Last month I had one of the best writing months I’ve had in a long time. Possibly years. I completed my goal for the month with more than ten days to go. And I wasn’t an easy goal. When I decided on my goals for the quarter, I’d debated lowering the goal because it seemed a little too ambitious, since it was still more than I had consistently written in a long time. I didn’t have much hope I could accomplish it.
Clearly, I was wrong.
And how was I able to commit to this goal and write more than I had in months? Micro Habits.
In the past I’ve tried to use Micro Goals, which is a similar idea. With Micro Goals, you set small goals that you know you can’t possibly miss. Such as write a hundred words. Or write a sentence. Something so small, there’s no way that your brain can convince you it’s not possible. And then once you get started, you’re very likely to keep going. The point of Micro Goals isn’t to just do that small amount, the idea is to lower the bar for entry, assuming that once you get started, you’ll keep going. And from my experience, most of the time you do.
Micro Habits are similar, but instead of being a goal to hit for the day, it’s a habit you want to create. It could be something as small as turn on your computer, read one sentence, drink one glass of water. Any habit you want to start. Something so small you can’t talk yourself out of, but something you can build on in the future.
For me, I wanted to build the goal of working on my story first thing in the morning. That way not only would I be able to get my writing done early, when I had full brain power and more focus, but also I would be more connected to my story all day, and more likely to pick it up if I had free time. I didn’t decide on a particular goal for these early morning writing sessions, but instead my focus was just on building the habit of engaging with my story in some way. Even if that means only reading a sentence.
I’ve been frustrated over the last few months with how little I’ve been getting done, so I started researching ways to be more disciplined and Micro Habits were one of the suggestions. But the brilliance behind this micro strategy isn’t just lowering the barrier for entry—which is absolutely does—but it’s also about building confidence in yourself. Building your confidence that you can complete a goal, that you can do what you set your mind to, even if it is small.
And I do think that is an issue I’ve struggled with over the last few years. I’ve been great about setting goals, but not great about following through. And even if I didn’t realize it, I might have subconsciously started to believe that I just wasn’t capable of it. It has been extremely gratifying to be able to follow through on these habits, even if it’s meant only writing a few words, or rearranging a few sentences.
And I do believe it is working. I do feel more confident. In my writing, but probably in the rest of my life too, because I’ve been doing these Micro Habits. I feel more hopeful, more optimistic, and more determined, which I couldn’t love more. I feel more like myself when I am striving towards something or completing a goal, and these Micro Habits have offered me that reassurance.
So if you feel like you’ve been struggling for a while, and you just can’t force yourself to do what you need to accomplish your goals, think about trying a Micro Habit or Micro Goal to build your confidence. Give yourself a few weeks to prove what you are capable of, and I bet you’ll be amazed by how confident and determined you’ll become. And just how much you’ll be able to accomplish.
