Better Outcomes are merely Habits away . . .

Successful people are where they are today because of their habits. Habits determine much of a person’s behavior. Everything that you are today, and everything that you’ll ever accomplish, is determined by the quality of the habits that you form.

Upgrade your habits because you can! Seriously, don’t settle! Start transforming your mindset - don’t exchange what you want most for what’s easiest at the moment.  When you can figure out where your time goes, you can remove needless distractions and focus on what really matters.

In the best-selling book, The Power of Habit, author Charles Duhigg details a simple three-step process that all habits follow. This cycle, known as The Habit Loop, says that each habit consists of…

                        The Trigger: the event that starts the habit.

                        The Routine: the behavior that you perform, the habit itself.

                        The Reward: the benefit that is associated with the behavior.

This helpful framework can make it easier to stick to new habits so that you can improve your health, your work, and your life in general.

Enjoy these actionable tips and mindful habits you can implement right now - Ignite change and more simplicity in your life.

• Use THANK YOU rather than I’m SORRY. Flip the script.

2 adjusted words change what may be perceived as a negative mistake into a moment for you to express your gratitude & appreciation. At Starbucks, they’ll say "thanks for your patience guys" instead of "sorry about the  wait guys." Try making this your own habit. If you forgot to do something important that you committed to, you could say “thank you for being understanding and patient with me” rather than simply saying “I’m sorry.”

• Smile People! It’s infectious. Leave a better environment in your wake by smiling more often and smiling attracts more of the same energy to you. Co-workers and employees are much more receptive to leaders who smile. Be mindful; begin and end a request with a congenial smile.
  
  
• Get up early. Have an amazing start. Take advantage of that extra time. Reward yourself! Even if you’re a person who works better at night, if you wake up early, you’ll get more stuff done. Put another way; It’s theoretically impossible that all successful people are morning people, and yet they are. Translation: there must be a reason to wake up earlier instead of staying up later. Copy the ones that are doing it right!
  
  
• Listen to great music. This is more than DJ talk. Increase your mood by listening to amazing music. Don’t have Spotify or Pandora Apps? Why? Easy access and infinite choice are a few clicks away. Listen as often as you possibly can and really get invested in your treasured songs/artists. Your favorite tunes remove stress and guarantee a better mood.
  
  
• Clean your work space. Piles suck and mess equals stress. Clear your clutter and maintain an organized desk consistently. This shows your team your dedication to a continued focus on priorities. Be organized and efficient; be a superstar role model to your team!

As always, self-experimentation is the only real answer. Don’t expect all your attempts to change habits to be successful immediately. It took me four independent tries before I started ‘Waking Up Early’ regularly. Now I love it. Try your best, but expect a few bumps along the way.      

Further Reading . . .

                        The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

                        Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey

                        Hooked by Nir Eyal

                        The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson