Change what you do, to change where you go.

The profound impact of changing habits on your journey.

Our lives are often governed by patterns and routines, some consciously chosen, others unwittingly adopted. James Clear, in "Atomic Habits," aptly states, "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems”. These systems, or loops of behavior, can either propel us forward or keep us anchored in place.

Today let’s discuss the need to change what we do, to change where we go.

Illustration: GoLimitlesss

For example, consider a project manager named Sarah, who found her team consistently missing deadlines. Upon reflection, she realized that their daily stand-up meetings, intended to be brief check-ins, often turned into lengthy discussions, eating into productive work time. Here, a well-intentioned pattern had become counterproductive.

Breaking the Loop: Practical Strategies for Change

To embark on a path of change, we need to reassess and modify these patterns.

Set Clear, Actionable Goals

"Begin with the end in mind" - "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People."

For Sarah, this meant redefining her team's approach to meetings. She set a clear goal: streamline the daily stand-ups to 15 minutes, focusing solely on updates and immediate blockers.

Develop a Structured Action Plan

Creating an action plan involves breaking down these goals into achievable steps. Inspired by the '80/20 Rule', which that states that 80% of outcomes results from 20% of causes, " Sarah identified that 20% of the meeting content was taking up 80% of the time.

She implemented a new rule: discussions unrelated to immediate tasks would be moved to a separate, scheduled meeting.

Build Support Networks

"One is too small a number to achieve greatness" - John C. Maxwell

This underscores the importance of collaborative effort. Sarah encouraged her team to provide feedback on the new meeting structure, creating a support system that fostered collective responsibility and improvement.

This means recognizing the importance of having a network of individuals who can offer diverse perspectives, encouragement, advice, and accountability.

Identifying potential members of your network

1. Look within your existing circles: Start with people you already know, such as colleagues, friends, family, or mentors who have relevant experience or have shown interest in your goals. In my case, I literally Twitter DM friends.

2. Extend beyond familiar faces: Don't shy away from connecting with people outside your immediate network. This includes industry peers or members of professional groups. Set expectations low, but no risk no reward.

3. Consider diversity in your network: A varied group in terms of experience, skills, and perspectives can provide richer insights and advice.

Initiating and building connections

1. Reach out with a clear purpose: Be transparent about why you're seeking someone's support and how they can help you with your goals.

2. Offer mutual support: Networking is reciprocal. Be ready to offer your assistance or expertise in return.

3. Utilize professional platforms: Use platforms like LinkedIn (yes, for real) to connect with professionals in your field or interest areas.

Embrace Failures as Learning Opportunities

Adopting Carol S. Dweck's growth mindset from "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success," Sarah viewed initial resistance and mistakes as part of the learning curve.

Each hiccup in implementing the new structure was an opportunity to adjust and refine the approach.

Cultivate a Growth Mindset

This mindset, where challenges are seen as opportunities to grow, was crucial for Sarah and her team. It transformed their approach to problem-solving and collaboration, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and adaptation.

In the context of changing habits and patterns, a growth mindset plays a crucial role. Here's how you can apply it:

1. Embrace the challenge of change: View the process of changing your habits as an exciting challenge. For instance, if you're trying to reduce social media usage, see it as an opportunity to explore what you can achieve with the extra time.

2. Persist despite setbacks: Understand that slipping back into old habits is normal. Instead of seeing this as a failure, view it as a learning opportunity. Ask yourself what triggered the relapse and how you can avoid it in the future.

3. Celebrate effort, not just outcome: Focus on the effort you're putting into changing your habits, rather than just the end goal. Each day that you stick to your plan, even if not perfectly, is a step forward.

“Change is a door that can only be opened from the inside” - Terry Neil

Illustration: GoLimitlesss

A personal story

It was several years ago that I was sitting at my desk at Google, dreading looking at my calendar. Looming deadlines for Google I/O, overflowing to-do lists, and color-coded commitments waged a constant war for my attention. Every morning, I'd wake up with the best intentions, ready to conquer the day. But by noon, fatigue would creep in, my resolve crumbling like a sandcastle under the relentless tide of tasks. I was going nowhere, stuck in a hamster wheel of busyness that never seemed to end.

One day, a friend, a seasoned director of the productivity wars, sat me down. "You're not managing your time," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "You're letting it manage you." His words were a revelation. I realized I was a prisoner of my own schedule, a slave to the tyranny of the to-do list. I realized I needed to change my patterns. That meant identifying my current loop, getting clearer on my goals and creating a plan for how I was going to achieve them without burning out.

I started small. I carved out sacred blocks of time for focused work, the Deep Work Cal Newport refers to. These became my sanctuaries, islands of calm in the storm of my day. I learned to say "no" more often, politely but firmly declining requests that didn't align with my priorities. My calendar, once a battlefield, became a map, guiding me towards meaningful goals.

It wasn't easy. The old habits, the constant distractions, they whispered doubts and temptations. I started to see the fruits of my labor. Tasks completed, goals reached, and most importantly, a sense of peace I hadn't known before. I’ve continued refining my loops over the last ten years and now feel happy with the balance I’ve found.

A Step-by-Step Guide for Practical Change

Embarking on a journey of change involves transforming our habitual patterns into pathways for growth. Here's a practical, step-by-step guide to help you apply this pattern in your own life:

1. Identify Your Current Loop

• Reflect on your daily routines: Take a moment to consider your daily habits and routines. What do you typically do from the moment you wake up until you go to bed?

• Pinpoint ineffective patterns: Identify which of these habits might be holding you back. For example, do you spend too much time on social media, leading to reduced productivity?

2. Define Clear, Specific Goals

• Set targeted objectives: Based on your reflections, set specific goals that address your ineffective habits. If social media is your issue, a goal could be to reduce your usage by half.

• Make them measurable: Ensure your goals are quantifiable. Instead of "use social media less," aim for "limit social media use to 30 minutes per day."

3. Create an Actionable Plan

• Break down your goals: Divide your goals into smaller, manageable tasks. For the social media goal, this could include deleting apps from your phone or setting specific times for usage.

• Set timelines: Assign a realistic timeline for each task. Decide by when you will delete the apps and start the new routine.

4. Build a Support System

• Seek accountability partners: Find friends, family members, or colleagues who can hold you accountable. Share your goals and progress with them.

• Join communities: Engage with online or local groups with similar goals for mutual support and encouragement.

5. Embrace Failures as Opportunities

• Expect setbacks: Understand that slip-ups are part of the process. If you find yourself exceeding your social media limits, don’t be too hard on yourself.

• Learn and adjust: Use each setback to learn about what triggers your habit and how you can better control it.

6. Cultivate a Growth Mindset

• Believe in improvement: Remind yourself that change is possible and that you can improve your habits.

• Seek learning opportunities: Read books, attend workshops, or listen to podcasts that reinforce the growth mindset and provide strategies for habit change.

7. Review and Adjust Regularly

• Monitor your progress: Keep track of how well you're sticking to your plan. Use a journal or an app to log your daily social media usage.

• Be flexible and adjust: If your current strategy isn’t working, be open to trying different approaches. Maybe a digital detox or app blocker would be more effective.

8. Celebrate Your Progress

• Acknowledge small wins: Celebrate the small victories along the way. Each day you stick to your limit is a step in the right direction.

• Reflect on your journey: Regularly reflect on how these changes are impacting your life positively. This will fuel your motivation to continue.

By following these steps, you can start to rewrite your daily patterns, transforming them from obstacles into stepping stones for growth. In my case, regular reflection on my loops, goals and prioritiesare a key part of how I try to optimize my effectiveness.

Patience and persistence are your allies on this path.

Conclusion

The journey to change our actions and thereby alter our life's direction is intricate and multifaceted. It's a path that involves unlearning old patterns and embracing new, more effective ones.

"Life is a journey, not a destination." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Through this journey, laden with challenges and opportunities, we can unlock our potential and steer towards the future we aspire to create.

Remember, change begins with a single step. And that step starts with the decision to do something different today.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider liking or resharing it. Any validation this work is of value to others is appreciated :)