Building Habits That Last
Consistency is so important on all levels for small business owners. Being consistent with key business activities helps to close the gap between success and unachieved goals. It’s another way of saying you have to build habits that last.
Taking action is the foundation of staying consistent. And clarity around those actions comes from building a framework. Creating structure around our tasks and responsibilities helps us build those essential habits that can lead us to confidence and success.
We do it in our personal lives every day. Everyone knows that exercising, eating healthy, and getting proper sleep are habits that help us get through the day. The same way we build those habits will work with habits in our businesses.
Here are some ways to create and sustain healthy structure around your business habits:
Scheduling and Time Blocking
Intentionally carving out time in your schedule will help build the habit you use that time for. Get it out of your head and onto the calendar where you can see it. And schedule a realistic amount of time for your key priorities and tasks that you want to build habits around. This is an effective and sound tactic that will prevent the self-sabotage of “running out of time”.
One of my clients wanted to build better habits around responding to and managing their email. So she blocked two chunks of time everyday to look at email - and kept the program closed the rest of the day to head off distractions and interruptions.
Accountability
One of my clients scheduled time for her CEO Hour each week. You probably have activities, such as bookkeeping, marketing, and networking, that you schedule time for each week in your business.
The best way to ensure that you’ll keep that habit in place is by doing it with someone else. That’s how we stay in shape, right? We buddy up for our morning walks, to share healthy recipes, and go to an exercise class. My client wanted to maintain her weekly CEO Hour habit. It helped her get organized and plan her week. So she invited a handful of friends to join in on her habit. When other people are involved, you are less likely to cancel, and the habit is more likely to stick.
Set A Target - Keep Your Eye on the Prize
Another client wanted to grow her network by meeting consistently with other business owners. We set up a target for her to schedule six meetings a month. This kept her focused on the activities necessary to get those calls on her calendar. She was driven to hit that target every month, so she attended networking events, and scheduled time for post-call follow up and social media engagement.
Build in “Streak” Excitement
I’ve had many clients over the years use HabitShare or other Habit tracking apps to track their “streak” on all sorts of different things. If you have used the Duolingo app to learn a language, you know they do this better than others. Joy and celebration come from seeing milestone streaks - 500 days, 750 days, 1000 days! You can create the same type of celebration each time you post a blog or attend a networking meeting.
Rewards
I’ve also had clients who love an indulgent little treat - and will reward themselves for accomplishing certain tasks or goals. In my previous group program, I would ask participants to set a reward for themselves for achieving their chosen milestones. Some loved it, others tolerated it. I did have one repeat participant who LOVED her rewards. She put some serious thought into deciding on the perfect reward for herself. This motivated her to build the habit of executing on her action items consistently each week. She built a strong habit and accomplished many goals. Another client needed to create a fail-safe habit for completing an important piece of her client work every month. She booked herself an off-site location to do that work. Part reward, part scheduling, she built that habit with ease.
Engineer it
Another strategy is to “engineer” necessary tasks to make it easier on you. Years ago when I was working on building a habit around early morning exercise, I started leaving my workout clothes on the floor next to my bed. I barely had to reach my arm out from under the covers to grab them and put them on. Once I was dressed, I was up and ready. On the business side, I had a client that had large, detailed client project plans that needed to be reviewed and updated weekly. She really struggled to be consistent, often putting it off for weeks, and causing many problems from late deliverables to last minute work to confused clients. Just like I kept my exercise clothes nearby, we engineered a solution for her challenge. One of her team members managed the process at a newly scheduled meeting every Monday morning by facilitating the meeting, and updating the status. My client just had to show up and answer questions.
There are a number of ways I can work with clients to create consistency, organize priorities, and move their businesses forward. Schedule a call with me and we can discuss what would work for you and your business.