Our Habits Determine Our Success

People by their very nature are creatures of habits. We all have heard this and fundamentally know it to be true. However, have you ever really truly taken the time to ponder this idea. At its core, this idea states that all the success we want can be attained if we adopt the proper habits.

Is life really this simple? Could something as basic as habits create all the outcomes we desire? In a word, 'yes'. Anything you want to attain is a matter of only determining what habitual activities are necessary for its attainment. Once that is completed, repetition is added by doing the tasks over and over until it becomes a habit. This is the ultimate model for success.

I will use Ernest Hemingway as an example. Here was a man who is noted as one of the most successful writers in the 20th century. His works have been read by millions worldwide. He had a writing style that was unique which accounted for a large portion of his success. However, nothing would be achieved unless he sat down and wrote.

When Hemingway was working on a book, he was in the habit of writing. His routine was to start about 8 am after he ate his breakfast and write until 2 in the afternoon. He did this everyday. There was not a thought as to what he was doing the next day or at what time. From 8-2 he wrote. During that time he was able to produce between 500-700 words (this was before computers). This daily habit enabled him to complete works which were between 90,000-150,000 words.

Take the Olympic athlete as an example. This is a person who works at his/her craft everyday, 7 days a week. He or she is in the habit of getting into the gym or pool and practicing. It is not something that is questioned or thought about. The habit of getting up and working out is ingrained. The odds are great that there is little thought required. Working out is a habit.

The flip side is all the poor habits we have which prevent us from reaching our goals. How many people habitually turn the television on when they get home from work. They prefer to 'lose' themselves in sitcoms. This might not be an effective option if one is seeking to advance his or her career.

Exercising follows the same pattern. One who flops on the sofa drinking a few beers will not attain advanced health. It is only by developing the habit of exercise and proper eating will one lose weight. Yet most fail because of their habits.

As you can see, the idea is to get the mind thinking as little as possible. Given an opportunity, the mind will create many reasons for not doing something productive. Developing a habit is what allows us to bypass this. We suddenly realize that we are working out without thinking about it. The conscious thought arises after we are already at the gym. This is where our success becomes automatic.

Most people are on autopilot to failure. They habitually do the things that create adverse results in their life. Without thinking, they spend hours in front of the television. Nutritionally empty foods that are high in fat are consumed without regard for the long term effects. Relationships are sabotaged because of a lack of emotional mastery which results in things being said that are later regretted. Laziness is allowed to creep into all aspects of life unnoticed. In short, our habits are our enemy.

Begin today by looking at some of your habits. What are the things that you do which hurt you? Make a list and begin to replace them with empowering activities. Focus on them for a few weeks and you will see how they become a habit. Only then will you know what it is like to be on autopilot towards success.
Share and Enjoy!

Our Habits Determine Our Success

The successful have better habits than those who fail to achieve what they truly desire. Much of life is spent on autopilot with each day being a repeat of the one that preceded it. A great deal of time is spent doing the repetitive acts that requires little thought. Thus, anything that we achieve is because we are conditioned to act in a particular manner.

Have you ever considered how you brush your teeth? Few ever think about how they go about completing this task. However, we all have a routine that we go through to complete this action. Some of us put the brush under water, then put toothpaste on, and finally start brushing. Others will put the brush under water a second time. And, some will just put the toothpaste on the brush without water and begin the process. Regardless of how it is done, we do not think about how we accomplish this activity. It is at the subconscious level.

This is a simplistic example used to show how the concept operates in our life. The bottom line is a true life change will only occur when you change your habits. There are certain actions you undertake which are preventing your success. At the same time, there are other habits which will lead to our desired results. It is important to identify both.

Let us look at the weight loss example we used a few days ago. Going to the extreme, it is safe to say that an Olympic athlete has a different set of habits than a couch potato. These people are conditioned to work out. A day ceases to pass without them engaging in their training. Contrast this with the couch potato. His or her habits are drastically different. Instead of exercising, the habit here is to turn on the television when getting home from work and eating food high in fat content. People who do this often do so without much conscious thought.

Each person's habits brings about results. For the Olympic athlete, the outcome is incredible physical conditioning. At the same time, the couch potato achieves the state of obesity and poor health. A changing of the habits would alter each one's outcome.

How does all this apply to you? We mentioned in another article the importance of creating an action list to achieve our goals. When we go through this process, we are first operating at the conscious level. It takes mental thought to drive ourselves to act. The conditioning is not present at this initial stage. We need to develop the habit which will make our success a guarantee.

For something to become a habit, we need to engage in that activity each day. Repetition is what drives an activity to a subconscious level. Years ago, you had to think about a lot of tasks when learning to drive. Now, you can get from your home to your place of employment without even thinking about the trip at all. It is something that is completely at the subconscious level.

Success habits operate the same way. The action becomes a habit if we do it each day. It is estimated that the time is roughly three weeks. After that time period, you will be conditioned to take the action. Doing something different will require another conscious thought at the time. Here, we are in the habit of succeeding while having to actually think in order to fail. This is a magical state to achieve.

Success is not a mystery. Those who achieved the greatest of heights did so because of certain habits. Look at your life to uncover those actions you subconsciously take which hinder your success. Reverse the trend by identifying and implementing activities that move you forward. You will quickly realize the power that is contained within this simple concept.
Share and Enjoy!