7 things you can do to create successful habits

At this time of year many of us have been thinking about making resolutions for the new year. Often they involve changing our habits.

Habits are actions or behaviours that we repeat. Habits and our success (or otherwise) are closely linked: “Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day.” (Jim Rohn)

What we do repeatedly determines who we are, our success and others’ perceptions of us.

So how can we best change our habits to become more successful? Well, here are seven initial steps:

1. Identify what you want to achieve  (start with the end in mind) – the what 

2. Be clear about your motivation for the changes – the why

3. Formulate an action plan and determine precisely what you’ll do (and repeat) to be successful. Remember not  to be daunted by bigger challenges – rather attain success by degrees. Be happy to change a habit at a time if necessary – the ‘how’. Make sure your habits are aligned with your goals and decide which ones you need to create or start, increase, continue, decrease and stop

4. Rather than try to ‘drop’ a ‘bad’ habit (one we no longer deem useful) – reframe the habit by it by replacing what you don’t want to do with what you will do instead

5. Create a ‘trigger’ for each new habit you want to create. This reminds you to take the action you intend to. Use your physical environment to help prompt you if possible. For example, get used to leaving your gym kit next to your bed so you’re reminded to go to the gym and exercise in the morning on the way to work

6. Persist, and review as necessary. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” (Aristotle)

7. Read and apply the wisdom in this excellent book!

Once we start to identify, practice and embed ‘good’ habits we can take control of our fortunes and our success. We become a powerful, focused force. Bruce Lee understood the power of practice, discipline and of good habits:

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

Let us know how you’re getting on with developing your successful habits. What’s working for you? What successes have you had as a result?

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