As I get older, I have started to build more and more tiny habits into my daily routine. I find that it saves energy to reduce daily decision making, and I’m able to see real results in my life!
The book Atomic Habits by James Clear talks about this idea at length, and I highly recommend reading it.
It might seem counterintuitive in some ways. Does life become rigid becuase I have tasks planned out for myself on a daily basis?
For me, it doesn’t feel like rigidity. It feels like freedom.
Let me give you an example. For years I really wished for a daily yoga practice. I spent most of my time wondering when I could fit it in my schedule. How would I possibly have time with a full-time job and three kids? I thought about it all the time, but I practiced yoga rarely.
It took a few tries to make this stick as a daily habit, but eventually I realized I only needed to do a little bit of yoga in the morning to make it work in my life. I set my alarm a little earlier and added 20 minutes of yoga and 10 minutes of mindfulness. After some consistency, I realized that this tiny habit was actually blossoming into long-term results: greater clarity, focus, and peace.
I have added more tiny habits to my daily list in recent years, and they all feel like gifts to me. It takes just a moment of my day, but I have the freedom of knowing that I’m living my values.