“Motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going.” _{^{– Jim Rohn}}

When first working with a new life coaching client I try really hard to dive deep into their current habits and ask questions that will help me uncover not only their bad habits – but their good habits as well.

Habits are what you do on a daily basis automatically without having to think that ultimately become easier and easier over time.

Nothing is more important to success than habits and I’ll tell you why.

The first time you wake up at 5am its tough, the second time you get up super early its still tough but after a few consistent days under your belt beating the sun not only does it get easier but you start to enjoy it more as well. It goes without being said that having good, productive, efficient habits are important but the real power of habits is when you solidify a new habit to focus on the next. When that daily reading practice becomes so ingrained into your brain that you no longer have to think or try or feel obligated to get it done, that’s when the magic happens. Why is this so powerful? Well, besides the fact that it becomes easier and you no longer need to use your will power muscle or spend energy and attention on performing the habit the real power comes from the ability you now have to implement a new habit. This is what I want to focus on. Make a list of 10 habits that you think would benefit you overtime that would lead to living your best life, some of them might include a daily meditation practice, consistent exercise, doing the dishes as soon as you’re done eating.  Overtime incorporating new productive habits into your life will give you this new ability to always be adding new and improved ways of living that will ultimately lead you to greater success.

So, what are some of my habits? Well I have a few non-negotiables that I perform every single day, without fail and they include but are not limited to:

• Make my bed (daily last 3 months)
• Meditate (daily last 4 years)
• Read (daily last 5 years)
• Listen to audible instead of music (daily last 9 months)
• Fast until 1230pm (daily last 4 months)

Incorporating a new habit is only possible when an old habit becomes automatic – can you see the compound effect at work?

You don’t cash in your results on your habits immediately, there is a lag from habit implementation to swing results. It takes time for your habits to show that they are working but there are some habits that you don’t need to expect results from because you just know they are going to work. I call this trusting the process and a few of my life coaching clients have a though time when they don’t see results immediately. Do not worry about results, focus on your actions. If a basketball team spent the entire 60 minutes of a game looking at the results (in this case the scoreboard) they would never be able to score a point let alone get back and play defense. Do not focus on the fruits of your labor focus on the actions of your labor. This requires a lot of mindfulness, its not easy to stay in the moment and give all of your attention to right here right now but this is required to make greatness happen in your life.

At the bottom of this blog post is a list of good habits that you can perform on a daily basis that when they become automatic will allow you to focus on new habits.

• Waking up at 5am
• Daily reading
• Daily meditation
• Making your bed
• Exercising Cleaning the dishes after you eat
• Putting stuff back where it belongs when your done using it
• Getting rid of 1 thing everyday
• Journaling
• Setting your most important tasks for the day
• Calling a friend
• Writing down something that you are grateful for

“Everyone must choose one of two pains: The pain of discipline or the pain of regret.” “For every disciplined effort, there is a multiple reward.” _{^{– Jim Rohn}}