Mini Habits – by Stephen Guise

‘Smaller Habits, Bigger Results’

Studies have shown that over 45% of our behaviors are dictated by our habits. This is because it’s far easier and consumes far less energy to do the things we’re used to, rather than trying to weigh up different options and make decisions. This book provides an extremely compelling argument for starting ‘stupid small’ habits that are too easy NOT to do until they become ingrained your everyday way of life.

Mini Habits (dot point) Summary

A mini habit is a very small positive behavior that you force yourself to do every day; a mini habit’s “too small to fail” nature makes it weightless, deceptively powerful and a superior habit building strategy”

To make changes last you need to stop fighting with your brain

Part 1: Introduction to Mini Habits

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”

Big intentions are worthless if they don’t bring about results. Intention without action actually harms self-confidence
People overestimate their self-control ability
Doing a little bit is infinitely bigger and better than doing nothing
Doing a bit every day has a greater impact than doing a lot on one day

What if failure to take action was never a problem with you, but your strategy?
One push up workout became the gym
For good habits only
Statistics show most NY resolution fail, join the ranks of people who change their lives

A mini habit is a much smaller version of the new habit you want to form

Writing 3000 words daily is 50 words daily

A very small behavior that you will force yourself to do every day

A Duke University study shows 45% of our behavior is from habit

Example habits

Write 50 words per day
Exercising 20 minutes per day
Eating healthier foods
Waking up earlier

Habits are not directly accessible, you can’t immediately create or remove them right now. They are molded by repetition
Building habits get progressively easier, like learning to ride a bike

Part 2 How your brain works

Repetition is the language of your subconscious brain
Most of your brain is stupid. It doesn’t consider lung cancer while you smoke.

Basal Ganglia

Part of the brain that repeats patterns unless told otherwise is the basal ganglia
A damaged or malfunctioning basal ganglia causes you to lose your ability to have any habits
Basal helps you keep habits

Prefrontal Cortex – your defense against automated behavior

We call this the manager. It overseas automated operations and steps in when it sees something that could have done better
Prefrontal helps you choose habits

Part 3 Motivation vs Willpower

“Emotions will either serve or master, depending on who is in charge”

Motivation is not a bad thing, but it is an unreliable strategy for lasting change
Motivation is not easy to cultivate on demand
When you are not motivated to do something, your willpower cost skyrockets
Mini habits minimize the willpower required and you don’t need any motivation
Motivation isn’t reliable, willpower is

5 things cause willpower depletion

Effort
Perceived difficulty
Negative effect
Subjective fatigue
Blood glucose levels

A habit flies under the radar both cognitively and emotionally
The act of forming a habit is curiously emotionless
Lack of enthusiasm can be a positive sign

Part 4 Strategy of Mini Habits

Take 1 -4 stupid small strategic actions every day
Why they work with your willpower

Effort

Mini habits take minimal effort

Perceived Difficulty

Perceived
The hardest part is to start

Negative Affect

Experience of unpleasant feelings

Subjective fatigue

Imaginations are so powerful they change what we physically see and hear in the real world
Blood glucose levels

Mini habits best chance at taking action

How mini habits expand your comfort zone

Your better version of yourself is just outside your comfort zone

Mini habits are like a cat on the snow
Mini habits like a magic bullet to constantly challenge your boundaries

Moments of Resistance

Throw a cat in the snow it scrambled
Put a cat on the edge it tip toes across

Smart willpower management is the key to personal development as smart money management is key to financial success

Part 5 mini habits difference

“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win”

Mini habits are a self-efficacy generating machine, you can get started with zero self-efficacy
Mini habits destroy fear, doubt, intimidation, and hesitation

Part 6 mini habits – eight small steps to big change

“If you don’t execute your ideas, they die

Step 1 – Chose your mini habits and habit plan pg 76

One week flexible, single mini-plan,

Step 2 – Use the why drill on each mini habit

Why you want them?

Step 3 – define your habit cues

Time-based or activity based or freedom based

Step 4 – create your reward plan

Pretty much anything that delivers a reward to the brain is addictive
Step 5 – Write everything down

Big calendar
Track your habit
Digital tracking, Lift for ios
Step 6 – think small

Do not exhaust willpower
Step 7  – meet your schedule and drop high expectations

Step 8 – watch signs of habit but be careful not to jump the gun

You don’t worry about it
Nonemotional
It’s boring

Part 7 – eight mini habit rules

Never cheat
Be happy with all progress
Reward yourself often
Stay level-headed
If you feel resistance go smaller
Remind yourself how easy

Allen Carr

No stats about lung cancer, heart attacks or strokes, sex life
The book is just repetitive
He gets smokers to believe consciously and subconsciously  that quitting is easy
Mini habits let you believe adding healthy behaviors is easy