Develop effective behaviours

Are you undermining your personal development without knowing it? You might well be if you have negative habits. Poor behaviours and habits can stagnate progress in the long term because the higher you go the more your success depends on behavioral factors rather than technical skill.

Here is my list of some behaviours and habits that will stand you on good ground.

IDENTIFY MOTORS’: Motors give you momentum and keep you moving towards your destination. Like begets like. Surround yourself with positive, uplifting people. Identify bad habits and replace them with positive ones. Get someone to hold you accountable.

GET STUFF DONE: It’s not the intention, not the wish, not even the plan that matters; it’s the results. Give up justifying mediocrity. Be ruthlessly honest with yourself. If what you’re producing isn’t not good enough, keep working at it.

TAP OTHERS' BRAINS: Your own brain can only take you so far, . No matter how smart you are, you can draw on the success strategies of others. Don’t become a law unto yourself; it can make you ‘rusty’. There’s wisdom all around you for the taking, grab it.

STOP COMPLAINING: Complaining! Everybody does it right? Yet we know it’s a waste of energy and puts us in a negative mood; half the time we complain to the wrong person. Be proactive and take action instead to do something about what’s upsetting you, rather than being spectator in your own life.

FAIL FORWARD: There are times when you step out and you fail. That’s not the time to withdraw and give up. If you fail, figure out what went wrong, correct it, confront your fears and use the lessons to act more wisely towards your goal. Commit fully and log your progress regularly.

DO WHAT IS REQUIRED: Instead of taking on only what you like to do, do the uncomfortable to achieve your outcomes if necessary. Quit waiting for inspiration, perfection or even permission to do what will take you where you need to be. Focus, exercise discipline, self control and persistence.

CREATE A DAILY ROUTINE. This is simple to do but not always easy to follow. But doing it can make a big difference. It will help you get a good start to your day, manage distractions, firmly root productive habits and focus on what’s important.

SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF: You are never too big or important to do certain things. Returning phone calls, finishing what you start, following up on action plans, managing your moods will give you a good name. Don’t get be afraid to get your hands dirty.

Now take action: What two productive habits will you develop over the next six months?