The Power of Doing Things Daily-ish
If you want to start a new healthy habit, how often should you commit to doing it? How about daily-ish?
I first encountered the term "daily-ish" in Oliver Burkeman’s newsletter, The Imperfectionist.
Although daily-ish sounds vague, we instinctively know what it means. It’s not two days a week; it’s more like five. And when life gets in the way, four is also fine.
Daily-ish removes the pressure of perfection, while still holding us accountable most of the time.
Author Bree Groff puts it slightly differently in her book Today Was Fun. Her motto is "Most things, most days". I love Bree’s version as an overarching life approach, and Oliver’s for specific habits.
The idea of not having to be perfect 100% of the time is, if I’m honest, a revelation.
My brain prefers clear rules: if I’ve committed to doing something every day, I don’t waste energy wondering if today is one of those days. But the flip side is that I treat failure in the same black-and-white way. If I miss a day, I’ve failed. My brain hates failure and tries to avoid it by stopping altogether.
Daily-ish or "most things, most days" gives me a way through that. Even black-and-white thinkers can benefit from a gentler re-frame.
Healthy, positive habits are worth building, but rigid consistency isn't the only way to get there.
If there’s a habit you’ve been wanting to start, why not experiment with daily-ish and see what happens?
