What is a habit?
It is a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up. So how to change a habit that you want to change? Of course you also have habits that you prefer to keep!
With Tiny Habit you can learn new behavior. Its strength lies in its simplicity. Fogg (the developer of Tiny Habits) uses a nice everyday example for this: if your goal is to floss your teeth more often, then your Tiny Habit is to floss 1 tooth.
It is essential that you link your Tiny Habit to a routine action. This creates a new routine that makes it easy to perform your Tiny Habit, your new behavior.
A Tiny Habit is therefore a specific action that:
- you do at least once a day;
- takes less than 30 seconds of your time;
- requires little effort.
Tiny Habit Mantra
Fogg also came up with a mantra for his method to make it easy for you to use a Tiny Habit in your daily life. The mantra is: After I (name your existing routine here, something you already did) I am going to do (the Tiny Habit, little habit).
Celebrate your success in miniature
In addition, there is another important element in his successful way of behavioral change (It is a bit American, but let's go). If you have managed to carry out the little habit then celebrate.
For example by saying to yourself: “great” or you pat yourself on the shoulder or you just clap for yourself. It may feel a bit strange but you will find yourself feeling your moment of success through this.
Why does it work?
A Tiny Habit is easy to do. Therefore, your motivation to do it does not have to be that great and that is beneficial. Your motivation differs from day to day.
Because you do a Tiny Habit after a routine action, you make it even easier for yourself. That act is the trigger to run your Tiny Habit. By using the Tiny Habit method you make your new behavior an automatism. Ultimately, you will naturally expand your Tiny Habit more and more.
Few Examples of Tiny Habits at the Youth co-design project
- After pouring my tea I learn 3 Italian words (if you are not from Italy, of course if you are from Italy you choose another language). Or if you already know Italian :)
- After starting up my computer for the meeting, I will write down a positive word which I will use today.
- After the meeting I write down 1 sentence that summarises the conversation.
- In the toilet I came up with 1 argument why the project Cities of Learning should be used by much more young people.
What mini habit change are you starting today? We are sure it will take you no effort to change.
Inspired by © https://www.ikovertrefme.nl/samenwerken/razend-snel-je-gedrag-veranderen-met-tiny-habits/