Planning for Success: Habit Stacking & Environment - Contest Entry Week 3 of 5
As you journey through my Planning For Success series, you may have noticed that my previous posts haven't delved into topics like sales, marketing, or customer relations. You might wonder why that is. The truth is, without the right foundation for success, those subjects become hollow and ineffective.
The key is encapsulated in the word "planning." Effective planning isn't just about setting goals; it's about establishing a sequence of habits and systems that support those goals. In the absence of a solid plan, efforts in sales, marketing, or customer service can feel futile.
What I'm sharing comes from my own experience, plus insights gained through various influential works, including The E-Myth Revisited, Atomic Habits, The Kaizen Way, and Mastery.
In Post #1, we tackled the importance of breaking free from stagnation and drift by confronting willful ignorance and neglecting our habits and systems.
In Post #2, I emphasized the power of starting your day with a purposeful morning routine. By establishing a consistent time to wake up and prepare yourself physically and mentally, you can significantly enhance your productivity. It’s crucial to show up at your workspace, whether it's an office across town or a home office, ready to tackle the day. Remember, discipline truly equals freedom.
Today, I want to introduce you to two powerful tools that can help you design success: Habit Stacking and Designing Your Environment, both inspired by principles from James Clear’s Atomic Habits.
Habit Stacking: This method involves building new habits by linking them to existing ones. By anchoring a new action to a habit, you already perform, you can create a seamless transition that reinforces both behaviors.
Example: After I read a chapter of my book I will walk a mile on my Peloton (or around my neighborhood). After I walk a mile, I will enjoy a shower and a good heathy meal. So I stack the habits, then I bundle them with something more attractive or rewarding to me.
Design Your Environment: Your surroundings play a critical role in your ability to succeed. By arranging your environment to promote positive habits and minimize distractions and temptations, you create a space that fosters productivity and growth.
Example: I'm having trouble gettng work done at my desk. Maybe I'll remove all social media APPs from my work desktop, so I can only access them on my smartphone. Then, for 1 hour I leave my phone off and in another room or my car while I get a 1 hour jam session completed at my desk.
With these strategies in hand, you'll be well on your way to building a system that not only supports your goals but propels you towards achieving them. Then too, we we are readyto talk about the pillars of your business.
Planning To Unlock Your Potential: Overcoming Ignorance
and Neglect (Entry #1)
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