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A hybrid mini habit is a daily requirement with two possible ways to complete it—choose which one of them to do each day. This helps you convert weekly goals into daily goals, and it helps make bigger goals smaller. For example, want to go to the gym 3x a week? Your hybrid mini habit can be EITHER one push-up or driving to the gym.
You can use these to dedicate one mini habit “slot” to an objective with multiple tasks. For example, if you need to study music and practice guitar to get better at playing guitar, you can combine them into a hybrid mini habit where you either practice or study every day. Or it may be that you wish to complete them both every day. This decision will come down to how important each objective is to you (and how much time you want to invest in it). I’ll give some examples, but this won’t be comprehensive because you can combine any two Mini Habits (from the same category) to form a hybrid mini habit.
Examples
- Drive to the gym OR do 1 Push-up
- Read 2 pages in a book OR read 1 highly educational article online
- Practice guitar for 1 minute OR study 1 page of music theory
As a fitness trainer, I always remind my clients to set it up that way, and those who implement mini-habits strategies almost always succeed better than those who didn t. Thank you!
I have always felt that my education, while very expensive and supposedly comprehensive, was lacking in several key areas. I always wanted to patch those areas so to speak, but I was unsure how to go about accomplishing such a huge goal. I have identified several areas that I feel are weakest, and while I try to study each area for a few minutes every day, if I’m not able to then at least do one or two areas for a few minutes. My areas of study are: Art History, History, Religion, Literature, Foreign language, Educational (which addresses issues or books that are weak but do not fit one of those areas). This sounds daunting, but so far I am blown away at the knowledge I have accumulated by reading 5 minutes in basic beginners books on each subject per day, if possible, or 2 pages alternatively if the time seems too much that day, OR 10 minutes on 1 subject a day if I am just trying to hit my mark and am tired. Sometimes i reread the material several days in a row because I couldn’t focus or the material is dense, but I am becoming comfortable addressing intimidating subjects in tiny bites. The Educational section is where I slotted your book when I started the 2 pages a day – now it a Politics for Dummies. My Foreign Language requirement i meet with different language apps, such as Duolingo or Beelingual. Fun and really great when used together. My History requirement I meet by listening to/using the Kahn app, a free, highly educational app. Religion has so far been a journey through the science of meditation. Obviously my list is not for everyone, but anyone can twist and shape it to fit their needs for continued adult education. I am so deeply grateful that I picked up your book. These are not the only mini habits I have picked up – meditation, brain training, exercising, even basic hygiene – and they have allowed me to find my way back from a deep depression and drug addiction through a continually evolving sense of efficacy in my life that has been missing for quite a while. I continue to build a little bit more self-esteem everyday and that is what has help me to grow into a more positive life. Before I was defined by failure and now my future is beginning to be shaped by success and that has made all the difference. Thank you.
Nice I think you’re on to something brotha!!! Keep Up the good work! do a mini habits for dating!
I’ve just finished listening to Mini Habits for Weight Loss. Blown away. This might actually work for me. So far so good. Carmen, I know you wrote the above comment years ago, but I want to tell you how helpful reading your comment is. I want to do something similar. I appreciate how you broke it down and the strategy you worked out. Thanks for sharing.