Good habits list: 40 daily habits, each with a 2-minute start
Ideas are easy; starting is hard. Every habit below comes with a version small enough to do today. Tap “Track” to add it to your free tracker.
- Health
Drink more water
Start with: Drink one glass after brushing your teeth
- Health
Floss daily
Start with: Floss one tooth
- Health
Eat more vegetables
Start with: Add one handful of greens to dinner
- Health
Go to bed on time
Start with: Set a phone alarm for “start winding down”
- Health
Take the stairs
Start with: Take the stairs for one floor
- Health
Get morning daylight
Start with: Step outside for two minutes after breakfast
- Fitness
Exercise regularly
Start with: Put on workout clothes
- Fitness
Walk 8,000 steps
Start with: Walk to the end of the street and back
- Fitness
Stretch daily
Start with: One hamstring stretch while the kettle boils
- Fitness
Strength training
Start with: Two push-ups against the kitchen counter
- Fitness
Do yoga
Start with: Roll out the mat
- Mind
Meditate
Start with: Three slow breaths with eyes closed
- Mind
Keep a journal
Start with: Write one line about today
- Mind
Practise gratitude
Start with: Name one good thing at dinner
- Mind
Spend less time on your phone
Start with: Charge the phone outside the bedroom
- Mind
Spend time outdoors
Start with: Drink your morning coffee by an open window or outside
- Learning
Read more books
Start with: Read one page
- Learning
Learn a language
Start with: Open the app and do one exercise
- Learning
Practise an instrument
Start with: Take the instrument out of its case
- Learning
Listen to educational podcasts
Start with: Queue an episode before your commute
- Learning
Write every day
Start with: Write one sentence
- Work
Plan the day
Start with: Write your one most important task
- Work
Inbox zero
Start with: Archive three emails
- Work
Deep work
Start with: Close all tabs except one
- Work
Take real breaks
Start with: Stand up after every meeting
- Work
Weekly review
Start with: Open your calendar on Friday afternoon
- Home
Make the bed
Start with: Pull the duvet straight
- Home
Keep the kitchen clean
Start with: Wipe the counter after dinner
- Home
Declutter
Start with: Put away one item
- Home
Do laundry regularly
Start with: Start one load
- Home
Cook at home
Start with: Choose tomorrow’s dinner tonight
- Money
Save regularly
Start with: Move a small fixed amount on payday
- Money
Track spending
Start with: Log today’s purchases in one note
- Money
Avoid impulse buys
Start with: Wait 24 hours before paying online
- Money
Cook instead of ordering in
Start with: Keep one 10-minute meal in the cupboard
- Relationships
Stay in touch with friends
Start with: Send one message
- Relationships
Be present at meals
Start with: Phones face down during dinner
- Relationships
Call family
Start with: Call during your Sunday walk
- Relationships
Say thank you more
Start with: Thank one person specifically each day
- Relationships
Listen better
Start with: Ask one follow-up question
How to choose
- Start from identity. Ask who you want to become, then pick the habit that person would do. See identity-based habits.
- Fit it to a cue you already have. Each habit needs an anchor; browse habit stacking examples.
- Choose one keystone. Some habits make others easier: regular sleep, planning the day or exercise often spill over into other areas.
- Audit first. The habit scorecard shows where your day actually goes.
Keep designing
- Habit trackerDesign habits with a cue, identity and 2-minute start, then stitch off each day.
- Habit stackingAnchor a new habit to one you already do.
- 2-Minute RuleShrink any habit until starting is easy.
- Tiny Habits recipeBJ Fogg’s anchor, behaviour, celebration.
- If-then plannerDecide when and where in advance.
- Temptation bundlingPair a “should” with a “want”.
- Habit scorecardAudit what you already do each day.
- Break a bad habitInvert the four laws into a plan.
- Morning routine builderA timed stack for the first hour.
Questions
What are good daily habits to start?
Pick habits that support the person you want to become and fit your current life. Common starting points are drinking water, moving your body, sleeping on a regular schedule, reading, planning the day and staying in touch with people. Start with one or two, not ten.
How many habits should I build at once?
One or two. Each new habit needs attention until it becomes automatic, which in Lally’s 2010 study took a median of 66 days. Adding a new habit once the last one runs on its own is more sustainable.
Why is there a 2-minute version for each habit?
The 2-Minute Rule says new habits should take less than two minutes to start. The small version is what you commit to every day; doing more is a bonus.