Small Habits Big Results

Introduction

Truth be told I'm a rookie surfer. I know some of my Instagram pictures would make you think differently, but this is the truth :)

When I moved to Bali I did a crash course and spend 10 hours on a surfboard which taught me the basic principles of paddling, catching a wave, turning and how to wipe out. But living on an island and being at the beach often made me think of the resemblance of the forming of waves and the forming of habits and behaviour change.

Look at it this way, a great wave starts with a small shift in water which - with the help of some wind and current - eventually becomes of a big wave to surf on.

The key to sustaining positive change is to turn each desired action into a habit.

What if these waves represent our behaviours and these small shifts in water are the small habits we perform on a daily basis? It illustrates perfectly how small changes will eventually become a new pattern (a wave or a habit). Habits shape our behaviour and when we improve our output by 1% each day - yes only 1% - we'll be 37 times better by the end of the year. Small changes, big results for both positive and negative changes, but especially the positive ones.

You see to achieve "success" or big change is not a matter of working like crazy and taking massive action. The real secret of any big accomplishment is to do it small and consistently, just like figure 1 shows.

The key here is consistency and small improvements. Often times we get so intimated by big goals we are almost paralysed to take action, but once we can break down the action into micro-actions that big goal starts to look more realistic.

Massive success does not require massive action but small intentional improvements daily.

Enjoy the mundane and keep learning

Whether we are building a business, writing a book or performing at a high level as an athlete the key to high performance is to enjoy the mundane. To enjoy the boredom of the same activities every day. Eliud Kipchoge is the greatest marathon runner ever and up until now - while being on the world podium for years and setting world records - he still takes notes after every run. Chris Rock, one of my favourite comedians, still tests his new material in small cafes and analyses the feedback from the small crowds before he includes his new material on a global tour. What can be improved? A question that always goes through the minds of the greats.

Intention

95% of our thoughts are exactly the same as the day before. This means that a lot our behaviour is similar to the day before as well. Almost half of our actions we take daily, we don't even think about, they are habits and are done on automatic pilot.

40% of our actions are not concious decisions, they are habits.

This means we need to be intentional with what we think, what we do on a daily basis and how we behave. We need to have a level of self-awareness that will give us insight into what to change and to improve. Because if we don't, most likely nothing will change and goals will just remain dreams. A lack of self-awareness is like a poison that can destroy your potential. Once we embrace new thinking and new habits, we start to do things without thinking. We start to automate certain behaviour and this frees up space both mentally and physically for new things to learn or enjoy.

Conclusion

The secret to results that last is that one small action repeated enough times can create amazing results. Focus on that 1 tiny change - that in the short run - won't make a difference, but in the long run, will create a whole new life. Small habits don't add up, they compound. Be a student of life and keep improving into a better you.

“Men are born soft and supple; dead they are stiff and hard. Plants are born tender and pliant; dead, they are brittle and dry. Thus whoever is stiff and inflexible is a disciple of death. Whoever is soft and yielding is a disciple of life. The hard and stiff will be broken. The soft and supple will prevail.” ~ Lao Tzu

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Andrew Senduk is a CEO coach, keynote speaker and author that helps business leaders build better companies and become better at life. If you want Andrew to speak at your event you can fill in your details at www.andrewsenduk.com/speaking or find more information at www.andrewsenduk.com and @andrew.senduk.