Have you ever had habits you want to develop, but you just don’t know where, or how to start?

Generally, most of us are pretty aware of what are considered “good” habits to have. Things like going to sleep early, eat out less, eat more vegetables, exercise more, read more books, spend time with your family… etc. These are habits that once they are rooted into your daily routine, they would make your life better overall.

Very often, we talk about so many of these “good” habits we want to develop and how they will be good for us. But also very often, we end up only talking about them because we don’t know where and how to start.

What are Keystone Habits?

Sometimes less is more. In Charles Duhigg’s book, “The Power of Habit” the author introduced the concept of keystone habits, which are important core habits to develop that can transform your life. These habits are more important than others. They are correlated with other good habits. Once you develop them, you create a correlated effect that makes it easier to develop other habits in your life overall.

For example, regular exercise often helps to develop better eating habits. When you have better eating habits, it might be easier for you to cook more and eat out less.  As said by Charles Duhigg, keystone habits don’t create a direct cause-and-effect relationship, but they can spark “chain reactions that help other good habits take hold.”

My Keystone Habits

After learning this concept, I also began to think about what are my important keystone habits right now.  I think my keystone habits will change depending on my priorities. But for now, it is:

1. Sleep for minimum 7 hours a day

2. Exercise regularly

3. Meditate daily

I feel that  these keystone habits help me to become a happier and more productive person overall. With enough rest, exercise, peace and self-awareness, these habits I developed have helped me to improve many other aspects of my daily life in my relationships with people, at work, and at home.

> Related: How to Develop Your Habits in 5 Seconds

For example, it used to be very difficult for me to wake up early in the morning. I was also a big procrastinator at getting work done. But with enough sleep a day, it became easier for me to wake up earlier, and I also got my work done faster because I tend focus better in the morning.

If you are like me, with many, many habits on your mind and you just don’t know where to start, maybe start by thinking about what are the most important ones you absolutely need in your life, right now. Try not to exceed by 3 keystone habits. The key is to really narrow down and identify the main ones.

What do you do that makes you feel better? More energized? More able to feel like yourself?

Cheers

Shir 🙂

More related posts:

• How to develop habits in 5 seconds

• What is habit stacking and how to create habits that stick

• How to set your priorities

Share with me your keystone habits, I’d love to hear from you.

Shirley Huang is a Certified Life Coach, Podcast Host, and online educator. She provides weekly resources to help people become leaders in their life, while loving themselves and having fun a long the way. Check out her Life Coaching Programs here.