We are all creatures of habit. It’s true.
Think back to your days in school. Even if you didn’t have assigned seats, you probably sat in the same seat every time you went to class. Beyond that, you probably had a tendency to always sit in the front, back, near the isle, etc.
Think about your typical day.
You probably wake up at close to the same time every day, have a certain order in which you do things when getting ready in the morning (shower, shave, brush your teeth, get dressed…), and take the same route to work every day.
If you work at an office, you probably even notice the habits of your co-workers; Janice always walks in the door between 8:15 and 8:20 every morning. Jerry drinks Mountain Dew like his life depends on it. Paul uses air quotes during his presentations to the point that people wonder if he’s developing a new corporate workout program called, “Air Quote Your Way to a Smaller Waist.”
You know what I mean. We all have habits. The problem is, we don’t think about our habits and their impact on our lives. But…
Your current habits are the #1 reason for your success or failure in life.
The most successful people you know are successful because they train themselves to develop “good habits,” habits that will force them to move forward, develop and grow, to do the things that, if not habituated, would go undone.
You want to do more, be more, achieve more. But, you always feel stuck. You never seem to get ahead.
Step back and evaluate your habits. You’ll be surprised by how many “habits” you have that are preventing you from getting what you want. Here are some common examples.
- Poorly managing your time and/or the prioritization of tasks (TV, video games, “piddly” tasks over high-value, high return tasks)
- Saying “yes” too much (taking on more than you can handle)
- Not getting enough sleep
- Not eating right
- Striving for perfection over completion (see also: The Myth of the Perfect Writing Environment by Chris Brogan)
- Failing to continuously listen, study, and learn
- Assigning blame
- Self-limiting thoughts and affirmations
- Creating excuses/alibis
Do you agree? Are your habits preventing you from achieving your dreams? What habits do you have that you need to change? Which ones have helped you most?
