“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit” Aristotle

Good habits are the building blocks of our success. Bad habits can become the blockers of our success. The quality of our life depends on the quality of our habits as they shape our attitudes, actions and decision making in every aspect of our lives.

Success is rarely the result of a single, monumental effort. More often it is the product of consistent daily actions that accumulate over time. Good habits will generally create long term rewards that are greater than the sum of their parts, where the benefits of bad habits are often immediate and fleeting – with regret following afterwards.

Consistency trumps intensity!

Good habits are like bricks – each one may seem insignificant on its own, but together they build a strong foundation for success.

James Clear, author of bestselling book “Atomic Habits” states that habits account for about 40 percent of our behaviour on any given day and thus significantly shape our health, happiness and success.

It has also been said that up to 95% of our behaviour is subconscious – where we are not consciously thinking about our choices. Habits form part of our subconscious behaviour and means that 40% of what we do every day is much the same today as we did yesterday – usually while we are thinking about something else.

As we know, if we always do what we have always done we will always get what we’ve always got.

This is why we must consciously focus on understanding our habits (good and bad) and consider how to cultivate even better habits for our future.

There are five reasons why intentional habits are so powerful:

1. Small changes compound: If you get just 1% better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the end of the year. Conversely if your habits are blocking your improvement, you will definitely regress and go backwards over time. The value of consistent, incremental progress over large, immediate improvements is clear in the ripple effect they create which can extend beyond our own lives to influence others around us also.
2. Habits save mental energy: Forming habits is the brain’s way of being more efficient. As far as the brain is concerned, the more tasks you can complete without wasting time thinking about them the better. This helps reduce Cognitive Overload which creates a stress response.
3. Almost half of our lives are habitual: Our habits have a massive impact on every aspect of our lives, and we must become intentional with our focus to get off auto-pilot and ensure we are building habits that will serve us. This especially applies when we are distracted, tired or overwhelmed.
4. Good habits provide structure and stability: When we face uncertainty, our habits act as a buffer giving us the strength to withstand life’s storms.
5. Our habits shape our identity: Our habits become ingrained patterns that also create our sense of self. We are what we repeatedly do, so if we are bad financial habits we will soon believe that we are poor money managers etc. Conversely, if we have healthy lifestyle habits we will begin to believe that we are a healthy, active person and begin to act more like this type of person.

Some great examples of great workplace habits are:

• Being organised
• Writing your TO DO list at the end of the day when it is fresh in your mind
• Being punctual and well prepared for meetings
• Scheduling your important activities into your calendar monthly in advance
• Taking regular breaks
• Walking at least 10-15 minutes to work every day
• Drinking 2 litres of water
• Meal prepping for weekday lunches on the weekend
• Having an operating rhythm
• Use productivity and efficiency tools
• Don’t gossip or speak about others behind their back
• Don’t procrastinate
• Keep learning and remain open to new concepts

Here’s how you can get started today in building good habits as an investment in your future self:

• Focus on embedding 1 (maximum 2) habit at a time but ensure it is something that is important to you
• Start with an incredibly small habit that’s so easy you can’t so no
• Increase gradually – just 1% per day is enough to create sustainable results
• As you build up, break your actions into manageable chunks
• If you slip up, let it go and get back on track quickly – don’t beat yourself up
• When you are feeling good about embedding your new habit consider what the next logical step would be

In conclusion, good habits are essential for a fulfilling and successful life. They are the small, daily choices that, over time, shape our destiny. By recognising their importance and working diligently to cultivate them, we can unlock our full potential and enjoy the rich rewards or results that come with a life well-lived.

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