8 Tiny Habits Of People Who Always Reach Their Goals
Make these changes to eliminate your time-wasting habits.
suteishi | Canva If you seem to waste time each day, even if you’re ambitious and want to get lots done, you’re not alone.
Here are 8 tiny habits of people who always achieve their goals:
1. They focus on their next three.
You’re holding the things you think you need to get done in your head all at once. This overwhelms you. But it’s in the mind. In reality, all we ever have is the one thing right in front of us. So pay attention to the delicious beauty of the present moment. Identify your next 1–3 priorities. Don’t think them. Write them down. That’s all you need to know to have a fighting chance of being one of the most productive people you and I know.
2. They make friends with boredom.
So many of us get one whiff of boredom, break into a sweat, and immediately throw on Netflix. Then we proudly shout from the rooftops: "I’m rarely bored! Look at me! I’m living my best life!' But you’re missing out on creating marvelous things for the world to enjoy. Boredom is vital. It’s the beginning of insight if you have the balls to sit with it for more than a second. Breathe through the boredom, then watch as your creative juices transform from a crawl to a torrent.
3. They reconfirm their macrovision.
A big issue with time-wasting is that we don’t know what on God’s Green Earth we’re supposed to be doing with our time. Newsflash: neither does anyone else. That isn’t coming to your door, gift-wrapped with a personal note from Jeff Bezos. You need to design your vision and check in with it daily. So consider this: What are five super-dope, awesome things you’d love to create within the next five years? Now you’re tapping into some soul stuff. This is nourishment. Return here often, and you’ll grow to love that little rush you get behind your belly button because you’re working on something meaningful.
4. They optimize their minds.
I’m talking about becoming a king at getting out of the way of our thoughts. It’s insane how much time we waste worrying. Too many of us are continually bombarded by our lies, our stories, and our insecure thoughts. To optimize your mind means understanding you can’t do anything about the stuff you can’t control. It means getting into the habit of letting go of pesky thoughts that aren’t serving you and revisiting the flow of the moment.
5. They maintain steady blood sugar.
I dumped most of the carbs from my diet, including gluten, donuts, and sugar. It’s amazing how this has impacted my energy levels. Carbs that spike blood sugar make us all kinds of agitated and sleepy. These ups and downs throughout the day aren’t conducive to productive and sustained output. It makes a huge difference. Know what you’re eating and what it’s doing to your insulin levels. Now, for the most part, I have a steady flow of energy that enables me to do more without grinding my teeth. Reduce the bad carbs at least and see what this does for your energy.
6. They optimize their environment for focus.
When we optimize the mind, our energy goes up, and we use our time better because we’re not wound up. In the same way, we can make significant changes to our environment to improve our focus. Turning off all notifications is one tiny example of many. If it’s too hot, for example, I end up procrastinating and feeling agitated. List out five things in your environment that take away from your effectiveness. You might be surprised at how much can improve by subtracting those things that throw you off balance.
7. They get accountable.
Few things save time more effectively than holding yourself accountable. This means creating a strong, internal emotional pull to complete things. We can be accountable to ourselves by writing down our goals for example. More powerfully, we can hire a coach or work with an accountability partner to ensure we feel bad if we fail to show up and complete when we said we would.
"Hey Jake, I’m going to write 1000 words every day for 30 days — you need to make sure I do."
"Sure thing, Nathan, I’ll be making sure you check in daily with me."
Tick. You can also announce your goals to the world, perhaps blog about them, and demonstrate your commitment. Now you will find it very difficult to hide when you said you’d appear.
8. They learn to love boldness.
The simple act of deciding to be bold will change everything. I sometimes find myself in a wimpy decline wondering why I don’t feel like doing anything. If my diet and sleep are sorted, the next thing to consider is if you’re on the back or front foot. Most of us navigate life on the back foot. We’re hesitant. We’re unsure. We rely on our feelings as guides. Back-foot living isn’t living. It’s lame, and you will soon wither into a puddle. Decide, right now, to live boldly. Be assertive in all that you do. Throw yourself into everything with a disgusting level of gusto. Do more. Those who adopt Mr. Bold Bear as their spirit animal reap the rewards. Take small steps to save time, so we can enjoy your impact.
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient.