Note: This article is from coach and public speaking expert Sabina Nawaz, who shares her experience in developing good habits.
It was the dentist's stern tone that prompted me to start the habit of daily flossing, a habit I've been trying effortlessly to build into my daily routine for the past 30 years.
Although we are aware of our positive habits, we do not practice them. These lapses accompany us in our professional lives as well, where we get occupied reading emails after promising ourselves big tasks, waste our mornings on useless meetings instead of investing them in strategic thinking, and we enter into agreements with ourselves to support our current actions and postpone the positive changes we ultimately wish to implement.
Developing a new habit is a preventative measure that helps build the groundwork for what we want to achieve. We indeed dread the idea that making a change might take a lot of time and effort. However, establishing constructive habits saves a lot of time in the long run because it spares us wasted efforts and the mess we would have had to deal with.
I came up with a technique called “The YES List.” This technique aimed to help executive managers to eliminate many of their negative habits and promote their positive influence by adopting a new healthy routine. We can employ “The YES List” by writing down the things that we have done (Yes), and those we did not but should have (NO). Making the “The YES List” won’t take more than 20 seconds a day, yet it has major benefits.
6 tips that can help you commit to change
1. Make “A YES List”
Add no more than 3 goals, and divide them into small practical procedures. For example, if you want to enhance your sense of cooperation, start by thanking one of your colleagues on that day. Then, assemble a table that includes the procedures and appointments you would like to follow up on.
2. Use Affirmative phrases instead of negative phrases
It's easier to focus on doing something instead of not doing it. For example, instead of writing: "Don't postpone reading the last updates on work," write: "Read work-related articles."
3. Set an alternative for your habit
You will successfully abstain from doing something if you found an alternative. For example, if you want to reduce the amount of criticism you express during a meeting, turn making judgments into curiosity.
Set an alternative goal by asking an open question as a substitute. For instance, instead of saying “This is illogical, it seems you haven’t put a lot of thought into this,” say: “Can you help me further understand the consequences you have taken into account?”
4. Get to the bottom of the issue
Charles Duhigg shares a story in his book The Power of Habit, where he talks about gaining weight while he was writing it. He had the habit of going to the coffee shop to eat a piece of cake every afternoon, while he could have replaced it with a piece of fruit.
However, he realized that the real reason behind his daily trip to the coffee shop was to meet people after a long day of being isolated in his house. So, this notion allowed him to enjoy his afternoon with a group of people while refraining from going to the coffee shop and surrendering to its pleasures.
5. Use a technique that suits you
You can form “The YES List” the way you like. You can use a paper, a spreadsheet, an app, or a voice recording. Use the tool that you would most likely use daily.
6. Follow up on the list daily
Don’t bother to recall what you have done throughout the week. Simply, label the items on your list with “’Yes” and “No” at the end of each day. Set a daily reminder to remind you of the activity you want to make sure of doing. For example, if you floss every day, stick a note on your floss holder.
Flossing - for less than a minute a day - has saved me a lot of money and countless dental problems. When we contemplate the negative habits we have, we can break free from their control over us and develop new habits that equip us to achieve success now and in the future.
Add comment