Just as important as making your mini habit small is making your thoughts small too. You
must embrace this mini-requirement as if it is a full goal. This means if you meet the
tiny requirement,you're successful for the day. If you can do that, you will get the
"big" results you desire.
What To Do With Weekly Mini Habits
I can understand that some things aren't suitable for a daily plan. Exercise is something that
many people will want to do 3-5 times a week. Who would want to drive to the gym seven days a
week if they're only working out three days a week?
Weekly habits will take longer to form into habit, but they are consistent enough for the brain
to recognize as a pattern.So if you really want to set a weekly mini habit, try it and see how
it works for you. We can do something creative with weekly habits, however, to transform them
into a daily requirement.If you want to drive to the gym weekly,as an example, you can set a hybrid
mini habit.
A hybrid mini habit is when you give yourself a choice between two options(do A or B). I'm not
overly fond of hybrid mini habits because they add to the willpower cost (making decisions also
uses willpower), but they are the best option in some cases. And I like that they have you do
something every day.
Hybrid mini habit examples:
Drive to the gym OR dance for the duration of one song
Drive to the gym OR do one push-up
Drive to the gym OR jog for one minute
With this example, on off days, you have a replacement activity. Won't people just choose the easy
one every day? First, I think you might be surprised at what you'll do without any additional
requirements. Granting yourself freedom in a smart way is very empowering. And you want to be fit,
right? Second, the mini habit here is just to drive to the gym. If you want to, you can simply
drive back home. It sounds crazy, but I must stress the importance of giving yourself a way out
of a big,overwhelming 45-minute workout. Your subconscious brain is smart enough to know when a
goal on paper isn't your real goal. And it's when we force ourselves into an intimidating
commitment that our slow-changing brain rebels.
For a hybrid plans, I recommend starting with no strings attached. Just see how often you decide
to go to the gym. If you never seem to choose the gym, then you can start by requiring one gym
day per week. Later, you can scale up to two days required per week. Take your time with this
though. Don't be in a rush to change, because your brain can't and won't change quickly. It
will take time anyway, so easing yourself into it is the most logical method.