Kyle Wood

Strategic Coach

habits

What works for you

Daily ·

I struggle to give step-by-step advice on what daily routine you should have. Or work habits. Or exercise habits.

The reason is that these can be so personal to you that there is no One Right Way of doing things. Anyone who says that they do know the One Right Way is lying or misinformed.

Instead, try this:

Try different things one at a time and see each one as a short term experiment (e.g. 2 weeks or 30 days). After the experiment ask yourself ‘Was this helpful? What did I learn? Will I keep going?’.

Over time you’ll find Your Right Way. You’ll find what works for you.

Note: Sometimes things will change and Your Right Way won’t work for you anymore. That’s okay. Just go back to experimenting and start again.

3 habits to help you build trust

Daily ·

1. Consistency

When people know we can be relied upon to turn up in the same place at the same time, that builds trust. Think of the 1990s news anchor who was on your TV every single night, watched and trusted by millions.

Start with small things and then over time work your way up to being consistent with bigger and bigger stakes.

2. Transparency

Be honest with your intentions and be upfront when you make a mistake. Then, seek to learn and remedy the mistake you made.

It can also be helpful to share your losses and failures and what you learned from them as much as you share your wins and successes. Take people with you on your journey. The point is not to be right, the point is to try and then course correct when needed.

3. Authority

This one gets a lot of people confused. Authority isn’t about having the right certificate or waiting for the right person to tell you that you’re now an expert. These are just gatekeepers that are holding you back from contributing.

Authority happens when you decide to speak up. But just as important is listening. It’s a conversation of you are sharing what you’ve learned so far and then being open to feedback. After all, who better to teach you then the people you seek to serve.

If you want to build trust with your community, audience or customers, find a way to do these 3 things. Especially if they scare you.

Little habits

Daily ·

‘When can I stop exercising?’ my friend asked me, ‘I’m about as fit as I’d like to be.’

He was asking me if, with all of the hours he’d sunk into the gym over the past few months, he’d maintain this fitness after he stopped exercising. Gently I told him no. I told him that if he didn’t keep up some form of exercise he’d end up back where he was. He wasn’t happy.

Long term change doesn’t usually come from putting effort into something for a short while and then leaving it in the past.

12 Step programs like AA, NA and others have the motto that you’re always in recovery. They know that changing habits is not something you do and then forget about it. It’s a life long practice.

So for anything you want to change, improve or achieve, you need to be working on it multiple times per week, if not everyday. And this brings about something interesting. We only have a limited amount of time each day.

You will have to choose what you will change and you will have to accept other things that you won’t change. There is no hack to becoming a perfect human.

Pick what matters most to you, do a little of it everyday and go from there.

The same time everyday

Daily ·

Here are some things you should do at the same time every day:

  • Wake up and get out of bed
  • Eat meals
  • Finish working for the day
  • Go to bed

Everything else you want to do can fit into the time that remains.

Creating new habits and practices becomes easier because you can simply attach them to one of your consistent daily events.

Want to start meditating everyday? Now you can do it everyday straight after lunch as a way to reset. Having sleep issues? Now you go to the bed at the same time it’s easier to stick to a bed time routine. Dying to engage in a creative practice? Do it first thing in the morning every day.

Routine is important because it helps us show up, be consistent and get things done. Time for serendipity is also important because it helps us think outsite the box and create new opportunities.

Find the balance between both, because each helps the other, and you’ll be spending more time doing the things you want to be doing.