Make it so easy you can't say no.

-Leo Babauta

As I mentioned in the beginning of this guide, it's incredibly easy to get caught up in the desire to make massive changes in your life. We watch incredible weight loss transformations and think that we need to lose 30 pounds in the next 4 weeks. We see elite athletes on TV and wish that we could run faster and jump higher tomorrow. We want to earn more, do more, and be more ... right now.

I've felt those things too, so I get it. And in general, I applaud the enthusiasm. I'm glad that you want great things for your life and I want to do what I can to help you achieve them. But it's important to remember that lasting change is a product of daily habits, not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.

If you want to start a new habit and begin living healthier and happier, then I have one suggestion that I cannot emphasis enough: start small. In the words of Leo Babauta, "make it so easy that you can't say no."

How small? Stanford professor BJ Fogg suggests that people who want to start flossing begin by flossing only one tooth. Just one.

In the beginning, performance doesn't matter. What does matter is becoming the type of person who always sticks to your new habit - no matter how small or insignificant it seems. You can build up to the level of performance that you want once the behavior becomes consistent.

Your homework: Pick a new habit you want to start. Now ask yourself, "How can I make this new behavior so easy to do that I can't say no?"