Our brains make millions of tiny decisions every second, many of which we have no control over, it just gets on with the job of remembering to breathe, feed us, rest us and pump blood around our bodies.
With so many thoughts passing through our brains, either consciously or otherwise, it can be tough to make decisions. We are hardwired to be creatures of habit, partly because it takes some of the pressure off decision making.
For example; Do you have the same thing for breakfast every day? Or at least, variations on a theme? Do you get up at the same time (ish) every day? Do you have a favourite pair of jeans that you throw on when you can't be bothered to think of something else to wear?
When we work to someone else's schedule we have to adopt a routine, but when we work for ourselves, we are our own boss. It's easy to get into bad habits when there is no-one looking over our shoulders.
When it's just you, it's up to you to form good habits that increase your productivity and prevent the scourge of procrastination from stealing your time.
Here are 10 great habits to form:
1) Write your ideas down
We have hundreds of ideas everyday. If we don't capture them, we forget them. Many successful creative entrepreneurs swear by the power of their notebook. I love notebooks and have loads of them.
Don't filter the ideas, just write them down, you can filter later.
Tip: I like to write different points in different coloured pens to break up the text and make individual items stand out
2) Share ideas
Ideas get better with more inputs.
Having a new perspective can give you clarity and confidence.
3) Dream Big, Start Small
The answers are rarely obvious at first glance, but break it down into smaller actions and you'll start to work out a path to success.
4) Question everything
The way you ask a question often reveals different responses and parameters.
Get the obvious questions out of the way first and dig deeper.
Gems are only precious because they are hidden, if they were obvious, they'd lose their value.
5) Change your methods
If you always do the same thing, in the same place, at the same times, with the same people, you'll get the same results.
Our brains need diversity to create diverse ideas6) People fear change, accept it, be ready for it
We like our comfort zones, we like stability. If you need to make a change that involves the buy in of others, what are the benefits to them? Always be thinking about the benefits to others in everything you do in your business, this is the surest way to build a loyal fan base. It's up to you to sell the benefits to the sceptics.
7) Practice creativity
Creativity is a muscle, the more you use it the stronger it gets. Don't be afraid to experiment and test things out. Getting feedback is the best way to make improvements and testing things out is the only way to know what works.8) Have a plan
You don't necessarily have to have a big fat document the size of war and peace, but you do need to have some sort of a plan, recorded in some way: written, audio, visual, it doesn't matter - but if you don't know where you are going how will you know when you arrive?
A business plan is a living document, an agreement with yourself to take your business seriously and keep it sustainable. It's not something you just do to impress an investor.
Use it to make decisions, allocate your resources in the most efficient way and manage your progress towards whatever success means for you.
I have a plan for my authorpreneur business.
9) Take money seriously
You may use the services of an accountant or bookkeeper, but you are still the financial manger of your business. It's not your accountants job to tell you where you are hemorrhaging money or that you are not charging enough for what you do. Ultimately, the main person who will suffer if the finances get out of control is you.
10) Be organised
Write stuff down. Have a process in place to get things done as efficiently as possible. Take regular, focused actions. Know where you are, what you've done and where you're going next - you business plan is your road map.
What good habits do you recommend forming?
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