Difference Makers: Scheduling Time to Just Think and To-Do List of Priorities

I recently listened to the Global Leadership Network’s webinar The Power of Habit presented by Charles Duhigg, author of the book with the same title. There was so much valuable information, I am eager to share a few of my takeaways.

Our forming good habits is a very desirable priority for all of us, be it with regard, for example, to our time management, our leadership, our relationships with clients and colleagues, work/life balance, and of course, with spirituality, exercise, and nutrition.

Successful leaders in business tend to schedule time to think, to discern what really matters, and this leads to increase productivity. If they do not schedule this time, they surely can get caught up in “doing” all day long. Sure, they are busy, but are they as productive as they could be? Most of the time, they are not.

We need time to reflect, what should be our top priorities? What will make the desired difference for my company and for my contributions? What patterns or habits do we fall into? How can we adjust them to serve us better?

Once decided, we need to develop a plan, ideally in writing, including the action steps to accomplish the plan. The more specific we are, the greater our likelihood of success.

Duhigg used the example of daily to-do lists. We are well-advised to put the highest priority at the top of the list or we can spend our day doing things that are easy, not the most important. Duhigg also stresses including action steps in our to-do lists.

This short article does not do justice to the power of habit. I urge you to Google Charles Duhigg and read his messages, which are powerful and helpful.