Goals versus habits: Find Your Winning Strategy for 2023.
I listened to a great LinkedIn Live event with Joel Bennett, talking about Practical Leadership: Building Leadership Habits. He explained the difference between goals and habits – a particularly relevant topic this time of year when many of us think about our New Year's resolutions or strategies for the year.
In Atomic Habits, James Clear talks about how winning strategies require creating processes, systems and habits that translate your goals into reality. Joel makes a clear distinction between goals and habits and the importance of doing this to create sustainable change.
Goal = WHAT we want to achieve or the end state we want to reach.
Habit = HOW we will accomplish those goals.
When we set new goals for ourselves and create the habits to support those goals, we need to be able to think about the WHY and the WHEN.
WHY= thinking about the pain points we’re trying to improve or the impact we’re trying to have. What happens if you don’t improve or have the impact you want to have?
WHEN = the trigger, the scenario, the situation that will remind us about the new habit we’re creating.
Here are two examples of how this plays out:
Goal = (what) improving engagement on my team
Habit = (how) scheduling 1:1 time with each of my team members on a weekly basis
Why = morale on my team has been low and I’m at risk of losing several key people
When = scheduling time on the calendar, regularly blocking out 1:1 time for team members to understand their needs and help them stay on track
OR
Goal = (what) Eat healthier foods
Habit = (how) Have more fruits and vegetables in my diet
Why = to feel healthier, have more energy and be comfortable in my body
When = when reaching for a snack or preparing a meal, make sure that I choose fruit and vegetables
Once you’re clear on the goal (what), the habit (how) as well as the why and when, here is a great formula to use to create your new habit. This approach aligns with the behaviour change work that I do with my clients.
When (situation or trigger)
Instead of (old habit)
I will (new habit)
An example of a habit that will support a new goal of improving trust on your team:
When I plan my weekly tasks,
Instead of leaving connections with my team to chance,
I will make sure I schedule 1:1 time with each of my team members weekly.
So, what goals have you set for yourself and what habits have you created to support achieving those goals for 2023?
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