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With the New Year right around the corner, it is the perfect time to reevaluate our daily habits and how they affect our success. Let’s face it, none of us are perfect. We all fall into slumps. Some of us get out of these slumps quicker than others, but eventually we pick ourselves up. We are here to help you be on the faster side of recovery, by giving you a few tips on practicing habits for success in your daily life.
Personal Development
One of the best habits that I recently picked up is incorporating at least 30 minutes of personal development into my day. I don’t know about you, I used to tell myself that I didn’t have time for personal development, even 30 minutes seemed too far of a reach. But eventually I gave it a try, and let me tell you the impact has been significant. Nothing fancy here. Depending on my mood I will either listen to an audio book, read, or crank up the tunes. Whatever I am facing in that day often has an impact on the type of personal development I invest in. But it can be done while driving, preparing dinner, during your walk to the office. Whatever the case may be, there is always time!
Create a Routine
I am one of the biggest advocates for creating a routine. Forbes agrees with me, and even mentions a few aspects of my own morning ritual! Morning routines are often those that are going to set the tone for our day, so it is important to make it a good one. I like to make it a habit to never start the day by looking at my phone. A few studies have actually shown that looking at a screen when you first wake up is actually a set back (more to come in a later blog).
Early Mornings
Speaking of morning rituals, one of the best habits for success is starting your morning early. I know some major leaders that wake up as early as 3:30am. Now I wish I had that kind of motivation, but I am a solid 5am riser. This gives me enough time to listen to an audiobook while drinking a nice hot cup of coffee, exercise, and do some work prep before the kids wake up. There is something about not having to be rushed in the morning, and seeing the sun rise that makes you feel accomplished before your day has even begun!
Limit Multitasking
Remember when we talked about the Pomodoro Technique. Well it turns out that a major habit for success is learning to focus on one task at a time. WHO KNEW! If we take on too many tasks, our brains become bogged down and we aren’t able to be as efficient in our work. One tip that helps me prevent multitasking is to make lists at the beginning of the day (hence the work prep I mentioned earlier). I will list out immediate tasks, and rate each task by priority. Then when I get something throughout the day, I add it to the list and make adjustments if necessary.
There is no one path or strategy to success. BUT there are strategies that some of today’s leaders have in common that have got them to where they are. We all start somewhere, so start by making small adjustments and adding habits for success in your daily life.