We're thrilled to introduce the Flowly Book Review Series. Get ready to delve into engaging reviews and uncover life-changing wellness reads recommended by Flowly team. This week let's join Flowly team member, Christine, and embark on a exploration of Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg PhD.
What’s it about?
In "Tiny Habits" by BJ Fogg, readers are introduced to a groundbreaking approach to behavior change that focuses on the power of small, sustainable habits. Fogg's core message revolves around the concept of "tiny habits," which are simple actions performed consistently and deliberately. Through his research-backed methodology, he guides readers on how to design and implement these tiny habits effectively, enabling them to make lasting changes in various areas of their lives. By emphasizing the importance of celebration and positive reinforcement, Fogg encourages readers to embrace a mindset of experimentation and self-compassion, ultimately empowering them to achieve their goals and build long-term habits that stick.
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Why did you choose to read Tiny Habits?
I've always been interested in BJ Fogg's work in behavioral design so I grabbed this book as soon as he announced that it was published. I've read lots of habit-building/breaking/changing books but felt that they made it more complicated than it should be. The promise of using small changes to change habits was something that caught my attention from the very beginning.
What are the main takeaways?
1. Tiny is mighty. Most people want drastic changes in their lives and think that drastic change requires big efforts. The opposite is actually true. The biggest growth starts from the tiniest change. 2. If you rely on willpower or motivation to create change in your life, you will fail. Creating a system that you can do consistently is more powerful than willpower.
3. The key to success to make a tiny change stick is an anchor moment and instant celebration.
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How did Tiny Habits affect you?
I used to fall into the trap of thinking I need to make drastic lifestyle changes to make progress on my goals and wishes. This led to a downward spiral when I could no longer maintain the changes that I implemented which then led to me staying the same or worse. It's been years since I started implementing Tiny Habits into my life and I've actually accomplished everything that I wanted to do before I discovered this book. Tiny Habits is about making time work for you rather than making it feel like you're racing against time for personal growth.
Who should read Tiny Habits?
If you've tried everything you possibly could and still couldn't make/break/change a habit, Tiny Habits is for you. If you get overwhelmed by all the "habit building" systems and processes shared by "productivity experts" out there, Tiny Habits is for you.
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If you're having trouble being consistent with Flowly, Tiny Habits can work for you. Here's an example breakdown of how to implement Tiny Habits to make Flowly a part of your routine.
1. Find an Anchor Moment.
This needs to be more specific than "morning" or "when I have a free time". You should also avoid "when I wake up" since your body already has a habit that it goes into immediately that's been ingrained (e.g brush teeth, drink water, etc.). Instead, look for an action/activity that you do regularly. Some anchor moments can be "when I finish pouring my coffee into my cup" or "when I wash my hands after using the bathroom". Ideally, your anchor moment is consistent in location (kitchen = coffee; bathroom) and timing.
2. At your Anchor Moment, do your Tiny Behavior.
Think about the smallest action you can do with Flowly... and then make it simpler. Make it so stupidly simple that it's easy enough to do it. For example, putting the biofeedback sensor on your ears/finger. That's it. That's the tiny change we want to implement! To make this even more doable, make sure that that sensor is accessible at your anchor moment (eg. next to your coffee maker, on a dedicated dry space on your bathroom counter).
3. Celebrate your tiny change IMMEDIATELY.
So after you put your ear/finger sensor on, you want to celebrate your new change in some way! Most people think celebration has to be something big, but your brain can't tell the difference between big or small celebrations. So in our scenario, you can celebrate verbally ("Wow, I did amazing!") or visually (eg. smiling at yourself in the mirror).
Putting it all together, an example Tiny Habit can be:After I dry my hands from washing it in the morning, I'll clip on my Flowly ear sensor to my ear. Then I'll smile at myself in the mirror and say "Great job"!
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To make it easier, I'll keep my ear sensor on a small ceramic plate on my bathroom counter. After I celebrate, if I want to, I'll connect my sensor to my sensor body but there's no obligation or expectations from me to do anything more than clip my ear sensor to my ear. It may sound silly, but doing this Tiny Habit can become the catalyst for you showing up for yourself day after day.
Have a book you would like to review and share with the Flowly community? Send us a email at contact@flowly.world.