So you have a goal. You want to hike your word count, finish that novel, or just start writing. The Leadership Labrinth has a few tips, and some examples, that can help.

Who wants to have to motivate themselves each time they need to drink water, or take a walk, or stretch, or write another piece of the book? These repetitive long-term activities are less likely to be avoided, forgotten or abandon if they become habits.

Making an action a habit requires very little knowledge of the cognitive activity of motivation I discuss in the other articles on the topics of achievement and motivation, but having those at the ready can add an additional layer of support for habit building.

• Asking a friend to come by every day to do it with you.
• Promise yourself a reward for each action.
• Find someone you would not want to disappoint and make a promise to them.
• Think hard about how bad you will feel if you do not do it.
• Remember why the habit is important - what is the long term benefit.
• Make it hard to not do - set up obstacles and barriers so it is almost impossible to not do.
• Block your on-going movement.
• Or, make it easy to do - put it in your path.
• Delay the decision to not act - tell yourself to just start and then decide if you want to continue.
• To break a habit make what you are doing very hard to do.
• Remember to pat yourself on the back for every success in the right direction no matter how small.
• Notice and acknowledge what is working.
• Spend the time you beat yourself for not doing what you should be doing by doing what you should be doing.
• Look for the smallest of improvements in your actions.
• One less is one less, one minute more is one minute more.
• Celebrate all successful behaviours no matter how small the change.
• It all is in the right direction and changing behaviour is hard.
• Acknowledging what you have done.
• Get off the fear of looking silly. It is not useful and none of the people who care about how you look are going to be important to you in the future. Don’t make decisions that relate to getting what you want be dependent on the thoughts of others.
• DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO DO THE TASK FOR THE FIRST FEW WEEKS.

What is your cubicle saying behind your back? I knew that bastard was talking about me, but don’t listen to it because it steals paperclips, and post-it notes.

According to Sam Gosling, a personality researcher at the University of Texas, Austin and Meredith Wells, a psychologist at East Kentucky University, here is what your office might be saying to your supervisors, bosses, and co-workers:

Link

You know you want one. You know you need one. So go get one–while they last.
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