Creating good BUSINESS HABITS
| Salad leaves from a client’s kitchen garden.
WHAT I DID…..
Last year my partner and I decided to ‘Go Vegan’ from Monday to Friday. A big change for two committed carnivores. This was mainly for health reasons but as we progress the environmental and animal ethics have come to the fore.
Committing to this together has made the move easier. As well as the plethora of information out there on social media about how to keep protein levels high and eat a balanced diet.
We now have regular shopping lists and things that must be in our pantry. We plan what we are going to eat most days and help each other with ideas & recipes. We have learned how to make food varied and interesting.
Committing to Monday to Friday means we could ease into our new vegan life gently.
Our habit has changed succesfully.
| Instagram post - Somewhere in America
HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO BUSINESS?
The parallel is the shift of habits needed to achieve a goal.
How many of us have made a New Year’s resolution and then failed to keep it? Why does this happen?
To reach a goal and make it permanent we need to change our habits permanently.
I recently happened across the Zoe Podcast episode which discusses how to master healthy eating habits and the whole time I’m thinking ‘This is how to master Healthy Business Habits.’ In this episode James Clear (Atomic Habits) explains how to achieve SUSTAINABLE CHANGE by changing our environment and our mind set.
He sets out four key elements that are needed:
1. Change your environment
2. Make small, regular changes which lead to a bigger permanent change
3. Work with another
4. Become a TYPE of person
What BUSINESS habits do you need to change?
| Me with my local RNLI Lifeguards. Essential support for sea swimming.
WHY ARE THESE POINTS IMPORTANT?
Point 1 is about having a place where your new habit is made easy to achieve.
For me as a business mentor I would translate this into creating clear processes for your business, so that at any one time you know what is needed, who you are communicating to and how.
Point 2. Small changes are achievable and reinforce the feeling of success.
Setting short term goals which lead to longer term goals is a big part of building your own business. A solo businessperson can often feel overwhelmed by the number of hats they have to wear. Making small changes to each one means we reach overall change gradually and sustainably.
Point 3. Having supporters is invaluable.
It is vital that friends and family understand what you are doing and take it seriously. Joining associations like the APL or SGD who run Zoom get togethers can also help you feel less isolated. Obviously mentoring is the best way to go though !!
Point 4. I became Vegan 5 days a week.
Instead of setting a goal such as ‘I want to run my own design studio’ we say ‘I want to become the person who runs their own design studio’. Making it about changing yourself makes it personal. So what do I need to do to become that person?
| Double rainbow over the Haunted House - Westward Ho!
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF:
What working environment do I need?
What small changes can I make now that will become habit forming?
Who can help me?
Who do I need to become?
You are more than just a designer, you are a BUSINESSPERSON