How to practice good habits?

Your best skills are learned - and if you want to be good at a skill, you have to practice consistently. This is an important component in the commitment to excellence.

A lot of coaching and development work is based on the erroneous belief that practice makes perfect. No. If only this were true. Practice makes permanent. That applies with equal certainty to both good and bad practice. Ultimately, incorrect practice produces bad habits. Over time without self-discipline and re-enforcement; bad habits creep into any performance. This point should be recognised as potentially detrimental to one’s goals.

Coaches are one solution to avoiding this challenge. A coach is a knowledge worker with intelligent perception in their given field. They help individuals identify and achieve their goals. Those who believe in coaching understand the benefits which will accrue from correct practice. Expert coaches reinforce knowledge, understanding and good habits. Good habits lead to high standards. This creates a minimum floor for professionalism and consistently good performance.

I think there is also a common misconception regarding learning that should also be addressed.

It is that one can learn equally well by performing unsuccessfully as by performing practice successfully. Often characterised by no instruction and an opportunity to fail first.

Whilst it is desirable individuals are challenged and stretched, coaching should be such that any new learning situation is balanced towards the probability of success. This is the skill of coaching. The accruing habit of success is important to the performing individual. Successful completion of a challenge triggers dopamine. This is the hormone for achievement. If they feel good upon achieving a goal they will feel more confident towards achieving similar scenarios with future success.

There are plenty of ways in which not to make ￡1 million, fail to deliver a critical project or not achieve your personal goals. If someone sets out to achieve a goal and continually fails to do so, they are unskilled in that arena and need support. There are usually a limited number of ways in which it is realistically possible to achieve great success at a given time. In this regard, a coach can help accelerate one’s progress towards a given goal by developing their skills.

In order to move towards a successful achievement of one’s goals, you need a means of knowing how to move towards that goal. Once that is clear, it becomes possible to achieve that goal. Correct practice helps to get you there in the most efficient way. 

Best wishes corporate athletes!