50 Habits And Hacks That People Find So Useful They Would Say They’re Game-Changing

Incremental changes to your routine can massively alter the trajectory of your entire life as they quickly compound over time. Celebrated author James Clear, who wrote the widely acclaimed book ‘Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones,’ argues that if you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you, it’s your systems.

“Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

In a nutshell, Clear states in ‘Atomic Habits’ that changes that we might initially think are insignificantly small can actually compound to produce powerful results. However, you have to be willing to stick with these habits, routines, and practices for years to see the payoff.

Broadly speaking, when deciding that you want to change your habits, you should focus on the person you wish to become, not on what you want to achieve. Changing your behavior can be quite challenging, but you can make things smoother by making the habits obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying.

Scientific American explains that, based on a 2009 study, new habit creation can take anywhere from a mere 18 days to a whopping 254 days. The average is around 66 days. The biggest factor that influenced whether a behavior would become part of a person’s automatic daily routine was, somewhat unsurprisingly, consistent daily repetition.

Another major factor is the type of activity itself. For instance, forming some basic habits like washing your hands more can take just a few weeks. On the flip side, consistent exercise habits can take half a year.

Bored Panda got in touch with redditor u/Imllo, who sparked the entire discussion on the 'Frugal' subreddit in the first place. We were interested to find out what had inspired them to pose the question online.

"I've always found Reddit to be a very interesting place where you can learn and share different perspectives, lifestyles, and routines," they opened up to us.

"So, I decided to ask users about their daily tricks," they said, explaining that they were curious to get a peek at other people's experiences.

Meanwhile, we asked the author of the thread about the behaviors that they personally believe might have the biggest impact on a person's quality of life.

"I think it's the small habits that help you in your daily life," u/Imllo told Bored Panda, emphasizing that it's important to focus on the small things in your routine.

"Like when you're doing mundane tasks like preparing meals, cleaning the house, or getting dressed," they said.

"In short, whatever makes your day-to-day life much easier."

What are the cheapest habits that you have that have genuinely changed your life for the better, dear Pandas? What are the best small life hacks that you practice?

What is the most difficult habit you’ve ever formed? Grab a snack and tell us all about your experiences in the comments below.