Establishing New Habits

When starting out, keep things as straightforward as possible. Focus on simplicity to ensure that the initial steps are easy to follow and understand.

Make the Process Enjoyable

Incorporate fun elements into your approach. Enjoyment helps maintain motivation and makes the experience more engaging.

Ensure Foolproof Steps

Design the initial tasks so that mistakes are nearly impossible. By making it easy at first, you set yourself up for early success and build confidence.

Gradually Introduce Challenges

Once you feel comfortable with the basics, you can begin to add complexity. Progressively making things more difficult allows you to grow and learn without feeling overwhelmed.

Example: Establishing an Exercise Routine

Mr. R decided to work on his health by selecting exercise as a behavior he wanted to strengthen. He started with a simple plan: do a few push-ups just before he left his office at the end of the day. This was an easy, manageable amount of effort: ten push-ups. For the first few weeks, he did this every day just before leaving his office. The initial focus was on consistency, establishing a routine, and helping his brain and body learn, remember, and adapt.

After a few weeks, 10 push-ups became too easy, so he increased to 15. This change was still relatively easy and not too much of a strain. He didn’t think much about it; he simply made push-ups part of his daily routine. Leaving the office became his immediate daily reward for his exercise, strengthening the habit.

After a few more weeks, he began to walk a few blocks after arriving home. His spouse joined him for the walk. They used this time to discuss their day and plan activities. The walks soon became an enjoyable daily activity.

After four or five additional weeks, he was up to 25 push-ups. Within a few months, he was able to do 35 push-ups and walk about a mile. As time passed, he started feeling better, so he added ten squats and a few sit-ups after finishing the walk. This became a daily routine.

He focused on consistency and occasionally shared his plan with others, which further strengthened his commitment. After a year, his routine included 50 push-ups, a two-mile walk, 25 sit-ups, and squats. He performed this routine around four times a week, always at the same time, beginning with push-ups just before leaving the office each day. Going home became the reward for completing the push-ups and prompted additional behaviors once he arrived home.

Three years into this plan, Mr. R was at 65 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, 50 squats, and a 3-mile walk every day. His wife joined him on the walk, and they shared stories about their lives together.

The prompt of finishing his workday helped keep him on track. Immediate rewards, such as self-praise and going home, were motivating. The long-term rewards included improved health, stamina, and appearance.

He added small behaviors over time, so that one behavior led to another, creating a chain of actions that ended with a shower and dinner routine.

An interesting aspect of this plan is the body's ability to adapt. After weeks of following a routine, Mr. R found his body began responding automatically, as if it had developed a “memory.” This made it easier for him to add new behaviors without much physical strain as his stamina increased.

The secret to his plan was consistency and compounding of small behaviors over time. He had to prioritize these behaviors and establish boundaries around this time interval to protect his routine. Small, positive behaviors added up over time and became habits.

One downside was that his exercise plan was highly context-dependent; it occurred only on days when he was in his office and only at the end of the day. If he left the office at noon, his routine was disrupted. When he did not go to work (on vacation or taking time off), he was less likely to engage in the behavior, making it easier to break the habit. The prompt, however, was there when he returned to work, helping him get back on track.

It was hard when he missed a few days. Sometimes, he reduced his daily effort until he could get back into a routine. This helped him notice how quickly his muscles deteriorated when he stopped exercising, reinforcing his commitment to maintaining his exercise routine. He learned from Tiny Habits not to get discouraged when he missed a day or two. There were times when he was tired or not feeling well, so he did not get down on himself when he missed a day or so; he just got back on schedule and was typically able to average exercising three to four days a week. This plan has been in effect for approximately eight years. One caveat about behavior change is to focus on changes that are relatively permanent, for example, behaviors you intend to continue for the rest of your life. This is a different mindset than trying to accomplish a short-term goal. 

Since his plan was highly contextualized, over time, he began varying the location by making slight changes, exercising in different places within his office or home, and adjusting the time of day. These adjustments helped reduce contextual dependency and supported exercise behaviors in various locations and at different times.

Mr. R used the book Tiny Habits to help with the nuances and motivation for his plan, but his plan might not work for someone with daily at-home responsibilities, such as caring for children, or for people who work from home or live in climates where walking outside isn’t easy, safe, or comfortable.   Plans must be tailored to a person’s situation and their routine. His plan is an example of how prompts are essential, as life often disrupts routines and can lead to failure if you don’t plan for and expect the unexpected. A sound system helps you get back on track during unexpected disruptions. Once behaviors are well-established, prompts are no longer as critical.

Just as these strategies worked for physical health, similar principles can be applied to emotional well-being.  Compared with exercise, cultivating happiness and positive emotions is more complex and involves a broader range of behaviors. Emotions emerge from numerous small, overt actions that collectively influence one's emotional state. However, the behavioral principles are the same. You can’t just change how you feel, but you can work to establish the behaviors that contribute to happiness, and the emotions will follow.  The secret is to develop and strengthen the tiny behaviors that support positive emotions, just like Mr. R did with his exercise plan. Once identified, these component behaviors need a plan and an ecosystem that includes consistent, small, and easy-to-follow steps, along with prompts and reminders.

Summary: To build lasting habits, start small, be consistent, use prompts, and adjust your environment as needed. These strategies can support both physical health and emotional well-being.

Daily Self-Care and Holistic Well-Being: Connecting Emotional, Social, Mental, and Physical Health

A key takeaway from Mr. Rs’ exercise routine is the importance of setting aside time for self-care each day. By embracing the TEACH program’s holistic approach, individuals can cultivate happiness through small, consistent actions that positively impact every aspect of their well-being. Setting aside time for self-care each day is essential for overall well-being. Happiness and other positive emotions aren’t just fleeting sensations—they’re deeply connected to our physical, emotional, and mental health. Approaching happiness holistically means recognizing how our daily habits and routines — such as exercise, sleep, mindfulness, intentional breathing, and nutrition — work together to support a healthier, more joyful life. Exercise boosts endorphin production—chemicals in the brain that promote feelings of well-being—and helps regulate stress hormones. People who exercise regularly report feeling more energetic, sleeping better, and experiencing greater self-esteem.  Mr. R's plan also fostered positive self-talk, increased his energy, established a predictable routine, and added healthy structure to his life — all components that complement one another.  The TEACH Program encourages working across multiple domains at once—supporting exercise routines, fostering mindfulness and meditation, and promoting healthy eating, among other examples. This comprehensive approach enables participants to develop sustainable habits that benefit the body, mind, and spirit.