Micro-Habits That Make an Impact

Think small.

Little things often mean something bigger. So around here, we’re pretty big on the new(ish) idea of micro-habits. Think of them as metaphorical Lego pieces: They are small and require little effort, but when stacked properly, they can become something bigger (and better). We present you with mighty yet manageable micro-habits to turbo-charge your habit-making fall days.

2 minutes: just do it.

We have long since been GTD devotees, though our adherence to the structure wanes from time to time. One rule we never stray from: reply right away to any email that takes two minutes or less. Clearing these items immediately can often give us a huge boost in very little time.

Delay your reply.

While it may seem antithetical to the 2-minute rule, we have found this strategy invaluable to keep a check on our people-pleasing default “yes” to things we don’t intend to do. We simply reply “I will get back to you by ___________ on this,” and then set a reminder. Creating some space allows reality to set in so we can be more deliberate about the things we answer in the affirmative. When it comes to sending regrets, a simple “I would love to, but that’s not going to happen right now” will do. 

Find 28 things.

We cribbed this one from old-school organizer Fly Lady, and it’s a goodie. Just stand in a room and gather up 28 things to get rid of. Is 28 a random number? Sure. Does it seem like a lot? You’d be surprised. Instead of getting stuck trying to find some perfect time to do a big clean out, the approach helps you master smaller areas to keep the clutter to a minimum. 

Plan your plates.

We know, we beat this drum a lot, but the benefits of meal planning are numerous—fewer trips to the grocery store, less waste, better chances of sticking to healthy eating and last but not least, lowering your food costs. With our favorite planning pad, it could not be easier. 

Buy birthday cards.

Sheepishly sending off another “Happy bday” text? Yeah, us too, until we remember the real joy conveyed through a tangible card and endeavor to do better. So we’ve taken to buying birthday cards in bulk when we find ourselves in the presence of cute missives—some purchased with a specific recipient in mind, others just to have at the ready. Banishing the birthday texts, one card at a time.

Survey your streaks.

The key to meeting a larger goal often comes down to stringing a series of good days together. Whether you use this streaks app or something more analog, just focusing on the bite-size wins can keep you from focusing on a far off, big result—and actually get you there sooner. 

Water yourself (early).

Drinking more water seems to be on everyone’s do-better list. We’ve tried bottles that nudge, that mark progress and others that do everything but hold our head and pour water down our throat. And yet, come nightfall we’d still be in a race to reach our goal. Since it’s hard to get a handle on hydration later in the day, why not start early? Drinking a large glass of water upon waking and another with breakfast gets you a jump on your daily goal. 

Keep your pages turning.

Maybe it’s a book that gets off to a slow start or the general malaise of a disappointing ending—either way, it can be easy to fall out of your daily reading habit. A surefire way to keep turning pages? Set your sights on a chapter a day. We suggest using the Libby app so your chosen read is never far away. Sometimes a book picks up momentum and you can’t put it down, and others it’s enough to simply make it through the one chapter. No matter, the approach will have you flexing your reading muscles daily. 

Get 20-20-20 vision.

You can take this one literally or not, but the idea is every twenty minutes, stare at something twenty feet away for twenty seconds. Since we embrace the Pomodoro Method, we tend to do this every twenty-five minutes and we stand while doing our staring. Sometimes, we opt to linger and let our mind drift, which can boost creativity. Overall, this tactic helps to rest your eyes from too much screen time and creates a reason to change positions.