Habits Can Make Or Break Us
Today I want to share the habits that shape my day as a Financial Planner and Business owner.
Below you’ll find some interesting points on how our habits can make or break us, including tips on creating better habits, links to two good books, and a glimpse into my morning routine.
When it comes to functioning at our best, there are obviously fundamental needs that should be taken into consideration.
If we were to look at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, we would find that sleep, diet, exercise, air and water, create the foundation for everything else.
Next comes safety, love and belonging, esteem, and then right at the top of pyramid, self-actualisation.
Why This Is Important
I bring this up because it surprises me the sheer number of business owners, myself included, who don’t take care of their fundamental needs first.
We can fall into habits during times of stress where we don’t get enough sleep, we don’t eat properly, and we don’t drink enough water.
Yet, we place expectation on ourselves to keep achieving at the same level that we would be if we were feeling our best.
Soon enough we find ourselves living off 6 cups of coffee and a dream.
(That’s supposed to be a joke, but i’ll wager that we’ve all been there).
Recognizing that you can’t always be on top of your game is a really important step in the process.
Life happens, things get busy, and we get caught up in the day-to-day. Perfection is not what we’re talking about here.
But it is important to recognise that your best business growth and personal development happens only when your other needs have been met.
At this level, you are naturally going to be more capable.
As James Clear states in his book Atomic Habits “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
Meaning that we can have the best intentions to reach our goals, but without habits that support us while we’re working towards them, we don’t have a sustainable way to achieve them.
The Habits That Shape My Day
I try to get eight hours of sleep as much as possible. It helps me recharge and feel refreshed, ready to take on the next day.
I’m also in a Swim Squad and I get a lot out of doing that. Not just from a physical perspective, but a mental perspective as well. I have my best thoughts when I’m doing laps in the pool, and as I say, the reason I go to swimming is for the coffee afterwards.
The group of people I swim with and the social aspect of having a chat with mates is always good.
I love cooking, so eating healthily is important. But you know, I don’t always eat well and that’s okay. I recognize that if I can do a good job with my diet 80% to 90% of the time, and allow for the odd sweet-treat, I’m doing pretty good.
I do a lot of journaling, most often in the morning. It helps me set myself up for the day. I focus on the three important things I want to get out of my day and if I can achieve those, I’m happy. Anything on top of that is a bonus. This helps me focus and it helps me track my progress.
When it comes to work, I make sure that I Eat That Frog, so to speak. What I mean by that is taking on the biggest, most important tasks and getting them done early on. This helps avoid procrastination. You can find the book Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy here.
I also want to make sure I work well with my team, as this is integral to business success. Last year, we only had one team meeting per week. Now, we have a daily huddle each day, as well as our 1-hour team meeting each week. This has been revolutionary because we are communicating better and working toward becoming a cohesive, efficient team.
- Finally, I make sure to carve out time to switch off for the day. It’s not always easy, but relaxing is important, particularly in the lead up to having a good night’s sleep.
So, look, I’m not perfect by any means and all of this is a constant work in progress, but habits are important.
It’s the small habits done consistently that will make the most difference in your work and personal life.
If you liked this post, you can check out our other posts here.
Cheers,
Matt.
