Expanding Your Comfort Zone with Mini-Habits

written by BRICE HOGAN | HABITS, IMPROVEMENT

When trying to improve our lives we usually set some type of Big Audacious Harry Goal our BHAG. It usually happens around New Year's or birthday typically. We get all motivated to:

1. Lose weight

2. Start a business

3. Get organized

4. Spend more time with family

5. Learn a new skill or hobby

Now think of whatever your BHAG is. Now here is how it usually goes you start quickly, you sprint to your goal, and then within a few weeks or months you have made no progress and you retreat back to your comfort zone.

This is why most people fail at achieving their goals. They try to do too much too fast. And it's frustrating. I have been there a few times with starting a business or trying to exercise more. It's all about habit development. They need to be small.

Instead of trying to tackle too much all at once develop mini habits to increase your comfort zone.

To expand our comfort we need to do it with small little habits. As a result of a more measured approach, you don't wear yourself out. You can steadily stretch your less comfortable zone, and when it feels too uncomfortable you move back to the expanded comfort zone.

Repeatedly doing this ensures

1. You don't get mental fatigued

2. It's measured

3. It's small.

Eventually, you begin to achieve milestones that lead you to the goal you want to achieve.

My 100 Push-up Habit

Here's an example. I have a goal to do 100 pushups in a row. Now trust me I tried doing 100 in a row once and I wasn't even close.

So I started with 10 and hit that pretty easily. Next was 20, then 30, then 40, 50, and so on I am up to 80 in a row right now.

But there is no way I would have been able to do this if I didn't develop that mini-habit each day. Some days I don't hit my goal and that's ok. What matters is the attempt and the progress that I've made. I am going to be able to do 100 in a row and when I do I am going for more.

Now it's your turn to take something you want to do and start small, set a mini-habit that is easy, consistent, and doesn't require a lot of motivation to do, and see how your results change.

.