat myself up about failing to stick to my plan, I was amazed to see how easy it was to get a move on without all that pressure I’d put myself under. After all the failed attempts, I was quite impressed with myself. Even though it wasn’t much exercising I was doing every day, I was still kind of proud of myself. That, of course, spurred me on and I just kept going.
Tip No. 3: believe in yourself and celebrate your successes Don’t stress over making exceptions and avoid being too hard on yourself.
I’ve managed to fit a ten-minute workout into my daily routine this way for a few years now. I do it every other day on average. Today, there’s no effort or haggling with myself. It’s just part of my day. And if I stop for a few days, I even miss it.
Chuck those over-ambitious plans into the bin and get on with that change.
If you want to learn more about how to make big changes with small steps, you’ll get the answers from James Clear (currently only available in German). Based on insights from biology, psychology and neuroscience, the author and coach explains how to strategically influence your habit formation.
Header image: Shutterstock/Maridav
Science editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always outside - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.