kay, so it turns out that I’m not the only one excited about goal setting and habit forming around here – my folk-art animals have been running around in their New Year’s hats, shrieking with delight over 2015 and begging me to let them share some of their tips for making things happen.
I love public speaking, too, so how could I ever say no?
Here’s the deal we came up with: for the month of January, these little motivational speakers get to share their goal-setting wisdom with you on Fridays. They’re very excited.
OK, Mouse, what’s your tip for us?
(Yes, Mouse did just change party hats. He’s a speaker who appreciates his props.)
When I asked him to explain further, he referenced Dr. Carter, a sociologist, happiness expert, and author. She put it this way:
“My best advice is to start by picking just one ridiculously easy habit to work on. Start with what Stanford habit researcher BJ Fogg calls a “tiny habit.” The reason that I want you to think small is that deliberate habit formation is a skill. Starting with a tiny habit is like learning to dog paddle before you learn the breast stroke….By necessity they (tiny habits) need to be ridiculously easy, and this makes them feel trivial and unimportant. But tiny habits are about skill building, and about inching your way towards the bigger resolutions you make.” ~Dr. Christine Carter
Brilliant. Yesterday, I talked in depth about the new habits I’m trying on this year. If you read that post, maybe you picked up on my two tiny habits: prayer and meditation. Not pulling out the big guns with them, just reading something from the devotional next to my bed to start off my morning and then meditating for one measly, little, mouse-sized minute at night. The minute is over almost before I even realize it began.
Bobby is trying to finally form the nightly habit of flossing by taking care of at least two teeth before going to bed. If he does more, awesome! If not, he met his goal – celebration time!
I’m telling you, I think the mouse nailed it with this one. Tiny habits are where it’s at.
(Not to step on Mr. Mouse’s toes or anything, but special thanks to Miranda who forwarded Dr. Carter’s email to me, alerting me to this tip and her amazing work!)
Happy Friday! Now go forth and make some tiny habits!
(*Over the next few days, I’ll be conducting some phone interviews for Teach for America – but I’ll be back with regular posts starting next Wednesday!)
I’m loving your blog Grace! Dr. Carter’s sage advice reminds me of the title of Dr. Leo Marvin’s work Baby Steps from the film “What About Bob?”…In all seriousness (since the movie is a classic comedy), there does seem to be a tremendous amount of inertia in our lives that keeps us from healthy human growth, and the tiny steps that you and Mr. Mouse speak of seem to “get the ball rolling” so to speak so that more substantial habits can be made down the road. My tiny habit for 2015 is to take a few minutes each night to review my day, being thankful for the blessings and acknowledging my mistakes…an “Examination of Conscience” if you will.
Fr. Adam! What an absolute treat to hear from you! Thanks so much for reading along and especially for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment – your encouragement means the world. Shoooot, so confession time: I’ve actually never seen “What About Bob?” Remember that whole phase of my childhood and teenage years when I basically missed out on any pop culture? Yep, I think that movie was missed as well. It might have to go on the list now…
I love your tiny habit for 2015! The second I started reading that I was like, “Wait a second, that sounds like St. Ignatius!” And then that’s what you ended with. SO good. Sending you love and sunshine from Miami!
Grace, this post made me laugh out loud. Mouse’s audience is the BEST!! I do love your idea about starting small…glad to know Bobby might actually start flossing two teeth! Now, that is GREAT!! :)
Haha, yay so glad! Those little ants just had so much to contribute from the peanut gallery. ;) AGREED, Bobby’s new-found flossing habit is going to be the biggest breakthrough of all of 2015 in the Nixon Peterson household!
Amazing! Yes I will have to give this a try. Certainly my best st new years resolution was running ten minutes a day. I really need to do that again. Thanks for the encouragement!
That’s so cool that you did that at one point, Leah. And interesting to know that it was your most successful resolution – yes, I think the manageable, tiny resolutions are the ones with the potential for the biggest changes since we are more apt to stick to them! You could start with some 10 minute runs on the beach right now!
Excellent! Thanks motivational mouse (and Grace, Miranda, and Dr. Carter).
I’ve always had trouble habit-forming, but maybe that’s because I’m starting with too big of habits for the first time.
My tiny habit will be to stretch for five minutes every evening in 2015. :) (Though flossing sounds like a good one too…and journaling…and meditating…and I can see where this could start to get out of hand!)
Yeah, I think I’ve fallen into a similar trap in the past, particularly with working out – I’ll go ALL OUT the first day or two…but then I’m so sore that I just can’t sustain that level and the momentum is lost. That problem was with physical muscles, but I think it applies to mental muscles or willpower muscles, too!
Stretching for 5 minutes is a great tiny habit for 2015! You could always try to establish that for the first 3 months of the year or so and then, once it seems engrained, take on the next tiny habit – OR just keep that as your one habit for the whole year. Either way, I think you’re awesome and doing great!