“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
—Aristotle
In last week’s blog, I encouraged you to build a habit of positivity, of noticing the good in your day even (or especially) if it was a tough day. Doing so helps change your brain away from its natural negativity bias and develop more resilience. We’re in tough times, resilience is a good thing!
But how do you actually create those habits?
I’m a fan of creating tiny habits. I didn’t start that way, but after many experiences of biting off more than I could chew, I’ve learned that small habits done consistently actually work better for me. I’m not alone. And I didn’t create this idea, I learned it from reading many books about habits. One that made a big difference in my life is Atomic Habits by James Clear.
Here are some of the big takeaways for creating habits that Mr. Clear offers:
- Start with an incredibly small habit.
- Increase your habit in very small ways.
- Break big habits down into chunks.
- When you slip, get back on track quickly.
- Be patient. Stick to a pace you can sustain.
So what small habit could you create for yourself to remind you that there’s good in your life, to help you notice and savor joy, to let you feel gratitude?
Journal to these prompts to create your own tiny positivity habit:
- What’s one thing that helps me feel hopeful or positive or joyful? Can I make it a habit?
- What’s the smallest step I can take so that doing my positivity habit is EASY?
- How can I remember to do my habit each and every day? How can I remind myself to do my habit?
- What’s my plan to get back on track if I miss doing my habit? How can I be self-compassionate if I forget?
- How will I feel when I do my habit daily?
- What do I have to lose if I don’t do this habit?
Here’s to more positivity, joy and resilience.
P.S. Would you like some support using tools like the prompts above? Please join me for one of my monthly workshops Write into Joy. I’ll help you build resilience and bring more joy into your days through reflecting on and journaling about your life stories.
Each separate workshop explores a theme to help you reconnect with what you love, discover your own strength and resiliency, savor moments of joy and understand who you are — all through exploring your own experience.