Making Habits Effortless

I never considered myself much of a reader. I’d pick up the occasional book to bring on vacation but didn’t make time in my daily schedule to commit to reading. I’d get through a few books a year, compared to the dozen or so my husband finished. 

Teaching elementary school as well as having children of my own allowed me to see how important reading at an early age can be, yet I still hadn’t learned this valuable aspect of life for myself as an adult. 

That is, until a year ago when we made more significant changes to our routines and lifestyle. 

By making time each day for reading, I’ve learned how powerful words (both fiction and non-fiction) can be and how reading shapes my mind, ways I look at relationships, and my approach to living intentionally in this modern world. 

In this post, I wanted to share several lessons I’ve learned from one of the most helpful books I’ve read recently– Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most, by Greg McKeown. In this book, he teaches the reader how to make tedious tasks enjoyable, how to simplify your processes by removing unnecessary steps, and how to take time to rest instead of burning out. 

I took so many notes as I read this book and gained a lot of insight on my own daily habits. As always, Mike and I hope that this blog serves as a way for us to share the “wisdom” and “life lessons” that we’re learning in hopes that even a small part of it will resonate with our readers and inspire you to lead more intentional lives. 

5 Lessons I’ve learned from Effortless

1. Create habits that become effortless. 

The easiest habits to learn are those that are done effortlessly (something you do without even thinking about it). But how do you actually get to this point?

McKeown challenges the reader to see how you can remove any complexity that’s making the habit harder to stick with. He encourages us to think hard about what we can do to make this habit easier by removing barriers that prevent it from becoming effortless. 

One tangible way I’ve learned to make the daunting task of laundry easier is by breaking it into chunks and doing one load every day, rather than 4 loads all in one day. It’s now become a part of my morning routine and a habit that has become (nearly) effortless. 

There are other routines I’ve learned to apply this strategy to, but the key here is to start small, determine the difficulties with why this habit hasn’t become effortless, and make changes towards getting to that point. 

2. Invert, always invert. 

Instead of becoming frustrated when something feels challenging, McKeown urges the reader to try looking at the problem from the opposite perspective. Charlie Munger, business partner of Warren Buffett and Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, commonly uses a strategy called “Invert, Always Invert”. 

When a situation, habit, or routine becomes problematic, he suggests looking at it from another direction. Munger simply says that in order to understand this strategy “spend less time trying to be brilliant and more time trying to avoid obvious stupidity”. 

One way I’ve learned how to apply this strategy is with meal planning. Instead of sifting through hundreds of ideas on Pinterest, cookbooks, or blogs, I created my own Recipe Binder. It contains our top 20 meals that are easy enough for a weeknight, eaten by everyone in the family, and in a simple place that prevents me from remembering where in the world I can find the recipe. 

3. Make gratitude a habit. 

“When you focus on what you lack, you lose what you have. When you focus on what you have, you get what you lack.”- Greg McKeown. 

Everywhere we look, there are “things” that others have that we desire for ourselves (prettier homes, nicer clothes, newer kitchen gadgets, and the list goes on). Allowing yourself to get caught up in the cycle of comparison leads to an ungrateful spirit towards what you do have.  

Instead, McKeown suggests forcing yourself into a cycle of gratitude, where you choose to fill your mind with what you’re thankful for through limiting negative, burdensome thoughts. 

One helpful strategy I learned from this book is that when I catch myself complaining, I must then return that statement with something I’m thankful for. This allows me to be more aware of my negativity and frustration, and get into the habit of focusing my energy on something I’m grateful for instead. 

4. Allow rest and relaxation to be a regular part of your schedule. 

Many of us struggle with the tension between “not doing enough” or “doing too much”. We weren’t made to run at full speed all day long without burning out. McKeown says that studies have shown that in order to perform better mentally and physically, a rhythm of exerting energy as well as renewing energy is required– work hard, rest, work hard, rest. 

Relaxing (whether it’s taking a nap or taking a leisurely walk) shouldn’t be painfully hard for us to do. Resting doesn’t mean being lazy or unproductive, but rather taking a break from heavy thinking/doing and allowing your mind and body to find restoration, even if just for 10 minutes at a time. 

Find a balance that works for you. For me, this is taking time each afternoon while my kids nap/have quiet time to write for the blog (something I greatly enjoy!), read for pleasure, or do something to fulfill my creative outlet. 

5. Prioritize sleep. 

Did you know that on average, we get about 2 hours less sleep than we did 50 years ago? Our bodies require 7 or more hours of sleep each night to stay healthy. Every night that we don’t get the ideal 7-8 hours of sleep, our bodies rack up “sleep debt”. 

In a study cited in the book, McKeown said that by the 10th day of acquiring this sleep debt, the subjects experienced the same effects as ones who had not slept for an entire night. 

There are countless good habits that we can do for our bodies, but giving ourselves quality sleep may be the single most beneficial gift, as all other healthy habits seem to stem from feeling well rested. 

Helpful ways that I’ve found to get better sleep (when not in a season of having a newborn!), is reading for 30 minutes before I turn the lights off, limiting screen time right before bed, turning on the “do not disturb” setting on my phone, and having a consistent bedtime and wake up time. 

If you’re someone who constantly strives to create helpful routines but struggles to make those habits feel easy and natural, I’d recommend reading Effortless. See how you can use some of the strategies Greg McKeown teaches in your own pursuit of living intentionally.