Two super simple steps to building habits: 'While you're at it, just a little'

"I'll start waking up early tomorrow."
"I'll start studying English again."
"I won't give up on muscle training after three days this time."

──Even if you think that, you'll find yourself back to your old ways in a week.
In our busy daily lives, the things we want to do are the hardest to keep up.
You've had that experience, haven't you?

But that is not because your willpower is weak.
In fact, if you rely on willpower, you will never be able to build a habit.

Actually, what is needed for habit formation is not guts or talent, but just
a few design tips.

In this article, I will introduce a way to create habits that naturally continue using "two super simple steps" that anyone can start today.

The keyword is──
"While you're at it, just a little".

Click here if you want to listen to the audio
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You don't need strong willpower in the first place

There is no need to feel down about "not being able to keep it up."
Human willpower is like the "MP" in an RPG.
The more you use it, the more it drains away.

Work, housework, childcare, side jobs...
Modern moms and dads are fighting multiple battles every day.
Completing tasks at the office, and then family time when you get home.
On top of that, trying to muster up the willpower to "read" or "study" is like trying to cast a spell with zero MP.

That is why it is natural that you can't keep it up.
The important thing is to create a state where you can move without using as much MP as possible.

In other words, the point is to keep yourself ready to move smoothly without having to psych yourself up by saying, "I'm going to do it!"

And that method is by no means difficult.

Step 1: You can move without thinking just by doing it "while you're at it"

"Alright, I'm going to do it!" won't last.
That's because you consume MP (willpower) every time you do that.

The trick to habit formation is to "attach" it to an action you already do.
In other words, just do it "while you're at it" with something else.

For example──

• Stretch for 1 minute while brushing your teeth

• Read 1 page of a book while brewing coffee

• Walk for just 5 minutes while on your way to work

Add a new action like a 'bonus' to a behavior that is already a habit.
This alone eliminates the need to think about whether to do it or not.

Thinking about it means consuming MP.
As a result, your body will start moving naturally.

Just by being conscious of 'while you're at it',
you can obtain an 'automatic mode' that requires neither motivation nor willpower.

By the way, I stand on a stretch board every day while brushing my teeth.

It feels so good that I often end up brushing my teeth for too long f^^

Step 2: Lower the hurdle to 1 millimeter by doing 'just a little'

The biggest reason why things don't last is trying to 'do it properly' from the start.

For example, dieting.

'From today, I'm going to do 30 minutes of muscle training every day!' --

I mean...
This is like a low-level character suddenly using the strongest magic.
You use up all your MP at once and run out of breath immediately.

If you want to make it a habit, first lower the hurdle to 1 millimeter.

• Muscle training -> Just 1 push-up

• Reading -> Just open the book

• Studying -> Just open the notebook

Start with something so small that if you told people, they would laugh at you!
A tiny, tiny goal that is too embarrassing to tell anyone is fine.

When it's this small, your brain won't judge it as 'troublesome'.
In other words, you can act without consuming MPing.

And strangely enough,
the moment you start moving by saying 'I'll just do a little bit',
the 'work excitement' switch in your brain turns on, and you can naturally enter focus mode.

As a result, 'before I knew it, 30 minutes had passed'.
This is the energy-saving magic that 'people who keep things up' use unconsciously.

Example: My 'while you're at it, just a little' jogging habit formation history

August.
On my way back from dropping my daughter off at after-school care, I decided to make a small detour to a shrine.
A detour of just five minutes.

Stopping by while I'm at it, just a little. That's all it is.

At first, it was just meant to be a 'change of pace'.
I never once had to psych myself up to keep it going.
'Well, since I'm here, I might as well stop by'—that lightness was just right.

September.
School started, and my morning drop-off destination changed.
The shrine is a bit of a distance away. (About 5 minutes if you run)

This time, after walking to school with her, I started running a little bit to the shrine.

While I'm at it dropping her off at school, I'll try running for just 5 minutes.

Since I had already made the '5-minute detour' a habit, I just had to change 'walking' to 'running'.

I was able to make it a habit without any trouble.

What's more, once I started running, 5 minutes didn't feel like enough, and before I knew it, the distance grew to 10, then 15 minutes.

October.
Before I knew it, 'while I'm at it' dropping my daughter off at school,
a 30-minute jog had become 'the norm'.

I didn't get motivated, nor did I keep it up through sheer willpower.

Moving 'while I'm at it, just a little'

Just by being conscious of not using up my MP (mental points),
before I knew it, I was able to easily use
a powerful spell like 'a 30-minute jog'.

Habit formation is not about effort, but about 'how you use your energy'.
The moment you become able to move with less MP,
keeping it up becomes surprisingly easy.

People who don't rely on 'motivation' are ultimately the strongest.

The difference between those who can form habits and those who can't
is not the strength of their willpower,but how they use their energy.

People who can't keep things up psych themselves up every time by saying 'Alright, let's do this!',
and consume a massive amount of MP each time.
On the other hand, people who can keep things up have created an environment where they can move while using almost no MP.

And the secret to that is just two things.
' While I'm at it, just a little'.

If you are just conscious of these two steps,
your actions will naturally accumulate without the need for effort or willpower.
The accumulation of small steps eventually becomes the 'power of continuity' that changes your life.

Starting today, why don't you give it a try?
While you're doing something else, just a little bit—.
That is the first step to habit formation.

Please tell me in the comments section what 'while I'm at it, just a little' habit you are starting today.

Taakun

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