What if I told you that you were doing everything right, you just haven’t been doing it long enough? Hard to believe, right? The reason many fail to achieve their goals is not because they are doing the wrong activities or even because they are misguided, but rather because we give up too soon. Small changes make big impacts. But we often don’t notice small changes as they occur. The routine of getting to the gym every day for instance may be a small change in your daily life, and if you continue that habit long enough - you’ll see an undeniable impact. But some give up because the habits become noticable and thus easier to abandon before you can see the results.
So what is one to do? How do you kick those bad habits and replace them with good ones? Here are the four tips to finally kick those bad habits and create good ones in their place.
1. Make it Obvious
We often hold onto bad habits because they have become mindless parts of our day. We mindlessly hit the snooze button with no real repercussions because the benefit of waking up early is never seen; we will mindlessly snack at the office then wonder why we can’t get the scale to tip in our favors. The key to kicking a bad habit (or creating a good one) is to make it incredibly obvious so your brain can connect the action with the result before you take it. For example, if you set a time and a place of where you will complete your new habit, you become significantly more likely to accomplish it. So, “I will go to the gym at 8 am on Tuesday morning.” The same process works for breaking bad habits. For instance, I utilize a habit tracker so I can track my “streaks” of new habits I am trying to build. By doing this, I’m given an obvious report of if I’m staying on track or not. My mind naturally goes to not wanting to break the streak and it often will get me there on the days I don’t always feel like it, because you’re simply not always going to feel like it.
2. Make it Attractive
Let’s face it. We’re simply not going to do things that don’t bring us some sort of satisfaction. It goes against our very DNA to put ourselves in undesirable situations. The key to breaking a bad habit or creating a good one is tying the action to the intended (and eventual) result that you’ll get from the habit. For example, if you’re trying to be more regimented in your prospecting, it may be helpful to remind yourself how much closer each transaction brings you to your goal. If you think of prospects as transactions and relationships - all of a sudden it doesn’t become so daunting. The problem is that many of us associate prospecting with trying to sell someone on something they don’t want or with rejection. The fact of the matter is - prospecting is a means to an end and you may require a reminder of that from time to time.
Another strategy that can be helpful is to bundle a somewhat undesirable habit with a more desirable one. For example, when I was initially working to establish my workout routine, I would reward each workout with a coffee. I wanted the coffee and already had that habit, but by dangling it at the end of my workout, I would often head out to the gym in order to get it finding that extra boost of motivation when I needed it most.
3. Make it Easy
Just as we naturally don’t want to do undesirable actions, we also don’t want to expel a ton of energy in our daily tasks. Even the most motivated individuals have inherently lazy brains. It is basic human nature to do what is easy vs. what is productive so you’ll need to combat that instinct. Making it easy is all about reducing friction. For example, by having your list of people you need to call that day ready for you when you sit down to your desk - you’ll be much more likely to make those calls than having to comb through your CRM to find people. Or, you’re much more likely to go to the gym if you get up and put on your workout clothes immediately instead of sitting down at your desk first or checking your emails. Another “hack” that I frequently implement is the two-minute rule. Anything that will take less than two minutes to complete, I do on the spot. Those tasks never make it onto a to-do list because they also tend to never make it off the to-do list since we convince ourselves that there is always time for that “later.” Instead, taking the action to complete the task in the moment makes you considerably more productive. Again, small changes make big impacts.
4. Make it Satisfying
It is basic human nature to love a reward. In order to stick with a good habit (or kick those pesky bad habits), we have to have immediate satisfaction. The long-term results often aren’t enough, which is why so few abandon the habits before they ever make a difference in their lives. Instead, try giving yourself an immediate reward. For instance, if you make your prospecting calls and complete your follow ups, give yourself an hour to browse Facebook. Or if you complete a streak, treat yourself to a nice dinner out. The key is holding out on the reward until the habit has been completed, not treating yourself no matter what.
Look, here’s the truth of the matter - kicking bad habits and creating good habits is hard work. That’s why most people don’t do it. But you’re different. You’re capable and I believe in you. Go out and make 2020 yours by committing to these processes. I promise, it’ll make all the difference.