| They sneak up on you. A snack with your cuppa. Hitting the snooze button. Deferring the filing until tomorrow. Leaving just in time to make the appointment. I’m guilty of all these. I remember at University learning about Stimulus – Response, Pavlov’s Dog, and the theory of learned behaviour. However we are more complex beings than this. These tiny inconsequential decisions are the response of: Cue, Craving, Response and Reward as observed by James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits. We associate a trigger with a desire for a specific response which when achieved is fulfilling, at least momentarily. These habits reward us in the moment, but can cost dearly in the longer term. And they work both ways, positively and negatively. The trick is to be aware of them. |
| A great practice I was relaying to a coaching client this week was to pay attention to her habits by completing an inventory of them and rating them as to whether they were bringing her closer to or further from her goals. Step 6 of my book, The Pink Hard Hat, is to “remove what doesn’t serve you” and as we embark on a new financial year, this is a great practice to adopt. This stops mindless drift and keeps us on track with our goals. At the end of the financial year for example, I make it a practice to review our family’s net worth. My husband and I have a brief meeting and check if we are on track for our financial goals. He’s very big picture and finds this reassuring. Smaller weekly habits are filing Fridays when bills get paid. This “boring” system has taken the angst out of financial management for me. As you find habits that work for you, I’ve found it helpful to bunch them up so they become like rituals – habits with soul. In my own life in Winter for example, I wake while it’s still dark, put the fire on, feed the cat, meditate/write/or read and then run with my dog through the forest. All within the first couple of hours of my day. This has been the result of deliberate choices about who I want to become. And I simply feel better when I start the day this way. |
As Andrew Carnegie famously espoused, “take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves.”
| So as we turn the page this new financial year, consider your habits. Are they bringing you closer to your goals? If not, recognise then replace them with better ones. You’ll be shocked about the compounding impact. Please share with someone who might need this today. |
0 Comments