Blog 16:  Reap what you sow.  How little things can make a big difference . . . linking your outcomes to habits – PART 1

quote doing little things can make a big difference by Yogi Berra
©Quotefancy

This week’s blog is about the impact of compounding your actions into small habits that have a significant effect on your organisation’s outcomes (or your personal goals).  What are the little things I can do habitually that will make a big difference?  The little things that no one sees that produce big results that everyone wants.

Here’s the journey we’ll go on in this blog series:

  • What is compounding?
  • What impact can it make?
  • Identifying my target outcomes
  • Designing micro habits that have a compounding effect (PART 2)
  • Monitoring your micro habits (PART 2)

What is compounding?  Compounding is the process of reinvesting to gain greater outcomes.  It’s easiest to see with finances.  In that case, compounding is the process of reinvesting interest to gain greater financial outcomes.  If you compare compounding to simple interest, where the benefit is withdrawn and not invested, the difference between the two approaches is significant the longer time passes.  These graphs illustrate the point.

©Investment U

What impact can it make? Significant. Especially the longer you can maintain the habit.  In this series, I want to encourage you to consider the small habits you can put into the rhythms of life that make a compounding difference to your work and personal life.  ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear is an excellent book on the topic of implementing compounding behaviours.

i have experienced firsthand the impact of implementing small habits as i shared in Blog 2 about being weird.   And i have seen it firsthand as I have been fortunate to caddy for people who have used this approach to make a difference in their personal and professional lives.  Stories of Success in July will share the story of a woman who made great leaps in her professional and personal life by simply arriving earlier at work.  That small decision to commit to arriving before everyone else arrived at the office had positive ripple effects to multiple outcomes she was aiming toward . . . and now she is hungry to identify other habits. 

Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.

James Clear, Atomic Habits

Take a look at this short video (1:10) about how a tiny domino (5mm high and 1mm thick) in motion can be the catalyst to knock over a block one metre tall and weighing 100lb:

Identifying my target outcomes:  Hang on . . . isn’t this about changing my habits?  Yep, but we need to backward map.  The big game isn’t about implementing habits, but achieving your desired outcomes . . . by implementing habits.  So before we go too far into habits, you need to be clear what your outcomes are.  Really clear.  Have them written down, measureable, specific and clear.  What are the remarkable results you desire? 

This week, take time to consider those outcomes your desire. Put aside some margins in your life and ask your managers and perhaps also discuss with those important to you.  Do your homework.

Then next week in PART 2, we’ll backward map from those outcomes you want to achieve to identify the small habits that will make the significant results.  We’ll help you to answer . . .

What are the little things, repeated, that can make the big differences?

If you sow these habits consistently and repeatedly, you may surprise yourself with the outcomes you reap.  This is why, in Blog 15, i tried to shift you away from just being competent to outcomes focused. 

Atomic habits are the building blocks of remarkable results

James Clear, Atomic Habits

But it starts with clarity of outcomes.  Off to do some good thinking this week . . .

every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become james clear quote

So your action for this week is: clarify your outcomes

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