Some good like going to gym regularly, eating healthy, getting that project done, and some bad, that extra glass of wine that puts on the weight just lost and makes us feel lethargic. You really can’t be bothered to do that extra bit of work at home, so what the hell - have another glass!
Habits can become a game changer in both our personal and professional lives so let’s talk about cultivating really good habits and getting rid of all the bad ones. This will definitely lead to greater success and fulfilment but it’s not that easy to do. If it was, everyone would be super successful.
In order to cultivate a good habit, one needs to ensure there is a good reward for being persistent and just making sure that.
We go to gym every single day.
We eat healthy and say NO to all those tasty treats offered daily.
The reward is a super, ripped body that we are proud of, but here is the caveat. It takes a really long time to get there and how do we keep sticking it out even when we can’t see any results?
Well, the knack is finding something that works just for you! For me weight loss was something that other people managed to succeed at until I found the one thing that worked for me which was intermittent fasting.
Very soon I saw the weight dropping off and by continuing and that’s the key, continuing with the intermittent fasting - it stayed off - the minute - the very second, I started eating the way I did before, the weight would come back and that’s how I realised that anything that actually worked had to become a habit.
The best way to structure winning habits is to set a really good routine.
The first is to wake early, this definitely gets more done! I get up at 4 am every day weigh myself and then have a full glass of water to ensure I am properly hydrated after the night. Straight after this I meditate and you know the saying, “when you pray you talk to God but when you meditate God talks to you”. We may not like what He says but he sure tells it like it is and we need to sit up and take notice. Straight after that I ease into a slow exercise routine. I used to go to gym but since covid I get so much more out of yoga. For me it’s not as intense as gym but it definitely works and gives me the desired results by stretching my muscles and ensuring increased mobility. With the lifestyle I have which involves a lot of travel and a lot of early mornings this is not easy but if I can’t manage a morning session, I always try for an afternoon one -where there is a will there is a way!
The other saying, I love is Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance and this is so true. Every Sunday night I get my diary from my PA, Fay, and then sit and prepare my week, write my notes for the myriad of meetings and ensure that everything is taken care of, from airport parking for my cars, flights around the country or the world, notes for social media, for talks and mostly ensuring that all the day to day a-normalities are taken care of - working with the public is not easy as things can change in a heartbeat, however so long as your tasks are prioritised you know that you just have to work your way through all of them during that day!
Every morning at Hirsch's Homestore we have a meeting, starting with listening to 10 minutes of motivation from one of the greats, like Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins, Les Brown etc. and then each person has a chance to give a motivational talk to the team, someone says what they are grateful for, another says why they are proud of themselves and to be working at Hirsch's, yet another will tell a joke as laughter is the best medicine and then we play a super motivational song and everyone sings along. This takes everyone out of their dull humdrum life, out of their comfort zones and elevates their spirit to ensure that they feel good!
We have a competition in place this month called Movember - we are all recording our steps to see which branch, as a whole, moves the most! Staff are encouraged to bring their lunch from home and not buy takeouts which will ensure a healthy meal and saves money, and they are encouraged to exercise - it’s our belief that good daily exercise improves minds and bodies.
One of the most time destroying habits is scrolling on the phone. We can waste hours doing this - its great fun but we really don’t accomplish anything. For us at Hirschs its difficult as all our work is done on our phones. Even if you as a customer come in, we have to go onto our app to process your invoice and delivery so it’s really easy to start scrolling through Instagram, Facebook and all the others, in-between times and before you know it the day has gone, and you haven’t accomplished half of what you intended.
For me it’s a habit to ensure that everything that has to be done is done before I start answering, first my Whatsapp messages and secondly my mails and I limit social media scrolling to late at night when all the work is done.
Distractions, especially social media distractions can rob us of so much time if it’s not controlled. Set a couple of slots during the day to take care of social media but always leave the bulk of it till late at night.
As with most things, consistency is the key. The power of habits lies in the consistency, they don’t form overnight, and it takes time and practise to develop them. Life keeps changing and we need to evolve with it to ensure that we are ahead of the trend. Everything changes, sometimes faster than we would like but so long as we can adapt, refine our routines, and upgrade our goals constantly, we will all be on the path to success.
It’s so important to keep goals where they can be seen constantly, on the fridge, as a screensaver on your computer, on the mirror, behind the toilet door. In fact, anywhere they can be seen at least twice a day - that keeps us on track- and always remember to celebrate your achievements no matter how small they maybe, it just reinforces your knowledge that you are going in the right direction.
The power of productive habits is immense. They can transform our lives, helping us become more successful, efficient, and fulfilled. Cultivating these habits is an ongoing process, but the rewards are so worth the effort. As we all strive for continuous improvement, please embrace the power of productive habits in your daily routine. Start small, be consistent, and watch how these habits lead to a more productive and rewarding life.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on productive habits and any personal experiences you'd like to share. Please feel free to comment and join the conversation!
Much Love,
Margaret Hirsch