Act As If · Habits guide
What to do after you miss a day, so one slip doesn't end your habit.
New habits take longer than you think. In one study, it took people about 66 days on average for a new habit to feel automatic, and some took much longer. Missing one day along the way didn't really hurt. So the real skill is the comeback.
01 · 2 minutes
The day after you miss, do the smallest version of your habit. Not double. No catching up. That smallest version is your floor.
Slipped this morning? Restart at the next meal or the next hour, not tomorrow. "Today is ruined anyway" is how one slip turns into a lost day.
Habit: a 20 minute run.
Floor: shoes on, walk to the corner and back.
Why it works: In early studies, people on strict food rules who thought they had broken them often ate more afterward, instead of stopping.
02 · 2 minutes
Fill in this sentence: "When [this happens], at [place], I will [do this]."
Fresh starts like a Monday, the 1st of the month or a birthday give you a boost. Use it, but write the sentence first. Don't skip the plan.
When I finish my morning coffee, at the kitchen table, I will write for 10 minutes.
When I get home from work, in the hallway, I will put on my running shoes.
When I sit down at my desk, before I open email, I will pick my top task.
Why it works: People who wrote down exactly when and where they would exercise were much more likely to do it. And people go to the gym more right after a fresh start.
03 · 5 minutes
Make the habit easy to see and the temptation hard to reach. Set it up once, so you don't have to fight it every day.
Put the book on your pillow.
Charge your phone in the kitchen.
Leave your gym bag by the door.
Why it works: People with strong self-control said they had fewer fights with temptation, partly because they stay away from tempting spots. They don't win more fights. They have fewer.
04 · 2 minutes
Set a 2 minute timer. Do only the very first step. When it rings, you can stop. Often you won't want to.
Taxes: open the folder and find one form.
Why it works: Researchers think we often put things off to escape a bad feeling about a task, not because we're lazy. A tiny start keeps the bad feeling tiny too. (The tiny start and the 2 minute timer are our tips, not study findings.)
Try it today
Write your one sentence plan for tomorrow. Then write the floor version for your worst day.
This is one piece of the Act As If Week, a free 7 day practice. Days 3 and 4 go deeper on plans and floors. It drops 11/11, and you're already on the list.