What is that one small habit that can change our lives?

Have you ever wanted to cultivate a new habit that could potentially change your life forever? A habit that can turn your career around? One that can take your relationships to another level? I’m sure you have, We all do. And the question is what could that one thing be?

Media, self-help books blogs, and articles are full of promises, crash methods, and cheat sheets, yet our depression rate is skyrocketing. Above all, now that we all are struggling with the pressure of the pandemic and its negative effects on our physical & mental health and the rate of depression is higher than ever, why do none of these methods work?

Maybe there is a simpler way to go about this. An approach that we all can practice irrespective of our age or race. A way that can fit our multi-tasking & rushed lives.

I have been practicing this method for a while now in a variety of contexts and I’m becoming more and more convinced that this is the way out for many of us. We need a habit that doesn’t need fancy equipment or dedicated time off of our already busy lives. A habit that is tiny but mighty:

The “Spark Habit”.

The spark habit is the habit of doing one tiny positive behavior daily. You start the day with the intention, you will look for opportunities to act on it, then do it, smile and be proud of your accomplishment.

But you may ask: What is positive behavior?

In essence, positive behavior is an action that tends to create positive emotions in the recipient.

These behaviors are generally categorized as:

• Showing interest,
• Agreeing,
• Balanced criticism,
• Approving,
• Showing affection,
• Cooperating,
• Protecting,
• Praising,
• Understanding, and
• Forgiving

For example, some positive behavior could be:

• Listening
• Being proactive
• Supportive comments
• Non-verbal positive gestures such as smiling
• Saying a heartfelt Thank you
• Cleaning up after yourself
• Greeting people politely
• Giving compliments

All of the above actions make the person whom we are interacting with, feel a positive emotion inside, even for a very short moment. These positive emotions could be joy, love, happiness, ease, comfort, respect etc.

Can the Spark habit change our lives?

The power of Spark habit lies in its open-endedness as it gives us the power of decision.

Based on our mental and emotional state, a tiny action could mean totally different from one person to the next and even from one moment to another. Sometimes we can emotionally afford to offer more to people around us and sometimes we may not be able to impact as deep as we would otherwise desire. However, despite what goes on in our lives, if we choose to create the smallest positive feeling in people around us, then that day may become a better day for others and also ourselves as this positivity will create a ripple effect that will eventually come back to us.

The success of the Spark Habit lies in the intention of doing one positive behavior before going to bed. This intention shifts our mindset from looking for negativity to searching for opportunities to create positivity. It gives us the power to take control of our lives and it shifts us from being a victim of fate to a powerful being who can transform the present and future. When we set our minds from the beginning of the day to perform at least one positive behavior, It gives our day a purpose and our nights something positive to look back at.

I love the Spark habit because it can be applied to a variety of contexts. You can choose to have a Spark in your work or life or relationships or friendships etc. It is a tiny behavior so it can be achieved easily by anyone. It could be practiced daily without any cost. It is meant to be repetitive enough that it can become a big part of who we are and yes, It has the potential to positively change many lives.

Spark habit is a #tinyhabit that could lift you and everyone around you up. This positive feeling that you will create in others around you could potentially bring many other great surprises to your life.