We all develop habits over our lifetime, some good and some not so good!
Habits can be a great tool to use in building success in any career if we consciously develop them.
We can develop a habit of lifelong learning that will give us the tools for success in our chosen profession.
We can develop great time management habits that form the foundation of our productivity.
We can develop great sales habits that can help us achieve success in sales.
We can develop great leadership habits that will stand us in good stead as we progress in our career.
There are so many areas we can improve by developing positive habits.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle
Equally important is to recognize poor habits that we develop and take action to correct them.
We might slip in how we manage our time, perhaps taking too much time away from our most productive tasks.
We might get away from some of our disciplined sales habits that result in a drop in sales efficiency.
We might forget to keep some of those leadership habits as we move through the ranks, and that can hurt our effectiveness.
Habits slip, and need to be revisited periodically to make sure that they are a positive force.
"We first make our habits, and then our habits make us." John Dryden
Here are just a few examples of good work habits that can really help a career:
- Have a "To Do" list that is updated daily.
- Have a plan for your work ... and work that plan!
- Take time to think.
- Prepare for meetings ... and participate when in them.
- Read regularly ... news, industry news, job related literature.
- Put effort into your communication ... write effectively, think about your message.
- Work at networking ... within the company and externally.
- Invest in yourself ... training, personal improvement, grooming etc.
- Listen to your people, uncovering underlying problems early and identifying opportunities that could otherwise be missed.
- Consciously smile and be a positive force.
