We all know the importance of developing good habits, but what’s the best way to do it?
Here are seven tried-and-true tips.
How do you get from where you are right now to where you want to be in life? That’s what this letter is all about. It’s about the “how to” of doing something really big and life-changing. What you are about to learn are proven strategies for creating good habits… which will serve you well for the rest of your life.
How do you create good habits in your life? Do you set big goals and struggle to reach them?
Or do you simply do what you need to do every day and let the goal become a byproduct of your actions? Most people need some extra motivation to create good habits.
That’s where the concept of a “to-do list” comes in handy. But to-do lists only work if you have a clear picture of what you want to achieve. In this article, I’ll share with you the exact process I use to create my own “master to-do list”. It may not work for you (or perhaps, even apply to you) but the process will give you a ton of insight into how to go about creating a master to-do list for yourself.
Most people don’t change their lives until they have a “life crisis.” It’s at these moments that people become desperate and forced to confront the fact they are on a path to no longer having a good life. At this point, many people decide to make a drastic change—to change their careers, move to another city or even leave their current country. For whatever reason, these folks often end up starting over in some distant land where they have no connections or familiarity. This can be very difficult, as it takes time to rebuild new networks and establish new habits. However, there is an alternative. You can make small changes every day that compound over time and result in a meaningful, positive change in your life.
These time-tested strategies will help you form good habits faster than trying to do it all on your own.
1. Identify Your Goals
2. Set a Realistic Time Frame
3. Make Your “To Do” List Short And Simple
4. Reward Yourself For Small Accomplishments
5. Visualize The Results You Want
6. Find a mentor to keep you on track.
7. Announce your goal to the world
Identify your goals
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Setting goals is important. But setting unrealistic goals will only hold you back. Make sure your goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely).
Don’t be vague. What do you want your life to be like?
What results do you want to achieve? Define the goal clearly and specifically. Don’t worry about being overly detailed. A goal like “to make as much money as possible” is too general. Instead, try something more like, “To increase the average order value of all my customers by 10% this month.”
Set a Realistic Time Frame
Another critical element of creating urgency is setting a realistic time frame. What is “now” for you? And what is realistic? Is it “next week” or “next month” or “next year”? When we’re talking about creating a sense of urgency, it’s important to think about how long it will really take to get the results we want. If it’s next week, are you willing to wait a whole week to find out if this is the right product or service for you? If it’s next month, are you going to hang in there until then? Or, if it’s next year, will you still be thinking about this three months from now?
You need to set a realistic timeframe to accomplish your personal goals. Don’t think about how long it will take to get to where you want to be if you don’t first clearly define where you want to be. What I mean is: Don’t say “I want to be rich and successful.” Instead, say “I want to be rich and successful within the next three years.” Then break it down even further: “I want to be rich and successful this year, next year, and the year after that.” Once you have clarified where you want to be, you can realistically determine how long it will take you to get there.
Make Your “To Do” List Short And Simple
If you are serious about achieving some sort of goal (personal or business), then you must create a “to do” list that is as short and simple as possible. The shorter and simpler your “to do” list, the more likely you will be to achieve the goal you have set for yourself. Goals cannot be achieved by thinking about them. They have to become real, tangible things you actually do.
The second psychology principle on this list is the ability to focus. It’s crucial for you to be able to focus on the task at hand. That way, you won’t get distracted by all the other stuff that’s clamouring for your attention. A simple way to help you stay focused is to keep your “to do” lists short and simple.
It’s amazing what will happen when you take 20 minutes and whack “stuff” off your “to do” list. This simple act of getting something off your plate will cause a dopamine spike and release of feel-good neurochemicals in your brain. The feeling you get from crossing stuff off your “to do” list is like a tiny little hit of heroin delivered straight to your brain. It’s powerful stuff. Once you experience this power, you’ll want to use the list-reduction technique every day. It will dramatically improve your quality of life.
Reward Yourself For Small Accomplishments
This is a simple but powerful technique to keep you focused and on-track. It works like this: every time you accomplish a specific, well-defined goal, you reward yourself by doing something fun. Maybe you give yourself a massage, take a walk, eat a chocolate bar, or go out to a movie. The point is to give yourself a little treat to recognize and celebrate your accomplishments. The whole idea is to create a positive feedback loop that keeps you moving forward.
Small victories lead to big ones. And, according to the research, they increase our self-esteem and give us a boost in our “self-efficacy.” What is self-efficacy, you ask? Simply put, it’s our belief in our ability to accomplish a goal. It’s the fuel that allows us to keep going when things get tough. And tough times are inevitable. The sooner we can wrap our brains around that fact, the better. The first step toward achieving a goal is simply taking the first step. So don’t wait for the perfect scenario or the final outcome to give yourself a pat on the back. Give yourself a pat on the back for making a good attempt even if it wasn’t perfect.
Visualize The Results You Want
This is a very simple but very powerful technique. Ask yourself what you want to achieve and then spend a few minutes (at least) imagining what the day will look like when you have achieved that goal. If you would like to get in shape and lose weight, ask yourself what you will look like on the day you reach your goal weight. Will you be skinny? Fat? Will you have the body of a teenager? An Olympian? What kind of clothes will you wear? How much energy will you have? What will your hair and skin look like? What kind of a person will you be? Will you still be shy? Or will you be outgoing and confident? What emotional state will you be in? How much money will you have? Will you be able to pay your bills? Will you be able to buy that new car you’ve been wanting? How much will you have saved? How will your spouse, children, friends and co-workers react to you? How will you feel about yourself? What changes (if any) will you need to make to your home, your job, or your relationships?
The second tip is to visualize the results you want to achieve in your life. Research shows that people who can vividly picture the outcomes of their decisions are 50% more likely to actually achieve those decisions. It is one of the secrets of human motivation. So when you are visualizing your goal, don’t just think about it in terms of words and ideas. Also picture the physical outcome. What does your new body look like? How will your relationships be different? How will your home and office be different? How will your bank account be filled with millions of dollars instead of thousands? What will your personal and professional life be like?
Goals are great, but just knowing that you want something is not enough. You must also be able to see what happens to your desired results once you start working toward them. This step will help you crystallize your goal, set realistic expectations, and keep you focused on the end result instead of getting side-tracked by the “how” of achieving your goal.
Find a mentor to keep you on track.
If you are serious about achieving your goals and changing your life for the better, you need a mentor. A mentor is someone who has already walked the path that you are planning to walk. They have already made the mistakes that you are determined not to make. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You should seek out a mentor (if you can find one) even if it’s just for moral support. When you are struggling to stay motivated, when you are hit with a setback, when you are doubtful that you can succeed, a mentor can help you see the path more clearly and remind you of why you decided to change your life in the first place.
Announce your goal to the world
The next step is to make your goal public. Tell the whole world what you are trying to accomplish. This is the point at which you become accountable to your friends and yourself, and your word becomes credible. The power of this tactic cannot be underestimated.
If you tell someone else about your goal, it will become easier to achieve because you are holding yourself accountable. If you publicly commit to something, you’re much more likely to follow through.
You’ll be surprised how many people will encourage you and help you to accomplish your goal. Also, if you let other people know about your goal, they will offer suggestions and tips on what you should do to achieve that goal.
In conclusion, a good habit is easier to start than to stop. Once you have a new habit, your brain will automatically create a link between the action of forming the new habit and some kind of reward for doing so. This makes it much more difficult to quit or break the habit. Therefore, the first step to forming a good habit is to find or create a strong reason for forming the habit. In other words, you need a good “why.” If you don’t give your why, your behavior won’t be guided by conscious choice, but rather by some irrational emotion. So the next step is to identify the specific behavior that you want to form the habit of. Ask yourself what you would most like to change. Is it overeating? Poor work habits? Procrastinating on projects at work? It doesn’t matter; the answer is the same: Create a compelling reason for doing (or not doing) that specific behavior. Let’s say you want to lose weight. Maybe the specific behavior you want to change is your eating habits. Maybe it’s your lack of exercise. Maybe it’s both.
I believe that good habits are the most important ingredient to success. They are the foundation on which you can build all the other aspects of your life. Bad habits are often described as “ruts” that we fall into over and over because they are so automatic for us.
But when you follow the steps outlined it is possible to reverse these ‘ruts’ and turn them good habits by creating into positive goals.
And most importantly, don’t say you are going to stay in the New year, or next month, or even tomorrow…start today. Start right now.
Get to work and create that life you deserve for yourself.
