Habits are the building blocks of consciousness.
Habits shape every area of our life. It is important to realize we are not our habits and that new habits can be designed to support your ideal life.
In my recent posts I have been sharing my learning from a year long mentoring type course I did with Dr Fred Grosse. This post is a part of that learning with my own spin on it .
I have recently completed a 6 week course with Ray Higdon. If you are not familiar with Ray he is the number one earner in his Network Marketing company and came from being in foreclosure 3 years ago to achieving amazing results.
If you have been on Ray’s blog or seen him online you probably know he talks about his Daily Method of Operation, which are the habits that have taken him from foreclosure to where he is today. In the last week of the course Ray quoted a very successful guy as saying “your why is not enough to make you successful, your daily method of operation is what makes you successful”.
I get that distinction. For those of us who are in, or ever been in, a network marketing company you will know it if normally said that you must have a strong why for doing the business. It is often said to be “your why” what will make you succeed.
I, for one, can tell you that my strong why has not resulted in success for me is some past companies. I can have a strong why and still do nothing much. That distinction really resonated with me.
So back to habits.
Most of our habits come from our early programming and are not necessarily what support us in our life as entrepreneurs.
In the Dr Fred Grosse course we went through an exercise to design habits that supported our ideal life. I thought you may find this helpful. So we listed habits in the following categories:
1. Habits that shape our daily life – Examples of this is our eating habits, exercise habits, work habits.
2. Habits that are either for us or against us –
- Examples of “for us” would be exercise and being organised in our work.
- Against us would be procrastinating and working too much on “busy work”.
3. Conflicting habits – could be eating healthily and then getting drunk every night, or doing a heap of marketing and then not following up leads.
4. Then we were asked to list the habits we needed to create to support our personal goals. Examples could include health, fitness, family and self development.
5. Next we were asked to create a list of habits to support professional goals. This list could include your content creation, syndication, marketing follow up and all the things we need to do to have success in our businesses.
6. Dr Fred is a firm believer in rewarding ourselves for achievement so we had to nominate a reward for ourselves each weekend if we stayed with the habits we nominated to do.
7. On the other side we had to nominate “consequences” for non action. This was basically to be a “non-reward” program to prevent us sabotaging ourselves.
8. We also had to list the things that we were likely to create to sabotage our success. This could be rather than sticking to our designed habits we got caught up in someone else’s agenda., spend the day chatting on Facebook, work drama and so on.
If you feel like you need to add some habits to your daily schedule give this list a go. Design the activities into a plan that works for you. For example Ray Higdon gets up early and blogs each day. Some people do not function well in the morning and are better off creating at night. You know what works for you.
So do you currently have Habits to Support Your Ideal Life? Please leave me a comment below and let me know what works for you.
If you found this post valuable please share it with your friends.
Sue Price
Skype: sueprice
Click here to work with me personally
PS
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Sylviane Nuccio says
Hi Sue,
I love this post, because as you know that right up my alley.
Over the past 6 years I’ve read several books that where highlighting the importance of habits alone. I see people carrying one their bad habits day after day and they don’t give it a second thought.
For example, you see that obese person drinking her/his daily Coke and you feel sorry for them, because you know that such seemingly small habit is part of their BIG problem. This goes for everything in life. A good or a bad daily habit can make a HUGE difference, can’t it?
Thanks for this great post, Sue 🙂
Sue Price says
Hi Sylviane
I am like you have read a lot on it and really get how important habits are to our life.
Oh yes the way people eat when they are overweight always astounds me. So many people live their days and therefore their lives unconsciously. I am so glad I was introduced to personal development as I am sure you are Sylviane.
Yes I agree a good or bad habit can make a huge difference – definitely.
Thanks for your comment and have a good rest of your week.
Sue
Sapna says
Hi Sue
I have started working on building on my habits now, which I developed gradually, like walking for 30 minutes to now 45 minutes. Reading 1 hr to 1 hr and 20 min and so on and so forth.
Nice information, I always want to learn from other, from their positives infact.
Thanks
Sapna
Sue Price says
Hi Sapna
Thanks for visiting my blog and for commenting, I appreciate it.
Good on you adding such good habits. Both walking and reading are such good things to do. I also do both.
Have a good week
Sue
Adrienne says
You are so right Sue and I totally agree with this.
A few years ago when I was doing some work online I started shooting lots of videos. I was getting great results and had at least two people calling me every single day. I was even featured on one of the webinars for Diane Hochman because I was getting the results this program was teaching us and it was by doing the daily activities that were getting you out there in front of people.
Everyone would ask me what I was doing and I told them that I write down five things I should be doing each and every day and I do them religiously. Guess what! They get results because you have to put yourself out there in order for people to find you. The more you get out there the more people will see you and then the more attention you will get.
Daily habits can either be good for you or bad so be sure you chose the right ones.
Great tips Sue, thank you so much.
~Adrienne
Sue Price says
Hi Adrienne
Good on you for doing the videos and getting those results. It is something I have talked about since I have been online. Time for me to do! I used to do a video with every post then sorta got out of the habit – there you go – time to get the habit back.
Now Adrienne I keep hearing about the 5 things you do every day and I would love to know what they are. I was going to ask you on our hangout but time just got away – oh and that is a habit I will break – typing on a hangout. Gee girl you were just about wetting your pants laughing.
On a serious note I really believe our habits are so important.
Thanks for your comment here Adrienne as always I appreciate you.
Have a good rest of your week.
Sue
Adrienne says
Hey Sue,
I have fallen down on doing more videos this year myself Sue. That was when I first started doing them and I was cranking them out. I actually had more done then I do now but YouTube changed their policy along the way so I deleted a bunch before they deleted my account. Glad I did that.
Look at it this way. What activities do you do each day that get you results? Those are the activities you need to be doing on a daily basis. Remember that consistency thing we were talking about last night? Well, be consistent with those activities. Mine might be different then yours but you have to find those that work for you.
I’m glad we got you chuckling Sue because you’re going to have a few rough days a head of you now. I’ve already said some prayers this morning for you Mom.
Take care and you’ll remain in my thoughts and prayers.
~Adrienne
Sue Price says
Hi Adrienne
I would love to have seen some of your first videos. 🙂
Okay thanks for the clarification on the 5 things. I thought you were referring to five specific things. Oh yes consistency is important. I feel like I have not been that this year but there have been so much “life in the way” for me. I know it happens to everyone.
Yes it was a good laugh and I felt much lighter. I will let you guys now how she is going when I have seen her. Thanks for the prayers.
Thanks for your friendship Adrienne
Sue
Carol Lynn says
This is a nice, easy outline to follow. I think one of the reasons that plans like this are so successful (at helping us be successful) is that they’re easy for us to understand and do. There is no long theoretical explanation, just some practical things we can do right now. Sometimes when I read blog posts they are really good explanations but they don’t help me figure out what to do next. I like this idea where you have steps to take.
And developing good habits is a good step to take! I know I could think of a few that need to be on my list 🙂
Sue Price says
Hi Carol
Thanks for the feedback on the post. I too like something I can follow and like you often read a post which has not “what next” or what to do.
I am working on my DMO right now. I can be really good at doing the things I need to do and then I can easily get off track again.
Thanks for your comment Carol.
Sue
Donna Merrill says
Hi Sue,
These are great habits to follow. I must say I did chuckle at the illustration of the “conflicting habits.”
Our DMO is important because it helps us be consistent. When we are scattered and not consistent in our tasks, things get jumbled up and all over the place. My own personality is one that needs so much discipline. I’m like a feather in the wind.
But to be successful, I need to write down things each day and do them. I have my appointment book to schedule tasks and also consultations. Heck, I even put down “visit mom” there sometimes!
It is my holy grail. Without it, I would be in BIG TROUBLE! So my habit is following my book.
Thanks for the great article,
Donna
Sue Price says
Hi Donna
Now was it the eating healthy and getting drunk one that made you chuckle? 🙂
I am like you if I do not have a routine to follow I am all over the place.
I think it is great to have “visit mom” in there as without it there you may never do it. I now put all my personal things I need to do in mine too. I do it all online these days but then I print it off.
When I worked as a CPA and later as a Financial Planner I used to have my day jammed with appointments. It was easy they were all in my diary and I just did the day. When I started working from home without that I jumped from task to task. Oh and many things were unfinished.
Thanks for commenting here Donna. Appreciate you!
Sue
Carol Minarcik says
OH MY….habits ….that sure is a GREAT subject. I think we all have some sort of BAD habits that we practice, if not we would all be perfect and that is just not reality. I found great value in this post as it sure made me think abit on what habits I need to personally change for the upcoming year. Habits that will make me a better person and a better networker. Thanks so much Sue….
Sue Price says
Hi Carol
It is a good time of the year to reflect on our habits for sure. Oh and yes I am sure we do all have some bad habits and maybe some that are not so bad but do not support our goals.
Thanks for your comment Carol
Sue
Barbara Charles says
hi Sue. I know I need to develop better habits that will allow me to grow myself and my business. I recently just started focusing on developing good business habits and looking for the tools to help me create those good habits. I’m hoping that this will help me in the next few months for continuity in my personal growth as well as my business. I use my phone to help me stay on track with my good habits. The bad….well…I’m working on those too! 🙂
Ttyl,
Barbara
Sue Price says
Hi Barbara
I Know you are looking at how you do things in your business. It is something I think we all need to do if want to change our results. I know 2013 is going to be different for me.
Weird thing though doing this post I decided to write down and plan my daily method of operation. I was excited to start a few new things and then whack Mom had her fall etc. So as you know I am off to the other side of Australia. That is okay though as when I am back I will be razor focused on the things I need to do to get results.
Thanks for dropping by and for your comment Barbara.
Sue
Viola Tam says
Hi Sue,
Fascinated blog content! Thank you so much for sharing your insights and Dr. Grosse’ teachings. By implementing the points that you have shared, it is impossible not to be successful in life.
I agree with you that just a ‘big why’ is not enough. We need to strategically focus on building empowering habits AND discarding disempowering habits. Ray is a great leader. I find the Daily Method of Operation helpful. Using a point system and recording what we actually do can put our efforts under scrutiny. Numbers do not lie.
To stick long enough for a new habit to be formed, we need awareness. The role of a mentor is important. An accountability partner can help too. However, ultimately, it is the SELF that matters the most.
Thanks, Sue!
Viola Tam
Sue Price says
hi Viola
Firstly apologies for my delay in responding to your comment. I am in Perth as my mother has been very ill and I have not been online.
I like your idea of a point system as you are so correct the “numbers do not lie”. I am currently refining my DMO but of course it went out the window when my Mum went into hospital last week. I think then we get to know what is really important.
Oh yes and thanks for the great point that we need to stick at something long enough for it to become a habit. I agree with you that while support systems and mentors are wonderful at the end it is up to us.
Thanks for a great comment Viola.
Sue
Patricia Gozlan says
Good habits are the path to excellence…
Thank you for this post because it reminds me that all of us can achieve their dreams if we are disciplined.
I’s not about forcing ourselves it’s about taking one step at the time focusing on the big picture, the benefits we’ ll get when we master this new habit.
In the new year resolutions I will take notes of 2 new habits per month and measure my results. Yeah!
Thank you, Sue
Sue Price says
hi Patricia
Firstly apologies for my delay in responding to your comment. I am on the other side of Australia as my mother has been very ill and I have not been online.
Yes we definitely need discipline. I agree it is about one step at a time toward the big picture. I think when we come online it can be so overwhelming that we try to do too much at once.
Good on you for your new years resolution of taking on the mastering of 2 new habits per month. I think that is awesome.
Thanks for your comment Patricia
Sue
Jolie Wood says
I can’t seem to make daily exercise a habit and it’s driving me crazy! Frankly, I don’t enjoy it (okay, i hate it!) even though I know it’s good for me. The weather’s getting chilly where I live (it snowed today) and well, it makes it hard to get there and take a walk or jog, which I do relatively often during warmer months. I was thinking of getting an exercise machine but since I hate exercise, I wonder if it’s a waste of money. Desperate measures are approaching, I’m afraid – meaning, I might need a workout coach to force me to exericise!
Sue Price says
Hi Jolie
At least you are being honest with yourself about your dislike of exercise. I happen to love it 🙂 At the moment I am on the other side of Australia to where I live visiting sick parents. I have been out of my routine and not exerciser and I miss it.
I think you should consider a workout coach. I know heaps of people like you who do not like exercise but when they have a trainer they do it. I would not be going out in that cold weather either. Where I live it is sub tropics so never too cold. We do have heavy rain at times though and then I go the gym.
Thanks for sharing here Jolie.
Sue
Raena Lynn says
Hi Sue,
I’m liking Dr. Fred Grosse more and more! I LOVE this post. I have a very strong “WHY” too and it is true that it isn’t good enough to reach your goals and become successful. You have to establish daily tasks to reach your goals and you have to be consistent. I have daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual, and a life map! It may be overkill, but I found that if I have a daily and a weekly list, then I can cross reference to see if I really accomplished what I needed to do for a week. The same thing is true as you climb the time ladder. I’ve always been extremely goal oriented..it’s either in my DNA, or I established good habits when I was younger…which is more likely. I’m not as consistent as I want to be but I’m always working on it. I’ve improved greatly on staying on task, and I am seeing monetary gain from my efforts. Money was not coming in last year and I know why. I didn’t have a great task plan. Now, with a plan, if I mess up or life happens, I start fresh and keep going. It is great to have tasks and goals written down as a reference. Keeping track makes you feel good about what you have accomplished. As an entrepreneur, good habits and discipline is essential…no boss to tell you what to do!
I participated in The Ultimate Game of Life last year…wow time flies…and it was set up so each participant had daily tasks which lead to our major goals we set to reach at the end of the program. Completing daily tasks led to celebrating daily wins, every day for 90 days. My understanding is that it takes 30 days to establish a good habit and I believe it because I am still following some of the good ones I learned since last year. The same goes for breaking bad habits. It takes a full 30 to do it. No giving up, or you are back to where you started…doesn’t matter which one you choose.
I love this quote, “Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day, while failure is simply a few errors in judgement repeated every day. It is the accumulative weight of our disciplines and our judgements that leads us to either fortune or failure.~Jim Rohn
Thanks for the post. It’s a keeper!
Raena Lynn
P.S. I had the pleasure of meeting Ray Higdon at Live The Dream a couple of months ago. He is a genuine, master marketer (especially blogging), and and all around really nice guy!
Sue Price says
Hi Raena
Wow I think this has to be the comment of the year 🙂 – thank you!
I am sure you would love Dr Fred if you ever get to meet him. He is an amazing man. Wow you sure have your plans, actions broken down. Daily, weekly , monthly etc – good on you. It is great you have such good habits. I used to have before I came online but somehow they vanished and I got lost in bright shiny objects. I am focusing now though.
The Ultimate Game of Life sounds awesome. I have not heard of it before. I too have heard the 30 day time limit for establishing a habit and I would assume yes the same for breaking bad habits. Although when my husband stopped smoking many years ago he was still looking for cigarettes for about a year! I guess that is different as it is a drug really.
I love that Jim Rohn quote. He was such a great man and had so many wonderful sayings. We did a couple of small events with him many years ago and then my husband did a 3 day one. It really changed his life.
I am sure Ray is a great guy. I look forward to when I meet him. I have just finished his Power Mind course. It is really awesome. Great you met him. You have certainly been to your share of live events this year Raena. Good on you!
Thanks for your wonderful comment.
Sue
Lexi says
Lord knows my working habits are eating a large chunk of my time away from my family. This post inspired me to do better and learn how to manage my time equally for family and for work.
Sue Price says
Hi Lexi
I think getting that balance right is one of the challenges of life. I have always worked too much and need to keep myself in check. Good luck with re-balancing your time.
Thanks for your comment.
Sue
Mary Stephenson says
Hi Sue
Great information. I have had to rethink what is important and it has been a bit of an up and down situation for the past few months. When I think I have got it all set something changes the situation. So I shall go with the flow for now.
Since I am not sure what I should do, I have narrowed it down to what I should not waste my time on at this moment. It becomes a choice by deduction. Probably doesn’t matter how I achieve focus, just as long as I do. Wasting time on the wrong things can be a big stumbling block and you can get so caught up in it before you realize it is all in vain.
Try to pick something each day that moves me forward, so if the steps seem small at least they are going in the right direction. At the end of the day at least you feel like you have not wasted the whole day.
Mary
Mary
Sue Price says
Hi Mary
Thanks for your comment. Change is inevitable and I see your website is about that 🙂 I had my habits totally thrown last week with the illness of my mother. Then of course we need to go with the flow.
For me as long as the days when I can plan I am doing activities to move me towards my goals I am happy. As long as we are conscious of what we are doing. When I first came online I really got lost and wasted hours doing totally non-productive things.
Have a great week Mary and thanks for your comment.
Sue
Justin says
Hi Sue,
Habits are a key proponent to success. I went vegetarian back in May of this year and I ended up losing about 10 pounds because of it. I wasn’t intending to lose weight but it was just one of the many benefits of going vegetarian.
I recently began working on becoming an early riser. Today I was up around 5:30 am which is quite early for me. I do the results that positive habits make in our lives.
Take Care.
Sue Price says
Hi Justin
I agree with you on the importance of habits.
I was a vegetarian for much of my life but then added a little meat some years back because I was very low in iron. As a child I just preferred not to eat meat. Good on you losing that much weight – well I am assuming you were not super thin already because then it would not be good would it?
I too have trained myself to rise early. Now I do it pretty easily in summer but not so in winter. Right now in Australia it is summer and it is light very early.
Thanks for your comment Justin
Sue
richa says
Habits help us to shape our daily lives. I am thinking from days to add workout to my schedule, but still being lazy about it. Also I want to dedicate more time to reading. There is so much I can do to manage my daily routine. This post was inspirational. Thanks for the share, Sue.
Sue Price says
Hi Richa
Thanks for your comment. I do workout most days. I actually enjoy it so I am lucky. Every now and then I get lazy too but mostly I do it. I too need to dedicate more time to reading.
Have a great rest of your week.
Sue
Julia Spencer says
I do believe that everyone of us has bad habits as well as good ones, but perhaps not everyone of us pays attention on them and understands their existence in our lives. The problem is that not all of us can really leave some bas habits
Julia Spencer’s recent post.. Amazing Showcase of HTML5 Facebook Templates for Any Purposes
Sue Price says
Hi Julia
I agree we all have good and bad habits and as you say we need to be aware of them. I agree it is difficult to leave bad habits behind but I do believe it is possible.
Thanks for your comment
Sue
Life Insurance Vancouver says
It is indispensable that we assess our habits from time to time and ensure that our habits are in line with the life that we aspire to have. Habits have a huge impact to our character and personality.
Sue Price says
Thanks for your comment. Yes assessing our habits is very important if we want to have a different result in our life in any area. I think this time of year is a good time to do it.
All the best for 2013
Sue
web design santa barbara says
If we aim for something we should not only create an action plan to achieve our goal, we should also do some examination in our habits to see whether our habits is in line with what we want to achieve in the future.
Sue Price says
I agree with you totally. Having goals without an action plan and habits to support our goals will not see us achieve them.
Thanks for your comment.
Sue