The end of the holiday season and the turn of the calendar create resolve to do more, be better than before, to create a more positive future. Regardless of whether you have officially created resolutions for the New Year or established your game plan for your business, you need fuel that lasts longer than your inspiration does. You need the support of beneficial routines so that you can reach your desired achievement, one habit at a time.
Whether they served you the results you wanted or not, your habits have rewarded you in one way or another. They saved you energy, or time, or maybe they provided temporary gratification. And they didn't develop overnight. Some of your current habits are the result of "one time" diversions that you enjoyed enough to repeat. Then before you knew it, repetition did its destructive work.
Worse, you might not even notice the habits you're engaging in, even when they are hurting you in the long run. Conditioned behavior doesn't live in the forefront of your conscious mind. Habits are mindless. It requires time to stop and analyze to truly notice your current habits and their impact. You might even need to collect data, as in a time use study or food journal, or a review of your checking account.
What do you you want? What do you REALLY want? Until you have defined that, and the reasons (benefits) of being that or doing that, you won't have a compelling enough reason to behave any differently than you have before. The more clearly you define what you want - and in multi-sensory terms if you can - the more completely you will be able to commit to the work you'll need to do.
Making it harder to continue your old habits
Have you been likely to binge on potato chips, in conflict with your nutrition goals? Then don't keep them in the house. Take the temptations out of your line of sight. Do you spend too much money on frivolous things? Freeze your credit card into a block of ice so you have to think long enough for it to thaw before you buy something with it. Stay away from the places and people that reinforce the behavior in which you no longer want to engage.
Making it easier to establish your new habits
Put beneficial activities within easy reach, on your calendar, and in your budget. If you get the munchies in mid-afternoon, make nutritious choices accessible at your desk or in some other easy access location. Find ways to bump into your new, desired habit during your day. Need to keep a running tally of sales activity to keep more consistently high numbers? Mount a white board on which you keep score. Want to walk more? Start tracking your steps taken each day. Recruit a buddy who will urge you on through your less-motivated days.
Think your way into a new way of behaving
Achievement is about beneficial routines, but it's also a function of the picture you hold of yourself. Are you the kind of person who makes a point to stay healthy and fit? Are you a consummate professional who delivers quality work and consistently on time? When are you going to manifest the "real" you, if not now? And if you're there, but only some of the time, affirm the person you want to become as though you are consistently performing at that level. Your self-image will help to support your beneficial habits, and the achievement of your goals will support your self-image. You can create an upward spiral for yourself, one habit at a time.
If you'd like to read more on this topic, check out Atomic Habits by James Clear.
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