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Habit Formation
Smaller Is Often Better for Habit Change
When it comes to changing habits, smaller steps are better and longer lasting.
Updated January 2, 2025 Reviewed by Kaja Perina
Key points
- Accepting that action is needed is essential in making a life change.
- Choosing smaller rather than larger steps has many advantages.
- Preparation, patience, and practice are needed in the process of transformation.
Making intrapersonal or behavioral changes in one’s life is challenging. Humans are, by nature, creatures of habit and tend to resist change because it is uncomfortable. Yet we sometimes also become aware – or are made aware by others – that change is needed.
Accepting that modification in a certain domain is needed is generally the first and very essential step in this process. We may wish to passively develop new skills or easily let go of long-standing bad habits, but this is generally not the usual experience for most individuals. As Jim Rohn, author and motivational speaker, aptly noted, "Your life doesn't get better by chance, it gets better by change." We can move on to action once we have made space for awareness and acceptance. Several metaphors provide perspective on some helpful ways to visualize taking action steps.
Prepare for the change: Laying bricks of a foundation
Once someone has decided to change a habit, they sometimes immerse themselves immediately into the process but do so without putting steps of preparation in place that will increase their chances of success. Just as someone laying bricks for the foundation of a building needs to gather the supplies, prepare the cement, and set aside the time to engage in the step-by-step process, individuals making change need to consider what might be needed to allow the changes to be successful.
It can be tempting to dive right into the goal— suddenly stop smoking, procrastinating, or nail-biting—but often a bit of self-reflective preparation is needed. Do we have the tools we need to move forward? Do we understand the triggers that lead to the behavior? Do there need to be some substitution behaviors practiced before retracting a habit? Without preparation consideration, the chances of successful change are decreased.
Accept that it will be hard: Forging a new path
When we make behavior or life changes, it is like trying to create a new path in the forest when there is already a well-worn path. It's easier to walk the same old trampled-down trail. Forming a new path might involve getting scratched by the over-grown bushes or being disoriented because the way forward is not always clear, but often a newer path is needed when the old one keeps leading to a dead end. We have to prepare for a journey that will be hard, unfamiliar, and sometimes long. Because it is new and different, we will likely have urges to revert to our old, easier ways. But the notion of neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to change and adapt its structure and function in response to new behaviors, tells us that we can make new neural pathways in our brains with repetition – like creating new paths in a forest.
Reduce overwhelm: Practicing an instrument
Engaging in new habits can be daunting, and smaller steps can help the process feel more achievable. Just as someone who wishes to learn how to play the piano needs initial practice with scale warm-ups and note reading before moving to increasingly more challenging but beautiful music, individuals desiring a change will feel more ultimate success if starting with small, steady steps. Breaking down large goals into more manageable tasks reduces overwhelm, and increases motivation and competency when the steps are attainable.
"Microdosing" change is likely much more successful because it allows the brain and body to adjust to the shifts more slowly. Smaller steps allow for easier modification if needed, as one can adapt to changing circumstances without starting from scratch. No one becomes a master pianist overnight; consistent practice and fine-tuning matter.
Know that patience is required: Creating a masterpiece
While leaps and bounds forward may feel like it could be more motivating, it is generally difficult to keep up this level of achievement for any significant amount of time. Like a sculptor chipping away at a block of stone or an artist dabbing some color onto a canvas, the fuller masterpiece might be hard to envision. Some smaller steps may seem meaningless, but each step builds upon itself and can move one forward over time.
Because improvements may be harder to see at first, patience is required. Hope and trust in small changes are needed, and the longer-term beauty will eventually be revealed. Breaking down tasks into smaller steps allows you to build consistent habits and routines that support long-term success. With smaller milestones, one can also more easily monitor progress and celebrate small achievements, which can be psychologically rewarding.
Acknowledge the sadness: Emptying a closet
When new habits are underway, we may feel excited and proud, and sometimes sad and anxious. Letting go of long-standing behaviors can be like giving away an appliance, an old love letter, or a worn-out piece of clothing that you no longer need but highly valued at one point in your life; you know that it no longer makes sense to keep it, but there may be grief over some of the old memories.
On the one hand, we often know that we have to clean out our internal “closets” to make space for new, improved, better behaviors, relationships, and mindsets; however, at the same time, there is value in validating ourselves in how this is a significant step and deserves acknowledgment of the distress.
We can’t always choose the transformation timing, but if we initiate the change and are free to choose—choose small. In the fable of the tortoise and the hare wherein two animals raced to a finish line, the slow but steady tortoise ultimately got to the goal.
