habits

Research says it takes 66 days to form a habit.  I don't know if everyone feels this way, but I think habits  have a bad stigma about them. Instinctively, I think of biting nails or smoking... you know, the bad habits.  But really most habits aren't bad.  Good habits can have a major impact on how you go about your work.  When was the last time you intentionally set out to form a habit? I have a goal of two blog posts per week.  If you look at my history, I rarely hit that goal.  How can I turn blog posting into a habit?  I've made exercise a habit.  I wake up early each morning and workout within 30 minutes of getting up. I can try writing at the same time every night - after the kids go to sleep.  The problem with late night blog posts is I'm bound to be too tired to think (like this rambling post to nowhere - ha!).  What could be more effective?  I can write every day on the train ride into work.  Better yet I can do that and associate it with something enjoyable - like a hot cup of coffee.  I'm setting out to form the habit.  Hopefully when you check back toward the end of December you'll find a two post a week minimum is the norm.

How can you use habits for personal growth?  How can you use habits to strengthen your teams?

simplify

I work in a very complex division of my company.  There are multiple advertising products to sell and several sales messages to pitch.  There are times when our sales reps lose focus and they're not sure what to sell and how to sell it.  Communication problems are prevalent.  Goals aren't clearly defined.  Budgets are too high.  The compensation plan recently changed.  Complexity creates a environment of fear.  Fear breeds upon itself.  It starts with, "I'm not good enough."  Soon enough it becomes, "My boss doesn't think I'm good enough."  Then, "I'm going to lose my job and that will hurt me."  Paralysis sets in and nothing is accomplished. What can we do?  Simplify!  My business line has a new EVP.  She has defined three goals.  1) Increase new sales; 2) Increase the average order size; 3) Increase our retention rate.  All projects and sales goals are evaluated on these three clearly defined, simple goals.  It's so much easier when you simplify.  You know where to direct your efforts.  You choose the products to sell that drive toward these goals.  You know what to do.  You are confident.  The budget is no longer too high and the compensation plan makes sense.  You can do this!

The KISS principle applied.  Keep It Simple and Straightforward.  There's no need to over complicate.  Set simple goals and create projects and products to achieve them.  It sets a winning attitude throughout the organization.

small wins

Have you ever stared at a project list and felt nothing but overwhelmed? It's like walking up the stairs to my attic. I get to the top, see the mess, quickly shake my head in dismay, turnaround and walk back down the steps. The scope of work is too overwhelming. The end goal is out of reach. I'll never be able to get this finished. Dan and Chip Heath talk about shrinking the change in their book Switch. Sometimes you only need to get started. Take 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there and eventually you have a series of small wins. In technology, projects are broken into epic stories; epic stories into user stories; and user stories into tasks. It's easy to look at a task, get started on it and finish it. Before you know it you've knocked out a user story, and all of a sudden these small wins start to snowball. The project doesn't seem as daunting.

This same method can be applied to any goal or change. If you have a sales goal that seems impossible, break it down and shrink the goal. I want to make 50 calls over the next two days and close 10% of them. Over the next two weeks I want to write a chapter of my book. Shrink your objective and earn some small wins.

Who wants to spend ten minutes with me cleaning the stairs of my attic tonight?

achievment

Next week I finish P90X.  There is something about exercise that gets me motivated for everything in life. When I'm not exercising I have trouble getting things done.  I can organize projects and lead a team, but I don't have the same desire I have when I'm fulfilling the physical side of life.  For me exercise goes hand in hand with achieving the extraordinary.  P90X is tough.  Not only that, but I've managed to fit the long workouts with 3 hours or commuting, a full work day and time with my family (and now this blog!). I've heard it takes 21 days to form a habit.  I suppose I've simply gotten used to getting up at 4:50 and working out each morning. Goal setting works for me.  I enjoy doing things few people are willing to do.  In 2009 I committed to running a marathon in under four hours.  In November I ran the Philly Marathon in 3:57:26.  I'd never run a marathon before.  The same attitude applies to almost anything in life.  Running a marathon in under four hours was hard.  P90X was hard.  Delivering a project on time and on budget is hard.  Doing anything that is worthwhile is hard.

I may not be able to run a marathon as fast as Bill Rodgers or do as many pull-ups as Colin Bell, but I can set a goal and achieve greater things than most people are even willing to try.  Why won't they try? Why can't they commit?  It goes back to my first post.  There is something within us that is scared of success and what comes with it.  Embrace change.  Achieve the extraordinary.  Don't hold back!