The Power of Habit

By Maceo Keeling –

All kinds of alleged gurus out there propose quick fixes and shortcuts to success.

But there are no shortcuts. There is a process and there are proven behaviors that successful people share. For example, how many “successful people” do you know who sleep in late?

The same processes don’t always work for everybody; however, if you do what successful people do, there is a higher probability that you’ll achieve more of what they achieve – and certainly more than if you do nothing. It’s common sense that if we do what we have always done, we will get what we have always gotten. But since common sense is not always common knowledge, this column is all about the power of your habits.

Your habits define who you are and what you will become – and what people know, and think about you. Good habits, like getting up early every morning, going to work on schedule and rarely taking time off, and saving money (even pennies) every chance you get. And bad ones, like drinking too much alcohol or repeatedly taking illegal drugs, telling lies, stealing, selling drugs, or trading sex for money. Whichever habits you follow, they are what you will be known for.

What’s important to know is that you can create, change, reinforce, or break the habits in your life. You can redefine who you are and what you are, for yourself and the world. What you think becomes what you do. What you do becomes your habits, and they define your character.

Here are some tips:

Get up early. Certain chemicals (Cortisol) in the brain are more prevalent and active in the early morning. They help us prepare for the stress of our day and make us more focused. But levels of cortisol usually diminish within a couple of hours of waking up and getting up.

Don’t jump into your email inbox (or other people’s “stuff”) ahead of your own. First set yourself up for achieving your goals; only then look at what is pressing on you from the outside. In the early morning, that additional focus will help you prioritize your personal business. Later in the day, when things get crazy, you can reset to what is really important, your goals.

Pray, exercise, meditate as a part of your preparation for the day. That is, take some time to care for your body, your mind, and your spirit. Set time aside to clear your mind of negative clutter and disbelief in what you are doing. There is a discipline to this thing called success.

Whether you prefer reciting “oms” or affirmations, or praying, or hitting the gym, meditation and exercise help clear the mind to keep you focused on the day ahead. It’s also a good time for daydreaming about future achievements. This kind of positive visualization, even if you only do it for one minute, will improve your mood and outlook about your day.

Eat a healthy breakfast. Your brain engine needs fuel so feed it. This will help you run smoothly and not run out of gas.

Set goals and priorities on Monday for the entire week. Make a list and jot down notes about the top three things you need to accomplish when your mind is clearest and sharpest – the morning. While in the shower, make a mental map of what the day ahead will look like. (This might be the only quiet, uninterrupted time of your day, so make use of it.) Then, when things start to get hectic, you can refer back to this list to get back on track.

Then comes Business with a capital “B”. Look over your papers – bank accounts, investments, piggy bank! It doesn’t matter if your balance is low or even negative: you need to know where you are, and whether what you put in is still there, so you can better set your financial priorities. You have to be able to react quickly to changes in your financial situation. Take a peek at social media, then dive into your email.

Do the least desirable task first. You’re more equipped to handle a tough assignment first thing when your brain has the most energy. And then you can cross it off your list. Not only will it make the rest of the day easier and more pleasant, but it also starts you off with a real sense of accomplishment.

Be consistent: create a morning routine and stick to it. Habits help your mind and body reset in preparation for the success ahead. That means waking up at the same time every day, weekends included.

Take a personal inventory. What can you do well – and, more importantly, what do you love to do well? Once you discover what that is, do it!

Do what you love fearlessly. Do it all the time. Study your passion and practice it. Model or copy best practices and look for ways to improve on them. Drive the science of your skill or passion to the level of an art.

You don’t have to be great to start, you do have to start to become great!

The Conscious Call radio program airs every Monday at 11:30 a.m. on WRES-FM 100.7. In a collaboration with the radio program, the Urban News will help keep readers informed about events, programs, news, and the progress of The Conscious Call. The opinions and statements made in this column are solely the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of the Urban News.