Small Hinges Swing Big Doors
The Importance Of Micro Habits
Pretty much everyone scoffed at the idea of making tiny little changes till Atomic Habits by James Clear was released. How could small, incremental changes possibly change your life drastically?
Honestly, I myself used to believe this. Then, as I read books such as The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson, and Atomic Habits by James Clear, my mindset shifted.
“Workout just twenty minutes each day?” “Don’t believe that it would do anything to my weight.” “Just read ten pages of a good book every day?” “What good can that do?”, I said to myself.
Very sceptical I started my journey of implementing small, daily habits into my daily routine. To be quite honest, I had no proper routine. My routine looked like last-minute scurrying to get things done.
This is how I scraped through most of my life. Why? Not because I was lazy, but because I was not aware of the importance of micro habits. I was not taught this at school or college; didn’t come across this in any newspaper.
So my life looked like a see-saw. One moment up and the other moment down. I was an A-student one year and a C-student the next. Nobody told me I could hold my upward trajectory just by being consistent in following simple, daily disciplines.
But being very good at implementing from a small age, I made sure whatever I was told I did to a tee. Being open-minded and non-judgemental allowed me to try various routines at various hours till I crafted my very own close-to-perfect morning and evening routine.
If I said that this very act of having a routine changed my life, it would be an understatement. It changed me inside out. For the first time in my life, I was fulfilled, happy, and satisfied.
Because the routine gave me stability in my otherwise “go with the flow” kind of life. It gave me structure and it gave me results. The single best thing that I did as a night owl was to wake up early before dawn.
It has completely altered my moods. I’m peaceful, happy, and content. The mental clarity and the meditative state that comes with waking up while it’s still dark outside and while everyone’s asleep is magical.
It’s like you’re close to the cosmos and the veil separating the two illusionary realms becomes thin. You’re in frequency and in tune with this cosmic force that ties everything together.
Ideas and inspiration flow like a stream. Problem-solving becomes a breeze. Creativity and productivity spikes. You’re more stable, grounded, and proactive.
The very act of having a fixed sleep-wake pattern can change your life. My routine goes like this:
- I get up at three in the morning with gratitude.
- I listen to gratitude meditation while making my bed.
- I see the list of goals I’m on track to achieve.
- I journal.
- I visualise my future self and do affirmations.
- I listen to podcasts and read articles.
- I shower and then go for a walk while the sun’s rays are still mellow and soothing to my skin.
- Then, I head straight to work.
In the same way, my evening routine starts with a winding down alarm that I’ve set for each day, and consists of:
- Keeping steamed clothes for the next day.
- Planning and prepping for the next day.
- Doing the dishes/cleaning.
- Showering
- Going through my list of goals.
- Putting my phone away before going to sleep.
Recently, I’ve started listening to affirmations while I go to sleep for subconscious reprogramming. Any area that you find difficult should be tackled by unrooting the limiting beliefs and installing the right core beliefs.
This is where listening and repeating affirmations come to play. Done day in and day out, you can see phenomenal results within a matter of weeks. Since the only cages are mental and all impossibilities stem from the mind, it’s important to change your crippling beliefs to serve you and not hinder you.
The beauty of micro habits is that anyone can do it, and it’s very sustainable. You hardly notice the change to your routine yet when you give it time, it gives monstrous results.
Something so insignificant and minuscule ends up giving you a massive return. And that’s the beauty of it, but it does warrant you to be patient and forbearing.
“The slight edge is working right now, either for you or against you.”
