In business, good habits are your ticket to success. They really make a difference in how well you perform and how productive you are. As a business owner, it’s crucial to stick to your commitments, even on tough days.

When I talk about good habits, I get really emotional. Because I can easily trace my journey with poor habits, and I can easily relate my success to the transformation of these habits. By simply improving my habits, I managed to emerge from a 13-year depression phase that was caused by a host of things.

2005 was life-changing! I was diving headfirst into my first business venture and success was on the horizon. Exciting, right? Well, it was—until it wasn’t. Things didn’t pan out as planned, and suddenly, I found myself facing failure. It hit me hard, like a ton of bricks. I was devastated and felt like I’d lost a piece of myself.

But that was just the beginning of my rollercoaster ride. You see, that setback triggered something much deeper. There were days when getting out of bed felt like an Olympic feat. I struggled to do the basics like brushing my teeth or feeding myself. I was on antidepressants for 13 years after that, and within this period I tried to get out of them about 40 times.

Then, on my son Max’s first birthday, something clicked. As I watched him blow out his candles, something clicked inside me. I realized I needed to make a change. For him, for myself, and for us.

Around the same time, I discovered ‘The Miracle Morning’ by Hal Elrod, and I started following his advice. It was a game-changer! It was like a lightbulb moment! Within a month, my discipline improved, my mind cleared up, and I felt amazing. I stopped taking meds, and I’ve never looked back!

5 Ways to Form Good Business Habits

Depression is not a bad habit. It’s a serious condition that affects the lives of so many people every day. But for me, it did lead to some pretty unhealthy habits. So, I knew if I wanted to get better, I had to shake things up.

I decided to change my habits, and just by this simple act, my life improved tremendously.

Here are 5 ways to form good business habits:

1. Be Consistent
2. Set Clear Goals – Know where you’re headed
3. Create Accountability
4. Reward Yourself
5. Be Kind to Yourself

1. Be Consistent

Have you ever heard the saying ‘Never skip a Monday?’

It’s a popular one, especially in the world of fitness. Basically, it means that starting your week off right can set the tone for the rest of it.

Consistency is the name of the game. It’s when you wake up feeling lazy and extra cozy under the covers, and you still choose to keep the promise that you made to yourself.

Sticking to your commitments is what really counts.

You have probably heard about the 21-day rule. It’s the idea that it takes only three weeks to form new good habits. 

While this rule has been discredited by recent research, James Clear, the genius behind the book Atomic Habits says that “It requires a minimum of about 21 days for an old mental image to dissolve.”

So, whether it’s hitting the gym, tackling a work project, or just being kinder to yourself, remember: every small step counts. And consistency is key.

Here are two ways to stay consistent when forming good business habits:

• Build a Streak

In James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits, he talks about gamifying your habits. One way to do that is to build a streak.

There are many apps that you can download onto your phone to help you build good habits. Check out this Streaks App.

Streaks are motivating because you can visually see your progress and be motivated not to break them, so you keep going.

• Create a Routine

Another great way to stay consistent is to create a routine. If you set aside a special time to form the new habit, then it’ll be harder for you to excuse yourself away from doing it. Set visual reminders to make sure that you always have it in mind what needs to be done and when.

2. Set Clear Goals

I love quotes, and one of the ones that I keep repeating to myself is by Steve Maraboli. He asks, “If you don’t know exactly where you are going, how will you know when to get there?”

Setting clear goals is one way to stay consistent. Because when you break it down, you’ll see that you have no room for laziness or excuses.

Goals also help to remind you why you are doing what you are doing. They keep you on track and help you to monitor your progress so far. In short, there’s no true downside of setting clear goals.

Here are two tips to do so:

• Write it Down

By now you’ve all realised that I’m a big fan of writing things down. First, it helps you to refer back and remember what you said you would do.

Secondly, it keeps you accountable, because you can easily see where you are doing well and where you are falling off.

Lastly, writing things down is a powerful way to internalise them. It’s much easier to absorb it and make it a part of you when you physically write it.

• Break it Down

Have you heard the saying ‘eating an elephant one bite at a time?’

It’s not about actually biting an elephant, but it alludes to how easy things become when you break them down to bit-sized pieces.

The same goes for your goals. If you can break them down, you make them more manageable and achievable.

3. Create Accountability

We speak about accountability a lot, and that’s because we truly believe that it’s the secret sauce to success.

It’s much easier to disappoint yourself than to disappoint other people. That’s just how many of us are wired. So, if you want to form good habits, you need an accountability partner or group to hold you to your word.

Their work is to make sure that you are progressing as you said you would. It can even be a symbiotic relationship, in that you help one another to tick things off. 

Accountability in business is a magic ingredient that keeps you on your toes. The people you choose as partners should not be afraid to call you out when you’re slacking and high-five you when you ace it.

Here are two ways to find accountability:

• Be Honest with Yourself

It’s possible to hold yourself accountable when you remind yourself that these good habits that you are trying to form can change your life, forever. Whenever you find yourself giving excuses for not staying consistent, reflect on your why. 

Reconnect with the reasons why you set those goals and remind yourself why they are important to you.

• Involve a Third Party

Like I said, sometimes it’s much easier and more efficient when someone else is holding you accountable. If nothing else, you’ll feel slightly shy or embarrassed to admit that you’ve not been able to complete what you were supposed to. 

So if you’re struggling to hold yourself accountable, the best next option is to involve a third party.

4. Reward Yourself

When we were younger, rewards created a lot of incentive to do things. For example you would be told that if you completed a chore, you would earn yourself some sweets.

As we grew older, we also grew out of reward system, and that’s partly where we went wrong.

Rewarding works for adults too! It biologically increases dopamine levels in your brain and is a good habit to build. However small, a reward is a good motivation to continue and feel proud of your accomplishment.

Here are two ways that you can make sure to reward yourself for forming good habits:

• Identify Meaningful Rewards

As you set goals for the new habits that you want to form, also identify meaningful rewards for yourself.

What would actually make you feel good about your achievements? It could be small treats like a few extra hours of sleep, a slice of cake, a relaxing bath, or indulging in a hobby you love.

• Make it Timely

Your brain needs to make a connection between the reward and the achievement. For this to happen it needs to be an instant reward.

This immediate gratification can easily strengthen the habit loop and motivate you to chase after the next achievement quickly.

5. Be Kind to Yourself

It’s not easy to form a new habit. Recognise that sometimes you may fall back into the old habits, but those are just setbacks. Even if you miss out for one day or even one week, make sure to jump back into action.

Being kind to yourself is a huge part of forming good habits because without it, you can slip back into your old ways. Don’t take it for granted.

Here are two ways to be kind to yourself:

• Talk to Yourself Like a Friend

You need to challenge your negative self-talk. Be careful, especially when you make a mistake or you fail.

Talk to yourself like you would talk to a friend – kindly, gently, and with love.

Notice when your inner critic starts to speak. Replace self-criticism with self-compassionate language.

• Focus on Progress, Not Perfection

No matter how small, celebrate the progress. Think back to how far you’ve come and acknowledge the efforts that you’ve made so far.

If we’re after perfection, it’s almost guaranteed that we will fail. But if we focus on progress, then it’s much more motivating to go after what we want in life.

Summary – How to Form Good Business Habits

I came out of depression because of changing my habits. By reading the book ‘The Miracle Morning,’ I was able to incorporate the Life SAVERS – Silence, Affirmations, Visualisaton, Exercising, Reading, and Scribing.

Whatever you are trying to improve in your life, it all starts with changing your habits.

In conclusion, the ways to form good business habits are:

1. Be Consistent
2. Set Clear Goals
3. Create Accountability
4. Reward Yourself
5. Be Kind to Yourself

Trying to form good business habits? Get in touch with us. Let’s have a chat about it and together we canbuild better businesses and better relationships!