Micro-Habits: The Secret to Surpassing 99% of the World – Proven Recommendations
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. No matter what you do, even if you put in a little effort, it's better than not doing anything at all. Little by little, accumulate it, and make a little progress every day, which will eventually form a habit. This is what we are going to understand today: 'Micro-Habits'
Micro-Habits, as the name suggests, are very small, positive habits. Because they are so small, you can easily complete them without any obstacles, so you won't feel like you're forming a habit. Over a long period of time, they will form a positive and effective habit.
One, Challenge 'Five Kilos' Failed
After working, my weight grew uncontrollably like weeds, which made me very troubled. Afterwards, I set losing weight as my goal, and I put in a lot of effort and sweat, but I couldn't stick to it for various reasons. This situation continued intermittently for six or seven years, and my confidence was increasingly crushed by my increased weight. My most recent challenge was in January of 2019, to challenge 'five kilometers' daily, which took about 30 minutes to complete, and I could still force myself to persevere for the first two weeks. As it went on, my motivation diminished, and I would sometimes run and sometimes not, putting aside the initial plan.
Research shows: People tend to overestimate their self-control. My ambition for weight loss is ambitious, but I often overestimate my ability and make wrong choices that exceed my capacity. Sometimes I think, if I changed the 'five kilometers' challenge to 'one kilometer', it might not be difficult to stick to it. Maybe I'm already thinner now. Maybe…
Two, Challenge 'One Push-up'
After failing the 'five kilometers' challenge, I thought about challenging 'one kilometer' again. At that time, I was just considering it in my brain and didn't implement it. Now, looking back, if I had done it, it might still have failed. The reasons are similar to the challenge of five kilometers: 'no time, don't want to go out on rainy days, today I give myself a holiday' and so on.
In the second half of 2019, I accompanied my son to practice martial arts, anyway, I just kept accompanying, so I also made a little movement, and a new challenge started: to challenge one push-up every day.
'One push-up' is a very simple thing that doesn't put much pressure on me. I can do it while resting at home, and in ten or fifteen minutes before bed, I can do a few push-ups. In the office, I can do a few push-ups during breaks. Sometimes I forget and fall asleep, and I can still do a few push-ups when I turn over. In short, since I started the challenge half a year ago, I have never stopped. It's surprising that although the initial goal was one push-up, after a while, not only did I do push-ups, but I also did a few sit-ups or other core strength exercises. More surprisingly, my arm strength became stronger than before, and my body became stronger.
Three, Take the First Step, Suggestions for Parents and Friends
According to a study by Duke University, about 45% of our behavior is due to habits. Habits have a subtle influence on people's daily lives. Let's change your lifelong habits starting today.
1. Pick a book you like, and read at least 5 pages every day until you finish it. It takes ten or fifteen minutes before bed to finish reading 5 pages, which won't put any pressure on you.
2. We can combine the above 'read 5 pages of book' micro-habits with reading for 30 minutes in the morning to read books. This will allow us to read 15 hours more in a month, and 180 hours more in a year. Isn't that amazing reading volume?
3. If you have done well with the first two micro-habits, you can try to make a daily note of the reading notes.
Believe me, you will definitely gain a lot of knowledge and be more disciplined.
Of course, there are many more micro-habits, and you can combine them with your own interests. For example, if I want to get fit like me, you can try to stick to exercising for half an hour every day. It's believed that it will definitely strengthen your physique; if your child is still in elementary school and wants to improve their mental arithmetic skills, you can stick to mental arithmetic training for 10 minutes a day. It is believed that after a while, mental arithmetic will not only be fast but also accurate.
Ideas are beautiful, and taking the first step is essential. Quickly form your micro-habits and stand out!
