5 Micro Habits that Set You Up for Success

You may aspire to be the super-organized, laser-focused, Type A personality that you see in others, but you won’t get there overnight. If you’re more of a go-with-the-flow, loosely-structured, Type B person, micro habits are your best friend.

What is a micro habit? It’s a small habit that’s easily repeatable that will help you build more structure and routine in your daily life. Instead of trying to overhaul yourself into becoming a different person overnight, you can implement small changes that help you get 1% better every day.

Here are five micro habits that you can start today that will help you thrive as a woman in corporate.

1. Have breakfast–Many people don’t eat breakfast, but I find that it actually is the best way to start your day. It fuels your mind and body and helps you smoothly transition into the work day.
2. Set focus blocks–Raise your hand if you’re easily distracted by your phone. Mmm hmm, just as I thought. Focus blocks mentally prepare you to lock in and get as much done as possible. An added bonus is restricting social apps or having your phone in a different room so you aren’t tempted to take scroll breaks. I recently discovered the Focus Friend app and it’s such a cute, cozy way to gamify focus blocks (plus it’s free!).
3. Check deadlines daily–This is the micro habit that will keep you from falling behind. Nothing will spike your anxiety more than forgetting about a deadline and frantically working to meet it. What feels even worse is having to ask for an extension. Check your deadlines daily, multiple times a day, to keep yourself on track. Doing this will also help you prioritize tasks based on which deadlines are approaching sooner.
4. Finish one task before starting another–We all want to believe that we’re great multitaskers, but the truth is, we aren’t. Constantly flipping back and forth between tasks is the best way to ensure something falls through the cracks. Focus on completing one task at a time so that you can give each one the attention it deserves.
5. Write down meeting notes–There’s something about physically writing things down that makes them easier to remember. If you’re working on a complex project or you’re part of an important meeting, pull out a pen and notebook. Taking your own notes helps you remember details, outline action items, and kickstart your brainstorm process

These micro habits may seem small and obvious, but sometimes that’s what we need to help us improve. Everything doesn’t have to be a big push. The small nudges add up and they’re easier to build routines and regimens around. Do you have any micro habits that you can’t live without? Share them in the comments below!