Маленькие привычки

Every January millions of people make big plans. They are going to run every morning, learn a new language and never eat chocolate again. By February most of these plans are forgotten.

Why does this happen? According to researchers who study habits, the problem is not that people are lazy. The problem is that the plans are too big.

A habit is something we do automatically, without thinking. Brushing your teeth is a habit. So is checking your phone the moment you wake up. New habits are hard to build because the brain prefers what it already knows.

That's why experts suggest starting with something so small that it seems silly: one push-up a day, one page of a book, two minutes of cleaning. It sounds ridiculous, but it works. When a habit is tiny, you have no reason to skip it. And once you have started, you often do more than you planned.

Another useful trick is to connect a new habit to an old one. For example: “After I make my morning coffee, I write down three things I need to do today.” The old habit works like an alarm for the new one.

Finally, don't break the chain. Some people put a mark on a calendar for every day they keep their habit. After a week or two, they don't want to lose that line of marks.

And if you miss a day? Don't worry. Missing one day doesn't matter much. Missing two days in a row is how old habits come back.

So this year, forget about big plans. Choose one small thing and do it every day. In a year you will be surprised how far you have come.