Why do some people accomplish what they set out to do while others stay mired in mediocrity? What is the difference between the people that are inconsistent and never really break through to their true potential and those that do?Both achievers and slacker have this as their consistent companion. Who is it? This common element is fairly easily managed by both the successes and failures; just in different ways. What could it be? This ubiquitous factor has made all the great individuals who have ever been great, and all the losers too. So what is it?
It is your collective habits.
It is not just your doing habits. It is also your thinking habits. Together, your thinking and doing habits make up the operational and behavioral patterns that beget their direct results in your life’s experience.
Your habits are either contributing to your success or contaminating your success.
There is no out there nor them that is holding you back. It is only your habits that are keeping you where you are. It’s not the economy nor the political party in office that restricts your growth and progress. It is only your habits that do so.You and only you have developed your current habits; the ones that are serving you and the ones that are leading to your struggles. The good news is you can always develop new habits throughout the rest of your life.As the Greek philosopher Aristotle would point out to his pupils striving to become great, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle learned from Plato who learned from Socrates who said, “To gain a good reputation, endeavor to be what you desire to appear.” Endeavoring is how you form your habits.To help you identify the winning habits that will transform you from where you are to where you want to be, imagine the goal you are wanting to achieve could actually speak to you.
Consider these questions coming from your goal :
- What are the one time actions it would say you need to execute as soon as possible to make progress?
- What is the work your goal is demanding you to perform to bring the goal to life?
- What are the habitual actions the goal is demanding you to perform on a regular basis throughout the coming days, weeks and months to aid you in getting your work completed?
- What are the habitual thoughts your goal is asking you to think throughout your day, week and month that will lead you to its achievement? What regular thoughts do you need to let go of or replace?
- What is your goal telling you to learn that you don’t already know now but need to know for its realization?
- Take time right now and think of a goal that has been eluding you. Write it down on the top of a piece of paper. Write down the answers to the five questions above. Start taking actions based on the answers you come up with so you can start forming the habits needed to make your goal a reality.Set a daily appointment with yourself for the same time every day and check in with your list and then taking action and you can’t help but form the winning habits you need to live a better life.Make it up, make it fun and get it done!
Related: The Six Elements of a Successful Plan for Your Advisory