Don't Set Goals

"Habits, Not Goals: The Secret to Success!" Welcome to our latest blog post, where we dive into the world of habits and how they can predict your success. We all have aspirations and goals we want to reach, but it's often our habits that determine if we'll get there or not.

Think about it, both the gold medalist and the 10th place finisher had the same goal, but their habits were different. This is why focusing on habits rather than goals can lead to success. Goals are just the end result, while habits are the day-to-day actions that get us there.

Habits can predict success. Let's say, you win $1 million dollars if you guess this question correct? Which student do you think is most likely to become a doctor?

Student A is an early bird and wakes up at 7am every day, always making their bed, never late to work and has never called in, eats at home and packs their lunch, saves $100 a month and enjoys outdoor activities.

Student B on the other hand wakes up at 9 am, rarely makes their bed, frequently shows up late and calls into work, eats out frequently, lives paycheck to paycheck and spends their free time playing candy crush and swiping social media.

And we're only talking about their habits. We're not talking about their intelligence, upbringing, ambition or study habits, but we can make an educated guess that Student A is more disciplined, consistent, can delay gratification and is more likely to become a doctor by just observing their habits.

But what do we mean by habits? Habits are the little steps you take every day to reach your goals. It's not about having one massive success, but rather small consistent actions that lead to big results. Want to be a doctor? Start by studying every day not one awesome study session.

Habits are also superior to motivation because they form the foundation of your lifestyle, whereas motivation can come and go. However, developing good habits can be difficult, especially when we want instant gratification.

How do we develop good habits?

Change your perception. Focus on the person you want to become instead of the results that you want. When you diet, the goal isn't to lose weight, it's to look good in that little black dress, become energetic and gain confidence. Associate exercise with getting health and well being, not fatigue and pain.

Mindfulness #1. Be conscious of your unconscious. Is it hunger, or is it cravings and boredom? The majority of the time it's boredom and cravings that drive you to eat, not hunger. It's actually the anticipation of eating that excites you, not the actual act of eating. This is because our dopamine system. It's the same hormone that spikes when you gamble. People actually like the anticipation of gambling more than they do winning. That's why they continue to bet even after they're up big.

Mindfulness #2. We choose the phrase "If you're full, stop eating" over "if you're hungry, drink water to make yourself full." This is more mentally healthy and prevents negative thinking that it is bad to eat. Eating should be encouraged in moderation and with healthy choices. Eating in excess should NOT be condemned or scolded, rather one should be mindful if they are full and no longer need to eat. Please don't fall into the trap that it is "ok" to not eat. This can be a dangerous and slippery slope.

Environment. Keep the healthy food in easy to reach and visible places in the kitchen, and unhealthy food out of sight. We recommend that this start at the grocery store, buy yourself one sweet and one salty treat for the week. It can be a bag of chips or little Debbie snacks. Keep them hidden because you will need to ration them throughout the week. Also, you can set the ingredients for a healthy meal on the counter for when you wake up or return from work. This way, when the time comes and you are tired, or lack motivation, the decision had already been made while you were motivated. As you perform these habits over and over again, you start to develop the neuro circuits that make it easier and easier to do it in the future. It starts to become a lifestyle rather than a chore.

In conclusion, habits play a crucial role in our success, and by focusing on developing good habits, we can achieve our goals and become the best version of ourselves. So, start small and keep pushing forward, and soon enough you'll see the results of your hard work.

Source: Atomic Habits by James Clear https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299