Ten Habits you might choose to change
By Robert Ashton
I’ve just moved from Norfolk to the Suffolk coast, where we’re having a barn converted. I’m writing this sitting at my desk in the house we’re renting while our new home takes shape. We’d lived at our place in Norfolk for more than 25 years, and looking back, I can now see that too much of my time had been spent following familiar routines. Of course habitual behaviour is important and time saving too. The late management guru Edward de Bono said that without
patterns of behaviour, our lives would be incredibly complex. There are, he once said, 39 million different ways you can put on 11 pieces of clothing in the morning, so this morning, you will have dressed in the same order that you got dressed yesterday. You will have some this without thinking, because habits don’t require thought. But times change, and we all get older. Not all of the habits I
developed in my early 40s are still suitable now that I am entering my late 60s. Moving home has prompted me to break some old habits and create some new ones. But you don’t need to move house to question deeply ingrained habits. Here are ten things you might try: 1. Try something new for breakfast – Perhaps the easiest routine to challenge is our choice of cereal at the breakfast table. I ate the same brand of muesli for a decade but tried others when I discovered that my new local shop doesn’t stock my favourite. I’ve enjoyed trying something different and as we all know, a good breakfast sets us up for a productive day. 2. Do you still wear a tie ? – I had quite a collection of neckties, but times change and now I wear collarless shirts and have given all my ties away. I realised that what matters most is what I do, not what I wear. Dress codes are becoming incredibly old fashioned and it can’t be long before even Westminster wakes up to the fact that it insisting that men wear ties and women can choose what to wear is an outdated inequality. Changing the way you dress can help you change the way you think! 3. Get a hat – A Quaker friend recently said to me that religion is all about hats and hair and he has a point. Different faiths have different rules about how you wear your hair, if you cover your head and if men grow beards or are clean-shaven. Let’s assume though that you are not bound by such rules, but are free to choose. I started wearing a hat a few years ago, and find it a good way to stand out from the crowd. I think there’s something in the old advertising slogan; if you want to get ahead, get a hat.
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4. One screen means one train of thought – Having one screen on your desk is great if you only do one thing at a time, but most of us have to multi-task, and working with two screens can be a game changer. The recent pandemic prompted us all to hold meetings online rather than face to face, and two screens means you can look things up while in a Zoom or Teams session without losing sight of those you’re meeting. 5. Use social media wisely – Sitting at my desk, I tend to write on my left hand screen and on my right, I have my LinkedIn and Twitter feeds, along with my email. This means I can spot when people are commenting on topics relevant to my work and I can, if I wish, join in the discussion. Being active on social media can lead to introductions to useful new people and in my case, projects I’d otherwise never be invited to pitch for. It’s not just for sad people to tell the world what they had for dinner! 6. Don’t take your family for granted – I’ve been married now to the same person for more than 40 years. We take each other for granted far too much and our conversations can quickly follow well-trodden paths. (It’s harder to take your children for granted, because of course they change as they grow and then leave home, but your partner remains, often until one of you dies.) Moving house has helped us create new routines and try new things. I can recommend it. 7. Colleagues change too – Have you seen Living, the new film starring Bill Nighy? In it he plays a civil servant who, when he’s diagnosed with a terminal illness, realises he’s been stuck in a rut for decades and no longer knows how to enjoy himself. If you start breaking old habits and trying new things, others will start to follow your example. Try it and see! 8. Be punctual – For many years, I worked with someone who was habitually late for meetings. His argument was that he had deadlines to meet and often had to get something done before going to meet others. This was of course simply proof that he was bad at managing his time. I’ve walked out of places because the person I was meeting has kept me waiting. Make punctuality your priority. 9. Break addictions – There’s a fine line between a habit and an addiction and it’s not for me to moralise and suggest you cut down on the fags and booze. We all have our addictions and we all could benefit from cutting back. Start by accepting the need and go from there. 10. Swap negative thoughts for positive ones – Let’s end on a high. It’s always easier to see the problems than the opportunities, but you’ll be more popular, and more successful, if you always see, and share, the bright side of life!
My wife and I both grew up in the town that is now once again our
home. Familiarity with a place is a form of habit, but perhaps a habit I do not want to break. Let’s all make 2023 a year of positive change.
Comment section is sponsored by Compound Feed Engineering Ltd
www.cfegroup.com
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