50 Lil' Habits: Work on a Project
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Our "go big or go home" culture has left many people feeling overwhelmed, stuck, and gloomy, when all it takes is a lil’ action to turn things around.
It's well known that small, consistent action creates significant results, so we frame the work we do together as a lil' habit, even when it’s a big project you want to tackle.
A project is not a habit. A project is focused on a specific, finite outcome; a habit is about integrating an action into your daily life for longterm benefits. That said, anyone who works with me knows that I start from a place where anything is possible.
To make a project a lil’ habit, identify the project goal and then an action that you can repeat daily to get there. That daily action will be the habit. Then to make it lil’, reduce the habit’s friction (time, effort, distance) to its bare minimum to preempt all reasonable excuses for not completing it.
EXAMPLE:
Project Goal: Organize the garage
Daily Action: Create a daily to-do list.
Frictionless Version: Write down at least one achievable garage-related task every morning. (PRO TIP: Specify a time of day to make it easier to follow through. That will prevent your Resistance from clipping your wings all day long.)
Small steps are important steps. They move us closer to our goal, but even better, we get to complete small steps. Completing a task builds a sense of accomplishment, which can trigger a release of dopamine and reinforce follow-through.
“When you experience the dopamine reward, your brain pays attention to what you did to deserve your “feel-good” moment. That includes the brain calculating what’s needed to repeat that action and move toward achieving your goals. The dopamine also plays a role in regulating your attention, learning and movement.”
-Liz Guthridge
Making a project your lil’ habit is like eating an elephant. It can be overwhelming, but soon you'll find yourself achieving what seemed impossible. Set clear goals, give yourself deadlines, and respond to what is in front of you instead of what it should be. And yes, do your lil’ habit daily. It’s easier to maintain momentum than it is to stop and restart. Keep the fire going!
If this LIL’ HABIT resonates with you, help make it stick by talking about it with a friend.
Remember, any time you start something new or level up, you must step outside your comfort zone and greet your Resistance.
No elephants were harmed in the writing of this post. 😆❤️