Achieving your goals

How to supercharge change

A MAJOR GOAL IN MIND? NEW BITE-SIZED HABITS COULD HELP YOU REACH IT

Everyone has something that they would love to change about their lives, and usually we’re told to think big and not hold back.

But there is another way. It turns out that if you opt to make many small changes that add up to a bigger picture, you may be able to more easily achieve your goals.

Keep them small

Baby steps may seem an unlikely route to achieving your goals, but people are much more likely to succeed in changing their lifestyle, work or workout routine by adopting this strategy, according to Habit Change Institute director Dr Gina Cleo.

“Big change is something that requires a lot of motivation and willpower, which is something that ebbs and flows from day to day,” Dr Cleo says.

“You might be able to push on with your goals for the first few days or even a couple of weeks, but eventually your motivation will wear thin, whether it’s because you’re dealing with screaming kids, work stress or feeling tired. The result is you end up back doing what you’ve always done.”

She says this is why it’s easier to initiate bite-sized habits that you can do over and over again.

“Eventually, the brain will rewire itself and recognise that habit as second nature. Once you’ve established a bite-sized habit, you can add another layer to it or add another tiny habit,” she says.

Chain reaction

If you want to make considerable changes to your life using little steps, some additional t ricks will help you achieve success.

The first thing to understand is that the more you have to think about making the change, the harder it’ll be to adopt it permanently, Atomic Habits author James Clear says.

“It is important to keep each habit reasonable so that you can maintain momentum and make the behaviour as easy as possible to accomplish,” James writes on his website, jamesclear.com.

Another trick is to create mini habits that link to each other.

“It is within your power to spark a chain reaction of good habits by building new behaviours that naturally lead to the next successful action,” he writes.

These could be included in your morning routine to help get you out of the house. For example, you could wake up, drink a glass of water, put on your running shoes and go.

Another tip from James is to remove potential roadblocks. This might include getting ready the night before by laying out your exercise clothes and shoes for the morning. Or, if healthy eating is your goal, having your smoothie or cereal ingredients sitting on the bench ready to go for breakfast.

James explains you should get the important things done first. “What you do each morning is an indicator of how you approach your entire day,” he writes.

A SMALL CHANGE DONE REGULARLY IS MORE LIKELY TO BECOME HABIT

The success story

Kate Krieg, 39, of Brisbane, is a tiny-habit convert — so much so, she’s incorporated the approach into her own life as well as those of the corporate clients she coaches.

“About a decade ago, I was a lot heavier than what I am (now),” Kate says.

“I tried lots of different behaviour change techniques, but none of them worked.

“So I started to make really small changes to my life and lifestyle.

“At first, it was just put on my shoes, then walk to the letterbox, and then I extended that. I just made lots of little tweaks, like I stopped using salad dressing.”

Kate is now happy with her weight and regularly exercises.

“I’ve been able to really translate a lot of my success and learnings about micro habits to help my clients have success in all areas of their personal and professional life, addressing stress and doubt along the way,” she says.

“What I’ve found is really important is that we choose micro habits that are based on things that make us feel good and fit in with our individual lives, because otherwise you’re less likely to sustain them.”