Your Habits Predict Your Success
What impact- either positive or negative - is your every day behavior, your habits,having on your long term success? First let's define the word habit.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines it like this: "a habit is a recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition".
Notice it says unconscious.
Think of all the routines (habits) you follow every single day from the time you get up until the time you go to bed.
What do you do every morning from the time you wake up until you leave for work? Is it pretty much the same thing every single day? How about the route you take to work? What's the first thing you do when you get to your office? Do you work from a "To Do" list? That's a habit.
Those are easy examples.
But what about some habits that are less obvious, those behaviors that are so deeply ingrained that you don't even recognize them as habits any more? For example, how do you handle interruptions? How do you treat the people in your life? How do you react when a colleague, your boss, or even your spouse strongly disagrees with you? Your reaction might be different with each of those people, but chances are your reaction is habitual.
The old saying "We are creatures of habit" is very true.
Scientists estimate that about 88% of a person's behavior is habitual.
Having routines that you follow makes your life easier - you don't have to think about each thing you're doing, evaluate it, try it, re-evaluate and adjust.
You've got it figured out so things flow pretty well.
That's all good, right? The downside is that almost 90% of your daily actions are performed unconsciously! And it's your every day actions that, for the most part, determine the results in your life.
The problem is when so much of what you do is on autopilot, you tend to become complacent and start settling for less than you're capable of.
If you're not getting the results you want, perhaps it's time to make some changes in your habits.
The first thing you need to do is identify habits that hold you back.
Be specific, then consider the consequences of continuing with that behavior.
Next, define a successful new habit to replace it, then list the benefits of incorporating that habit.
Last, list three action steps you'll take to turn your new habit into reality.
Be aware that regardless of your good intentions, it's easy to fall back into old habits, especially if they are well established.
Don't get frustrated and give up.
You may want to enlist the help of a mentor, friend, spouse, or better yet, a coach, as an accountability partner to help you work through the changes you're trying to make.
Life doesn't just happen to you.
What you achieve or don't achieve is largely a result of the choices you make every day, and how you respond to every situation.
Negative habits breed negative consequences.
Successful habits create positive rewards.
What do your habits indicate about your future?
The American Heritage Dictionary defines it like this: "a habit is a recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition".
Notice it says unconscious.
Think of all the routines (habits) you follow every single day from the time you get up until the time you go to bed.
What do you do every morning from the time you wake up until you leave for work? Is it pretty much the same thing every single day? How about the route you take to work? What's the first thing you do when you get to your office? Do you work from a "To Do" list? That's a habit.
Those are easy examples.
But what about some habits that are less obvious, those behaviors that are so deeply ingrained that you don't even recognize them as habits any more? For example, how do you handle interruptions? How do you treat the people in your life? How do you react when a colleague, your boss, or even your spouse strongly disagrees with you? Your reaction might be different with each of those people, but chances are your reaction is habitual.
The old saying "We are creatures of habit" is very true.
Scientists estimate that about 88% of a person's behavior is habitual.
Having routines that you follow makes your life easier - you don't have to think about each thing you're doing, evaluate it, try it, re-evaluate and adjust.
You've got it figured out so things flow pretty well.
That's all good, right? The downside is that almost 90% of your daily actions are performed unconsciously! And it's your every day actions that, for the most part, determine the results in your life.
The problem is when so much of what you do is on autopilot, you tend to become complacent and start settling for less than you're capable of.
If you're not getting the results you want, perhaps it's time to make some changes in your habits.
The first thing you need to do is identify habits that hold you back.
Be specific, then consider the consequences of continuing with that behavior.
Next, define a successful new habit to replace it, then list the benefits of incorporating that habit.
Last, list three action steps you'll take to turn your new habit into reality.
Be aware that regardless of your good intentions, it's easy to fall back into old habits, especially if they are well established.
Don't get frustrated and give up.
You may want to enlist the help of a mentor, friend, spouse, or better yet, a coach, as an accountability partner to help you work through the changes you're trying to make.
Life doesn't just happen to you.
What you achieve or don't achieve is largely a result of the choices you make every day, and how you respond to every situation.
Negative habits breed negative consequences.
Successful habits create positive rewards.
What do your habits indicate about your future?