Small business owners usually have a wide range of business goals at the beginning of the year. From my experience, I believe that the No. 1 business goal for any business owner is to create proper habits.
It doesn’t need to be (nor should it be) multiple habits that you want to form on January 1, 2020. Instead, pick your most important habit that will start the momentum of positive change in other areas of your life. Focus on that habit first.
Specifically, this habit encourages you to execute on the most-important priorities, and realize that to live a more balanced existence, you cannot nor should you do everything.
In order to accomplish all that you want to do this personally and professionally this year and in the years to come, I recommend creating habits that will bring you health, well-being and peace of mind.
In my example, I practice yoga daily at 5:45 am. I watch my weight by having having a healthy diet. I schedule client and internal meetings from 7:00 am – 2:00 pm. On weekends, I am certain to incorporate a vigorous workout.
Although it is second-nature now, it has taken me more than 20 years to develop this habit. The most important thing that I have done to help me create positive change through positive habits is to hire a yoga instructor to come into my office each morning and conduct a yoga session for me, my team members and clients who want to participate. Instead of trying to do it myself through DVDs and reading books. I can’t stress enough the importance of having a good coach! In this case, the yoga instructors who teach me are my coaches for exercise, meditation and mindfulness.
To form a productive habit, I believe the steps include:
- Make a decision and stick to it – Pick one habit to nurture and put your energy into that. If it is working out, then a simple first step is to pick a time and stick to it daily. It is often difficult at first to stick to a schedule, but eventually the habit will become second-nature.
- Don’t give up! – Even if you break your habit several times, don’t give up! The more you keep trying, the easier it will be.
- Share your goal with people around you – Friends, family, co-workers will provide you support if you waver from keeping your habit.
- Track your progress– What do you want to gain from implementing this new habit? Tracking our progress on anything we want to change allows us to alter and course correct what we’re doing so we can improve. It can be as simple as making sure you are committed to accomplishing your new habit daily. One popular website, ‘Don’t Break the Chain!” allows you to mark each each when you commit to forming that new habit each day. (http://dontbreakthechaing.com)
So, what stops most business owners from taking the first step to forming a habit? Most people claim that it is a lack of time and commitment. Once you start making excuses or thinking why a positive habit is too difficult to form, you will not be successful.
I believe that if you want to change your lifestyle and make your business successful, then you must take control of how you think in order to control your actions.
If you want to scale your business and have time for a healthy lifestyle, you should also outsource as much as possible, such as your bookkeeping and payroll.
With the Tom Dunn, CPA, Firm, we will be your in-house accounting team and back office support so you have more time to focus on forming positive habits and growing your business.
I will meet with you weekly and coach you through your accounting questions, as well as provide business consulting based upon my years of experience with clients just like you. If you want to delegate your accounting, bookkeeping and tax work, we are here to help. The first habit I challenge you with is to find time in your hectic calendar to free up and focus on building life long, positive, healthy habits. Give us a call, we’re here to serve you, your business and your family.
