Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Breaking Bad HabitsAs I write in my new article, “Cleaning Out Your Personal Closet for 2011,” New Year’s goals usually aren’t necessary for entrepreneurs and business owners – they generally spend enough time looking forward as it is. Sometimes, however, they don’t spend enough time looking backward – which is why I think going back over your bad business habits and resolving to break them in 2011 can be an excellent plan. I already discussed how to identify them – now, in this post, I’d like to talk about how to break them. First, it’s hard to take on all your bad habits at once. That can be exhausting – habits are basically reflexes that occur automatically in certain situations. Undoing that kind of default behavior takes some effort. So start by focusing on one habit at a time. Devote at least a month to trying to break one of them before you move on to the next. Another good device is using a “trigger” to stop a habit in its tracks. For example, if you were trying to quit smoking, you might snap your fingers every time you felt the urge for a cigarette – that helps you be conscious of the urge and deal with it. Or, if you have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, you might force yourself to jump out of bed the moment you heard the alarm go off. Finally, if what you’re doing to break a habit causes you more pain than joy, it probably won’t end up sticking. Don’t do what you hate; try to substitute other behaviors you either like or can easily live with. There are always alternatives, and you shouldn’t be afraid to experiment. What’s important is finding what works for you personally. “Independent Executive” Chuck Boyce is an expert small business coach who can help you get the most out of your business. For more information on how you achieve your business goals, go to www.breakingfreeblog.com. Leave a Reply |
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