At the start of the new year people often vow to give up certain habits such as to stop smoking, biting their nails, or eating unhealthily. But instead of working out what to quit, perhaps it’s time to think about what to take up.

In Gretchen Rubin’s book Better Than Before she argues that our habits have the capacity to lengthen or shorten our lives. And what we do every day matters more than what we do occasionally. Rubin tested habit-changing methods on herself and on others, and found that the business of habit formation is extremely personal.

So what habits did you take up that changed your life? We want to hear suggestions and stories. Maybe you decided to do 15 minutes of yoga every morning, or changed your commute to work so that you walked the last part of your journey. Perhaps you created limits around how much you use digital technology, or built specific time into your week to see friends? And what about eating, drinking, creativity and meditation? Tell us about the one small change that has made the biggest difference to your life.