This January, Thrive is celebrating Microstep Month. Instead of setting overly ambitious New Year’s resolutions that make you feel bad when you can’t accomplish them, we want to help you revolutionize your approach to resolutions with Microsteps, Thrive’s science-backed, too-small-to-fail mini habits that you can easily integrate into your life right away.
Research shows that nearly half of New Year’s resolutions fizzle before February. To make sure that doesn’t happen to you, we invite you to join us this month in selecting an easily achievable (totally free!) Microstep that is proven to help you meaningfully form new habits.
We challenged Thrive staffers to test a Microstep for 32 days and write about their progress. The result? Some very honest and encouraging Microstep Diaries, like this one.
Thrive staffer: Nick Cutsumpas, Client Partner
Microstep: Be in bed reading by 11:30 p.m.
Why I chose it
I wasn’t getting to bed before midnight and when I did get to bed early, my mind was always racing and I didn’t feel tired. I wanted to create bedtime routine that would gradually slow me down before bed.
An early adjustment
I was definitely on and off with my microstep because random things would get in the way (late night TV-watching, friends coming over, my dog needed to be walked, etc.). To compensate, I began adjusting the time of my Microstep to earlier in the evening (11 p.m.) to account for any unexpected distractions. This definitely proved to be effective and made me more consistent overall.
Embracing a slower pace
I have definitely felt better on the days I was able to achieve my microstep. Just by slowing down before bed through the act of reading, I feel more calm in the morning and less prone to stress throughout the day. As a high-energy person, feeling rested wasn’t the issue; it was more about slowing down and enhancing my focus.
Flexibility for the win!
Advice I’d give to anyone beginning their own journey is you have to be flexible and willing to adjust your Microstep in order to have success. If you come into the habit-forming process with a very rigid view, you won’t give yourself room for failure and setbacks. By allowing myself to make adjustments, I eventually ended up with a Microstep that was more tailored to my everyday behaviors and lifestyle.
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More Microstep Month Diaries:
I Made One Meeting Each Day a Walking Meeting for 32 Days and Here’s What Happened
I Was Staying Late at the Office Every Night. Here’s How I Put an End to It.
I Put My Phone Away Before Bed For a Month and Here’s What Happened
Arianna Huffington: Give Your New Year’s Resolutions a Boost by Joining Us For Microstep Month