How to Use Foundation Habits to Change Your Life

Permanent change is like a tree with a firm root. If the root remains strong, it provides stability to the tree. But if the root weakens, the whole tree will come toppling down.

That’s what happens when we practice change for a few weeks or months. The root system weakens, and in no time, we find ourselves in chaos again.

Making and embracing any change becomes more manageable when we focus on building a strong and better foundation for other good habits.

Stephen Covey explains, “Change — real change — comes from the inside out. It doesn’t come from hacking at the leaves of attitude and behaviour with quick fix personality ethic techniques. It comes from striking at the root — the fabric of our thought, the fundamental, essential paradigms, which give definition to our character and create the lens through which we see the world.”

Embracing change can be challenging and scary, especially when unsure where to start. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. If you know what you’re looking for and are ready to make a change, a small step in the direction you want is all you need. Tiny habits consistently practiced over time change lives.

Lasting change happens in stages. You can’t make real change without a solid root to build upon. Your actions may look small at first, but with consistent practice, you will grow stronger and stronger over time.

People who upgrade their lives build a solid foundation to experience permanent change. If you want your actions to have long-term results, invest in habits you can practice daily. Whether you’re working towards financial goals or personal development goals, progress isn’t going to happen overnight.

A lot of people fail to lay a better foundation for consistent results. They know what they want but don’t practice good habits enough to accumulate enough wins to leverage momentum.

Good change takes time. If you are willing to invest time, you will lay a better foundation for even more life-changing habits. “Change might not be fast, and it isn’t always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped, says Charles Duhigg.

Foundation habits create the condition for permanent change

“We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.”— John Dryden

Good habits lay the foundation for better habits. Everyone builds better habits through practice. If you take good action long enough, momentum will kick in and encourage even more good habits.

“Foundation habits tend to reinforce each other; for instance, regular exercise improves people’s sleep quality,” says Gretchen Rubin.

Adding more healthy food options to your diet will make you more conscious of what you eat. That mindset will help you reconsider your health choices. Given enough time, you will add more healthy habits to improve general health.

People who start their day with healthy breakfast options tend to be mindful of their snack options and even what they eat for dinner. They are also conscious of their sleep patterns, exercise habits and the quality of their downtime.

The same principle applies in almost every area of life. If you can plan and manage your finances well, it will reduce stress in other areas of your life. Good personal finance also improves sleep and helps you maintain the peace of mind you need to focus on other things.

If you improve the quality of your sleep, you are laying the foundation for a great day ahead. Better sleep improves brain performance, focus and mood for the rest of the day.

Writing consistently encourages reading, which also helps you gather knowledge for life. If you start long walks and make it a habit, it will encourage you to be more mindful and conscious of your environment, which helps you to be more present. And when you are more mindful, your concentration and mental clarity improve.

“The second half of a man’s life is made up of nothing but the habits he has acquired during the first half,” says Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Any good habit can lay the foundation for building better habits. You just have to practice it long enough to make it stick first. Trying to change too many things at once can backfire.

This article originally appeared in Medium.