It’s the little things that matter. That’s according to Mary Kelly, author of Stop Procrastinating Tomorrow. She says research shows that implementing tiny, repeatable behaviors can significantly enhance workplace productivity and personal fulfillment.
Change is hard. Especially big changes. But Mary Kelly says that changes don’t have to be big to have a large impact. “Micro habits are tiny actions that require minimal effort but, when performed consistently, lead to meaningful progress,” she writes. “Unlike large, intimidating goals, micro habits integrate seamlessly into daily routines, making them easier to maintain.”
Here are some of the micro habits she suggests that have worked for me over the years.
Have a clear plan for the day. One of the first conversations I have with my husband each morning is what our plan is for the day. I work from home as a writer, and my husband works at a client’s office one day a week. That gives us plenty of unstructured time each day to get things done. But leaving the time unstructured often makes it harder to be productive; you can find yourself at the end of the day wondering where the time went. We start with a list of “must get done” items and then add in “like to get done” items if we think we have enough time.
And we tackle our to-do list first thing after breakfast. Knowing that we’ve accomplished something early in the day allows us to relax and enjoy our down time in the afternoon and evening.
Use the 2-minute rule. This has always made my life easier, whether at the office or at home. Kelly recommends that if a task takes less than two minutes to do, you should simply do it. Right now, when it’s on your mind. (I personally use a 5-minute window.) Schedule the appointment. Sort the mail. Plug your phone or tablet into the charger. Take out the trash. Respond to the email.
Putting off small tasks for later clogs up your short-term memory and makes it harder to focus on important, larger tasks. Carrying a to-do list of tiny tasks around in your head is hard, and it’s inevitable that a few will fall through the cracks. That can turn small issues into big issues later. Just do it.
Use the one-touch rule. This applies to email, snail mail, kid’s school items, or any documentation that needs your attention. Develop a clear plan for handling personal and business correspondence with the goal of only touching it once. We have a leather storage box right in the kitchen for bills and documents that come in. We open the envelope (so there are no surprises) and file it in the box. I handle paying bills, online banking, and other tasks once a week. That’s it.
Again, the 2-minute rule applies here. If responding, signing, or filing the document will take less than two minutes, do it when you have it in your hand. If it requires research or thoughtful response, set aside a time each day or week (depending on the urgency) to handle it. Having a quiet hour set aside for administrative tasks helps take the stress out of your daily routine.
Set a shut-down ritual for the end of every day. This works for both leaving the office each day and shutting down the house for the night. In my home office, I stow away my equipment after cleaning screens and organizing any documents that I’m working with. I always have an attractive file folder on my desk to store papers and notes, keeping them close at hand but out of sight until the next day. I make a short to-do list in my calendar for the next day. I rinse out my water bottle and straighten up.
At night, we make sure the kitchen is clean and start the dishwasher before we go to bed. We also tidy the room we’ve been in that night so we wake up to a clean and orderly house in the morning. It takes just a few minutes, but it means we start each day feeling energized rather than behind schedule.
Mary Kelly says, “Success is not about dramatic transformations, it is about the small, consistent choices you make every day. Start incorporating micro habits today and see how they shape a happier, more productive life.”
Your Work, Your Way 