Between 1 and 10
Often, when I try to build habits, I get stuck in the “10 or nothing” trap. Say the plan is to meditate for 10 minutes daily. To a part of me, it can only be 10 minutes and not a minute less. If I don’t get 10 minutes in, that day seems a failure.
But merely having one number that you have to hit is trying build habits on hard mode. Sometimes we have more energy, sometimes things get in the way — everyday is different. In those times, wouldn’t it be better to show yourself some grace, and acknowledge these day-to-day realities?
So one thing I’m trying to do more is to set a minimum that is lower than my ideal. To do this, I ask myself: what can I do on a day where my energy is at 0? 1 min? So be it. As long as I hit 1 min, I’ll have hit the minimum. Anything more then becomes a bonus.
More often than not, I still do 10 minutes. But having the option to just do 1 min, gives me room to breathe and keeps the habit going.
After all, we build habits for the long-run. So what if they are built in smaller steps?