The Aspiring Leader - by Adam Purcell

Confident Strategy: The Why, The What, And The How

Posted on February 13, 2024by Adam Purcell

The team I work with loves to play buzzword bingo. If it’s not an analogy, then it’s another buzzword from Adam. Something that constantly appears on the bingo hitlist is the word deconstruct or the phrase “we need to reverse engineer this thing.”

What I’ve noticed is that problems very rarely change. However, methods become outdated. So when the financial controllers tell us we need to reduce some costs, the real message is that the return on investment is no longer kicking goals for them. I’m unsure if I’ve ever had instructions to increase my budget. Usually, it’s the opposite. But it’s not always about looking for cost savings; it can be about efficiency or increased output.

We have two choices: either reduce the expense or reinvent and become more efficient to increase the outcomes.

In an environment where change has become necessary, reducing the cost of something to save money is delaying the inevitable. It can often end up in a retention strategy – how do we keep it going rather than grow it?

That’s why we need to deconstruct. Strip it back to why it exists in the first place. Today’s problems are just yesterday’s outdated strategies. Whenever change creates conflict, it often stems from arguing over the method—rarely the actual problem or the original objective.

Streaming Services VS Physical Media: The method differs, but the objective is delivering music to the consumer.

Uber VS Taxi Industry – The technique differs, but the objective is getting customers from point A to point B.

Premier Access VS Movie Theatres – The method is different, but the aim is to get people to watch the movie upon release.

Sometimes, the process of deconstruction can be simple; other times, it takes considerable effort, research, and contemplation.

But deconstruction is only half the process. We then need to reconstruct it to the current version and method. So, firstly, take it back to the original objective, then rebuild it and see what works best for the present age.

The process we follow is to ask three questions – why, what, and how. The trick is to get honest – remove the “pretty talk” and get real about it. The process isn’t for spruiking; it’s for getting real, and getting back to the foundational “why” is the first step.

Why?

Not why do we do this, but why do we NEED it – there is a difference. We don’t do this because of the outcome it achieves but rather the problem it solves. Often, when someone is asked to explain the “why” (or justify it), the answer usually lists the results or what we seek to achieve. Knowing the real and deep why is truly understanding the problem.

There’s a business fable about a young executive who took over from his father as CEO of a company that manufactured drill bits. He gathered the managers and asked them to tell him what they produced. The seasoned executives, I’m sure with much humour, reminded him that they manufacture drills bit. But, he corrected them; they weren’t in the business of producing drill bits. Instead, they were in the business of helping people put holes in things. As the fable goes, the company reinvented itself in the mining industry. I don’t know where I first heard this story, but Theodore Levitt (Harvard Business School Professor) once said, “People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole.”

Understanding “why” is knowing customers “want to put holes in things” and aren’t shopping for drill bits. Establishing our authentic why is necessary to ensure we build a strategy that achieves the actual purpose.

What?

Once the “why” has been established, the next step is determining what would solve the identified problem. Again, it’s not to determine how we do it but the solution to fixing the issue (or opportunity) we uncovered along the way.

If we consider our friends back at the drill manufacturing company, their eyes were now open to various possibilities. They were no longer limited to producing bits for hand-held drills; now, they were solving the problem of putting holes in things. I remember hearing this story because the same company eventually invented the machinery that built the tunnel under the English Channel. Big holes!

Even if it is a fable and not a truth, the principle of this story is still valid. Getting our thinking away from methods and even what we’ve done in the past is necessary to ensure we understand how to solve the problem.

How?

Now, we get to the fun part! We know the problem, and we’ve identified what we need for a solution. So, now we get to create our solution. This part of the process leads our (perhaps fictional) case study to think beyond drill bits and into the realms of tunnels that span countries.

What can we do that truly solves the problem of our target audience?

The outcome of this entire process will lead us to two places:

Our current strategy is working. We’ve pulled it apart and reconstructed it; the result is the same (or close to). You now have greater confidence in your methods and what you are doing.
You can confidently establish a new problem-solving strategy. Again, you have confidence in this new method because you truly understand the problem and solution.

The change process and journey now become the gap between the previous “how” and the new “how.”

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

Team

Survival Guide for Meetings – 9 Codes for Success

Posted on February 7, 2024by Adam Purcell

Oh, another meeting request? Since the world went online, meeting requests have increased exponentially. Mainly when working within teams where people can access my calendar or use scheduling tools to find available spots. Removing the need for commuting while the world worked from home meant any calendar gap was up for grabs. Many meeting requests are outside my control, so I want to ensure that I lead meaningful, efficient, and necessary meetings.

Susan Scott, the author of Fierce Conversations, tells us that the conversation is the relationship. Leadership requires relationship, and therefore, the true purpose of any meeting should be a conversation that moves us forward – whether in our relationship or what we are working on together.

Patrick Lencioni, in Death by Meeting, created an effective structure and foundation for my meetings. There are three reasons to meet: calibrate, have a tactical discussion, or take a strategic deep dive into an issue.

However, we adhere to codes or values to ensure we succeed in effective meetings.

9 Codes for Successful Meetings

1. Be On-Time, And Ready To Go

The start time is precisely that. It’s not the arrival or logging-in time; it’s the ‘we are ready to start time.’ Turning up at the start time is not being punctual. It’s late. A leader once corrected me (after constantly arriving at meeting start times) that if my disruption caused five minutes of delay for the twelve people in the room, I would have wasted an hour of other people’s time because of my delay.

TIP: Buffer time in your scheduling to ensure you have arrived (or logged in) and are ready to start on time.

2. Stay Present And Fully Engaged

Be attentive and active in the conversation. If the meeting is unproductive or inefficient, then get involved in the conversation and guide it.

In online meetings, it can be even more challenging to stay attentive. I’ve been guilty of utilizing that second monitor on my desk to turn unproductive meetings into productive time for myself – or so I thought. It becomes evident in the reflection of my glasses that I am scrolling on another screen. But you may have also noticed that glazed-over look people get when they start looking at something other than staying involved in the meeting. So, I often begin meetings with a request to remain attentive and turn off notifications and other distractions.

3. Be Prepared And Ready To Contribute

Have you ever been involved in a meeting where anyone complained because it finished earlier than the scheduled time? Usually, the meeting concludes because we achieved what was necessary, generally because people came ready and prepared.

Every meeting should have an agenda issued in advance, and that agenda allows you to come ready for the discussion. Ensuring you’ve done all the pre-reading required and even prepared for the discussion values the time of others and works towards an effective meeting.

TIP: If you lead the meeting, engage and create space for every participant to contribute.

4. Stay On Point And Keep To Time

Those trademark words “let’s take that conversation offline” usually indicate that a meeting has gone off track. An agenda, a clear understanding of the purpose of the meeting, and all members prepared for discussion are essential ingredients to valuing time and staying on point.

Furthermore, keeping to the meeting’s scheduled finish is crucial in valuing time. If decisions need to be made, use the last five minutes to book another meeting or decide the next steps.

5. Meetings Are For Discussion

I firmly believe that meetings are for discussion and not for transferring information. There are other mediums for that – record a video, send an email, or even put it in a document. Don’t gather people into rooms (physically or online) and talk to them for an hour.

When people gather, there is often an enormous amount of experience gathered in that room. So, don’t waste the opportunity to open up a topic or an obstacle for discussion. In the framework of meetings I use (from Patrick Lencioni’s Death By Meeting), the purpose is always to calibrate and discuss a challenge or obstacle that needs some brainstorming or strategic planning for the next steps.

6. State The Purpose And The Structure

When scheduling a meeting, be very clear on the purpose and the structure it will have. For example, are you gathering to calibrate the current status of a project? Wrestle over a delay and find a solution? Take a look at the next budget forecast. In each of these examples, participants will need time to prepare to be most effective in discussion and its outcomes before the meeting. An agenda should also outline the structure and let the attendees know who will chair the meeting, lead the different parts, and assign timeframes.

I have a general rule that I won’t attend the meeting if an agenda has not been provided in advance. My team also knows they don’t need to participate in any meeting I have initiated if no agenda is provided.

7. Close Decisions And Identify Action Items

Every meeting and interaction should move us forward. Before a meeting concludes, any decisions should be finalized, action items identified, and it should be clear who is responsible for each. Even if this hasn’t been achieved, take the last five minutes of the meeting to make these decisions.

Even an outcome of scheduling another meeting is better than no action at all. However, a good practice is to assign some “homework” so that the next meeting is better prepared and, therefore, more effective in outcomes.

8. Record Outcomes And Recap Clearly

Are we all taking notes? Is someone assigned to take minutes through this meeting? What happens with the minutes afterwards?

Too often, I’ve disconnected from a day full of back-to-back meetings with no recollection of the action items I was responsible for. These days, I have better discipline in recording my notes and not trusting my memory. I also make it a practice of meetings to confirm who is responsible for the meeting notes at the beginning so that no action items or critical discussion points are lost.

Another great practice is to include a recap at the end of a meeting, a reflection on topics discussed, and a summary of the next steps. This helps everyone to walk away from the meeting with a clear understanding of the outcomes.

Have Fun

It doesn’t have to be boring. Have some fun! Particularly with online meetings, we miss the chance for casual conversation before it starts and after it concludes, and everyone wanders back to their desk. Make the space in your schedule and agenda to include some informal time.

Photo by Compare Fibre on Unsplash

Change

Are you resistant to change?

Posted on January 30, 2024by Adam Purcell

I remember the first time I experienced a significant change in an organization where I felt impacted. I wouldn’t say I liked it. Not only that, I didn’t respond very well.

I was young, but that’s not why or the excuse. I reacted poorly to this change because I couldn’t see how it would work. I knew it would significantly impact me, and I had no idea what to do next. I didn’t like the decision.

I wasn’t part of the decision-making process or the ‘first to know’ group of stakeholders. So I experienced a relatively normal reaction to change, especially when it’s outside our control, but we are affected by it.

Three questions influence our response to change:

How are we personally affected?
How easily do we believe we can adapt to the change?
Do we agree with it or not?

Gleicher’s Formula

I was introduced to Gleicher’s Formula a few years ago, which outlines the conditions needed to create organizational change. David Gleicher created the formula in the 1960s; however, Kathie Dannemiller popularised it in the 1980s.

The formula says that our discomfort with the status quo (how things are now), multiplied by our vision for a better future, and knowing our first steps are all needed to overcome resistance. Essentially, these things multiplied together must outweigh resistance on a tipping scale.

Visually represented, the formula looks like this:

(D) Dissatisfaction
What’s wrong with how things are going?

When I had that first experience of significant change, I was a volunteer youth leader at my church. The leadership of our youth program was changing, and I had no idea why. From my somewhat external position, I felt everything was going great, and there was no reason for any change to occur. I had a low level of dissatisfaction with the status quo.

Remember, this is about resistance to change, not if people agree and are on board. So, the first measure we must understand is how dissatisfied the people affected by this change are with the current situation.

If there isn’t a high level of dissatisfaction, we have some work to do in the communication space. In my example, I wasn’t aware that the current leaders were moving on to a new role that needed change. Some situations in an organization may happen behind closed doors and are, therefore, unknown to the stakeholders who will be affected.

(V) Vision
What difference is this change going to make?

Initially, the announcement of new leaders left me feeling flat and thinking it was a terrible outcome. The future looks horrible! I had no vision for what was possible for the future after this significant change occurred. I was only lamenting the loss I felt.

The change in leadership for our organization was catalytic for progress. A new passion, vision, and an increased capacity for what we could achieve. After the initial announcement, over a few weeks, the opportunity came to ‘hear from the new leadership.’ Through this engagement, my vision for the future increased, and I became excited about the change, which also increased my dissatisfaction with things to continue how they were.

(F) First Steps towards the Vision
So, what’s next?

After communicating a big announcement, knowing the next step is usually the first question people want to ask. As the old Chinese proverb says, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Even the longest and most difficult ventures have a starting point: the first step.

It’s no different in the journey of change towards a preferred future and vision. The almost impossible can appear within reach when the journey’s first step connects it.

The next step was meeting the new leader – she wanted to get to know us and was excited to work with us. That next step also brought me certainty as I realized I was still part of the journey. I was concerned about being left out of the new leadership team.

These three things multiply (work together) to create a heavier weight than the resistance to change.

Cast your mind back to mathematics class in high school. Any equation that includes the multiplication of zero will always equal zero. All factors must be present for the result to overcome the resistance to change.

A compelling vision with a good first step will not outweigh resistance if there is no dissatisfaction with the status quo.
Increasing dissatisfaction with the current reality and a vision that excites people will not shift the balance if there’s no first step.
No matter how great the current dissatisfaction is, a single step disconnected from the bigger picture will not overcome resistance to change.

Change

Managing Change Through Strategic Planning – The Horizons

Posted on January 23, 2024by Adam Purcell

Change can be exciting but also extremely tiring. Like embarking on a long walk with a toddler. Enthusiastically full of energy at the beginning but concludes by being dragged, carried, or a combination of both to make it back home.

I am fundamentally programmed to not only love constant change but need it. I get restless if I sit still in the same place or in the same process. But not everyone has the same wiring that I do. Some of us need consistency and trust to feel most effective and comfortable.

We can all respond to a compelling vision and jump on the journey. The exciting part about change is the journey toward an agreed preferred future. However, there is a disconnect between the excitement of change and the loss of control experienced through the process. We can be onboard while still struggling to release our control. Often, there is a lack of trust – perhaps in leadership, our direction, or the effectiveness of the envisioned outcomes.

The first step in building trust is to understand strategic planning horizons.

The three horizons framework (featured in The Alchemy of Growth, Baghai, Coley & White) provides a structure that companies can use to assess the potential opportunities for growth without neglecting performance in the present.

I think of the horizons as what we do today, tomorrow, and into the future. Therefore, although the authors present them regarding products and services, I have applied them in the context of strategic change.

The three horizons are identified by:

Horizon 1 – The Whirlwind

The whirlwind (defined by The 4 Disciplines of Execution) is the activity that we are doing today. The need for change may have resulted from the whirlwind’s ability to be busy without results that drive growth. As a result, there is very little success, and often, we are on a declining path towards failure. Unfortunately, much of the whirlwind has an emotional and even sentimental attachment – it is often the “thing we are most known for.“

The first horizon speaks the language of “this is what we’ve always done” and “where we have seen success in the past.” The end-user generally possesses a high level of trust in the activities and outcomes of this horizon. Teams are often caught in the whirlwind and can be whisked away by busyness as the years pass.

The results and outcomes are easy to measure; however, those metrics are likely outdated or no longer aligned with the future direction. Nevertheless, there is safety, comfort, and trust in the whirlwind.

Horizon 2 – Innovative Ventures

The second horizon is full of opportunity and excitement. There are new areas to explore; however, they need a considerable amount of resources and investment that may impact our ability to deliver on the expected outcomes of the whirlwind.

The second horizon is where innovative ventures emerge from experimenting in the margins of the first horizon. Experimentation happens in the space that the whirlwind has allowed and the trust given to us to try something new. Tangible outcomes may be a few years away, and metrics for success may be unproven. People are often open to these ventures; however, trust is thin, and opposition may be waiting on the edges.

The language of “what if we tried” and “look at what is working over here” is a standard part of the conversation. Innovative ventures may exist on the fringes, and the connection to Horizon One is strong enough to carry trust forward.

Horizon 3 – The Preferred Future

This horizon is where the vision and strategic plan for the preferred future we are moving towards exists. Language is often more about the outcomes than the methods and usually begins with “imagine if we.“

In insolation, it seems unreachable, but the ability to achieve it with confidence will increase when it stays connected to the second horizon. These ideas fill whiteboards and butcher paper sheets when our teams gather and dream. Creating a link between the outcomes of the innovative ventures of the second horizon and this preferred future is a critical step toward success.

There is, however, minimal trust in the third horizon. In reality, there is likely even vocalized and actionable opposition.

But the horizons are never-ending. As our new innovative ventures become the engines that drive a new whirlwind, we begin to re-envision the preferred future. It is like the approaching distant horizon that we never reach.

But the key is keeping the horizons connected. In Start With Why, Simon Sinek shares an analogy about two stonemasons doing the same job. The first sees building a wall as monotonous and challenging and has no hope for completion. The second knows the end goal; they are building a cathedral, and he can see it unfolding. So, his daily grind is connected to the preferred future.

The second horizon is critical as it holds the opportunity to build trust, get runs on the scoreboard and ask people for a small trust deposit. It only requires a minor step of commitment and is far more reachable than the distance of the third horizon. Emphasis on the second horizon is how we lead change through strategic planning.

Horizons must be managed in parallel. We must keep a firm grip on today’s reality while we steer and navigate towards the future. You can’t discount the engine driving the current whirlwind, therefore fuelling trust.

So, how do you keep people connected to the journey?

Navigating change can feel like trying to steer a cruise liner with a paddle out the back – particularly when you have the authority and decision-making power to take over the bridge. Yet, this is the strength that the horizons can bring.

Understanding and implementing a horizons framework creates three opportunities to build that trust and keep our current reality connected to the preferred future.

Opportunity 1 – Incremental Change In The Direction Of A Preferred Future

By experimenting in the margin, we can use the engines that drive the whirlwind and fuel great trust to move into the second horizon. We keep the whirlwind operating while we try something new. As a result, the first step of commitment and confidence in innovating new processes is minor because there is no loss to what is already happening.

Opportunity 2 – It Clarifies The Next Step

Mapping out a vision for a preferred future that does not feel connected to the current reality can overwhelm people. How on earth are they going to eat the entire elephant? One bite at a time. The second horizon is the next step; it is always the first bite of something that feels unfathomable.

Opportunity 3 – Connects Their Day-To-Day To The Bigger Picture

We all need to feel that every brick we lay stays connected to the cathedral and not just a random wall. As Andy Stanley says, vision and the preferred future are like a bucket with holes in it – it leaks. Our teams need to have their vision bucket constantly filled so their everyday contribution feels connected to the bigger picture.

Photo by Diego Jimenez on Unsplash

Vision

Keeping Momentum When The Vision Seems So Far

Posted on January 16, 2024by Adam Purcell

Have you ever tried to complete a jigsaw puzzle without an image of the end product to guide you?

I have never found it relaxing to work on jigsaw puzzles during downtime – however, I’ve watched it happen many times. First, the corner pieces are found, followed by the edges, and the boundaries are determined. Colours are then grouped, and the front of the box is constantly referenced to determine what part they play in building the final picture.

Leading through change to reach a preferred and envisioned future is the same. Every piece of the puzzle needs to identify its place on the front of the box.

In Start With Why – Simon Sinek tells the story of two stonemasons. Picture walking up to the first, asking him, “Do you like your job?“. Then, from the dust and the dirt of his work, he looks up and replies, “I’ve been building this wall for as long as I can remember – the work is monotonous, in the scorching sun all day, and it is back-breaking work. It’s a job, it pays the bills.“

You find a second stonemason a few meters away and ask the same question. He replies with, “I love my job. I’m building a cathedral.” Same job, same work, same project – different outlook. The second stonemason can create a clear and direct connection between his daily work and the bigger picture. He knows the part he plays in building the cathedral.

Strategically leading through change requires creating a line of sight between what we put our hands on and what we are building. The front of that jigsaw puzzle box must be right in our vision.

Three things we can do that are in the control of anyone leading others:

Key 1: Create A Compelling Vision

When choosing a jigsaw puzzle, we reach for the box with the most compelling image on the front. There’s a reason why puzzles are not sold in plain brown boxes – the vision of completion is the most significant selling point. A jigsaw puzzle is also often connected to a memory, such as a location visited on a past vacation. Not only is the picture on the box attractive but so is the emotional attachment created from that memory. As leaders, we have the same opportunity about the preferred future we paint for those following.

How to keep a compelling vision in front of people:

Never stop talking about it. We don’t empty the pieces and put the box back in the cupboard while we compile it. It never leaves our sight. An avid jigsaw enthusiast will keep that image in front of them as they build, and we must do the same. Vision is like a bucket that leaks, so never stop filling it up. Take any opportunity to remind teams of the future ahead of them.
Give vision priority. Talking about it in team meetings is not just an agenda item; it is THE agenda item. When we practice this as leaders, our teams will follow, and that priority will cascade down throughout the organization we are leading.
Change the language. Our words are powerful, mainly when introducing new expressions attached to an envisioned future. However, a single word or phrase can trigger an emotional response and even cause us to dredge up a mindset locked to an ineffective strategy. Instead, attach freshness and excitement by introducing new phrases that speak to a compelling vision.

Key 2: Connect Today’s Work to Tomorrow’s Vision

Vision is like the edge pieces of a puzzle that define the boundaries that we work within. When we cluster pieces together, we can see its part in creating the bigger picture. If you’ve attempted a giant puzzle, you know the excitement and momentum that builds as you work out where each cluster fits. What we do each day needs to stay connected to the preferred future. We need to know how our contribution works towards seeing the cathedral’s completion.

The 4 Disciplines of Execution framework (McChesney, Huling, and Covey) uses the concept of lead activities and measures that impact and influence “wildly essential goals”. A lead measure connects individual achievements to the success and completion of organizational goals. The book presents an analogy of a baseball game to explain the principle. We all know that runs on the board win the game; however, it asks, “What causes a team to score runs?” A team needs fast runners, heavy hitters, minor strategic hitters, and other lead activities to score runs. Even the staff in the locker room that ensures that equipment is maintained can connect that task to scoring runs for the team – if the coach shows them the connection.

Key 3: Build A Scoreboard

Another principle from the The 4 Disciplines of Execution is a giant, bright, bold, and loud scoreboard. But unfortunately, we usually create a scoreboard for coaches, not players.

Coaches need to know all the statistics and measures. They want to know how many meters were gained, the statistics on errors and plays, and any data they can access.

Players, however, need to know two things – Are we winning or losing? How long is left in the game?

In the adrenaline-filled atmosphere of the game, a team needs to glance at a giant scoreboard and know precisely where they are. In the same way, the team we lead needs to understand how they are tracking towards the preferred future and how the jigsaw puzzle is taking shape. We don’t need to install scoreboards in our offices. Still, we can communicate the score in team meetings, stand-ups, emails, one-to-one conversations, and via carrier pigeon if necessary.

Photo by Mikael Kristenson on Unsplash

Productivity

Drowning In Meetings? 3 Questions To Ask

Posted on January 9, 2024by Adam Purcell

Recently, I realized how much time I spend planning and sitting in meetings. I am not even sure if there is an alternative. My different roles seem to require me to participate in these meetings, whether I like it or not.

It isn’t that I do not like them – sitting around discussing, dreaming, and planning is something I enjoy. However, I am beginning to notice the number of unproductive meetings I am not only a part of but also lead. Meetings with no outcome that only results in another meeting being scheduled are too familiar.

I have also realized my inability to affect any change in whether meetings occur. I may have influence over my team and how we operate meetings, but I still need to respond to the requests of others. Meetings are just a part of life.

We can ask three questions at the end of every meeting, whether we lead it or a part of it, to ensure the time is adequate:

Question 1: What decisions have we made?

I recall a recent meeting where we had significant discussions, brilliant, innovative ideas were generated, and challenges were overcome with creative debate. However, after the meeting concluded, it was unclear whether any decisions had been made and what the next steps were.

We often fail to summarize at the end of meetings and reinforce decisions made and who will action them. Asking a simple question can help ensure the time spent was productive and move the conversation forward.

Question 2: Who is impacted by our decisions?

One aspect that can make or break a team is the communication that occurs. This situation is highlighted and can become an issue if decisions and actions are made and not everyone is informed. Sending out minutes, recordings, and notes taken during the meeting is sometimes insufficient in communicating with those absent.

If we want our meetings to be effective and not waste time, it is essential to communicate to everyone impacted by those meetings’ outcomes. I have found that doing this properly actually means we have fewer meetings. So, posing the question, “Who is impacted by the decisions we have made, and therefore, who do we need to engage with before it becomes a problem?” can save us from additional meetings in the future.

Question 3: Who will inform them?

We can quickly walk away having made decisions and even understanding our effect on people but forgetting to inform them.

It can often be the classic case of everyone else in the team expecting someone to inform the people who need to know.

Please don’t leave the question unanswered, and don’t leave it as an assumption that somebody will do it. If we have determined the decisions, actions, and the people affected, let’s inform them.

Photo by Redd F on Unsplash

Productivity

New Habits – Making It Happen

Posted on January 2, 2024by Adam Purcell

I recently read an article that suggested it takes an average of 66 days to form a habit in our life. A habit is a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially hard to give up.

This definition makes sense to me. The old myth of “21 days to make a habit” never seemed to work for me – well, not with any good habits.

What is the great mystery or secret to habits? Why are we so intrigued? A quick google search brings up an endless list of articles, suggestions, and guides. Exactly like this one you are reading now.

But that is precisely why I am writing on this topic. I could never find a solution that worked for me in its entirety. Instead a whole range of different ideas, learned lessons, and suggestions amalgamated into a process.

4 Habit Making Habits That Work For Me

Key 1: Get Some Quick Wins

We’ve all had those moments of great inspiration and motivation – often as the clock ticks over into a brand new year on January 1st.

The list begins, grows, and becomes almost fictional when compiled into our “100 things to change this year” spreadsheet.

But it only takes a few shorts weeks for the reality of our list to suck out any potential there was to knock a few off early in the year. So the weeks tick by, and the list becomes increasingly daunting until we discard it.

I needed a list that was achievable and strategically created to get the ball rolling and hit some quick wins.

Very often, that one thing we are trying to change with creating a positive habit is like staring at a giant disassembled flat-pack piece of furniture and its 93-page instruction booklet.

But grab a few small pieces and start chipping away, and pretty soon, it starts looking like the photo on the front cover.

Make your goal, your new habit achievable:

Don’t aim to do it every day.
Start with a few times per week.
Break the more critical goal up into smaller steps.

Key 2: Don’t Set Yourself Up To Fail

A few years ago, when I began the journey of being more serious about health and fitness, I was plagued with failure.

My Sunday night routine was to pack my gym bag and set my alarm for a 5.15 am wake-up. My Monday morning routine was to hit the snooze function dozens of times and then drag myself off to work.

I failed before I had even begun. Not because I didn’t drag myself out of bed, but because I set myself up with an unrealistic expectation.

Like in the first point, when it came to exercising, I found it easier the more times I achieved it. The more quick wins I had, the more I made it a habit and a higher priority in my life. So if my current schedule requires an earlier gym session (definitely not my preference), I can make it in time and sometimes with a smile.

Why? I stopped setting myself up to fail. Instead, I created realistic expectations that I could achieve. The momentum of hitting quick wins motivated me to keep pushing forward, which ultimately started habits.

Simple? Well, not always. But it should be simple. A goal is just a whole list of small achievable tasks, and so are habits.

Key 3: Start Somewhere

Here’s another mindset that I’ve had to journey through – just because I can’t do it perfectly straight away doesn’t mean I shouldn’t start anyway.

At times I am terrible at this. I want to wait until everything is in place, organised, and ready to go. Rather than just getting started and letting it all fall into place.

Do any of these sound familiar?

I’ll wait till my job changes, so I have more time.
When summer comes, it will be warmer, and I’ll start then.
Once this busy season is over, I’ll start working on it.
When the kids grow up, then I’ll do that.

But what if you just did it anyway? It may not look like the end product you want, but it moves you another step closer.

Key 4: Embrace Technology

Why fight technology? If it takes 66 days to create a habit in your life, why not use any resource or support to get to that point.

I’ve used reminders and tracking apps to help me build habits for all kinds of things – health and fitness choices, daily tasks, personal development, and strengthening relationships.

My current app of choice is called Productive, and it works perfectly for what I need. Set habits, frequencies and tick them off as I go.

Photo by Carl Heyerdahl on Unsplash