How To Become More Productive With Better Habits

“I will form good habits and become their slave. And how will I accomplish this difficult feat? Through these scrolls it will be done, for each scroll contains a principle which will drive a bad habit from my life and replace it with one which will bring me closer to success.” Og Mandino

Sometimes what you are doing is automatic and part of your daily routine. But, is it productive? I’m talking about your habits. We tend to create patterns at work that we don’t even notice that it’s affecting our environment. If you are struggling to get things done or even feel hesitant to participate in new projects, you might have a couple of habits that need replacing.

I had a couple of bad habits at work, and one of them was to over plan. I would plan my calls, my visits, my week, my days to perfection. But, then I would realize how much time I wasted preparing. I couldn’t keep it simple; I had to overthink (another bad habit) and over plan. I did manage to overcome those two habits, and I replaced them with practices that shorten my time and be able to be more productive.

Below I will share with you what I did and how I did it. In addition to those two lousy workplace habits, I came up with a couple more that might be giving you problems at work.

Bad Workplace Habits

• Excessive Organizing
• Overplanning
• Resisting Change
• Gossiping
• Procrastinating 
• Overthinking
• Tardiness

The key to changing a bad habit is to be aware that you have an ingrained habit that is unwanted and destructive. Once you pinpoint a problem, you are ready to tackle the problem. Then you can implement the steps below to help you overcome one habit at a time.

Acknowledge- Identify the habit that needs replacement, for example, you are a habitual latecomer, identify that you are always running late and ask yourself, what can I do differently to start being on time? Make a list of what you need to do.

Decide- Next you need to decide to start incorporating your new habits. For instance, I will leave the house 15 minutes earlier, or I will make sure to be on time from lunch every day. Once you decide, then it’s time to take action.

Replace- Once you decide now it’s time to take action. Replace leaving the house at your usual time and leave 15 minutes earlier every day.

Visualize- Take the time to do a practice run in your mind the night before. It might mean to change a couple more habits at home, like going to bed earlier. But, by picturing it in your mind's eye first, you will find it easier to accomplish.

You can incorporate this exercise with any of your bad habits, the goal is not to get rid of your bad habit, but by replacing it with a new habit. Become a master of taking control of your life and surroundings.

For the changes to have a significant impact on your life and at work, you must be committed to being disciplined in changing and practicing the new habit to get the best results.

In summary, it is no easy task to replace a bad habit, but with awareness, discipline, and desire you can do this. For a transformational Career Coaching Call, contact me today.

Until Next Week,
Coach Barb
Certified Career Coach

Do you find it difficult to replace a bad habit with a good habit?