Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Bad Habits
There is a sign on my desk that says, “Let go of those things that no longer serve you.” It caught my attention today because I started doing a task - and resenting it - out of sheer habit. The key here is the brain interrupt of “resentment.” Resenting the task irritated me enough to question its validity.
Do any of these sound familiar? You:
1. Have trouble returning phone calls on time.
2. Are late for meetings and appointments.
3. Lack clarity about expected outcomes, monthly targets, goals, etc.
4. Avoid paperwork.
5. Take work home with you.
These are just a few of the bad habits that can creep into your daily work life.
A habit is something you do so often it becomes easy; a behavior you keep repeating. Up to 90% of your normal behavior is based on habits. The good news is bad habits can be broken.
This morning I suckered myself into thinking the task on my To Do List - “write the daily recap report” - was important. Actually, it is not. The report was created 2 years ago to help another employee do their job. That employee no longer works here so the report is worthless. What a waste of my time.
3 Steps to Change Bad Habits into Good Habits
Step 1: Be conscious of the habits not working for you.
Step 2: Identify the New Habit you want in your life.
Step 3: Create and implement an Action Plan for the new habit.
For more tips on changing bad habits check out the book, ‘The 78 Biggest Mistakes New Managers Make - What You Need to Know to Avoid Career Suicide’ at: http://78ManagerMistakes.com
Until next time...Lead like you mean it!
Marjorie