There is an aloe, chamomile, and lavender facial spray that I love. It’s extremely refreshing, the scent reminds me of a tranquil spa, and it makes my skin tingle with satisfaction.

But I only use it on days I exercise. It doesn’t matter if I’ve been to the gym, or if I’ve taken a hike, or if I’ve gone to the beach. As long as I’ve pushed myself and didn’t skip the workout, I get to indulge. It’s one of many micro arrangements I have integrated into my life.

Sure, no one would know if I spritzed my face or not, (nor does anyone really care), but this is just one tiny habit that I have incorporated into my daily routine. It takes five seconds. When I use it, I know I’ve earned it, and it feels fantastic. If I miss a workout, no satisfying spritz. I just glance at the bottle and hope the next day I will get to experience the luxury of this little gem. It’s a tiny habit I have developed over time.

After I workout, I reward myself with a splash of happiness on my face.

When we make small adjustments and incorporate tiny positive habits into our daily routines, we are encouraging ourselves to change our behavior. The consistent habit choices we make ultimately defines who we are. The people we spend time with, how much sleep we get, what we eat, how we spend our money, how much exercise we get, or how organized we are are all compounded results of our habits.

But we tend to want instant gratification. We want to experience immediate results. Whether it’s getting healthy, financial security, or getting organized, we want to see results to validate that what we are doing is working. It’s not always easy to see the payoff of our habits.

Have you ever watched an organizing show and been amazed by the outcome? In the scripted television version it only takes about an hour (and a conveniently hidden substantial size crew) to completely transform a home. Everyone is joyful and smiling and all of their Stuff is magically gone. But real life isn’t scripted. And most of us don’t have access to a substantial size crew. We have to remember that in real life it may have taken 20 years for our garage or attic to get filled up, so it’s going to take some time to un-fill it. And it’s going to take making some challenging decisions.

Sometimes we prolong beginning a project or clearing out a closet or cleaning up our Stuff because it feels too large and overwhelming. When we look at the big picture, we can become paralyzed with not knowing where to begin. We tend to overthink and over strategize how we want to get to our desired outcomes. We are too focused on the end result rather than understanding and embracing the fact that if we make a lot of positive little adjustments towards the direction we want to go, they will add up and we will ultimately arrive there.

The process requires patience and it can feel extremely trying at times.

Working towards a goal is powerful. Goals provide us with a direction and something we want to accomplish. But rather than focusing on the goal itself, we need to first identify who we want to be. Rather than focusing on having something, we turn our focus on becoming someone.

James Clear, author of “Atomic Habits,” writes about the importance of establishing an environment that will support and encourage us with a minimal amount of friction. He says to forget about goals and to focus on our systems instead. “Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress.”

He also discusses the importance of priming our environment. He states, “Whenever you organize a space for its intended purpose, you are priming it to make the next action easy.”

Boom. It’s that simple. We want to prepare our spaces to help make our daily actions easy. When our daily actions have less friction and feel easier, we have taken monumental steps toward creating an environment that will encourage us to be our best selves.

Clutter and disorganization are ultimately the result of our habits. When we clear the clutter, we are giving ourselves the gifts of clarity, time, and increased energy. We are helping to eliminate roadblocks in reaching our full potential.

Change your habits, and you can change your life.

Clear states, “When it comes to building new habits, you can use the connectedness of behavior to your advantage. One of the best ways to build a new habit is to identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new behavior on top.”

Here are a few examples:

As soon as I come home from work, I will sort the mail.

This saves on a pile of mail that you eventually have to go through. It’s much easier to sort the mail daily than it is to go back through a pile days, weeks, months, or years later.

Whenever I buy a new piece of clothing, I will take something out of my closet that I no longer wear.

This is the one-in-and-one-out rule. For every one new thing you bring into your home or your space, something must come out. This saves your closet from being overburdened with too much and encourages you to always have only the clothes you really love. It also helps you see what you have and better serves you by being able to honor and value your items.

Before I go grocery shopping, I will clean out the refrigerator.

This not only keeps your leftovers from taking on a life of their own, but it helps prime your environment for healthy eating and making good food choices convenient. Meal planning and prepping will not only save you a lot of money, it will help keep you healthy and set up for success rather than running through the drive-thru or having to make another trip to the store on your way home after a long day.

I encourage you to really think about your personal mission. What are you here to do? What small habits can you introduce into your life that will serve you in being your best self? Take baby steps if you have to. But take a step. Don’t look at the entire mountain. Just focus on one step at a time.

You can apply this theory to every single place in your life.

Looking to practice gratitude? Before you go to sleep, find five things you are grateful for. Do you want to bring more positive energy into the universe? After you brush your teeth, tell yourself you’re going to smile at everyone you meet during the day. Are the 2,000 emails in your inbox making you nuts? Rather than going on social media or randomly browsing Amazon, commit to deleting 100 emails a day and unsubscribing to sites that you no longer find useful or of benefit in helping you be your best self.

Prime your environment into one that nurtures your soul and will serve you in living an amazing life. Invest in yourself. Invite clarity and consistency into your daily routine. Splash a little happiness on your face.

The rewards are patiently waiting.