"Your identity emerges out of your habits. Every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become."

James Clear - Atomic Habits

The previous article looked at why habits can be so life-changing. Now I will discuss actionable steps and how to use them to your advantage.

🎯 Set Specific Goals

Have a clear vision of the habit, and be specific. Please write it down and why you want to make the habit.

Examples:

  • 🍀 I will meditate because I want more clarity and peace in my life.
  • 📖 I will read before sleep because it helps me to relax and so I sleep much more soundly.
  • 🌍 I will open Duolingo to learn English daily because I can understand everything easily online!

Connect It to Already Created Habits

🚥 Connect It To Already Created Habits

Often is helpful to add those habits to already created practices. Like this, you can add the habit before or after the already known routine!

Examples: 🍀 I will meditate each morning after waking up because I want more clarity and peace in my life.

  • 📖 I will read before sleep after I clean my teeth because it helps me to relax and so I sleep much more soundly.
  • 🌍 I will open Duolingo after dinner to learn English daily because I can understand everything easily online!

📍 Every Time Start Small

One of the core principles is to start small. Why? Because habits are much more about identity change than anything else. Each time you choose to do something significant to you, you are vouching for that person: “I want to be more than a person.” And it doesn’t matter if it is just 5 minutes. Regularity is the goal.

Plus, there is the simple math point of view. If you would meditate just 5 minutes each day, in a year, it’s 30 hours!** (5 * 365 / 60)

Examples: 🍀 I will meditate for 5 minutes each morning because I want more clarity and peace in my life.

  • 📖 I will read for 10 minutes before sleep after I clean my teeth because it helps me to relax and so I sleep much more soundly.
  • 🌍 I will open Duolingo for 5 minutes after dinner to learn English daily because I can understand everything easily online!

🌠 Enjoy it, Enjoy the reward

Enjoy whatever habit you do! You are doing something extraordinary! So keep it up; you will see how your possibilities expand in a while. You will feel empowered, and you will find yourself fully enjoying it over time!

🚥 Prepare For Struggle

Remember that how much doesn’t matter. Focus on regularity. Five minutes count! And if even then you miss a day or two. That’s OK. Forgive yourself for being an imperfect human being (we all are and cannot be otherwise) and start smaller again.

❤️ Give Yourself Reward

Habits are hard, no matter how good reasons we have. It will never be in the beginning natural. It’s a change.

Our part of us that wants to protect us will wish to us to keep us safe and secure. Also, the dopamine that modern devices can produce is just a lot, so we are naturally drawn to Netflix, games, and TV. But guess what will change when you spend doing those things all evening?

On the other hand, we can insert something more proactive into our routine. This change takes will, energy, and effort. So give reward yourself, to support yourself - especially at challenging times.

💭 Habit Ideas

  • Reading before sleep
  • Morning meditation or training
  • Regular exercise
  • Eating breakfast
  • Cleaning desk each evening
  • Learning every day (school, musical instrument)

💻 Habit Applications

Or you can try mine - HabitMaster. It’s built with all those things in mind, for free.