One of MAP Inc.’s most popular personal development programs, Create Your Year of No Regrets (currently being transformed into a home study course), contains a purposeful activity that graduates have found incredibly helpful. It’s simple, to the point, and opens up the floodgates for success. I’ll share a component of this with you today.
When you set out to create an outstanding year or move forward on an important goal, take a few moments to create your Success Stoplight. The green bulb signifies what you need to start doing in order to succeed with your goal. The red bulb identifies what you need to stop doing. And the yellow, what you must continue doing.
To go a little deeper:
START Doing (Green): To achieve success, what new habits or actions do you need to introduce into your routine? Do you want to read 10 pages each day in your field? Schedules an offsite visioning retreat each quarter? Drink 3 large glasses of water per day while at your desk? Consider what sustainable actions will support your forward movement.
- STOP Doing (Red): These actions typically come to mind pretty easily (we sure know how to be hard on ourselves, don’t we? 😉 Ask yourself what unhelpful habits you need to quit in order to succeed this year – perhaps working until 8pm, checking Facebook every hour, or eating lunch in front of your computer.
- CONTINUE Doing (Yellow): What habits already in place support your success? Part of your plan needs to include continuing (and celebrating!) those actions. Maybe you have a peaceful morning practice that starts your day off right, an energizing exercise routine, or a weekly practice of sending handwritten notes to clients or colleagues. Don’t discount those positive actions that you’ve already established.
Pay special attention to the “Continue Doing” category. This component is often overlooked but may serve as the most important: it highlights your success and shows you that you can indeed build and maintain healthy habits into your work and life.