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The 1-minute secret to forming a new habit | Christine Carter

Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more. You know how resolutions often go: you set a goal and start strong … then the motivation runs out and feelings of frustration and shame creep in. The struggle is real — but what if it doesn’t have to…

Published

4 years ago

January 26, 2021

CYBER TECH TV

Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

You know how resolutions often go: you set a goal and start strong … then the motivation runs out and feelings of frustration and shame creep in. The struggle is real — but what if it doesn’t have to be? Sociologist Christine Carter shares a simple step to shift your mindset and keep you on track to achieving your grandest ambitions.

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You’re welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know.

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Related Topics:Decision-Making exercise featured Goal-Setting Motivation Personal Growth Psychology TED Talk TED Talks TEDTalk TEDTalks TEDx

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120 Comments

Silva

January 26, 2021 at 7:56 pm

Persistency, focus … every single day. That’s all guys. Thanks you for the video, core message.. Love from Brazil! ❤️

Reply
Lisa Love Ministries

January 26, 2021 at 8:01 pm

Seek God’s will daily.
Romans 8:37🙏
Isaiah 12:2 💪

Reply
potwhovian

January 26, 2021 at 8:02 pm

Reading one book a day for my grad school and even then I am behind on all my assigned readings which are what I am paying $50,000 a year for..

Reply
Marquess of Queensberry

January 26, 2021 at 8:18 pm

be a better anti-racist ? did she really just say that ? lol self righteous over-woke bullshit!

Reply
- orange appled
  
  January 26, 2021 at 10:35 pm
  
  Yeah, coz re-educating ourselves about the wrongs committed against minority communities by our white nations in takes effort. But I can see you’re not even interested in trying to understand by your alt right cut ‘n’ paste response.
  
  Reply
rästik

January 26, 2021 at 8:24 pm

new habit takes 27 days.

Reply
Karen S

January 26, 2021 at 8:26 pm

Blizzard of ’78, ended. Out-of-shape woman, late 50’s in my town, cabin fever. Walked from front door to the phone pole and back. Next day, two phone poles. Next day three. Within a year, jogging all over the place, 5 miles from her house. You’d see her everywhere. True story. My hero.

Reply
Gaasuba Meskhenet

January 26, 2021 at 8:30 pm

I’m not afraid to fail at brushing my teeth wtf kind of advice is this garbo?

Reply
Tee Vee

January 26, 2021 at 8:41 pm

Want to loose weight or get that promotion? Just do this one simple thing…. it’s all click-bait… Ted, your good credibility just took a nosedive with this.

Reply
- Eduardo
  
  January 26, 2021 at 9:44 pm
  
  I don’t know about TED taking a nosedive, but I certainly won’t watch another video with this speaker in it. That’s for sure
  
  Reply
Alejandro Curado

January 26, 2021 at 8:50 pm

You must find a good inner voice, sort of based on common sense and a deep knowledge of yourself by being honest to yourself. Once you achieve that, life turns into a beautiful day by day enjoyment with those routines you like

Reply
Life Is My Opportunity - Channel

January 26, 2021 at 9:15 pm

I lost my job during the pandemic.
I created this channel believing for better for myself and the world 🌍

Reply
Gabriel Gabbi

January 26, 2021 at 9:27 pm

This speech is sooooo true for me, like, I always wanted to run for 40 minutes almost every day, I got used to force myself to do this, and eventually, I gave up after a month, and, why do think is going on now?) I’m running as much as I truly can, for 20-30 minutes and watching avatar simoutanously :))) (I’m an English learner, so I watch in English)
So, it works, it really works
Good luck to everyone!😃

Reply
Steve Heyden

January 26, 2021 at 9:36 pm

Thanks. I needed to hear this today “be mediocre every day”

Reply
Eduardo

January 26, 2021 at 9:38 pm

A lazy person doing “better than nothing” will just add their ever growing list of quit ambitions. That’s why they’re lazy. Each individual needs to audit themselves as to why they do what they do, and why they won’t voluntarily make the sacrifice to be better. This talk, ain’t changing anybody for any sustained amount of time

Don’t be confused by the speaker going from one minute walks to consistently running. She’s a successful individual already, she can pick up a new habit like average people find a new food to overconsume. Her successful strategy came well before she started taking those one minute walks

When a person actually wants to improve themselves, they will. And not *one* minute sooner than that

Reply
- orange appled
  
  January 26, 2021 at 10:27 pm
  
  You sound very cynical about her message. Is it just because she is a professional coach? So you dismiss the “willingness to be bad at something” tactic, which turns our well intentioned but often failed ambition and strategies on their head? Yet you don’t offer an alternative. How very lazy of you 😉
  
  And behind the willingness to be bad at something lies the commitment to do something daily, no matter how unmotivated the person might feel. Because that will hardwire the habit in the brain after a few weeks and on many days the person will feel the desire to run or cycle further than for a minute, simply because of the desire and not because they are being highly disciplined.
  
  To me it makes good sense. I’m a perfectionist who has to aim not to be too ambitious from the start, but to build up slowly, so I will be bearing this woman’s wise words in mind when I start my rehab (literally tomorrow) after months of debilitating illness.
  
  Reply
- Eduardo
  
  January 26, 2021 at 10:42 pm
  
  @orange appled “Each individual needs to audit themselves as to why they do what they do, and why they won’t voluntarily make the sacrifice to be better.”
  
  I just copy/pasted that. Not because I’m lazy, but because I already wrote it once and didn’t feel like retyping it. Guess you missed that part as you were designating me as cynical and charging I didn’t give an alternative answer
  
  If anyone had the “secret ” to changing average, lazy people, that individual would be a very rich person. And no, I’m not talking Tony Robbins rich, I’m talking Elon Musk rich. And you wouldn’t be hearing about it on a random afternoon on YouTube
  
  This is simply one of the more trite drops of water in the ocean of ineffective motivational advice. I’m not against the motivational industry, or cynical as you put it, but this is in fact a one-way ticket to disappointment if you’re an already lazy person
  
  If you’re like this speaker and you already have a foundation of productivity, then yeah you can mentally hack yourself into picking up something new. But it’s not transferable to someone who _didn’t_ build their own foundation. That’d be like an athlete who got out of shape from a few years out of the game, then getting back into shape and you think you can too. Noooo, you can’t, not like them, because you never did it the first time. You’re not, them
  
  The “secret” to being better, is work. That’s it. If this speaker was honest about a 1-Minute solution, that’s pretty much all she would have said. Instead of an eleven minute soliloquy trying to trick lazy people into thinking they’re about to do something consequential
  
  Reply
Udo Kahn

January 26, 2021 at 10:19 pm

The woman is an INTJ for sure

Reply
Ikrimah Bobsaid

January 26, 2021 at 11:18 pm

Really hope that all of your video have an english subtitle, so people that have hearing disabilities or people that want to know on a quite environment still could follow it… just a small suggestion

Reply
kloassie

January 26, 2021 at 11:20 pm

Okay but what is the minimum if the habit you wanna get at is “stop smoking”? Every day for one minute _don’t_ smoke? If that’s the start then my roommate first needs to start smoking *all day long,* which is *w.a.y* more than the ‘about one pack a week’ he currently smokes!!

Reply
David Nadin

January 26, 2021 at 11:38 pm

Thank you for simple truth.

Reply
yudithia maxiselly

January 26, 2021 at 11:47 pm

Stop trying to be so good… wow.. thats is my problem now.. always feeling i am not so good when do something so i am quit to do everything…. consistant is the most important

Reply
Matt A

January 27, 2021 at 12:01 am

How do you apply this when you have Chronic Health issues? I’ve built up really good habits many times for several months, but then a health setback can make those habits physically impossible and the routine gets torn up and a sense of futility can creep in easily.

Reply
arjun pangeni

January 27, 2021 at 12:15 am

Good to watch it bt hard to apply it.

Reply
Jason Aaron

January 27, 2021 at 12:20 am

Sounds like advice from mini habit book?

Reply
8Flux8

January 27, 2021 at 12:49 am

I’m at the 1-minute mark and all I’ve learned is that you’re very unhygienic and ruined the rest of my dinner.

Reply
Eternal2401

January 27, 2021 at 12:56 am

This is 11 minutes

Reply
YASHWANT ANDURE

January 27, 2021 at 12:57 am

Thank you mam great🙂

Reply
I suck at Gaming

January 27, 2021 at 1:16 am

Yep, it works.. I stop drinking 1 min per day and add 1 min where i stop smoking meth.. So i guess, thanks…

Reply
Steve Co

January 27, 2021 at 8:32 am

Think I’ve heard this before 🤔

Reply
- TED
  
  January 28, 2021 at 12:50 am
  
  Text on Whats@pp do well to let him know I referred you to him his strategies are top Notch✅….
  
  Reply
Jim RedTyphoon

January 27, 2021 at 8:44 am

You’ve ripped off a post on “better than yesterday” channel just missing the animations!

Reply
- Johannes Halberstadt
  
  January 27, 2021 at 2:20 pm
  
  People can come up with similar ideas independently. Just because it looks or sounds the same as something else, doesn’t mean it’s “stolen”. This is a simple concept. I discovered it for myself as well. Without that channel and without this lady. I just used a 2-minute time frame. But I am pretty sure even the ancient Greeks already had a similiar concept.
  
  Reply
م.م.أ.م .ط

January 27, 2021 at 9:29 am

ترجموا المقطع هبليز🙏

Reply
Meow Milev

January 27, 2021 at 9:40 am

*She can start with herself first by losing some of her aunt weight and wrinkle ugly face!*

Reply
- TED
  
  January 28, 2021 at 12:45 am
  
  💯 write my manager regarding making millions in B..T..C..
  
  Reply
- TED
  
  January 28, 2021 at 12:45 am
  
  +1…..7…..0…..3…..7…..1…..9…..4…..0…..2…..8….
  
  Reply
- TED
  
  January 28, 2021 at 12:45 am
  
  Text on Whats@pp do well to let him know I referred you to him his strategies are top Notch✅…
  
  Reply
Jack Ramsden

January 27, 2021 at 10:57 am

This is a brilliant concept. I have also read Atomic habits by James Clear which he also mentions doing something easier makes it easier for habits to stick. I am going to try the 1 minute habit idea in Feb with running and stretching, hopefully it works!

Reply
Lolade Benjamin

January 27, 2021 at 11:26 am

Great

Reply
Vic Bitter

January 27, 2021 at 1:00 pm

Wine with Breakfast

Reply
Ankit Sharma

January 27, 2021 at 1:00 pm

Very useful. Tysm. God bless👍

Reply
Kyle Sampson

January 27, 2021 at 1:13 pm

Good God girl this was super insightful. I appreciate you teaching me about this so so much

Reply
Jerome 083

January 27, 2021 at 1:17 pm

Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.

Reply
Menno van Berkel

January 27, 2021 at 1:18 pm

Oh no I’m watching this video instead of doing my good habits. Nooooooooo

Reply
kwanL

January 27, 2021 at 1:48 pm

i love this idea thank you so much

Reply
rv706

January 27, 2021 at 2:26 pm

“Be mediocre every day” – Great, I feel like it’s 15 years I’m literally following this suggestion haha

Reply
i am superb

January 27, 2021 at 2:54 pm

i am a true failure. I really needed this.

Reply
- TED
  
  January 28, 2021 at 12:23 am
  
  You’re welcome.
  
  Reply
Gamer Squad

January 27, 2021 at 2:57 pm

1 minute secret took 11 mins …lol 😂

Reply
Aditya

January 27, 2021 at 3:01 pm

0:13 Idk about you either. All Aight, bye.

Reply
Michael McGuinness

January 27, 2021 at 3:15 pm

Thank You for this! Struck a nerve! 2020 sucked.

Reply
- TED
  
  January 28, 2021 at 12:19 am
  
  You’re welcome
  
  Reply
A person

January 27, 2021 at 4:40 pm

Yeah, cool … I love you.

Reply
- TED
  
  January 28, 2021 at 12:18 am
  
  I love you too.
  
  Reply
matthew grant

January 27, 2021 at 6:21 pm

side effects of the vaccine includes the following: Guillain-Barre syndrome,transverse myelitis, myelitis, encephalomyelitis, meningitis, encephalopathy, convulsions, stroke, narcolepsy,cataplexy, anaphylaxis, heart attack, myocarditis, pericarditis, autoimmune disease, acute demyelinating diseases, allergy reactions, thrombocytopenia, venous thromboembolism, arthritis and death

Reply
Barry Quinn

January 27, 2021 at 10:31 pm

I think its hilarious that she said “whether your trying to be a better anti-racist ” so like, a normal decent human being that people should be in the first place

Reply
- Barry Quinn
  
  January 28, 2021 at 12:32 am
  
  You’re awesome!
  
  Reply
edi

January 27, 2021 at 10:42 pm

Doing sports was easy for me as I felt like a caged tiger… It was never about improving, but moving…

Reply
Petunia

January 27, 2021 at 10:48 pm

This makes so much sense, one minute I can do.

Reply
Emeric D

January 28, 2021 at 12:01 am

Don’t be good. Be médiocre everyday.
Best thing I’ve ever heard

Reply
Name Fave

January 28, 2021 at 12:08 am

Thanks for sharing your tips!

Reply
- TED
  
  January 28, 2021 at 12:11 am
  
  💯 write my manager regarding making millions in B..T..C
  
  Reply
- TED
  
  January 28, 2021 at 12:11 am
  
  +1…..7…..0…..3…..7…..1…..9…..4…..0…..2…..8..
  
  Reply
- TED
  
  January 28, 2021 at 12:11 am
  
  Text on Whats@pp do well to let him know I referred you to him his strategies are top Notch✅.
  
  Reply
dean Grant

January 28, 2021 at 12:20 am

peter weyland says hello

Reply
Ed S

January 28, 2021 at 1:40 am

After all we didn’t plan big for our bad habits, why plan big for good habits. Makes sense to me.

Reply
Parthiban Dharmarajan

January 28, 2021 at 2:26 am

Thanks ❤️ this is what I wanted to hear for so long

Reply
- Krown's Crypto Cave
  
  January 28, 2021 at 6:42 am
  
  The pleasure is mine
  
  Reply
cultureuptown

January 28, 2021 at 3:02 am

Bluh blah Bluh Bluh Blah Bluh Blah….

Reply
SOU

January 28, 2021 at 3:21 am

Then why you put the long duration video, if it is a one minute secret? 😂

Reply
Diego Mendoza

January 28, 2021 at 3:23 am

Quepo

Reply
권욱철

January 28, 2021 at 4:35 am

wow I think her saying is critical !!! I will form new habit for my life although it is tiny

Reply
Youqi Zhu

January 28, 2021 at 5:45 am

The winter holiday is coming. I set several goals for the holiday: studing chemical by myslef and the vedio on bilibili; reading more papers in my area; perhaps completing the first draft of my English paper. I hope I can do several minutes everyday!

Reply
- Krown's Crypto Cave
  
  January 28, 2021 at 6:24 am
  
  Yes, but I think you need this
  
  Reply
- TED
  
  January 28, 2021 at 8:16 am
  
  💯 write my manager regarding making millions in Bitcoin
  
  Reply
- TED
  
  January 28, 2021 at 8:17 am
  
  +1. 7. 0. 3. 7. 1. 9. 4. 0. 2. 8.
  
  Reply
KD

January 28, 2021 at 10:33 am

Whats your suggestion for high schoolers who are attending schools where there have zero accommodations made for grades even though they switched to substandard online learning? Honors and AP class curriculums have not changed one bit. Being mediocre gets you an F, lady. Everyone got a hall pass except kids.

Reply
- TED
  
  January 28, 2021 at 10:48 am
  
  +1. 7. 0. 3. 7. 1. 9. 4. 0. 2. 8…
  
  Reply
sumit ghosh

January 28, 2021 at 12:37 pm

Habit forming time- 1 minute
Video time- 11 minutes
Le me- whaaaaaaaaaaatttttttt!!!!!

Reply
- TED
  
  January 28, 2021 at 8:28 pm
  
  💯 write my manager regarding making millions in B..T..C…
  
  Reply
- TED
  
  January 28, 2021 at 8:28 pm
  
  +1. 7. 0. 3. 7. 1. 9. 4. 0. 2. 8….
  
  Reply
betty freddy

January 28, 2021 at 2:51 pm

I do squats while heating my coffee in the microwave, about 1 minute, waking up those glutes.

Reply
Mike the Anarcho-Uncle Bobby

January 28, 2021 at 3:51 pm

This doesn’t apply to everyone. Some people thrive in a push your limits sort of regiment and I’m one of them. Sure, work up to things, but if pushing yourself is what you want then revel in it. Don’t fear failure, especially if you’re at the edge of your limit. You’ve already hit the mark this is just more. This lady may be right for some people but don’t let her stop you from competing with yesterday.

Reply
Suleima

January 28, 2021 at 4:28 pm

Kaizen technique …

Reply
Manpreet Singh

January 28, 2021 at 4:54 pm

1 minute

Reply
- TED
  
  January 29, 2021 at 8:19 am
  
  Text on Whats@pp do well to let him know I referred you to him his strategies are top Notch✅…..
  
  Reply
abhishek Kumar

January 28, 2021 at 5:21 pm

1 minute secret takes 11 minute to describe??🤔

Reply
abhishek Kumar

January 28, 2021 at 5:21 pm

1 minute secret takes 11 minute to explain??🤔

Reply
Alex A

January 28, 2021 at 6:22 pm

Be more anti-racist LMAO political correctness is a joke

Reply
Hussein Amr

January 28, 2021 at 7:49 pm

I love you lady ❤️

Reply
Erin C

January 28, 2021 at 11:51 pm

This makes a lot of sense. I have the similar mentality — none or all. So the better-than-nothing attitude can be a good start. 👍🏻

Reply
artsartsart

January 29, 2021 at 3:35 am

thank you

Reply
Genezi Eva Rodrigues

January 29, 2021 at 4:34 am

Thank you for these 11 minutes.👏👏👏

Reply
Lisa

January 29, 2021 at 3:51 pm

This was very helpful and I thank you. It is very practical, usable advice.

Reply
Jennie Kim

January 29, 2021 at 6:08 pm

Summary: just do 1 minute of what u want to do every day thank me later 🙂

Reply
- Al-
  
  February 6, 2021 at 11:34 am
  
  😭🤝.
  
  Reply
Archibald Belanus

January 30, 2021 at 9:20 am

Reminds me of aTED talk where an artist was saying something like “draw one line a day” / “write one word a day”

Reply
classicsound90

January 30, 2021 at 1:10 pm

This video could also be done in one minute.
Just watch 03:28 to 04:28.
You‘re welcome!
But the idea of this video is really great. Thanks for that Christine Carter!

Reply
Garo Gary Voskorian

January 30, 2021 at 7:16 pm

If you can’t convince someone within 1 min your idea you’re not good at it

Reply
stealthyshiroean

January 31, 2021 at 12:25 am

Honestly, this is exactly the thinking that I had going into this new year and the goals I set for myself. Not necessarily one minute, but ridiculously easy things to do at the start of the year and then build up on them so that by the end of the year I might be where I actually want.

Reply
- Barbara Joseph-Adam
  
  February 3, 2021 at 2:55 pm
  
  Indeed, starting small is better than not starting at all. Good luck with your goals!
  
  Reply
omid karami

January 31, 2021 at 5:11 am

I watch this video one Minute per day
I must say it works

Reply
Tien Dat Nguyen

January 31, 2021 at 9:52 am

This is awesome! Thank you for sharing!

Reply
이상호

January 31, 2021 at 12:11 pm

this secret seems like being happier. I always do something to be better me than yesterday. this raise my self esteem. the 1 minute habit will help us be happier obviously 🙂

Reply
MhaiVlog

February 1, 2021 at 5:31 am

A good start for 2021.
A way of having a good habits better than nothing!

Reply
Sương Xg

February 2, 2021 at 4:40 am

I became one simply by allowing myself to be bad at it.

Reply
Tyler Suard

February 2, 2021 at 6:13 am

This is great advice. Thank you.

Reply
Marissa

February 3, 2021 at 2:39 am

TLDR; Stay consistent in what you want to achieve even if it’s only for one minute a day.

Reply
Silent Voice

February 6, 2021 at 9:08 am

I exercised every single day of the 2 lockdowns that combined came to 6 months of the year. I showered every single day and it was normal. I don’t understand why this is so hard. Just do something fun. If you’re dreading it, it won’t happen.

Reply
STiR Woodcraft

February 6, 2021 at 2:22 pm

This is almost the exact method i have been using to create habits

Reply
Leto2ndAtreides

February 6, 2021 at 9:48 pm

Good stuff!

Reply
Dan Draper - Lost in Hospitality

February 7, 2021 at 9:22 pm

After 1 Minute: “I am a Habit specialist and I forgot to brush my teeth all day.” kay, thanks I am out

Reply
Salomat Boynazarova

February 8, 2021 at 10:57 am

I am wasting time watching tik tok videos🤦🏻‍♀️.9:00

Reply
Shahd nashed

February 8, 2021 at 3:09 pm

Super liiike

Reply
David Luftig

February 11, 2021 at 4:06 am

There is a phrase in cognitive psychology/therapy that is similar. “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly” it’s homework towards anti-perfectionism/anti all or nothing thinking. Also my personal new phrase, One step at a time, one thing at a time small steps count.

Reply
1776 Infowars

February 17, 2021 at 6:24 pm

Meh

Reply
Finch Bevdale

February 24, 2021 at 7:25 pm

Habits are formed in a responsive process with others. It is futile to attempt to “program” yourself using “science based” techniques. You form habits through language and interaction. Nothing we think or do emerges except through language and interaction. Read some Vygotsky, James, Mead, Blumer, Burke.

Reply
Kermit Frog

March 7, 2021 at 8:32 pm

I cut my run short the other day because it was too cold outside. Ran for seven min instead of fifteen. I gave myself some credit but still felt a little disappointed. This speech helped.

Reply
Helena F. Duarte

March 12, 2021 at 5:59 pm

“consistency is better than quality”

Reply

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