Regardless of what your definition of a successful business is, you know that it doesn’t happen by accident or out of just pure luck. It consisted of achieving a lot of smaller goals with the help of relentless habits.
Behaviours will only turn into habits when you do them repeatedly. However, doing something consistently so that it will turn into a habit is not easy.
Each of us has a different definition of what a successful business is. For some, it might be getting more clients into their business while for others, it might be being able to get away from the business without it crumbling into the ground. There are also others who want to claim the title of number one builder in their town or in the country.
However you define success in your business, you need to form good habits to reach it. So, how do you create these habits? The following steps might be able to help you.
1. Be Specific
Write down the behaviours that you want to turn into habits and be specific about it.
For example, instead of writing, ‘I will read and answer emails every day’ it should be ‘I will read and answer emails for 30 minutes every day at 9:30 am’. Having a defined time makes you more committed to a certain task because it makes it more real and actionable.
It’s not just a plan anymore or wishful thinking because you’ve actually blocked out a time in your calendar to do it.
2. Make it Public
If possible, make your journey of turning your behaviour into a habit known to other people. Being alone in your journey might make you want to give up more easily because no one is holding you accountable.
3. Be Consistent
The most challenging part of creating a habit is to be consistent about it.
It’s so easy to say, ‘I’ll do this another time’ when you make an error in following through or when you lose motivation. You must be committed to doing an action repeatedly until such time that you wouldn’t have to think much about it because it already became a habit.
Consistency is important. Without it, you’ll be constantly stuck in starting an action without ever finishing it which will only lead to frustration.
Here are some tips on how you can become consistent with your actions to creating a habit:
- Have a Plan
Being prepared is another key to being consistent. Having a plan is important so that you wouldn’t have to ‘wing it’ when you’re in the moment of doing the action that you need to do and so that everything will go smoothly.
Also, having a plan lets you keep your eyes on the goal. So plan what you need to do, how to do it, for how long, etc. That more prepared you are the more committed you’ll be.
- Be Present
It’s easy to set alarms and reminders so that you won’t forget to do the action that you need to turn into a habit. However, the main challenge is keeping your mind in the present time.
Sometimes even if you’re doing a certain action, you’re already thinking of what you should do next, or tomorrow, or even for the next month. Thus, you end up losing focus and start getting anxious. Without focus, it’ll be easier to make mistakes and then there would be no consistency. So do one thing at a time and be in the present moment.
- Don’t Let Negative Emotions Control You
When you’re happy and motivated, you do the action that you need to do willingly and with satisfaction. However, when you’re tired, stressed or unhappy, you might say ‘I won’t do this today’. Thus, consistency is gone. Remember, these negative feelings are temporary so don’t let it stop you from doing what you need to do. Besides, think of how you’ll feel when you’ve achieved your goal.One thing to keep in mind if you want to be consistent, regardless of how you feel at the moment, do it anyway.
Creating a habit is necessary for a successful business. You can’t expect to achieve success when you’re all over the place. So create habits that would help you become more efficient or more productive. It might not be easy, but be patient and keep on doing it. Good luck!
