Struggling to build healthy habits? Start here

What if I told you that committing to drinking one glass of water first thing in the morning could set you up for success when creating new habits? Sounds too easy, right?

Well, here’s a secret for you: too easy is exactly where you should be starting.

When working with a coach like myself, you'll likely find you break down weekly goals to ensure they feel easy enough to follow through with. Sometimes so easy that it almost feels silly.

There’s a reason for this.

When we decide we want to improve our health and wellbeing, there can be a temptation to change everything at once. We’re going to exercise five times a week, drink more water, meditate every morning, stop scrolling before bed and cook every meal from scratch.

It feels exciting initially, but it can also be incredibly difficult to maintain when real life inevitably gets in the way.

Don’t get me wrong, your overall vision and aspirations can be as lofty and wild as your imagination allows, but the steps that get you there should feel manageable. Spoiler alert: this is what makes the journey fun and sets you up for success.

What happens when you commit to drinking a glass of water every morning?

Aside from the obvious physical benefits that hydration provides, I want you to know about the deeper shifts that can happen when you commit to a simple daily ritual like this.

1. You start your day by prioritising yourself

By following through on a commitment to yourself first thing in the morning, before the day really starts, you’re setting the tone for everything that follows.

You’re reminding yourself from the moment you wake up that you’re prioritising yourself today, your health is important, and you are important.

This can be particularly powerful if you’re someone who spends most of your day looking after other people, responding to work demands or putting everyone else’s needs ahead of your own.

It might only be a glass of water, but the action represents something much bigger. You have done something for yourself before the rest of the world has had an opportunity to ask anything from you.

2. You get to practise consistency

Because this habit feels too easy and, generally speaking, can be completed in 99% of scenarios, you’re giving yourself the opportunity to practise showing up for yourself consistently.

When starting out, consistency is often more important than the action itself. We can build on habits later, but showing up each day is a muscle that needs to be trained.

Think about the difference between setting yourself the goal of going to the gym five mornings a week and drinking one glass of water when you wake up.

One requires time, energy, planning, clean gym clothes, potentially childcare, travel and motivation. The other requires a glass and some water.

If you’re struggling to get started, which one gives you the greatest opportunity to experience success?

Once you’ve built that consistency, you can start adding to it.

3. You start rebuilding trust in yourself

This is the magic part.

Every time you set an intention and follow through, you’re gathering evidence that you can rely on yourself.

This matters because if you’ve spent years starting new routines, stopping them, trying another plan and then feeling as though you’ve “failed” again, it’s very easy to start telling yourself that you’re just not consistent, you have no willpower, you always give up or you can never stick to anything.

Once we start believing these things about ourselves, beginning again can feel even harder.

Instead of trying to prove yourself wrong with a huge goal, give yourself an easy win and start collecting evidence that tells a different story. You said you would do something, and you did.

Repeat that enough times, and you start creating a very different relationship with yourself and your goals.

4. One small habit can create a positive ripple effect

The other thing I love about starting with a micro habit is that it rarely stays completely isolated.

You drink your glass of water, and perhaps you feel inspired to make yourself a decent breakfast. Maybe that gives you more energy, so you decide to go for a walk at lunchtime. Perhaps the walk clears your head, which means you feel less stressed that afternoon.

Not because you woke up and decided to completely overhaul your life, but because one positive action made the next one feel a little easier.

This doesn’t mean every glass of water is going to result in the healthiest day of your life. That’s not the point.

The point is that positive actions can create momentum, and momentum is much easier to build when you start with something achievable.

So, to summarise: committing to a small daily ritual first thing in the morning can help set the tone for your day, give you an opportunity to practise consistency, rebuild trust in yourself and make following through on future goals feel easier.

How to get the most benefit from this practice

1. Repeat the commitment to yourself before going to bed.
2. Have a visible reminder somewhere you’ll see it first thing in the morning. You could even leave a glass next to the kettle or by your bed.
3. Track your progress to keep yourself accountable and, importantly, see how well you’re doing.
4. Notice how you feel every time you follow through. Don’t rush past the win because it feels small.
5. Journal or jot down notes in your phone about any positive ripple effects the habit has on your day.

And remember, the goal here isn’t really the glass of water. The goal is to start showing yourself that change doesn’t have to be huge, restrictive or overwhelming to make a difference.

Start small. Make it easy. Follow through. Then build from there.