As we head toward mid-February, I am wondering how many of us embraced the concept of habit building that was discussed in HQ Notes at the end of last year?

Let me refresh the thought process:

1.  We are the product of our habits. We all have some good ones. We all have some bad ones. We all have time to fill where the addition of a good habit would increase our footprint in life. We could all gain some time for good habits by eliminating some bad ones.
2.  Habits have a structure. If you understand the structure, you have a better shot at controlling habits. The structure is: there is a cue that triggers the onset of the habit. The cue pushes you toward a routine. There is a reward or result which comes from following the routine
3.  You change bad habits by recognizing the cues which initiate the bad routine. Then, you create a more productive routine to replace the bad routine.
4.  You create good habits by identifying a cue and associating a new, constructive routine to go with the cue.
5.  You can use this habit building method to improve your life individually. You can also use this structure to develop good habits for an organization or team.

When you look at folks you admire for their effectiveness or productivity, chances are they have this habit building under control.

They build habits because they have learned the process works. They have some strong habits that produce good results. They aren’t approaching life randomly. They approach it on purpose.

If you want to be more effective, consider your inventory of habits and make a plan. How about making a move?