The Power of Positive Habits

The Power of Positive Habits by Dan Robey

Did you know that habits are incredibly powerful tools for
personal growth and success?

Let me ask you a question. When is the last time you made a
conscious decision to add a new habit to your life? If you
are like most people you probably answered...never!

The reason for this is that most people only think of habits
as something bad. If you ask ten people on the street what
the word habit means, nine out of ten will tell you that a
habit is a negative action that people do over and over
again, like smoking, or procrastinating, or eating too much.

But the truth is that positive habits hold the keys to
success in virtually everything you do. What are positive
habits you ask. A positive habit is simply a habit that
produces positive benefits, actions and attitudes.

Why is there such great power in positive habits to effect
change? Because habits, by their very nature, are automatic,
and after a period of time they can also become permanent.
This is a very powerful combination.

So how do we go about adding new positive habits to our
life? It's really quite easy. You simply begin repeating an
action, attitude or thought process every day for at least
21 days. Research has shown that an action that is repeated
for a minimum of 21 days is likely to become a permanent
habit.

Remember that positive habits have positive benefits and you
will reap those benefits for as long as you maintain that
habit.

So now that we know what positive habits are, and how to
acquire them, let's look at some simple positive habits for
success.

Positive Habit #1 - Make it a habit to set goals

Did you know that the most successful people all share the
common positive habit of goal setting? A study was done to
determine the importance of goal setting. College students
who had gone on to achieve great success in business were
asked to list their habits.

The students who had made a habit of setting goals were in
the top 3% of earnings in the population! It is almost
impossible to overestimate the value of goal-setting as a
positive habit. Goal setting is simple, yet 97% of the
population never do it.

By making goal setting a positive habit, you can start
placing yourself in the top 3% of the population of
successful people.

Here are some simple steps to help you start making goal
setting a positive habit:

Step 1 Define your goals, write them down, and be very
specific; capture your goals on paper. It is amazing how
many people never take the time to write down exactly what
it is they want in life. Remember, you can't hit a target if
you don't have one.

Step 2 Determine what the time line is for reaching your
goals; set specific deadlines for each goal.

Step 3 Identify any obstacles that may stand in your way,
list them, and state how you plan to overcome them.

Step 4 Make a list of the people and/or organizations who
will help you reach your goals.

Positive Habits #2 Be More Productive With the 4-D Habit

Many of us are stressed out by the negative effects of work
overload in our careers. The 4-D habit is a very simple
positive habit that will help you to prevent work overload.

Every time you are faced with a new task to perform, apply
the 4 D's as listed below. You will find that your workload
will be reduced as you apply this screening and decision
making tool to each task you are confronted with.

Decide on the most appropriate choice -- and take action.

Do It Now - take immediate action, do the task right away,
don't procrastinate.

Dump It Now - make a quick decision and dump the task.

Delegate It - give the task to someone else. This is a very
critical aspect of time management. Your time is valuable;
make it a habit to work on tasks that you do best and
delegate the tasks that can be performed by someone else.

Defer the Task - make an immediate decision to postpone the
task to a later time. Make sure to schedule a time to
complete it.

Positive Habit #3 Create and repeat positive attitude
phrases

A positive attitude is perhaps the most important ingredient
to success and a surefire way to maintain a positive
attitude is to make it a habit to repeat positive attitude
phrases.

Choose or create a positive attitude phrase and repeat it
aloud many times each day. In a few days you will notice
that your attitude will become more positive. Here are some
examples:


"I am reaching my success goals every day."
"I am getting stronger and stronger every day."
"I can overcome any obstacle."
"Every day I am getting closer and closer to my goals in
life."
"If I believe it , I can achieve it."
"Every day, my mental attitude is becoming more positive."

Positive habits can truly change your life, I know from
personal experience. I am now constantly aware of the habits
I have and the new positive habits I am acquiring; I am also
aware of the benefits I am receiving.

Positive habits are now second nature to me and soon they
will be second nature to you.
_________
Dan Robey is the author of the book "The Power of
Positive Habits" a new program that shows you how to put
your mind and body on autopilot to reach your goals
automatically.