A while ago I read this quote from Confucius. ‘Man’s nature is alike, it is their habits that separate them.’ And I began to consider my own behaviors. I remember myself being able to get started on a task, but not always able to maintain the momentum, to see it through to the end. I remembered how I improved my ability to focus on a single task, visualizing a positive outcome and using certain forms of meditation.
When I remembered this, I also realized that what I have actually done was to create a habit that has changed my life. Now I am able to clear away distractions when I set my mind to it and do one thing. And those changes everything, my happiness increases, my stress goes down and my work improves.
This is why one of our goals in this course is to help you create the habits you desire. I do know we all can do this, and I already experienced the benefits of these good habits. I have two questions for you before I begin. If you could just pick one or two habits to create in the next few months, habits that will have the most impact on your life, what would they be? Please share them with us in our comment section. And second question, which are those things that you can do right now, today, to move you closer to your long-term goals? These are critical but non-urgent duties. Please share them with us.
Now, here are 8 strategies on how to create good habits:
First, in order to be effective, you must be proactive. Do not leave external forces to act as stimuli that you respond to. You have the freedom to choose. Instead of reacting to or worrying about conditions over which you have little or no control, focus your time and energy on things you can control. Work on these things you can do something about – health, children, problems at work, etc.
The second strategy begins with the end mind. In everything you do, you should begin with the ended mind. Start with a clear destination. That way, you can make sure the steps you are taking are in the right direction. Use your imagination to create a picture of who you want to be, and your conscience to determine what principles will lead you. It validates your identity, focuses your ambitions, and brings your thoughts to life. Try to visualize your most important goal or dream. Visualize how you will feel when achieving it. Let us know how you plan to walk in the right direction, and what values will guide you.
The third strategy is to figure out what actions you need to take to get the results you want, and how you need to behave. Then condition yourself to take those actions. Make certain that your actions will produce the desired effects. If you find yourself not behaving in a way that is compatible with your goals, take charge of the situation and replace the inaccurate behavior with the proper one. This focuses you on what you want to be and do. It is your plan for success.
It validates who you are, focuses on your aims, and brings your ideas to life. Look back on your behavior over the past month. Have your outcomes been consistent with your actions? Do you see incongruences between the results you want and your current habits of behavior? What changes would you like to make?
The fourth strategy is to eliminate the non-essential. First, identify the essential things in your life that are most important to you, that you love the most. Then eliminate everything else. This simplifies things and leaves you with the space to focus on the essentials. This method applies to anything, including your daily life, job projects and assignments, emails, and other forms of communication. As an exercise, list all of your tasks on a paper, then define your essential ones. For the next 30 days, concentrate on your essential tasks, eliminating the non-essential.
The fifth strategy, make a habit every day. A common mistake people make is believing that performing a behavior three times a week is easier than doing it every day. For example, people going to the gym. Many prefer to go three times a week and spend one hour. This approach is not the best. You may be able to find the time, but not the energy. Going to the gym when it isn’t a habit requires willpower. After a busy day, you probably don’t have a lot of spare willpower.
Focusing on a daily habit instead of three times a week. It is better because the conditioning is stronger and the habit becomes automatically faster. Since every day you exercise, it quickly becomes an automatic part of your routine. Here is an exercise. Do a 30-day challenge focusing on one habit, but do this daily. Let us know the output and the results you could see at the end of these 30 days.
Sixth strategy, write every idea for good habits down on paper. Try to think of three good habits a day. Whether it’s about relationships, manners, health, creativity, lifestyle, or any other topic. The best way to get some ideas for habits is to continually come up with new ones. Do this for 14 days and then share your best ideas with us in the comment section.
Seventh, say no when necessary, and then focus on your highest priorities. This is all about life management, your purpose, values, roles, and priorities. What are the first things? The first items are those that you personally value the most. When you put first things first, you organize and manage time and activities based on your unique priorities.
Eighth, focus on execution. People frequently devote the majority of their time to developing their skill set and investigating answers or prospects. While it is crucial to develop and implement a plan for any key objective or outcome that you wish to attain, ambitious people place the greatest focus on acting. Simplify and focus on what’s important. This is a significant ingredient to build the life you want.
At the end of this article on creating the habits you desire. The daily routine. I want to introduce you to the concept of daily routine. It may seem insignificant, but developing a daily routine for yourself may make a significant difference in your life. Develop a routine for when you are awake, for when you start working, for when you finish your workday, and for the end of your evening.
List on a paper how will you change your life. How will you get a great start to your day and finish your day by preparing for the next day? It will help you firmly root the productive habits you want to firm in your everyday life. It will help you focus on what is important, not just what comes up. It will help you make sure you get all the things you really want to get done every day. Successful individuals got to where they are now because of their habits.
Your habits determine 95% of your behavior. Everything that you are or that you will ever accomplish will be determined by the quality of the habits that you form. You may become successful and affluent by developing positive habits and being goal-oriented. Thank you very much.