Why Bad Habits Are Hard to Break

Bad habits are frustrating and difficult to break, but why are some so hard to shake? Let’s explore three common reasons why bad habits are so stubborn and what you can do to overcome them.

1. Your Life Is Out of Alignment
Bad habits often arise when something in your life or work is out of balance. Maybe you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, or perhaps you’re not getting enough sleep or exercise. Whatever the case, when something in your life or work is off kilter, it can be hard to break a bad habit.

What is out of alignment? Here are some common examples and what to do to fix it:
• Sleep/energy levels – Make sure you get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and eat a balanced diet.
• Stress/anxiety – Engage in stress-relieving activities such as yoga, meditation, walking or deep breathing exercises.
• Time management – Create a daily routine and schedule specific tasks to maximise your productivity.
• Finances – Develop a budget and stick with it.
• Relationships – Spend quality time with your family and friends.
• Work/life balance – Set boundaries between work and leisure activities so that you can rest and relax during off-hours and work effectively during work hours.

It’s important to identify what might be out of alignment and put in the effort to fix it.

To determine what is out of alignment in your life you may need to practice reflective thinking or mindfulness or keep a journal to help you figure out what’s not right for you.

For example, if you have low energy, is it due to your diet, sedentary lifestyle, stress, or anxiety, or is your time management needing some work?

This requires brutal honesty about what you may be doing to cause this misalignment.

2. You Don’t Understand Why You Are Doing It
Sometimes, people engage in bad habits without really understanding why. Maybe you’re doing it out of boredom, to cope with negative emotions, or simply because it’s a habit you’ve always had.

It is difficult to address the issue without understanding the root cause of your bad habits so that you can make lasting changes.

Thankfully, it only takes a few steps that will allow you to get to the root cause of a bad habit:
1. Identify the habit
2. Track your behaviour
3. Ask yourself hard questions
4. Take action

Take the time to observe the bad habit so you can determine what exactly the bad habit is.

Take notes when the habit occurs. Ask yourself why. Write down the situation or emotions you experience that triggers the habit.

Ask yourself these hard questions to identify and understand any underlying causes, especially the payoff you get from performing the bad habit.

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3. You Focus Only On the Endpoint, Which Overwhelms You
Breaking a bad habit is sometimes overwhelming.

This is especially true if you’re only focusing on the endpoint rather than the steps it takes to get there. So instead of trying to quit a habit cold turkey, it is often more effective to focus on small, achievable steps.

For example, if you’re trying to stop procrastinating, try setting yourself a goal to work on that task for just 15 minutes each day, after which you can reward yourself by working on a more pleasant task.

You’ll be more prone to sticking to your new habit and making lasting changes by taking small steps that accumulate over time.

Bad habits can be hard to break. However, by understanding the root cause of your habit, focusing on small, achievable steps, identifying what might be out of alignment in your life, and working to correct the issues, you are sure to overcome your bad habits and create lasting change.

Characteristics of a business mindset

As a coach I see many people who have developed a business mindset, one which supports them to build a successful business. Let’s explore some of the key characteristics of a business mindset that you can develop to boost your own success.

Prioritise one goal1. Goal-oriented

A business mindset means you are focused on achieving specific goals and objectives. It involves setting clear targets and developing strategies to achieve them.

You will often hear me reminding you of how important it is to set goals and take action to achieve them. That’s because it’s probably one of the most important characteristics or habits that you can develop.

Go back over any goals you have previously had and not yet achieved. What do you need to do to get started taking action right now to achieve them?

2. Risk-taking

Successful business often involves taking calculated risks. A business mindset involves being willing to take risks, and having the courage to face potential failures and setbacks.

Maybe you have heard successful people joke about how often they failed before becoming an ‘overnight success’. The truth is we don’t notice all the hurdles someone else faces along the way. Less successful people give up after the first hurdle to avoid any more failure. Which are you?

3. Adaptability

In the fast-changing world of business, it is important to be adaptable and flexible. A business mindset involves being able to quickly adapt to changing circumstances and market conditions. Sometimes this modifies the actions we need to take to achieve our goals. But it doesn’t usually mean we have to abandon a goal, just that we may need to rethink the required actions.

4. Innovation

Successful businesses are often built on innovative ideas and products. A business mindset involves being creative and constantly seeking out new ideas and solutions.

Even applying an idea or a tool from one context in a new context can be innovative. Often we get so involved in our own business that we don’t appreciate what we are doing or offering our customers that they see as innovative. Talk to you customers regularly to see if there is any innovation that they would love to see you embrace.

5. Customer-focused

A business mindset is centred around meeting the needs of customers. It involves understanding their needs and preferences, and developing products and services that meet those needs. This can be related to innovation in new products or services, as I was discussing above, or it might relate to common customer concerns such as communication, simplification or consistency.

How long since you talked to your customers?

6. Continuous learning

Successful business owners are constantly learning and improving. A business mindset involves a willingness to learn, to seek out new knowledge and skills, and to continuously improve.

Making time for personal and business development programs can sometimes seem hard, but one good idea, implemented in your business, can be the difference between mediocracy and success. So cultivate a habit of continuously learning and apply what you learn.

7. Results-driven

A business mindset is focused on achieving results. It involves setting clear performance targets and developing strategies to achieve them. Being results-driven is what gives setting goals its super power.

Successful business people don’t want to achieve just any results. They are determined to achieve the results that will move them closer to their goals. How results-driven are you? Do you track your results?

8. Resilience

Building a successful business requires resilience and perseverance. A business mindset involves being able to overcome challenges and setbacks, and to keep pushing forward.

Coping with setbacks can be difficult but it is a skill that can be developed. And developing this skill will make your future business, and life, much more rewarding because we all face setbacks. If this is a skill you need to develop more, check out my Coping With Setbacks course now.

9. Strategic thinking

A business mindset involves strategic thinking, and the ability to develop visionary long-term plans and strategies. It involves considering multiple factors, such as market conditions, competition, and customer needs, in order to make informed decisions. The goals and targets we set need to support those long-term plans and strategies in order for us to be successful.

Do you have a strategic plan for your business? Plus a detailed list of goals that support it?

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10. Financial acumen

Successful businesses require strong financial management. A business mindset involves understanding key financial metrics, such as revenue, profit, and cash flow, and making informed financial decisions to invest in tools and education in order to acquire necessary skills and capacity.

11. Leadership

Building and running a successful business requires effective leadership. A business mindset involves the ability to inspire and motivate others, to delegate tasks, and to create a positive work culture.

Even if you are running your business on your own, you still need to develop the leadership necessary to work with suppliers and to outsource certain tasks.

12. Time management

Successful business owners make efficient use of time. They have the basic skills and the mindset necessary for managing time effectively, prioritising tasks, and avoiding distractions. Really successful business owners dive deep into how to maximise every minute and achieve more in less time. How good are you at managing your time?

Are they characteristics you have developed yet? The personal development required to consciously acquire these characteristics is a priority for most successful business owners and entrepreneurs.

Business Mindset Hacks

These twelve characteristics are actively developed by all successful business owners I know. If you would like to work on some or all of them in a coaching program I’m here to help. Just contact me and tell me what draws your attention.

Cultivate a habit of continuously learning and applying what you have learned to become better every day.
If you just want a course to help, grab this quick audio course now to develop your business mindset.

https://kmginfo.link/business-mindset

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