just do the first step

I always say to our new members, “the slower you ease your way into creating a habit, the higher the likelihood of that habit sticking.”

But there’s another piece of the puzzle I want to add.

It’s not just about making habits slowly, it’s about making them small enough.

“We have to make sure the first step is small enough.”

If going to the gym, eating more vegetables and fruit, or getting eight hours of sleep a night feels too challenging for you right now, we have to take these large tasks, and break them into more manageable pieces.

We have to make sure the first step is small enough.

Doing a 60 minute workout at the gym may be too much, but what about two sets of ten bicep curls at home?

Eating a salad at lunch every day this week may feel like torture, but what about a handful of berries at breakfast?

Going to bed before 10pm may be completely unrealistic with your current work schedule, but what if you started wearing an eye mask so that you were getting full darkness when you sleep?

“...virtually every habit we want to create for ourselves has a smaller, easier version that we can try first to acclimate and build over time.”

I maintain that if you want to build habits that stick, you need to ease your way into them. For example, start with two workouts a week for four weeks, then add another workout. Then when you’re consistent with three workouts a week for four weeks, we add another workout, and so on.

But it’s not just about the timing, it’s the size. And virtually every habit we want to create for ourselves has a smaller, easier version that we can try first to acclimate and build over time.

I’ve been meditating since 2020. I meditate twice a day (almost) everyday. It’s been a very rewarding habit for my physical and mental health. It didn’t come easy, however. I started a few minutes a day and often missed a few days. Then, I took a class to help me learn additional strategies to help with my practice. Eventually, I added more minutes to and then a second session during the day. I’m still not perfect, I never will be, but 5 years later, it’s a habit I’m proud of. The important aspect here, is that it took 5 years. Nothing is perfect overnight, but nothing happens at all if you don’t just do the first step.