This Month:
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."
Aristotle
How long does it take for something you do to become a habit? Most say about 21 days or 3 weeks. Imagine, it takes about 21 days for you to instill a habit in your daily life. If this is your benchmark, then you need to make sure you are putting in a good habit instead of a bad one. As a trainer, I make sure that I always stress on the the “need-to-dos” and “shoulds” that the trainees has to learn not only in the beginning, during and at the end of the training program in those 3-4 weeks. This way, I know that they would have these takeaways in them and bring with them once they at their workplace.
What habits have you been harboring that you would like to change (if it is a bad one)? Nurture more (as long as it is a good one!)? Or even a habit that you would like to acquire (a good one of course!)? Whether it is a habit you want to acquire, nurture more or change – know that you can do it. All you need to do is to decide, focus and O.W.N. it.
So where do you start? Decide. Decide on what habit it is. Decide on what you want to do with it. The important thing is make that decision. Focus. What end result do you want for this habit? What direction do you want to take this? Then have these in mind: O.W.N. it. O – Open-minded. You have to be open-minded when you want to acquire, change or nurture a habit. Be open-minded to the change it will bring in your day-to-day life and in the future. W – Willingness. Any changes in your life will only happen if you are willing. Willing to allow it to happen. Willing it to change you – for the best! N – Nurture. Breed it in you. If it is a bad habit that you want to get rid of then you need to discipline yourself to get rid of it. Nurture that discipline since it paves the way for your improvement as a better person. If it is a good one you already have or want to acquire, then nurture it until it becomes part of you.
Remember, you can do develop or shake of a habit that you have had for years. All it takes is for you to know what you want to do with it and that this is what you want. After all, this is YOU we are talking about.
This Month’s Action Plan:
Want to become better than you are now? Ask these questions:
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."
Aristotle
How long does it take for something you do to become a habit? Most say about 21 days or 3 weeks. Imagine, it takes about 21 days for you to instill a habit in your daily life. If this is your benchmark, then you need to make sure you are putting in a good habit instead of a bad one. As a trainer, I make sure that I always stress on the the “need-to-dos” and “shoulds” that the trainees has to learn not only in the beginning, during and at the end of the training program in those 3-4 weeks. This way, I know that they would have these takeaways in them and bring with them once they at their workplace.
What habits have you been harboring that you would like to change (if it is a bad one)? Nurture more (as long as it is a good one!)? Or even a habit that you would like to acquire (a good one of course!)? Whether it is a habit you want to acquire, nurture more or change – know that you can do it. All you need to do is to decide, focus and O.W.N. it.
So where do you start? Decide. Decide on what habit it is. Decide on what you want to do with it. The important thing is make that decision. Focus. What end result do you want for this habit? What direction do you want to take this? Then have these in mind: O.W.N. it. O – Open-minded. You have to be open-minded when you want to acquire, change or nurture a habit. Be open-minded to the change it will bring in your day-to-day life and in the future. W – Willingness. Any changes in your life will only happen if you are willing. Willing to allow it to happen. Willing it to change you – for the best! N – Nurture. Breed it in you. If it is a bad habit that you want to get rid of then you need to discipline yourself to get rid of it. Nurture that discipline since it paves the way for your improvement as a better person. If it is a good one you already have or want to acquire, then nurture it until it becomes part of you.
Remember, you can do develop or shake of a habit that you have had for years. All it takes is for you to know what you want to do with it and that this is what you want. After all, this is YOU we are talking about.
This Month’s Action Plan:
Want to become better than you are now? Ask these questions:
- How are my current habits?
- How much do effort and commitment do I want to give to change for the better?
- What can I learn from acquiring, dropping or encouraging this habit of mine?
- How do I see myself after accomplishing this?
- Making that decision to change is the first decision you will need to make. How do you feel about this decision? Do you feel you are ready for it?
- Make an inventory of your habits now. Are they helping you or destroying you as a person? If you feel they are doing more of the latter, then you need to start shaking them off from your daily routine and replace them with good ones.
- 21 days. That is how long it takes to form a habit. Give yourself this benchmark when you venture into your habit-forming journey. In those 21 days, remember that continuous practice is the key for that habit to stick and remain embedded in your daily life.