Always do what you’ve always done and you’ll always get what you’ve always got…

Would it surprise you to learn, that according to academics at Duke University in North America, approximately 50% of everything we do on a daily basis can be attributed to habit?

Never was there a better warning to heed then in choosing our actions more wisely!

Presumably, many of us go through life unaware that we do things a certain way because we have always done them that way and those people are unlikely to be the ones looking for a better way of life. Routine is perfectly appropriate for certain daily tasks like brushing your teeth but it is crazy to do the same thing over and over and expect different results with the important matters in life.

Important decisions such as making investments for your financial future should not be driven by the principle that it is always the way you have done so. When did you last evaluate the decisions in your life that directly affect your success? If only, the university could provide statistics on how many people do that!

Take a look at your habits and consider how they might be standing in the way of a brighter, better future. Are these behaviours inherited or learnt? All behaviours are typically based on assumptions which in turn are borne out of our experiences whether perceived or actual. Habits manifest themselves from here and can either help us or hold us back.

A good place to start is to ask yourself “Which habits both good and bad have I adopted and which are the ones that need to change?”

Joining a community of like-minded individuals that seek success is a great place to start because it encourages you to ask the right questions of yourself. For example, which habits are helping you move towards your chosen outcome and which are hindering you? Talk to others and listen to ideas and suggestions and always be on the lookout for a better way to do or achieve something. Discussing your thoughts, strategies and processes with a friend or mentor is a great place to start as you mean to go on.