Daily habits. Not the most glamorous topic, but an important one for anyone building a speaking business. Why? Because developing the daily habits that put you in front of buyers on a regular basis, fearlessly planting seeds, or asking for business from past clients cannot be overstated. So, let’s look at the importance of daily habits to become a successful speaker.
If you aren’t continually asking for the business, then you are putting yourself in a situation where you are waiting for the phone to ring. This is not ideal. Waiting for something to happen before you can cultivate your dream business is not the way we want to live.
But developing the daily habits a successful speaker possesses is not about turning your life inside out. It’s more about small changes that make a big difference.
James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits, says this:
“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow. The task of breaking a bad habit is like uprooting a powerful oak within us. And the task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower one day at a time.”
I have some very specific daily habits in place that help me be a better coach and a better businesswoman. One of those is setting my intention for the day, which I do every morning – first thing. A couple of months ago I was caught in the hustle and bustle of the day, and I forgot to set my daily intention. By 10:30 am, I recognized that my day was spiraling out of control. So, I stopped everything, filled out my daily intention (basically hitting the reset button) and put the day back on track. You wouldn’t think that such a small act would have such a huge impact on my day, but it does.
And when I’m at my highest level on the self-care front – eating well, getting enough rest and exercising – the rest of my life and business does better as well. It’s a compound effect of the daily habits I have in various areas of my life.
That’s the power of daily habits.
A few weeks ago my client, Ed Tate who formerly worked at IBM, was feeling burnt out. He was mentally exhausted and physically fatigued. Those of you that know Ed, know he’s a selling superstar and being a sales driver wanted to talk about his sales numbers. As we dug down into what was really happening to cause Ed to feel so burnt out, we realized that he had gotten out of the habit of taking care of himself. It was clear: at this moment Ed didn’t need to do more selling, he needed to pause the “drive” and get back into balance. He needed to go back to his daily habits that included self-care.
Ed has gotten back on track with those habits and this month reported that he is feeling 100% better. He is getting more sleep. He’s listening to The Wealthy Speaker meditation. And guess what… his sales have risen as a result.
That’s the power of daily habits.
(click image to get instant access to the Shifting Mindsets Meditation download)
With the first month of the New Year nearly complete, now is the perfect time to check in on your habits. Here are five general areas to check for the daily habits that help become a successful speaker:
- Sales habits
- Marketing habits
- Business habits
- Personal habits
- Self-care habits
Look at this list and choose one area that is currently lacking and add one habit or ritual to that area. As an example: if you want more sales, develop a daily habit of reaching out to X number of contacts about new business every morning. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from your family, develop a daily habit where you stop at the same time each day when your family is together and spend quality time connecting (without technology).
Here’s a great article from Forbes on 10 daily habits that can change your life. Perhaps it will give you some ideas you can implement.
What’s a daily habit that you’ve developed that has served you well? How can you take that same habit and mimic it in another area of your life?
Is there a daily habit that you know you need to get into but just can’t get off the mark? Research shows that it can take between 21 to 66 days to develop a daily habit, but start small. Commit to your new daily habit for just one week at a time – that may be enough to start moving the needle and keep you going.
Small changes can make big differences.
