A New Year always seems to come with resolutions. I read somewhere recently that the average resolution only lasts 6 days. Sounds more like your average bout with a cold to me.
I guess a big problem is that we try to do too much all at once, making some huge commitment to change all at once, overnight. Yeah, like that works! We get all enthusiastic about what we want to do and try to do it all in one shot and then end up falling off the ladder. We get back on and try again, and then fall off again. Wow, that sounds kind of like the last time I tried to put myself on a diet.
I guess a big problem is that we try to do too much all at once, making some huge commitment to change all at once, overnight. Yeah, like that works! We get all enthusiastic about what we want to do and try to do it all in one shot and then end up falling off the ladder. We get back on and try again, and then fall off again. Wow, that sounds kind of like the last time I tried to put myself on a diet.
It comes down to habits. If we don’t adopt successful habit changing methods, we may just keep falling off the ladder and then get discouraged and quit.
Well this year, lets take a look at how we can use some habit changing methods to change that, one or two habits at a time. Lets not try to change every habit all at once, because the more we try to do the less the chance of success. When we can change just one or two habits then we can move to the next.
They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit. So if we start with something like remembering to organize our desk tops at the end of each working day, by February we will have mastered that and can move to the next habit of making sure our “To be filed” piles and “out box” are emptied daily.
With a small amount of initial discipline let’s start out. Here are some tips to help create those new habits and make them stick.
1. Commit to 21 days. Mark your calendar with the start and end dates of this venture. It will help motivate you when you see the date is really not that far away.
2. Start simple. Don’t worry about perfection and don’t try to completely change your work habits in a day. It is easy to take on too much. Just do a little, but do it everyday.
3. Set reminders. About two weeks in you may start to forget why you started, maybe some of the pain that drove you to making the change has subsided. Place reminders in your view so you don’t forget your goal. If you stop in the middle it defeats the purpose of starting in the first place.
4. Get a buddy. A co-worker, a family member, and on-line friend, whoever you can trust to support you and keep you motivated.
5. Stay positive. If negative thoughts come into your mind like “I’m no good at this”, replace it with, “I’m struggling with this now, but soon I will be much better at it.”
6. Make room to succeed. If clearing your desk off is a priority, have the proper tools, like a desk file sorter, to put your files into. Whatever the goal consider what you need to make it a reality.
7. Use a Role Model. If you know someone who is really great at what you want to do, spend time with them, learn from them and try to mirror them.
8. Consider the benefits. Get books, read articles and familiarize yourself with the benefits of a change. Imagine yourself enjoying those benefits.
9. Know the pain. Be aware of the consequences of not changing. Expose yourself to realistic information about the downside to not changing. This will add some motivation.
10. Do it for yourself. Don’t let other “Should” on you. Doing things out of guilt makes for an empty resolution.
Well this year, lets take a look at how we can use some habit changing methods to change that, one or two habits at a time. Lets not try to change every habit all at once, because the more we try to do the less the chance of success. When we can change just one or two habits then we can move to the next.
They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit. So if we start with something like remembering to organize our desk tops at the end of each working day, by February we will have mastered that and can move to the next habit of making sure our “To be filed” piles and “out box” are emptied daily.
With a small amount of initial discipline let’s start out. Here are some tips to help create those new habits and make them stick.
1. Commit to 21 days. Mark your calendar with the start and end dates of this venture. It will help motivate you when you see the date is really not that far away.
2. Start simple. Don’t worry about perfection and don’t try to completely change your work habits in a day. It is easy to take on too much. Just do a little, but do it everyday.
3. Set reminders. About two weeks in you may start to forget why you started, maybe some of the pain that drove you to making the change has subsided. Place reminders in your view so you don’t forget your goal. If you stop in the middle it defeats the purpose of starting in the first place.
4. Get a buddy. A co-worker, a family member, and on-line friend, whoever you can trust to support you and keep you motivated.
5. Stay positive. If negative thoughts come into your mind like “I’m no good at this”, replace it with, “I’m struggling with this now, but soon I will be much better at it.”
6. Make room to succeed. If clearing your desk off is a priority, have the proper tools, like a desk file sorter, to put your files into. Whatever the goal consider what you need to make it a reality.
7. Use a Role Model. If you know someone who is really great at what you want to do, spend time with them, learn from them and try to mirror them.
8. Consider the benefits. Get books, read articles and familiarize yourself with the benefits of a change. Imagine yourself enjoying those benefits.
9. Know the pain. Be aware of the consequences of not changing. Expose yourself to realistic information about the downside to not changing. This will add some motivation.
10. Do it for yourself. Don’t let other “Should” on you. Doing things out of guilt makes for an empty resolution.
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