Written after a read and listen to the Philosophers Notes Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg.
1. Habit Formation is Simple
Anchor moment cue—
Do your tiny behaviour.
Now celebration!
2. Habitual Behaviour on a Curve
High motivation—
and it is easy to do.
Now you must do it!
3. How Strong Habits Are Formed
Move to your habit,
with patience and diligence.
All done step by step.
BJ Fogg created the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University and is recognized as a leading expert in behavior change.
In his book Tiny Habits he presents the key components of his Fogg Behavior Model, challenging the notion that habit change has to be difficult.
According to BJ, it's not us who are at fault, but rather our approach to change. He describes it as a design flaw rather than a personal flaw.
In the book, he delves into important concepts such as:
- the three driving forces behind behavior (B = MAP!),
- the ABCs of Tiny Habits (Anchor + (Tiny) Behavior + Celebration!),
- the effectiveness of anchor prompts (After I (ANCHOR), I will (NEW HABIT)), and the significance of celebrating achievements (get your Shine on!).
Personal Tiny Habit into Practice
Every morning, I wake up and greet the day in a special ritual to set the tone for that day.
It starts with an Identity poem I wrote when I was 16 years old. Little did I know back then that this simple poem would become such an important part of my daily routine.
The cue for this ritual is waking up itself.
As soon as I open my eyes, I am reminded of the power and significance of embracing who I am at my core. It's a gentle nudge to be true to myself throughout the day.
Once my morning routine is complete, without any distractions from technology or screens, I sit at my desk. I write a poem to a blank page.
Inspired by whatever music or sounds accompanied me during my morning routine, I let words flow onto the page and rearrange them for the intended audience.
This practice serves a deeper purpose in my life - it allows me to "dye" my thoughts in past wisdom about living with character and integrity. By reflecting on these timeless truths every morning, it becomes easier for me to put them into action throughout the rest of my day.
This is my morning get up. ‘A way...’ not ‘The way’. You have to find your own.
Starting my day with this simple morning ritual infuses meaning and intention into every moment of my life. It sets a generative tone for what lies ahead, making each day more reflective and purposeful.
