4 Keys to Building Consistent Habits for Growth & Success
Growth comes from action, and focused action is based on two things: effective planning and consistent habits. These two skills might seem like they are two different things, but they’re actually very closely intertwined.
Building strong habits isn’t something that comes from simply wanting to have them, though – it comes from intentional effort and accountability. Of course, we all want to put in that effort and have the accountability, but those are the two things that tend to slip through the cracks when our schedules become hectic.
Ironically, that’s when we need strong, growth-based habits the most. That’s why it’s essential to get intentional about building them!
#1. Your Time is Precious
As much as we might wish for unlimited time, we all get the same amount: 24 hours in a day. The main difference between high performers and everyone else is how they use their time – in other words, the habits they build.
They don’t develop these habits because they’re super disciplined; rather, they discipline themselves to develop these habits because they value their time. They know that their time is a finite resource and that if they want to achieve huge goals and make a difference, they have to make the most of it.
Take a few minutes to answer the following questions:
- What are your main goals for the upcoming year?
- What is standing in your way of achieving those goals (i.e., what needs to change to allow you to get to the next level)?
- What are some key steps you can take (habits you can form) to help you get there?
Your answers will help you prioritize which actions to focus on and which habits to start to build!
#2. Getting Intentional About Your Habits
Every habit you have comes from one of two places: intentional or unintentional choices.
If you are in the habit of running every morning or working out every afternoon, chances are good that you took intentional steps to build that habit. It was probably tough at first, but within a few weeks, it started to feel good and became part of your regular routine.
However, if you’re in the habit of sleeping late or playing on social media, that probably came from a series of unintentional choices. Hitting that snooze button felt good, and “I’ll just pop over to Facebook for a moment to chill” became 30 minutes of mindless scrolling.
That 30 minutes each day might not seem like much…but that’s 15 hours per month. 180 hours per year.
Imagine what you could do with that time!
All it takes to get started is some intentional action. It might not feel good at first, but the results will amaze you!
#3. Tracking Your New Habits
You’ve taken the steps of identifying which habits will help you reach your goals and getting intentional about starting to build them. Great work!
There’s another component to consider, though: consistency. If you Google “how to develop consistent habits,” every single article that pops up will tell you that consistency is key. (Yes, we checked.)
Again, however, consistency doesn’t magically appear because you want to be consistent. It comes through intentional focus! This is where tracking and evaluating your habits comes in. Setting time aside to track your habits can be a huge benefit – not only will it let you celebrate wins along the way, it will also help you make small tweaks and pivots if you notice that you’re getting off track!
I am such a firm believer in this that I asked my team to design and produce customized habit trackers that we mailed out to our clients earlier this month. Each habit tracker includes enough pages to last a year, and we even designed custom gold star stickers to celebrate with each week. (After all, who doesn’t like getting a gold star?)
You can use a habit tracker pad, a notebook, an app, or anything else you like to track your habits – but becoming intentional about doing so is a key part of the process!
#4. Developing Accountability
As much as I like to plan, there are still times that things go sideways and my schedule gets hectic. I have systems in place to help mitigate this, but life happens – and when it does, I’m glad to have accountability structures in place to help me stay intentional about my habits.
I encourage you to do the same.
This is where a coach can be incredibly helpful. We actually have a dedicated Accountability Coach that works with every Coaching client for this very reason! She meets with each client twice per month (in addition to their Specialty Coach) and helps to keep them accountable to achieving their habits and goals. She’s also integral in celebrating their wins!
Whether you hire a Coach or find an accountability partner, be intentional about allowing yourself to be accountable while you’re developing strong habits. You’ll find that it makes all the difference!
Overall, building consistent habits takes effort, but the growth and success that results is incredibly worth it!!