Micro Habits

I knew that I needed to improve in this area. But how?

I eventually decided to consciously develop micro habits - and this is something entrepreneurs do regularly. It's a simple concept. In fact, it is so natural that we see it illustrated throughout time in both the human and animal kingdoms. Instead of making one huge effort to change something about yourself or learn a challenging new skill, think of progress as mastering baby steps.

A human baby learns to sit and then stand on his own. He next takes wobbly steps - with help. Then, when his legs are stronger, he races around the house all by himself. That baby has made several significant accomplishments. But he has a long way to go before mastering the skill and discipline of running the bases around a baseball diamond. Nevertheless, each prior component was necessary for him to eventually play ball.

Likewise, focus on mastering components. Make doing so habitual. Decide what your end goal is, then determine what can serve as your “first base” – then second, then third. As you master each, you steadily make forward progress. Just note that it’s important to be specific about what each marker is along the way.

Your particular 'baseball field" may have more than four bases. It might have six or three or a dozen. The number doesn't matter. What does matter is forward progress. And you can do that.

Discussion Topic: Talk with your family about their own methods of goal setting and achievement. What are opportunities or challenges they've broken down into parts to accomplish their ultimate goals? Then discuss how the principle of micro habits applies to those situations.

Acton Item: Think of one area you'd like to get moving on. Decide what your end goal is and jot it down. What are your individual components? It is important that you put a timeline to each! When will you accomplish each one? Then, when will you complete - and achieve - your goal? Understand that every person you admire has had goals and has worked at a similar plan towards completion. Work on something you can accomplish within the short term - say, a week or two. Once you experience that success, you will have set a pattern for accomplishing other, more challenging goals. Have fun, and as Nike says, "just do it!"

Terms to know: micro habit