“You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” ― John C. Maxwell
For me, Fall is the time of year when I examine my habits developed over the course of the year, or continuations from years prior. The good ones, and sometimes even the bad ones! I believe that there is one big decision that everyone needs to make and manage, especially if you’re a leader every single year. You may not even realize it, but literally ONE habit can radically change your life and leadership, if you practice it daily! This can be the habit of removing something bad from your life, and/or developing something good into your life! (Or BOTH)
Below are (7) great habits that I believe if you can form just one of them, could be a game changer for you!
1. Make a commitment to grow a little everyday (Continuous Improvement and Be Teachable) — Either you’re growing or you’re dying. Listen to a podcast, read a blog, read a motivational article, read Sam’s morning emails(hint), and overall just learn to become better at something-everyday.
2. Value the process more than the events — Yes, absoflippinlutely, crossing the finish line is great, but what about the journey it took to get there? Be grateful for the process because it’s part of your life; you grew during this process. You learned something through the process. Be mindful of what you learn on the way to that glorious “finish line”..
3. Don’t just sit around and wait for inspiration — Take action. Waiting for something to inspire you? You might be waiting forever. Why not just DO what it takes to complete that thing you always wanted to do? Take action and, you might be surprised, the inspiration will come (here’s a hint: you’re committed to your own results)!
4. Be willing to sacrifice for opportunity — Sacrifice has a very bad rep. Especially in business and leadership! We typically equate it with giving something up. In reality, it’s about making something sacred. Think of what you really want: more quality time with the kiddos, bettering your health. Think of sacrifice not as giving something up, but as making the time for what you value, what you see as important!
5. Dream BIG — What are you risking if you don’t dream big? The possibility of the dream becoming a reality. The most successful people look at the risk of what will happen if they don’t take action towards their dream. So, write down your dreams; think beyond what you believe you are capable of. You might be surprised what you can achieve!
6. Plan Plan Plan your priorities — The act of writing down your dreams and goals makes them more real and actionable. Think of the critical daily tasks it will take to achieve what you want. Practicing those daily tasks and marking them off will help you to achieve what you want.
7. Last but most certainly not least, DON’T. GIVE. UP. — While it’s true that the journey to the finish line will bring you great reward, why quit before you actually get there? Even though there will be times where the end seems literally impossible, hang in there. The last thing you want is regret. So, put your head down, surround yourself with people who support you and will help push you and hold you accountable and achieve what you set out to in the first place!
What habits do you want to eliminate for the upcoming new year? Is it Smoking? Your health and diet? The people you hang around with? In addition, what habits would we like to establish? Regular daily exercise? Getting up earlier to kick start your day? Flossing your teeth? Consistent prayer life? How do you want your days to look in 2020? Now is the perfect time to make some important decisions for your life and the direction of it. Then you can put together some systems to manage those decisions moving forward! Success needs to just be a daily habit. Plain and simple. Write some stuff down and let’s talk about it! I’d love to hear your challenges and goals!