If you’re a coach, consultant, or even an entrepreneur, we all sometimes have this tendency to not get things done.
We see these stories online and hear about them offline about how people are getting things done and how much they actually get done.
Sure, they have the same 24 hours in the day like we do, but what’s their secret?
Highly effective entrepreneurs are disorganized people, but they still succeed beyond their peers because they commit to the simple things, which gives them the extra boost to push ahead.
According to Duke University, habits account for about 40 percent of our behaviors on any given day.
Let me share with you a few basic ideas to get you going on forming your own habits for success:
1. Start off with a super simple habit.
[clickToTweet tweet=”When people start off with a new habit, they think that they just need more motivation” quote=”When people start off with a new habit, they think that they just need more motivation” theme=”style3″]
When people start off with a new habit, they think that they just need more motivation or willpower to get something done.
This isn’t actually true. Willpower is kind of like a muscle and it gets exhausted as you use this throughout the day.
You can overcome this challenge by picking a new habit that is so simple that you don’t need the motivation to get it done.
For example, instead of writing one blog post a week, start off with 1 blog post a month. Or, instead of calling 20 prospects a day, start off with 5 calls a day.
Break them up into manageable non-intimidating chunks.
Whatever it is, make it easy enough that you don’t need the motivation to get started.
2. Boost your habits in tiny ways.
You’d be surprised how a one percent improvement can add up really fast.
Instead of trying to do something amazing from the start, begin small and gradually improve.
As you keep making progress, your motivation will increase and it will be easier for you to stick your habit for the long term.
3. Break big habits into smaller ones.
Have you ever heard the question, “How do you eat an elephant?”. The response, of course, is one bite at a time.
If you continue to add a one percent improvement in your habits every day, you’ll find yourself growing quickly in just a few months!
Just make sure each habit should be bite sized so you can keep your momentum going and not lose steam.
4. We all slip on banana peels, but get back up and get on track.
Even the top entrepreneurs make mistakes, it’s part of learning and growing.
But the difference is that these entrepreneurs learn from their mistakes and get back on track and remain focused.
Oh, and missing your habit once has no real measurable impact on long-term progress, so don’t get intimidated with that fear.
Instead of focusing on being perfect, drop the all or nothing mentality.
5. Be patient and stick to a pace you’re comfortable with.
Top entrepreneurs will tell you that it took them years (sometimes decades) to become an overnight success.
The key is to be patient and persistent.
New habits should feel easy in the beginning, but as you add one percent to it each day or week, it will get harder quickly. But that’s just nature of forming a new habit.
What new habit are you going to commit to this week to take yourself to a new level?