Teaching small groups on habits lately have taught me that learning to make our habits very easy is one of the most challenging parts for the attendees to implement. I don’t blame them. We have been conditioned to “go big or go home” that going small is not comfortable for us because our brains won’t consider small as a win. 

That’s why BJ Fogg, in his book Tiny Habits, stresses the importance of not only making the desired behaviors easy, but also celebrating right after we complete them so they turn into habits. He argues, controversially so, that behaviors turn into habits faster by immediate positive emotions accompanying them rather than by repetition. 

Celebrating directly after we wipe countertops or one countertop, with a broad smile or by applauding ourselves or doing a little jump or whatever works for us, is what BJ Fogg calls a Shine moment. This positive, immediate and uncommon rush of feelings is the small reward that wires the new habit faster into our brain, making us want to repeat it the next time until the behavior becomes automatic. 

I’ve been implementing this strategy, and it’s been quite a success.

Try it out.