******************************************************************************************** “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” --Aristotle **************************************************************************************************************

These days, nearly everyone I meet is trying to change something about their lives…be it to lose weight, quit smoking, have more fun, exercise more, get a new job or be promoted in job they have. Yet, most people end up struggling to fully achieve their goals. They become discouraged, distracted, and eventually, defeated enough to set goal aside.

Making change is hard. But, it is nearly impossible to see through, especially over long-term, without building an environment to support change. In my work with large organizational teams, I recommend that leaders take time to set change up in a way that makes it nearly impossible for people NOT to change. The same is true for individuals. We must create five key support systems for ourselves so that making change becomes nearly effortless. So, if you are ready, here they are:

1.Have a vision…not just a goal 2.Get a Sponsor 3.Create Time and Energy Reserves 4.Connect with 3 peers 5.Get some quick wins

HAVE A VISION…NOT JUST A GOAL The single biggest mistake I see people make is that they set a goal, such as “I want to lose 15 pounds by July 4th”. Great, but it isn’t very compelling. The key is to have a VISION that is specific and compelling enough to draw you forward. Lose 15 pounds—fine. But WHY do you want to lose it? How will it feel? How will you look? What will you be like if you lose it? Write a specific and compelling vision for yourself and goal becomes secondary.

GET A SPONSOR Sure, you can do it yourself. But, you’ll likely let yourself down many times before you succeed. Why bother? You need at least one person who can hold you accountable and push you further than you would push yourself. A good sponsor will ask you to raise your standards, double your output. Can you be that for yourself? Probably not. So find a coach, mentor, trainer or leader who can.

“Have you ever heard of a curmudgeon?” customer asked. To me it sounded like season’s latest flu virus – curmudgeon influenza. “I believe your last customer is a curmudgeon,” he said. “He didn’t have a good word to say about anything.”

I had to agree with his observation. However, though I like to read almost more than I like to eat ice cream (which is saying a lot), his unusual word is one I had never come across. So, when I got home I pulled out my Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary and looked up his word. According to Webster a curmudgeon is “a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man.”

Yep, that describes customer he was talking about. Fortunately, we don’t have many customers whose minds are so infected. Yet, what’s sad is that many in world who are ill tempered and negative generally don’t realize it’s as a result of habits of thought. It’s also sad that, though we have a choice about attitudes we carry into old age; too many choose by their attitudes to be old long before their time.

The good news is that when attitudinal disease we have described is detected in early stages, a full-blown case can be prevented or cured. Let’s look at two preventive measures.