a deeply ingrained emotional basis, they don’t change easily, or with a vague “I should ...” or
“I shouldn’t ...” statement (e.g., New Year’s resolutions). You have to declare war on bad habits!
You will then need courage, discipline, and persistence to implement a) a good game plan, b)
a few clear first steps, and c) consistent action.
While logic is involved, feelings dominate most of our decisions. For instance, why did you
get married? Why did you take a certain job and reject another? To help you feel differently,
you’ve got to think differently. Because it’s difficult if not impossible to change a feeling direct-
ly, in order to change a habit, you need to insert and start from a new way of thinking.Yo u
must act on your new thinking in a conscious manner, rather than thinking in your habitual
automatic way, based on your current feelings. For a while, this new way of thinking, and sub-
sequently the new way of behaving based on your new thinking, will feeluncomfortable. Over
time, as success and positive consequences from your new way of thinking and acting accu-
mulate, your feelings will catch up and adjust. Now you have a new and improved habit, and
the new way of working (thinking and acting) feels right. This is what is meant by the phrase,
“Fake it till you make it.”
HOW TO USE THIS LEADERSHIP TOOL
“Habits are powerful factors in our lives. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns,
they constantly, daily, express our character and produce our effectiveness ...or ineffectiveness.”
—Stephen Covey, THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLEIt’s common for leaders to prefer the familiar and comfortable habits, even though they know
that these habits have significant limitations. In addition, there is no sure-fire way to change
an ingrained habit. However, if motivational and contextual conditions are right, you have a
fair chance of being successful at changing a habit. To change a habit, you need to:
- Be significantly dissatisfied with the dysfunctional habit.
- Have a vision of a better way of thinking and acting.
- Take clear action steps to change the dysfunctional habit.
- Have support to help you stick with it as you struggle to change the dysfunctional habit.
- Be able to resist the pull back to the familiar and comfortable (although dysfunctional)
habit.
These five conditions are summarized in the Personal Change Equation:
SD ×V ×FS ×SS > R
Multiply Sufficient Dissatisfaction by a Vision for a better way, by First Steps in working
toward changing the habit, by the Support System that will be helping you to make the
change. For change to succeed and endure, the product must be greater than the Resistance
that is keeping you stuck in the current habit.WEB WORKSHEET
The Personal Change Equation will help you assess which habits you are happy with and want
to keep; which habits you are unhappy with, but that aren’t worth the struggle it would take
to change; and which habits you are unhappy with and want to change. Changing habits is
difficult work, and you will almost certainly need help with the process. Consider engaging a
coach or counselor to ensure that you get ongoing feedback and support.
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