Still with me on this new habit journey?
Remember, to create any new habit you WANT …
Make it TINY, find where it naturally FITS in your day, and NURTURE its growth.
It’s that simple. And it’s based on science.
First, I asked you to pick a habit you WANT to create.
❌ Not one you SHOULD create.
✅ One you WANT to create.
Then I asked you to find a way to make it TINY so the effort is so small that your brain can’t find excuses NOT to do it.
Too small to fail.
Today we’ll cover planting the new habit where it naturally FITS in your day.
This is where the magic happens!
Remember, any new behavior relies on the interplay between motivation, ability, and a prompt or trigger.
In the Tiny Habits® Method, we call this prompt or trigger an ANCHOR ⚓
As in, where you will anchor this new habit into your existing daily routine.
Think about all the daily habits you currently have:
- morning routine
- workday routines
- evening or bedtime routines
Where in your existing routine would this habit NATURALLY fit into your day?
As you think about this, there are two main considerations
✅ Location
✅ Frequency
LOCATION: the new habit will be easier and more natural to adopt if the current habit and the new habit take place in the same location (kitchen, bedroom, car, office, etc).
FREQUENCY: consider how many times a day you want to do your new habit and match it with a current habit that you do at the same frequency.
- Twice daily habits might follow brushing your teeth
- 3 times a day habits might follow mealtimes
- For habits you want to do with greater frequency, you might use washing your hands, walking through a doorway or stopping at traffic lights
And remember the key is AFTER. After I (current habit), I will (new tiny behavior).
So the last part to consider here is to be really specific when you define your AFTER.
After I eat dinner is too vague.
After I put the dinner dishes in the dishwasher is nice and specific.
This is called the TRAILING EDGE, and the trailing edge is exactly where you want to anchor your new tiny behaviors.
Are you with me so far?
Next time we’ll cover NURTURING the growth of your new habit!
This is how you grow your new habit from TINY to TRANSFORMATIVE.
Here’s to your transformation,
Denee