Habits: we all have them. Whether it’s hitting the snooze alarm for just-one-more-minute or grabbing that double espresso before work, it’s the habits we have that make up our daily routine. This year, give your habits a quick jump-start with these 3 tips:
Turn your habit around:
Recently I was chatting with a colleague who said that he freely admits he has one bad habit: he’s extremely good at making money for people. When pressed to explain his strengths and weaknesses, i.e., in a job interview, this professional then describes what he does really well and how this will benefit a future employer. What has he done so effectively? He’s turned his “habit” into value.
Start at the end: I know, we’ve barely catapulted into 2013 and I’ve already jumped ahead. Here’s the question I often ask clients during a strategic evaluation: what do you want your company/personality/job to look like by year’s end? I like to start at the end for a different perspective, no matter whether it’s writing marketing columns or developing a team. When you’re putting your strategic plan in place this year, consider how you’ll translate it into daily life on the job. Think about your outcome.
Focus counts: Yes, we’re all used to focusing on our jobs and developing our teams. This year, add one thing: focus on developing your own leadership skills. Transformative leaders think long-term; they consider what they want the end result to look like. Think about what new roads you want to take and how you can propel yourself forward. Sign up for a webinar or take a class. Try dipping your toe in the water with the variety of great short online classes from www.udemy.com. I’ll be there too.