Jack Turk, President
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JACK TURK
The Habits of Success
"Do something every day that you don't want to do;
this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing
your duty without pain."
- -Mark Twain
We all know we need to cultivate good habits.
It's all too easy, however, to sit back let the bad ones flourish
grow out of control. The habits we want -- self-discipline,
self-control, order, and perseverance -- involve a rigorous
and conscious effort to create and maintain. Just letting things
slide doesn't take any effort at all.
The truth hurts. For better or worse, it's our habits that make
or break us.
You can find an unlimited amount of self-help information today,
but it's worthless unless you first learn to direct your focus and
attention. Our minds move constantly from one idea to the next
with amazing speed, rarely giving much more than fleeting attention
to any one subject for any length of time. Yet success in anything
depends largely on the ability to direct your mind; not only where
it goes, but also how long it stays there.
Success, like anything else, must be learned and practiced.
Every habit began as a thought. And when that thought takes
root and we begin to cultivate it, to care about it -- then it
becomes action. If repeated often enough your actions reach
deep within your subconscious mind to form habits.
What kinds of actions and habits are you creating?
If You Want To Find Success, Look For Clues
Look closely at your daily routines. It's the choices you make
moment by moment that form your habits. Examine what works
for you and what doesn't. Cultivating good habits takes time
and attention. You need to nurture the flowers in your life
and start pulling the weeds. Don't accept garbage in your life.
If something is not working for you, get rid of it!
You only have so much time and energy. Stop wasting it on
things that don't provide you value. Read. Listen. Observe.
Look for and study the habits of successful people. What
are they doing that we can learn from? Every moment is a
learning opportunity -- if we open ourselves up to the
possibility that we CAN learn from others.
Here's something to ponder: one habit nearly all successful
people have in common is the ability to focus their attention
for extended periods of time.
How do you make focus a habit? Start small, but practice
daily.
Resist the impulse to jump from one unfinished project to
another. Write out a priority list and pay particular attention
to the order of that list. Don't get distracted. Finish each task
in the order you've established. When you're able to overcome
your tendencies to scatter your efforts, you begin building the
critical habit of finishing what you start.
Remember, the most important feature of every project boils
down to one word: DONE!
Start Acting, Not Reacting
Of course, nothing ever goes totally according to plan.
Murphy's Law applies to every project, large or small.
Your computer will crash and you'll lose weeks of work.
The Post Office will shred your cover letter. Things go
wrong. It happens. The notion that we have any real
control over anything is just an illusion.
What we can control, however, is how we react to the
monkey wrenches life throws at us. And the best thing
to do when facing a challenge is to get back to completing
the tasks at hand. Even if you aren't 100% certain of what
to do, taking ACTION will help you work through the
challenges and find the best solution.
Learn to use your imagination and create a mental image
of your end goal. The importance of creating a positive
mental image -- a clear vision for how you want the future
to be -- is critical to your success. By consistently focusing
on this vision you can stay on track to reaching your goals.
This applies to losing weight, succeeding in business, or
simply trying to improve your life. The more specific
your goals, the better your chances of achieving them.
You have to be specific to be terrific.
And when you achieve your goals, take a moment to
celebrate. Every accomplishment deserves some recognition.
Pat yourself on the back. Have another cup of coffee.
Take a nap. Whatever works for you as a means of rewarding
yourself for a job well done.
Because one success leads to another leads to another a
nd so on. As you accomplish more, they pile up to give
you confidence in your ability to reach even larger goals.
Above all, never lose focus. Continue striving, never giving
up, until success becomes a habit.
So take action today to make your life the success you deserve.
©2006 JACK TURK |
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