As a companion to an article Jennifer Jordan and I wrote on the restorative power of small habits, below youâll find a checklist with six tips for ingraining new ones.
Stacking your habits will make the new ones easier to remember and sustain.
E.g., âBefore I drive home, Iâll check my emails for the last time.â
Consider which reminders to set up and where: your phone, your computer, or via a visual cue.
E.g., âAt 4pm each weekday, a musical alarm will go off on my phone.â
Be sure to mark your achievement, however briefly, in a way that suits you: what gets acknowledged gets repeated.
E.g., âAfter my mini-habit, I tell myself: âBravo, one step furtherâ.â
Whatâs likely to get in your way, and how can you prepare? Jot down some backup plans to put into action when necessary.
E.g.:
Derailer: trip overseas. Backup: go to the hotel gym.
Derailer: annual team meeting. Backup: stop checking emails 90 minutes before going to sleep.
Derailer: feeling I am too slow in making progress. Backup: share my steps forward with a friend for encouragement.
List the tools and people who can help you stay on track.
E.g., âSeven-minute workout app, mindfulness practice, and the following friends for check-insâŚ.â
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