9 Micro-Habits That Might Help You Achieve *More* This Year

Make it your best year by sticking to timeless principles.

Whenever you want to build something big, you first need to start small.

Even though the traditional self-help world might sometimes make you feel bad for not being happy or “successful,” the truth is that finding happiness in the 21st century isn’t always easy.

We’re constantly being bombarded with bad news. Comparing ourselves is easier than ever before. Society has ridiculous expectations about how we should look like and what we should achieve. And as if all of that isn’t enough, we’re also battling a global health crisis.

With all that crazy stuff happening around us, staying focused on ourselves isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it.

In the end, happiness is no destination but a state of mind.

We can decide to find peace within ourselves, even if things aren’t going exactly how we expected.

And we can keep chasing our big, ambitious goals despite the craziness of the outside world.

But the question is…how exactly can we ensure to get closer to our goals without working ourselves to death?

There are lots of different answers to that question. And many of them might be correct.

However, in my work as a coach and trainer, I found that small changes can often lead to the biggest breakthroughs.

Why?

Because they’re easy to implement, so it’s easier to stick with them.

Most people don’t want small changes. They want sudden, immediate change.

Yet, the problem is that big changes come with big resistance.

The following micro habits, however, are easy to follow because they won’t take you more than a few minutes to implement.

But if you stick to them for long enough, they might still help you make a significant shift in your life.

Master your focus by doing this

Let’s do some real talk: You don’t need to be notified about all emails and messages in real-time.

Unless replying to emails and messages is your main task, you can ignore them for multiple hours, sometimes even days.

Being focused is nearly impossible if you’re always available and constantly reacting to incoming notifications.

My recommendation is to disable all sorts of notifications anyway.

I don’t get a single notification on my laptop.

When I want to check my emails, I open my email program. Once I’m done, I close it.

On my phone, I only see messages and calls from friends and family. All group chats are muted because I know group messages can’t be as urgent or important as private messages.

A study from the University of Carolina found that it can take you up to 23 minutes to get back to a task if you’re interrupted by a notification.

Imagine losing 23 minutes every time you receive a notification throughout your workday. If you think of it that way, it’s no surprise you’re struggling to get all your tasks done, right?

Put your ego aside so you can understand others

Most of our struggles could be eliminated if we’d just have the courage to ask more questions.

Whether at work or at home with your partner: Asking more questions is the easiest way to communicate more openly and understand each other.

If you don’t know why your partner is hurt, you won’t be able to avoid making the same mistake in the future.

If you don’t know why your colleague is annoyed, you won’t be able to help her.

And if you ever feel stuck in your personal or private life, asking someone for help might be the easiest and most effective way to move forward.

Ban your smartphone from your bedroom

It’s so simple yet so hard: Don’t take your phone to the bedroom.

Don’t scroll through news sites or social media channels right before falling asleep.

And don’t check your emails first thing after waking up.

Use those special moments to be in sync with yourself.

Instead of your phone, put a journal and a pen on your nightstand. Add a book if you want.

Use the first and last moments of your day to be fully present.

At the end of the day, reflect on how you used your time and what you’re proud of.

When you wake up, think of all the things you’re grateful for.

There’s so much you can do without your phone — make use of that privilege.

Learn how to breathe

How you breathe is how you live, yet, most people spend the majority of their lives breathing incorrectly.

According to clinical psychologist Dr. Belisa Vranich, your breathing affects your sleep, back, digestion, memory, immune system, your levels of anxiety, and a lot more.

However, what’s even crazier is that your breath doesn’t only shape how you feel in the short run. The Framingham study found that breathing shapes longevity. In short, we can literally breathe our way to better health and a longer life.

Former monk Jay Shetty even explains how the first thing young monks learn at school is how to breathe. That’s because monks embrace the importance of our breath more than anyone else.

Shetty says, knowing how to navigate your breath means knowing how to navigate life because all our emotions are connected to our breathing.

Our breath changes when we’re happy, sad, stressed, anxious, or in love.

By changing your breath, you change your energy and tap into the current moment with full presence.

Here’s a simple exercise: Breathe in for five seconds, hold your breath for five seconds, and breathe out for five seconds.

Do this for a few minutes until deep breathing starts to feel natural.

When you’re careful about taking deep breaths, you subconsciously shift from shallow, vertical breathing to breathing horizontally and using the full capacity of your lungs.

Luckily, breathing correctly doesn’t take any extra time. It just requires you to be aware of how to do it.

“Improper breathing is a common cause of ill health. If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be simply to learn how to breathe correctly. There is no single more powerful -or more simple- daily practice to further your health and well being than breathwork.”

— Andrew Weil (American doctor)

Be a little more ignorant (or: stop giving a f*ck)

Admittedly, this one is not really a “micro habit” because it takes quite a lot of courage.

But once you get used to ignoring fluff, your whole life will be a lot easier.

• Ignore people who make you feel like shit.
• Ignore all the tasks on your to-do list that don’t move you closer to your long-term goals.
• Ignore other people’s opinions.

In a nutshell, start ignoring anything that makes you feel bad instead of good.

At first, being ignorant might sound arrogant, but the truth is that it gives you time and energy to focus on the few things that truly matter in life.

Your time is too precious to be wasted on meaningless conversations or useless activities.

You deserve to be surrounded by people who truly appreciate you. And you deserve to spend your time doing things that light up your heart.

Don’t settle for less.

Do it in the digital world too

Being ignorant also applies to the digital world, such as social media platforms.

Unfollow accounts that make you feel like shit.

Delete apps you don’t need.

Digital clutter is as bad as physical clutter. You’re in charge of what you see when you unlock your phone screen and open Facebook or Instagram.

If you only follow meaningful and positive accounts, you’ll only see posts that’ll make you feel good.

If you follow annoying influencers and news sites that make money off your fears, you’ll feel bad each time you open any of those apps.

The choice is yours.

Use this simple trick

Surveys show that the typical social media usage is 2.5 hours per day. That’s around 15% of the time we spend being awake. And it’s almost 18 hours per week or 70 hours per month.

Just imagine what you could do with all that extra time instead of mindlessly scrolling through social feeds.

You could read wonderful books, learn a new skill or language, spend time with your loved ones, or just do nothing and enjoy a few more still minutes each day.

Social media is enriching our lives in many ways. It’s enabling us to do and create things that haven’t been possible ever before.

Yet, it’s up to each of us to make sure these platforms don’t suck up our precious time.

A simple trick I’ve been using for years is logging out of social media apps after using them.

Next time I want to open the app, I first need to log in, which takes a lot more time and effort than just opening the app right away.

This small obstacle immediately reminds me that I want to be more mindful about my social media usage, and most of the time, I decide not to log in.

Enjoy the stillness of each day

Most people are so used to consuming information all the time that it’s normal to watch TV or scroll through news feeds during everyday activities.

The key to a good life, however, is to enjoy some silence each day. As Doe Zantamata writes:

“Taking time to do nothing often brings everything into perspective.”

Most of the time, our lives are busy. Yet, it’s up to you to make some time for stillness despite the busyness of your day.

Maybe you can enjoy a few calm minutes before you even get up in the morning?

Maybe you can drink your coffee in silence?

What about leaving your phone in your pocket when you’re commuting so you can enjoy a few peaceful minutes?

We all live different lives, and what works for me might not work for you. But if you want, you’ll surely find a way to enjoy a few minutes in silence each day.

Start conversations that make you feel a little uncomfortable

Most of us are drowning in small talk but desperately seeking deep, meaningful connections.

The problem is that talking about important issues is less fun and sometimes even a little intimidating.

Yet, talking about the hard stuff can have a tremendous impact on your confidence, relationships, and your life overall.

Next time you meet an old friend, try to ask at least one question that goes beyond small talk. Dig a little deeper than usual. Ask them how they really feel and which battles they’re currently fighting.

If you’re sick of superficial connections, you can also do the same when you meet someone for the first time.

The truth is, most people seek deep, meaningful relationships anyway; we’re just afraid of admitting it.

Final thoughts

Sometimes, our lives require big changes.

If you’re stuck in a toxic relationship or realize that you hate your current job, there’s no other way than to deal with a significant transition.

Most of the time, however, we don’t have big problems and just look for simple ways to feel a little better and achieve a little more.

That’s when you can use the power of small yet powerful routines to your advantage.

Don’t expect them to turn your life upside down. Just because you take a few deep breaths, you won’t magically become healthier or happier within a minutes.

Over the years, however, it can have a significant impact on your body and mind.

Starting a difficult conversation today won’t necessarily make you happier either. But over time, it will lead to a more satisfied and meaningful life.

Don’t expect magic to happen, but be open to test and try. As bestselling author James Clear writes:

“Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years.”

In the end, you have nothing to lose but lots to gain.

So the only question left is…which habit are you going to try first?

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