Micro-habits that led to macro-results

We all perform certain actions repeatedly, day after day or month after month. While I'm used to this now, there was a time when it was all new to me, and I simply decided to implement small habits step by step, understanding that they would improve my entire work process. We often see posts about success and incredible projects but rarely think about the small actions that led to them.

Why it works

As you all know, achieving goals consists of many small steps taken consistently. If you wait for the "right moment," you might never see it come, but by constantly working on yourself and your business, sooner or later it will yield results that wouldn't have happened if you hadn’t tried to adjust your daily routine (which is just one of many possible "adjustments", of course).

Illustration from the Employee Handbook by Irene Neyman, 2022

My micro-habits

#1 | Daily visual awareness

Every day, I spend 10-15 minutes carefully studying the design around me. This can be anything: product packaging in a store, examining an ad from a service, or simply scrolling through Behance. In reality, the process of building visual awareness is so automatic that I’m always studying it. Nevertheless, consciously exploring materials is super beneficial. Even better – saving what you truly like (by taking screenshots, for example).

In a world with so much information and content “pollution” everywhere, a good indicator that something "works" is when your gaze lingers on it. If your eyes stop on something, ask yourself, "Why does this work?" – and that's exactly what will develop your visual awareness.

#2 | Immediate client communication

My personal principle is to be available as soon as possible and not keep people waiting. Why? Because at the very least, it shows interest. I used to do this even on weekends, but that way I got tired faster and found it difficult to separate work from personal life. Now I only respond on weekends if it's urgent.

On weekdays, I've developed a habit of responding to all client messages first thing in the morning and continuing to maintain quick feedback throughout the day. It's incredible when they receive a response within an hour, or even within 10 minutes 🙂 At the end of projects, clients often mention my responsiveness as one of the key factors in choosing me. Think about it.

Illustration from the Employee Handbook by Irene Neyman, 2022

#3 | The habit of writing everything down

Literally everything. Project ideas, potential client contacts, useful findings and resources, and so on. I structure all of this in my Notion, using separate pages and databases for everything needed. I don't keep anything in my head, don't lose thoughts, and this helps my brain stay "cleaner" and ready for creative work, without being distracted by the need to remember everything.

#4 | Reminding clients about yourself

The habit of reminding people about yourself is a goldmine for staying "on the radar." Regular, non-intrusive reminders once every couple of months are quick and simple, but you never know – perhaps you've caught someone at exactly the right time when they need design help.

A good reason to write is also to congratulate someone on a holiday or even a recent release or company news – an opportunity to let them know that you remember and see them. It's important not to just "sell”, but to maintain a connection. This is always appreciated.

→ Read my blog with exact email templates I use for cold outreach and follow ups!

#5 | Monthly portfolio "cleaning"

Once a month, I review my portfolio and keep only the works that represent the style and direction in which I want to develop, as well as attract clients with whom I would like to work.

This helps me focus on what I'm truly interested in without worrying that someone might be interested in my super-old work that has long been outdated for me from a professional perspective. Clients are also more confident in what they will ultimately receive, not worrying about why my portfolio looks "mismatched." But this is just my approach.

#6 | Financial discipline

How glad I am that I once started doing this!

I immediately record all income and expenses and store documents in structured drive folders. I also set aside money for taxes and contributions monthly – in Canada, this is about 35%, and it would have been very painful to do this only at the beginning of the year when filing a tax return.

Thanks to all this, my tax reporting takes me a maximum of 1 hour per year, and I never experience stress due to the number of papers that need to be organized.

Illustration from the Employee Handbook by Irene Neyman, 2022

What I'm still working on

I'm still learning not to dwell on failures, understanding that they are a natural part of the professional journey. My goal is to learn to let go of situations, but I'm in the process! Also, I need to stop "scolding" myself for periods of decline when there's no energy or inspiration to do anything. These are periods of procrastination, and this also needs to be added to the habit of "acceptance."

I would also be super interested to learn about YOUR daily habits, so feel free to share!

And as always, thanks for reading,