Develop Four New Success Habits Each Year

Jack Canfield's Success Principle #34

In today's lesson, Jack talks about our daily behavior. Believe it or not, 90% of our behavior is habitual. In other words, we're on auto-pilot most of the time. We don't have to think very hard to brush our teeth, tie our shoes, eat our meals, and so on.

The good news is that these automatic behaviors allow us to do several things at once, such as talking on the phone and washing dishes at the same time. The bad news is that we can get stuck in self-defeating behaviors that limit our growth and potential for success.

Whether we have good habits or bad habits, both will determine our outcomes. Successful people get to the top with focused action, personal discipline, and lots of energy. Unsuccessful people, on the other hand, practice habits that breed negative outcomes.

Look at the list of unsuccessful habits below:

-procrastinating;
-paying bills at the last minute;
-missing deadlines;
-arriving late for meetings;
-forgetting someone's name as soon as they're introduced;
-talking over other people, instead of listening;
-taking phone calls during family time;
-breaking commitments to family members to help people in crisis;
-handling mail more than once;
-working late on a regular basis;
-choosing work over our spouse and children; and
-eating fast food more than twice per week.

We can say that we want to achieve a goal, but we must change our habits to make that goal a reality. For example, if we say we want to lose weight, we must change our habits to acutally shed the unwanted pounds. Exercise is imperative in all weight loss programs. So, in order to get to the gym regularly, we might need to choose to go to bed earlier and set the alarm an hour earlier.

I made the conscious decision when I began writing this blog that I would forego watching movies at night so that I could spend time reading The Success Principles and taking notes. The change in outcomes for me has been amazing. I feel so much more confident and capable than I used to. I'm accomplishing far more each day than I ever believed was possible.

The Bible also provides us with an excellent example of a negative habit being replaced by a positive one. In speaking about young widows, we read in I Timothy 5:13-15: Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to. So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander.

Today's Challenge
If we develop just four new habits each year, in five years, we could have 20 new success habits. Start today by listing four habits that you want to work on in 2011. Commit to working on one habit per quarter next year. Put up signs around the house to remind yourself to change your habits. Partner up with someone, keep score, and hold each other accountable.

Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com