Habits they have an effect on you; who you are and what you are able to accomplish. They create an environment in which you can flourish or one primed for failure. While you might not consider yourself a habitual person, everyone has habits. Some of those habits are helpful. Many hold us back. What if you were to cultivate habits that would set you up for success? What if the very thing keeping you from achieving the goals you have set for yourself is your inability to develop new habits? Even worse, what if the habits you are trying so hard to weave into your life are the wrong habits? I am excited to share with you not only 12 habits that will make a significant difference, but also some timely tips on how to weave those new habits into your life. That s not all! I want you to have no excuses when it comes to adopting new habits. That s why I am also including bonus - a practical strategy that you can customize specifically to your needs to help you develop the habits that will most benefit you. But first, the 12 habits that I know will make a significant difference in your life, relationships, leadership, work, and so much more! 1
If you are a believer, making space to daily connect with God is perhaps the most important thing you will do all day! Without that daily connection time, it is easy to forget how much He loves you and how able He is to help you. Regular time with God has the potential to change you in ways nothing else can. Not only is it uplifting and encouraging, it also positively changes your perspective altering how you handle the events you are faced with in a day. If you are not a believer, I encourage you to venture closer to God. Read the Bible. Explore who He is and what He is all about. Perhaps you already regularly connect with God but that space is so predictable that it no longer captivates you. Mix things up. Explore a new devotional such as Jesus Calling, Utmost for His Highest, or Streams in the Desert - a few of my favorites. Consider, meditating, listening to worship music, or singing to Him. Be still before Him and just listen. Your relationship with God, like any relationship, is enhanced when you keep it fresh. The time you invest connecting with God will influence the rest of your day! 2
For the past four years I have chosen a single word to center my life around for a whole year. There is not enough space here to share all the many ways my One Word has transformed my life. My One Words have been proactive, faith-full, and release. This year my One Word is receive, and I am confident another learning, growing, and stretching adventure is ahead! To learn more about the One Word idea, check out the book One Word That Will Change Your Life, by Jon Gordon, Dan Britton, and Jimmy Page. It is a quick read and well worth the investment! Taking time daily, weekly, or monthly to process and evaluate how things are going. Check in to see what you are feeling and how you can improve what you are doing. Reflecting for you might be making space to simply be still and think or it might include journaling. Either way, take time to reflect. 3
Even though you know that God s plans prevail, this should not discourage you from planning and setting goals. Instead it should encourage you to be sure to include God in your planning process. Without a solid plan, it is unlikely that you will reach your goals. And just because you have made a plan doesn t mean that you can t alter your plan in response to something God is doing. If you never make a plan, then you are winging it and hoping you accomplish big things that rarely happens! Planning is something that needs to take place on a daily, weekly, quarterly, yearly, and long-term basis. Establish a rhythm that works well for you and find a way to make it fun and enjoyable! Your comfort zone is a pretty sweet spot! However, if you are going to step into the person you need to be to accomplish whatever God has in mind for you, than you will need to stretch and grow! Sometimes that s scary and painful! 4
How can you lessen the scary painful part? Get into the habit of stretching outside your comfort zone more often. Try new things, push yourself a little, and experiment. The outcome of your efforts is less important than getting in the habit of venturing outside what normally feels comfortable to you so that your comfort zone expands over time. The more you do it, the easier it will get! Along the way, you will discover you are much more capable, especially with God s help, than you previously realized. You may experience a failure here or there, but even that can work to your advantage if you learn something from the experience. In essence, you are desensitizing yourself to uncomfortable situations and reinforcing that no matter what, God is with you! Maybe you consider yourself a highly creative person or perhaps you wonder if you have an ounce of creativity in your body. The truth is we all have a part of us that is creative after all, we are made in God s image and He s the most creative being I know! You might be crafty creative, strategy creative, or an idea generating machine. Perhaps your creativity shows up in your writing, cooking, or how you put together an outfit. Wherever your creativity lies make an effort to tap into it and exercise that muscle even if it has nothing to do with your work or the purpose that God has created you for. When you engage in creative efforts it is energizing, and whatever your purpose is, you will definitely need energy to walk it out! Don t be surprised, if your creative efforts at some point intersect with your purpose! 5
In order to walk out the purpose that God has in mind for you, what skills or knowledge do you need to gain? What degrees, certification, or education would serve you best? Are their experiences such as volunteering, traveling, or talking to successful people in a specific field that would be an invaluable learning experience? Learning can happen in a wide variety of ways including taking a class or working with an expert. It can be something you do independently by reading a book or doing research. What s important is to figure out what you would benefit from learning and finding a way to make that a priority. Reading can be something you do to learn or something you do for pleasure. Either way, when you are in the habit of reading your world expands and you have a chance to explore ideas, feelings, and experience different perspectives. It launches you outside your own little bubble and keeps your mind active. As they say, the best leaders are readers! 6
The benefits of exercise are no secret! Not only does it have numerous health benefits, it also reduces stress, increases energy, enhances your mood, and improves your sleep; all things that will enhance your abilities as a leader. Maybe you love to exercise or maybe you hate it. Why not expand what you consider to be exercise and find a way to be more active. Here are a few fun and unexpected ways to incorporate exercise into your life: hiking, dancing, playing with your kids, walking with a friend, tossing a Frisbee, playing active video games, or gardening. Mix it up! Without the habit of resting, you will eventually burn out no matter how much you love what you do. God created us to work hard and to rest even He took time to rest! (Genesis 2:3) Resting does two things for you. First, it gives you a much needed break so that when you return to work you are more focused and refreshed. Secondly, taking a break from work reflects your trust in God and that you are confident that He will help you get done what must get done in the time you have. That doesn t mean you will accomplish all you had in mind, but that what He had in mind will be enough. God s plan and purpose for you may require you to work hard, but it will not require striving. His yoke is easy. (Matthew 11:30) 7
Of course aligning with your values assumes that you have identified your top five values. If you haven t already, take some time to explore this you ll be glad you did! If you are unsure about how to start that process, contact me. I d be happy to provide you with an easy exercise to help you identify your core values. Knowing your core values and living out of your core values are two different things. Which of the things you are currently engaged in align well with your values? What are you doing that is in contradiction to your values? When your values are being compromised, you will feel the rub. Pay attention to what that rub is telling you! Be in the habit of weighing your options in light of your values a process that will serve you well! Thank you! In this technology age, the snail mail thank you is nearly extinct. In light of that, if you take the time to write a personal thank you to those who have positively impacted your leadership or business you will stand out in the crowd! Be in the habit of sending snail mail thank you notes. That doesn t mean you can t say thank you in person or via technology, but if you want to demonstrate just how thankful you are, invest the stamp and buck or two for the card and the five minutes it will take to get it done. 8
Which of these twelve habits would you like to adopt first? Perhaps there are a few habits you are already doing, but you would like to step up that process. There are 12 habits why not work on one of these each month in the year to come? I know these habits will have a powerful impact on your life and leadership if you do! Habits, good habits, help you 1. Turn up your productivity 2. Free up space for processing and being more creative 3. Carry you through challenging or stressful situations In order for a new habit to stick you must 1. Attach a new habit to an old habit Connect that habit to something you already do routinely. If you want to embrace being more of a planner, you must attach planning to something you already do routinely. For example, you might plan your day just before you turn the lights out each night or at the end of your time with God each morning. Or, perhaps planning with your coffee each morning is more appealing to you. The key is to add the new habit to a ritual you already have in place. 2. Focus on one new habit at a time If you really want habits to stick, tackle them one at a time. Adding a bunch of new habits all at once increases the odds that none of them will stick. It is no mistake that I have suggested 12 habits. Ideally some of the suggested habits are already a part of your life, but if they aren t, you can work on one of these habits each month. In a year from now, you will have incorporated some amazing habits that will have a profound impact on your life! And remember, it is your life. Which habit will have the greatest impact? Start with that one you don t have to work through the habits in the order that I have presented them. 9
3. Dream Big, Habit Small Set stretch goals and dare to dream big! You are far more capable than you give yourself credit for. What will it take to achieve your goals and turn your dreams into reality? It will take small steps; lots and lots of small, consistent steps; habits. 4. Pick a Habit Helper Going it alone is risky. It is easy to give up, get distracted, and to lose sight of the big dream or goal. Having someone hold you accountable, check up on you, or cheer you on makes a huge difference. That might be a friend, a family member, or a coach. 5. Reward Yourself Each of us is motivated by different things. What is a reward to me might not be a reward to you. Pick something you enjoy to do each day that you have successfully completed your new habit. What can you do to celebrate when you have stuck to your new habit for a week? A month? Two months? Don t minimize your successes. And if you can, let others celebrate with you! Think when I successfully complete x, then I can do such and such. 6. Don t Let Setbacks Be Dead Ends Life is messy and unpredictable. Sometimes we slip up and fail to do the very thing we want to do. Give yourself a chance to mess up, just don t let it be what keeps you from working on your habit. Think about it in advance. How do you want to handle those mess-up moments? How will you get back on track? What are some of the things that might get in the way of you incorporating the new habit into your life? 7. Take a Chance Adding new habits means you must be willing to take some risks. If you find yourself struggling to add a new habit, first determine if the habit is worth fighting for. Then evaluate what you can do differently to increase your chances of making that habit a regular part of your life. Brainstorming and seeing new possibilities is yet another way your habit helper can assist you in the implementation process. Are you Ready? Complete the following for each of the 12 habits. You don t have to do this all up front. Feel free to fill the blanks in as you progress through the year. Just to help you imagine the possibilities I have completed an example for you. Happy habit making! 10
The month I will work on this habit is: June My big goal is To spend a minimum of 30 minutes with God at least 5 days a week. The baby steps I will take are To start with 15 min. and work up to 30 min. Evaluate your big goal. Is it SMART? S = Specific State exactly what you hope to accomplish in clear, concise, and tangible terms. M = Measurable How will you demonstrate that you have met your goal? Is your criteria $, time, a number, or something else? A = Attainable Your goal should be doable with focused effort and a bit of a stretch. R = Realistic Your goal should be something you BELIEVE you can accomplish IF you put in the work. In this area of my life I currently feel Dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Neutral Somewhat satisfied Completely satisfied Incorporating this habit into my life will... Help me connect better with God, depend on Him more and be reminded of the ways He loves and takes care of me. T = Time-Bound Your goal should have a deadline and a sense of urgency. The habit I will attach this habit to is: I will spend time with God first thing after I wake up. My habit helper will be: My husband. My reward will be: Peace of mind! How will you keep track of your progress? I will keep track on my calendar. If I do not successfully add this habit into my life the cost will be Disconnected from God and less aware of Him in my life. It will affect my attitude & feeling anxious.
The month I will work on this habit is: My big goal is The baby steps I will take are Evaluate your big goal. Is it SMART? S = Specific State exactly what you hope to accomplish in clear, concise, and tangible terms. In this area of my life I currently feel Dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Neutral Somewhat satisfied Completely satisfied Incorporating this habit into my life will... M = Measurable How will you demonstrate that you have met your goal? Is your criteria $, time, a number, or something else? A = Attainable Your goal should be doable with focused effort and a bit of a stretch. R = Realistic Your goal should be something you BELIEVE you can accomplish IF you put in the work. T = Time-Bound Your goal should have a deadline and a sense of urgency. The habit I will attach this habit to is: My habit helper will be: If I do not successfully add this habit into my life the cost will be My Reward will be: How will you keep track of your progress?
Marvae Eikanas is a Certified Professional Life Coach, experienced leader, business owner, proud mother of three adult children, and grandmother of soon to be three! Marvae absolutely loves her job helping leaders excel and enjoy life. She has a knack for helping leaders get to the heart of the matter so they can make the changes needed to lead life well! Yes! Life is short. Are you ready to lead it well? Visit LeadLifeWell.com today to schedule a complimentary Coffee Chat a chance for you to get to know Marvae, explore how she can help you reach your goals and overcome your challenges so you can lead with confidence, enjoy life, and be well! Helping you get to the heart of the matter so you can Lead Life Well! Marvae Eikanas / Lead Life Well a division of Brevity Enterprises, LLC / LeadLifeWell.com