How many times have you assembled a detailed plan, and it just didn’t come to fruition? You get your ducks in a row, start down the path, and somewhere along the line, it fizzles out. 

In the last two blogs about how to get out of a rut, we established how to set goals, create and schedule step-by-step actions, and align your identity to your goal to get and stay committed. 

 

Creating New Habits Is the Most Crucial Action for Building Lasting Change To Accomplish Your Goals

I have done much research on productivity, motivation and habit building: trading your current patterns for ones that get you where you want to go is the tipping point of change.  

Read Atomic Habits by James Clear

I have never come across a book, talk, blog, or podcast on the subject that lays out with more clarity and action towards real change than Atomic Habits by James Clear. I am currently studying this book; it’s my goal over the next year to adopt as many of its principals as possible. I can not recommend it enough. 

4 Laws – Make it; Obvious, Attractive, Easy, and Satisfying 

James Clear states how to guarantee your success by making your new actions obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying. 

Make It Obvious

Figure out when and where you will make this new habit, and create an environment to remind yourself to do it. 

Example: leave your ‘new business’ call list on your desk. The next morning when you sit down, you are instantly reminded to do your outreach first thing in the morning.

Make It Attractive

Figure out ways to make you want to do this task, and be around people that help make it a part of your life.

Example: create a ‘sales call’ playlist, grab a treat that you only have when you’re making calls, sit down with a co-worker who is also making calls, or start an online chat with friends that are in the same boat.

Make It Easy

Do everything you can to make taking action as easy as possible to start.

Example: gather contact information before you start making calls, block out your calendar so you don’t get booked for meetings during your allotted call time, find a quiet space or a suitable hall to pace back and forth if you prefer to walk while talking.

Make It Satisfying

Find ways to make your action immediately satisfying. 

Example: ring a celebratory bell when you get through to someone, reward yourself with 10 minutes of cat videos once you’ve completed your calls, do something that brings you joy directly after you have finished your task. 

Imagine getting a reward for doing the stuff you already want to complete! It’s true, all tasks are not fun, but when you make the best of it and know it gets you where you want to go, it feels gooood. 

Know How YOU Are Motivated 

Gretchen Rubin, author of The Four Tendencies, believes each person is one of four tendencies; Rebel, Upholder, Questioner, or Obliger. Once you know your tendency, you can best set yourself up for success.  Below is an RSA Short sharing Gretchen’s findings. 

So there you have it, every single step is what’s between you and greatness.

Go forth, make cool shit. And if it doesn’t work? Try it another way, just keep going. 

If this blog helped you in any way, please let me know. I’m always interested to hear what people find helpful and what you would like to learn more. Please shoot me an email or leave a comment below. Thanks!