Last week, it felt rewarding to finally announce the release of my book, The Promise Wheel. It took me a while to get the book complete and ready for publication. But now that it’s launched, the feeling of accomplishment is greater than I imagined.
I mentioned that it took me over 10-years to complete the project. It took that long because I lacked the habits that would have led me to finish it sooner.
Goals are the Destination. Habits Help You Get There
Now, I love goals – I love the process of thinking, reflecting, and dreaming about achieving or accomplishing “X.”
However, I’ve learned that goals are only attainable if I’ve implemented the habits or processes that can help me attain those goals.
My goal was to write a book. I was specific about what I wanted (writing a book), but I never thought about the habits that could get me to achieve that goal. I only made progress on finishing the book once I committed to writing every day, even if it was only 15-minutes at a time.
In other words, I achieved my goal after spending time and energy building the proper habits that directly lead to achieving the specific goal.
Applying this to Your Life
When thinking about goals, it’s best to have specific rather than broad or general ones. For example, “I want to lose 10 pounds” is more precise than “I want to lose weight.” Or, “I want to spend more time with my kids” is more specific than “I want to be a better parent.”
The more specific you are with your goals, the easier it will be to identify the habits that can help you achieve them.
With that in mind, here are a few examples of the relationship between habits and goals.
- Goal: I want to be less depressed
- Habit: Every day, I will say one thing that I’m grateful for (research shows that keeping a gratitude journal can reduce depression.)
- Goal: I want to be less anxious.
- Habit: Every day, I will practice deep breathing for one minute so that I can calm my body.
- Goal: I want to yell less often at my kids.
- Habit: I will identify the situations and conditions that lead me to feel frustrated.
- Goal: I want to improve my diet
- Habit: Every day, I will eat three pieces of fruit or vegetables.
Summary
If you visit my website, you’ll see the following sentence: “We all have something that we can improve upon.” My website has been up for a few years, and I still believe strongly in that message.
So, if there is something that you would like to improve within yourself, be specific about what it is that needs improving. Then, think of the habits that will help you achieve your goal.
I hope this post helps you identify the habits that can lead you toward a more balanced life.
Richard
P.S. If you need some help identifying and supporting new habits, visit my team of therapists and see if there’s someone who resonates with you.