Why Habit-Forming Behaviours are Important

As an entrepreneur launching your own company or a career in business, you probably set out with a vision of where you wanted to end up. You may even have achieved your primary goal and gone further. Have you ever wondered why some people succeed where others don’t?

It may be that circumstances favoured them or they had good luck, but it’s more likely due to their better understanding of what success factors were critical in their business and their ability to focus on them.

Everything such people do is highly intentional, starting with setting themselves clear goals over a predetermined period. They then break down these goals into everyday activities that lead them incrementally towards the bigger goal. In simple terms, they create habit-forming behaviours.

What are habit-forming behaviours?
Any type of behaviour, if you repeat it regularly, becomes automatic or habitual. Habits are generally formed by responding to a recognised cue or stimulus: this happens so I do that. The more often you do it, the more often you’re likely to carry on doing it, and for this reason, it’s important to form good habits rather than bad ones. In many cases, the thing you do, or the behaviour, will lead to a desired goal or reward.

Below are five tips that will help you to develop your own habit-forming behaviours.

1. Learn from your past
   Look back to some period in your life when you achieved your goals. Try to remember what you did then and why you think it worked. Is it possible to repeat this successful behaviour in a way to benefit your business?

2. Plan your day around a structured routine
   This may not appear to fit in with your idea of being entrepreneurial, but it does. Plan your day to align with your key objectives and factor in time to focus on the most important priorities. Create a clear daily, weekly and monthly plan, with regular activities such as team updates, product launches, etc. Allow yourself planned thinking time as well as time for management activities.

3. Write things down
   This may seem overly simplistic, but it’s surprising how many people rely purely on their mental powers to shape their business routines. Taking detailed notes of your intentions and goals will help focus your ideas and eventually guide your activities. Technological aids can make this a lot simpler, with calendar prompts and note-taking apps.

4. Ask and listen
   Give yourself plenty of face time with your team. Ask them what ideas they have, or if there’s anything they think might be improved. The key is to really listen to what they say. Don’t pre-judge their answers, as they may have some unusual and interesting matters to contribute.

5. Look after yourself
   This may seem obvious, but business leaders often get so carried away that they forget to eat and sleep regularly. You need passion and energy to be successful, so a balanced diet and sufficient rest are crucial.

Our team at BHP Consulting have all successfully run businesses, and we understand that every business is unique. Our practical approach to supporting our clients enables us to share our real-world experience to positively impact on the performance of your business. To arrange a call or an exploratory face-to-face meeting, please click here