How To Move From Understanding To Action: The Importance Of Repetition To Change Habits

“I get it… My problem is I can’t seem to apply it.”

While reading a book, or talking with a friend…

​You’ve just experienced an “insight”. ​ Sure, it’s clear.

By doing this, I will significantly improve [—-] (fill in the blank)

​The enthusiasm is there. You want to implement this new habit. ​ But as soon as the stress of the day takes over, you go back to your old way of doing things. ​

Don’t tell me that this has never happened to you before 😀

A limiting belief

Let’s take an example…

As soon as the decision is important, boring, or difficult…you tend to put it aside.

A belief has set in “I need time to decide.”

It turns into hours, days, weeks, months and sometimes more…

The problem?

This “non-decision” eats into your bandwidth, energy, and focus.

Maybe you’re blocking a whole team?

Let’s go back to this exchange and your ‘Aha’ experience.

“I don’t need a lot of time to decide, I need quality time.”

A 90-minute session of total focus gets me more than 2 weeks of ruminating without taking action.

• Is this really true?
• Have I experienced this before?
• What were the results?

Yes…

When I operated like this, I saved time, reduced my stress, and my employees were more motivated.

I need to do it more often.

You have just completed the first part of the equation. The reflection that brought you to this deep understanding.

But changing behavior as an adult is one of the most difficult things to do.

Habits die hard.

And the context of daily pressure and distractions does not help.

Making your “Aha” moment a reality takes daily repetition.

Oh boy, I’m starting to hear you rumble.

“but I don’t have time”.

Good news! You don’t need it, or very little 😀

• Let’s go back to our “Aha moment” (pick yours, it works for everything.).
• Let’s turn it into an active question “did I do my best today to block out quality time to decide.”
• Self-rate yourself from 0 to 10. Download a file here to help you track your active questions.
• Repeat every day until you have broken this new habit. (3 to 12 months)

Check out my Resource Guide: The 11 books that have most influenced my career. (Including my favorite of all categories)

What’s next?

Start over with anything you want to improve. There is no end. Becoming the best version of yourself is a daily job. But why avoid it? It’s this quest that brings meaning to our lives.