Posted by I jut read the book “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy. This book teaches that the decisions you make compound over time and lead to the results you get in life. In other words, your habits, whether positive or negative, determine a lot of what you get out of life.
John Maxwell, who is one of my favorite authors on leadership, has this to say: “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.” He also says: “The secret to your success can be found in your daily agenda.”
Both Darren Hardy and John Maxwell teach the power of habits and the impact they can have on your life. Habits really are powerful, and I know this from personal experience.
In the past, I had the very bad habit of living on fast food and junk food. The decisions I made about what to eat and drink compounded over time and got me to a weight of over 330 pounds. I was not in a healthy place and my habits were not leading me in the right direction.
Fortunately for me I have since changed my habits, and I have lost over 100 pounds. On this journey I have adopted new habits. Habits that are healthy, and habits that have led to decisions that have compounded over time to make me a much healthier person.
The new and improved habits I have developed include going for daily walks and eating homemade meals. I also strive to follow the keto diet, which means I avoid eating sugar, bread, pasta, and other grain-based foods. I feel better now that I don’t live on fast food and junk food. I have also been able to save more money because I am no longer wasting it on food.
But my health is not the only area where I have embraced the compound effect and the power of habits. I have also leveraged the power of habits to be more effective with my time.
Just over 11 months ago I adopted the habit of creating and following daily action plans. This is where I sit down every night before bed and plan out what I am going to do tomorrow. I also follow through on those action plans each day and carry out the tasks I have assigned to myself each day.
This new habit, which I have consistently followed every day now for 11 months, has made me more intentional with my time. It has also helped me to fulfill my responsibilities outside of work and to make progress on my most important goals.
You too can leverage the power of habits. I have heard it said that it takes 21 days for a new habit to become second nature. When I first decided to do daily action plans, I set myself the goal of creating and following through on daily action plans every day for 21 days. I was able to stick to this goal, and after 21 days, I found that I enjoyed sitting down to plan out my day every night before bed. And now, daily action planning is a habit for me and something I do every day.
I also used this process of committing to change for 21 days to adopt the habit of going for a walk every day. Now, to be honest, I actually committed to going for a walk every day for 30 days, not just 21 days, but the same principal still applies, and it leverages the power of habits and the compound effect.
So what about you? What changes have you been thinking about making in your life?
I encourage you to leverage the power of habits by having the discipline to change something in your life for 21 days. You could start doing daily action plans or going for walks like I did, or you could adopt a new habit in your life that you have been thinking of doing. Regardless of what you decide to change, consistently decide to do this every day for 21 days. Chances are, after 21 days it will be a habit and something you can do without having to think about it. You may even come to enjoy it and find it a crucial part of your life.
I encourage you to read Darren Hardy’s book “The Compound Effect” for inspiration and to learn more about how repeated decisions compounded over time can change your life. Also remember what John Maxwell teaches: “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.” He also says: “The secret to your success can be found in your daily agenda.”
Leverage the compound effect and take advantage of the power of habits. You’ll be amazed by the positive changes you can bring about in your life.