Success Is A Good Habit
by Kathy Gates, Professional Life Coach

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.

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