Mini Habits

Smaller Habits, Bigger Results

By: Stephen Guise

Narrated by: Daniel Penz

One afternoon - after another failed attempt to get motivated to exercise - I (accidentally) started my first mini habit. I initially committed to do one push-up, and it turned into a full workout. I was shocked. This "stupid idea" wasn't supposed to work. I was shocked again when my success with this strategy continued for months (and to this day). I had to consider that maybe I wasn't the problem in those 10 years of mediocre results. Maybe it was my prior strategies that were ineffective, despite being oft-repeated as "the way to change" in countless books and blogs.

I was right.

Is there a scientific explanation for this?

As I sought understanding, I found a plethora of scientific studies that had answers, with nobody to interpret them correctly. Based on the science - which you'll find peppered throughout Mini Habits - we've been doing it all wrong.

You can succeed without the guilt, intimidation, and repeated failure associated with such strategies as "getting motivated," New Year's Resolutions, or even "just doing it." In fact, you need to stop using those strategies if they aren't giving you great results. They don't work because they all require you to fight against your subconscious brain (a fight not easily won). It's only when you start playing by your brain's rules and taking your human limitations seriously--as mini habits show you how to do - that you can achieve lasting change.

©2013 Stephen Guise (P)2014 Stephen Guise

Breaks Things Down Into Tiny Do-able Bits

This isn't a book that will wow you with facts and research and science. Instead, it is a book that makes huge and often overwhelming goals possible. The theory and method presented are based on the author's personal experiences of creating change in his own life. I agree with other reviewers -- there is something strangely liberating about the idea of setting your goals so low that you can easily meet them. Then from these tiny goals bigger change begins and builds. Worth a listen if you need a new and simple approach for attacking the problem of feeling bogged down and want to start building new daily habits. A positive listen.

Procrastination In A Whole New Light!

I enjoyed this book very much, including the narrator. And I asked myself this morning--after all the books I've read and listened to--why I was still procrastinating, checking off lists, putting lists into shorter lists, etc. etc. etc. Is it just me or does this book resonate with the very core of the problem, which is always the "getting started" part? This book is light (which I liked), but to the point. I began using it before I'd finished it, which was over two days. If you are someone who feels overwhelmed by the projects you want to do, I believe this book will help you. I'm sure I've never had a book get me moving so quickly and easily.

Surprised by how deeply helpful the thoughts in this book are

I started out listening to this book thinking that it sounded kind of gimmicky, but halfway through things clicked and I saw what he was talking about in my own life. I already, accidentally, have a whole lot of mini habits in process, some good and some bad. The further into the book I got the more powerful the concept became as I realized this dynamic is already existing in my life and he is showing me how to tap into that dynamic and leverage it for increased productivity.

Great book!

Fast, simple, immediately useful. Really resonated with me. I highly recommend both the text and audio.

Great information

This book gave me much needed information, although I didn't realize it, I have personally subscribed to this way of thinking for many years. Today I am a physician and I am constantly battling with my patients about changing their lifestyles for the sake of their health. Now I see why they resist and I will implement Mini Habits starting immediately! Thank you, and I will update this post as my practice and patients progress.

Very helpful- creating mini habits works!

I really enjoyed this book. Great idea to make a habit so small it would only take a minute to complete but it trains you to get IN THE HABIT (which is the hardest part). I have been doing my exercise mini habit for over a month now. I have over achieved it everyday except for 1 day. So much better than waiting for enough discipline for a full workout session.


Good concepts to remember:

-Break the habit down as small as possible and commit to do it everyday ex. One push-up
-Make it too small to fail to create the habit
-Don't do too many at once
-Track it and make it visible

Only drawback - it was a little long for the amount of content

This Is Incredible for Procrastination!

If you could sum up Mini Habits in three words, what would they be?

Useful, Insightful, and Essential.

Who was your favorite character and why?

There are no characters within this title.

Have you listened to any of Daniel Penz’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any other works by this author.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Mostly of "Eureka" whenever something I didn't notice in my life was brought up.

Any additional comments?

This book teaches you how to feasibly do important tasks daily and also explains in detail why it works and the reasons other methods fail. As the title suggests, it is done by making the said goal in question so small that your ego won't let you fail and although it sounds like nothing the idea is that you are doing said action so consistently over time that it becomes a habit and thus easier to do without having to drag yourself to do it. The added bonus is that at times when you have the "I don't feel like it's" the goal is so underwhelming that it is too easy to not do it.

My problem is that when I wanted to do something every day I was making the mistake of setting my daily goal bigger than I thought it was and so it was incredibly hard to keep doing it every day consistently. Making the goal very small and following some of the extra advice this book offers have done wonders for my productivity. I wish I knew of this method many, many years ago!

This book is essential to anyone who has trouble reaching goals, procrastinating, keeping priorities, and even if you don't have those problems you should still give this book a listen.

Simply the truth. This is how to change. Fact

Buy....NOW
If you're into better ing yourself and self-help drop WHATEVER you're reading/listening to read this.

love it

loved it. i start doing the mini habit of 1 push up and for 2 weeks, i keep doing it daily. never below 15. well, i have to say it really works for me. before this, i try to do 100 push up daily, but never done one push up. thank you.

Do you have something you want to change?

This book is so practical. How to make changing easy. I have listened to it twice. It’s immensely effective.