THE POWER OF HABIT

Habits are powerful routines. They are automatic and sequential movements of our bodies. Neuroscientists estimated that 95% of our daily activities are done at a subconscious level, carried out without our conscious brain being aware of what is happening. But habits don’t happen by accident, they are deliberate acts that we perform so regularly that they become second nature. For instance the habit of brushing teeth is a learned one, just like any other habit. The act of brushing your teeth every morning was made into a routine taught to you when you were a child.  And as it was done repeatedly, it became automated.

According to a study done by University College London it takes an average of 66 days to create a habit. But for some people it only took 18 days to form a habit whilst for others it took up to 254 days. So somewhere between 2.5 weeks and 8.5 months. That’s a huge difference! So is it that some things are just easier to make a habit, or is it that some people are just more adept at making something a habit?

There is no specific set of steps guaranteed to work for every person in breaking their bad habits or building a new habit. For people who have great prospective memory (the ability to remember to do things in the future) or those of us who are able to establish routines easily, creating habits comes easier and more naturally.  On the other hand, for those of us that are impulsive or are not used to having routines, establishing habits will be harder and time consuming. But it has been proven that those who only try to create one habit at a time will be much more  successful in building a new habit.

The most successful entrepreneurs have mastered habits because it makes them work smarter, eliminating unnecessary effort and wasted time.  Habits of most successful entrepreneurs are:

Visioneering: The most effective entrepreneurs  spend a significant amount of time thinking, creating, and dreaming and take initiative and turn their dreams into a reality. See Simon’s  Article on the 3 R’s of Success.

Early Risers: Effective entrepreneurs believe that early bird gets the worm. Most of them start with some type of physical activity, run, exercise at home or at the gym. Working out regularly clears your head, gives you time alone and makes you feel more motivated.

Scheduler Keeper: By putting their responsibilities first and leisure activities second, they schedule social time at the end of their day, however they are great advocates of the importance of socializing with other people, especially with the ones that  build you up.

Simplicity Follower: they set protective and firm limits around themselves and their time, understanding that even superhero’s need a day off. They make sure they get a good night’s rest because a lack of sleep affects memory function and creative thinking.

Flexible: Being flexible enough to pivot and change direction greatly increases their chances of success and it also enhances their own learning, growth, and education.

Curiousness: This curiosity keeps them asking questions and helps them to generating ideas for what their next steps are going to be. Because they choose to remain open and curious, it is impossible to drain their creative reservoirs. They see opportunities when opportunity comes.

Journaling: They write lists, goals, gratitude and sometimes write simply to vent their frustrations. They strongly believe in writing down with a paper and pen what is important to them, which helps them to disconnect from electronic devices that prevent us from fully unplugging and relaxing.

If you are having a hard time implementing habits or getting rid of old ones please let us know at Jager Consulting. Give us a call at (440) 385 6737  and we will be happy to give you a complimentary session. Why not to be even more successful if you can???