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Even
the most motivated people can get stuck, frustrated, and lose hope
during the process of behavioral change. Why can't you force yourself to
go to the gym before work? Or get high-priority tasks done before
checking email? We become so fixated on specific tactics that we lose
sight of the fact that many methods could lead to achieving their larger
strategic goals.
Yes,
habit change takes discipline, patience, and practice. But no, it
shouldn't feel like you're constantly trying to force yourself to do
something you really don't want to do. That's unsustainable. To
make new habits stick, they must work with the reality of who you are
and what's best for you.
To identify tactics that will actually work for you and keep your focus on your big objectives, start by determining where you're stuck.
Identify a few areas where you've seen little-to-no behavioral change
despite your best efforts—for example, blocking out whole days for big
projects or going to the gym first thing in the morning. Then zoom out
to determine your real goal. Why was this activity important to you in
the first place? Maybe you want to feel like you're finishing priority
tasks, or have a healthier, more physically active life.
Now brainstorm other tactics you could use to achieve those goals.
If you've never managed to block out an entire day for your major
projects, try finding two half-days instead. If you hate the gym or
aren't a morning person, don't expect yourself to go there first thing
in the morning! Instead, consider options like a bike ride after work or
exercises you can do at home before bed. Identify activities that align
with your natural tendencies.
You may need to try out a few different tactics until you discover when you can be most consistently effective. Test one of your hypotheses each week.
For instance, you could try going for a bike ride after work for one
week, and then the next week see if you can do exercises at home before
bed. Observe what seems to fit most naturally with your schedule and
motivation levels. Arrange your schedule in different ways and see what
produces the best results. Once you've identified that sweet spot, guard
that time from meetings and other activities.
If
you need accountability, get it. Top performers embrace this reality
and surround themselves with strong teammates and assertive assistants.
They know that these individuals will help shore up any weaknesses and
allow them to fully use their strengths. There's no shame in surrounding
yourself with people who will check in on you and ask you about the
status of key projects or goals, whether that means hiring a good
project manager or a motivated personal trainer.
But
if there are tasks that you really struggle to do, delegate them or
outsource them. It's better to not spend willpower energy forcing
yourself to do what other people can do for you. Save that effort for
activities you can't transfer to anyone else. Make a list of activities
that you tend to fall behind on, such as filing expense reports, setting
up meetings, or updating tracking documents. Then, see if you can find
someone within your organization, an outside contractor, or a technology
tool that could take these items off your list. If necessary, clear
this strategy with your boss before proceeding. When it comes to chores
like errands, you can do everything from ordering groceries to having
shampoo delivered automatically online from Amazon. You can also hire assistant to do activities from organizing an event to picking up dry cleaning through companies like TaskRabbit or Fancy Hands.
By
staying focused on the goal and experimenting with tactics, I've seen
people who have never kept routines start to exercise consistently, make
progress on priority projects, get on top of e-mail, and accomplish all
sorts of other goals. Keep these principles in mind, and you can—and
will—achieve lasting behavioral change.
Want to see your work on 9jacruz? Email Kunlexyjoseph@gmail.com.
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