The ultimate guide to better results

We all want to be better, but how do we get there? We can start with the little things. We often think that we need to make major changes in order to see significant results. But sometimes, a tiny thing can have a big impact on our performance. What tiny thing can we do to optimize one aspect of our performance? And then, what else? Every detail of life and work can be improved. For example, if you’re a writer or blogger, what’s the first step in writing an article that will get more shares than your previous posts? Write it well!

Getting things done is a lot easier with have the right habits. When we talk of improving ourselves, we go straight to think of the big things that need changing. But what if there were lots of small things that we could take action on? It is really not about a few big improvements, it’s doing the small things that matter. The secret to success is often found in the little things we do each day. It doesn’t matter how small they are, just as long as you do them consistently and intentionally, they will add up with time and make a significant difference in your life.

Robert Collier believes

success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.

If we want more success in life, we need better habits. The good news is that our habits ca be unlearned; we are not stuck with bad habits, thank God! We can change them if we put in some effort every day. It all starts with an intention and then comes a plan for how you’ll implement it over time.

To get started on becoming a better version of you, here are some things you can focus on doing:

Understand that your habits have an effect on you as you repeat them.

You are a reflection of what you do, how you think and the words you speak. The more you change your habits, the better you become. Better habits make you a better person, they help your journey of self-improvement. You cannot repeat the same old bad habits and hope to get different results; what doesn’t work to improve who you are should not be repeated. Habits are behaviors we repeat regularly because they have a satisfying effect on us.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit. Will Durant

They might be something like brushing our teeth or getting dressed in the morning. If you’re trying to create a new habit or break an old negative one, it must start with knowing what works and what doesn’t. If you want to change something about yourself, it’s important that you create good habits that lead to those changes. If one goal is to save money and therefore start saving up for retirement earlier than expected, then a new habit may be setting aside some money each month in an online savings account or starting a side hustle where you’re making extra income on top of your regular job.

Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. The effects of your habits multiply as you repeat them — James Clear, Atomic Habits

When you identify a bad habit you think needs to change, think about how to break this habit into smaller steps. Walk through the process for changing the habit and break them down into smaller tasks that can be worked on with each passing day. Start with the easiest tasks and work up the list till the bad habit has been replaced. Once you have completed all of these little steps, go back through them again and add in new steps if needed until they become a part of your routine.

What you do everyday can help you succeed or not.

We all want to succeed and a good number of us wish there was some easy way to succeed, we often wonder how the many successful people in and around the world do it. There’s no secret to success, everything is plain for us to see: success is the product of daily habits, of course, good habits that serve a larger than life purpose, albeit in their own little way. It’s no secret that success is the product of daily habits. Small decisions and actions have an impact on our lives, more than we realize; for instance, think of someone who always ends up going late to work, is always behind on his projects and gives excuses all the time.

He considers his routine and realizes, it is perhaps, because he walks to the bus stop instead of joining a ride. He reasons it must be because he feels he has enough time but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. He has less time when he walks to the bus stop, changing what he does the following day might have a different impact on his work. For starters, if he chooses instead to wake an hour earlier than he does, that would mean he may get at least, an extra 30–40 minutes of walk time to the bus stop. He can further decide to, instead of walking, hail a cab or join a ride; that saves him an extra 30 minutes if the walk to the bus stop takes half an hour.

The effect? He gets to work earlier than he would on a normal day, gets settled in, plans and prepares for work. Bonus effect? He even has the time to think about work while heading to work, that way, when he arrives, he already knows what has to get done and has already prepared himself for it.

We often miss just how the little things we do have an effect on the overall improvement of our lives. Whether they are small decisions or actions, as long as they make a significant change in your life, they have to be learned and repeated as good habits. The little things we do every day without even realizing — things like what time to get up, what clothes to wear, and when to eat lunch, have a direct or indirect impact on our success.

If we want to be successful in any area of life we need to develop good habits and stick with them for years (or even decades). You keep improving the things you do everyday and one day, you’ll see a leap, well it would appear like a big leap, but would be what we today call, success. Stay consistent over a period of time and watch how you improve your chances. Of course, change is gradual, you cannot expect to see change overnight; it takes time and patience.

I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” — Estée Lauder

Think of how much better your life would be if you could only change; one habit at a time. Struggling to read a book? Start by reading a line, a sentence, a paragraph. Think of it as a snowball effect — the more positive actions we take daily, the better our results will be in the long run. For example, if we eat healthy and exercise every day for one week straight (even though it can feel tedious), by the end of that week we’ll have created new routines which will become second nature when they’re repeated over time.

This is why consistency matters; it creates momentum that helps us reach our goals faster than trying something different. The key is consistency — it doesn’t matter if you do one good thing every now and then or five great things in one day; what matters is whether it becomes part of your routine. You can make small changes in your daily habits and have big results. First, take some time to set goals for yourself that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely (SMART). For example, I want to lose weight. What exactly does this mean? How much weight do you want to lose by when? These details will help you stay motivated as well as track progress.

Next is the most important part: start taking action today! It doesn’t matter if it’s something small like walking around the block or being more mindful of what you eat — just get started on one thing now so that tomorrow becomes easier.

Looking for an ally on the path of success? Then, develop good habits

There are many ways to improve your daily habits, but one makes sense to look at right now: focus on one habit at a time. Trying to do too many things at once will make it hard to keep track of what has to be done. It can be frustrating and overwhelming when too many things are left undone. Deciding to change one habit at a time by setting it as a goal makes it easier to keep track of your progress which helps provide motivation for you in the future; it is a tried and tested method that works.

Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get.

W. P. Kinsella

Our habits help us create routines; they become second-nature to us, we actually do not think abut doing them anymore because it is something we already are used to. Now imagine if those habits were actually good habits, imagine what that would mean for you? You can take steps in the right direction, following your good habits. With the right habits, it can feel like time is slowing down for you; because you get all your tasks done, you actually see yourself getting better with each passing day. Good habits make you feel like you have all the time in the world and that, nothing can stop you.

Good habits make time your ally, bad habits make time your enemy

Bad habits are what will cause us to lose time and waste it away. When you’re trying to improve your life, it’s important that you develop a routine of doing things that will bring about positive change. Every day, we all have habits that can either make time our ally or our enemy. Bad habits will eat away at your time and leave you feeling like there’s never enough hours in the day. But good habits can help you save time by making tasks easier to complete and you, more prepared to handle whatever you face in the day.

With these tips in mind, it’s time to get started on your journey towards the better you. You can start small and work your way up to bigger changes. The important thing is that you’re taking steps! It is easy to make changes in your life, but it takes time. Start by improving your habits; do the little things; and the results will come. It’s true that big changes can produce big results, but small steps can lead to a life-changing journey. It’s all about where you start and how you’re willing to change.