I love the vivid picture Ziglar creates as he describes the creation of a habit:
Habit is a cable. We weave a thread of it each day until it becomes too strong to break.
Then the strength of that habit cable takes us to the top or ties us to the bottom,
depending on whether it is a good habit or a bad one. Zig Ziglar
We all have habits that serve us well and not so well. Some move us forward allowing us to better ourselves, others hold us back, can even destroy us.
Habits affect all parts of our life. The way we communicate is a habit. How we interact with some people is a habit. How we think about ourselves and our possibilities is a habit. So are the ways we manage our work, our meetings, our down time. Our habit cables are intertwined with all we do.
You have a fresh opportunity each and every day to change or create a new habit. With the power of intention and a commitment to follow through, you can strengthen a positive habit, start a new beneficial one, or replace a detrimental one.
The steps are simple:
Visualize.
Prioritize.
Act.
Repeat.
The commitment to repetition turns action into habit. We all know that can be challenging. Having an objective, candid, supportive accountability partner can make it a lot easier. Through coaching, I’ve helped many leaders create new habits to shift the way they think about themselves and their role. It has opened up their thinking about possibilities and created successful outcomes.
It is the beginning of March. Spring, a time of rebirth and growth, is right around the corner. During this time of renewal, ask yourself what difference do you want to create in your life? In your work? What habit(s) would serve you well?
Good habits make doing what we want to do second nature. If you are interested in finding out how coaching can help you create new, supportive habits, let’s talk.
