Jump Start Your New Year
with 7 Smart Habits
by Kathy Gates
Ever wondered why some people just seem to have it all together, and the rest of
us are running around trying to keep it all together? Success
is not an accident - success is a good habit. These 7 smart habits can
work wonders in your life too.
Habit #1: Get prepared: Make like a boy scout, and get prepared.
Choose one thing that tends to jump out at you unexpectedly, and make a plan to
prepare for it. Once that's in place, choose another one. Prepare
for the unexpected trip to the dentist, prepare for the lost keys, prepare for
the dog eating your eyeglasses prepare this year for tax time next year, prepare
for next Christmas' bills, prepare for getting more education and a better job,
prepare for starting your own business, prepare for writing and selling your
novel, prepare for Mr./Ms Right.
Habit #2: Develop Routines. You already have routines, but are they
helping you or hurting you? Staying up late and dragging around all the next day
is a routine that's contaminating not only your physical health but your mental
and emotional health as well. Having a routine to work on clutter control
15 minutes a day contributes to your desire for a clean uncluttered life (you'll
be amazed at what you can do in 15 minutes!). Take a close look at your
routines and see where they need some adjusting. For example, if you find
yourself paying late fees because you just didn't "get around to" paying the
bills, it's time for a new routine.
Habit #3: Just say No. Say No to chocolate if you're trying to lose
weight. Say No to mindless TV if you want to get a degree or start your
own business. Say No to doing other people's work. When you can't
say No to people and things, you end up feeling frustrated and resentful.
When you say YES to what's important to you, then you feel fulfilled and
energetic and in control. And that's what you're looking for, isn't it?
Habit #4: Stop striving for perfection. That's just an excuse to
procrastinate, and you know it. Filing your personal papers doesn't have
to be in color coded, typed folders. A simple system that you understand
and can actually use is what's important. Strive for progress, not
perfection.
Habit #5: Clean up your mind diet. It's a fact that whatever you
spend your time focusing on is what you'll have lots of in your life.
Dwelling on the problem doesn't take you closer to the solution. If you
eat candy all day, you'll be sick. If you put junk into your mind all day,
you'll be sick. If you want to be happier, feed your mind a happier diet.
Habit #6. Practice small steps. Make your life easier by learning to
break all goals down into small steps. The idea is that you are moving
forward, slowly and steadily. Use the analogy of a skyscraper. It was
built brick by brick, one at a time. So are your goals. Concentrate
on what you *can* do, like 10 minutes of walking each day, or cleaning out one
room per month. You'll be surprised at how fast the bricks add up to a
building.
Habit #7: Consistency. Perhaps the most important of all the habits
is to be consistent in whatever you do. Being consistent is what makes or
breaks great people and great lives. Anyone who is organized, works on it
consistently, not "whenever". Anyone who is in good physical shape, works
on it consistently, not hit-or-miss. It's more about making a new habit,
than it is the intensity of it at the beginning. Once the habit is
instilled, it will be much easier to raise the intensity.
Professional Life Coach Kathy Gates helps people who are burned out, stressed
out, and fed up to get back to basics. Sign up for weekly How-To Clinics
and a free ezine at www.reallifecoach.com
or call for a free consultation at 480.998.5843.