Habit Forming
It's great to set lofty goals, but more important to create processes that help achieve them
By Jeffrey Pickles, CLAC Training, Ontario, Program Instructor
Who are you? What is the story you tell yourself when making tough decisions or setting goals for your future?
If a part of that self-identity includes the phrase “I am a tradesperson,” then study habits, learning strategies, and getting comfortable with a physical reference guide may not be included in that dialogue.
James Clear, author of the book Atomic Habits, says, “We do not rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems.”
There is a lot of wisdom in this statement. Our current habits are perfectly designed to support who we are right now. Our behaviour is often the result of the sum total of our environment, habits, rituals, beliefs, identities and so much more. Desire does not equal commitment.
We often set lofty goals, like saying “I’m going to study two hours every day and do five full practice exams a week.” But if we do not alter our environment, make a plan, or lean into our support systems, then each day that we fail to sit and study for two hours—after working all day, getting dinner together and putting kids to bed—another step is cast in the opposite direction of being the kind of person that can live up to the goal we’ve set. Those negative steps add up, demotivating us further from achieving that goal.
Passing the C of Q exam does not automatically make you a more competent tradesperson, but it is evidence to yourself and to others that you are competent, capable, and accountable. (The 20 percent pay increase that comes with it is also a nice big step in a positive direction for many of our motivators that form our choices, values, and beliefs, of course.)
In his book, Clear draws our attention to the seemingly small and insignificant things that on their own have little to no impact but, when compounded together, result in behaviour changes that can help you meet your goals.
What do you want to achieve? What systems can you design and put into action that will help support the behaviours and choices necessary to be the kind of person that gets the thing done?
Your plan should include four stages of behaviour:
Noticing — make the change noticeable. What are the changes that you can make in your environment or schedule that will make it more likely for you to notice and recognize there is a chance to make a change?
Wanting — make change attractive. What are the changes that you can make to your environment, schedule, and methods that will make you say “yes” right now and “no” to the distractions, triggers, and whatever you were initially doing in that moment?
Doing — get consistent. The more often you repeat a behaviour, the better you will get at it and the more likely you will do it again. A habit needs to be established before it can be improved. Focus on mastering the art of showing up and doing it, even when you don’t necessarily feel like it in the moment.
Liking — make it rewarding and fun. In order to pass the exam, we need to study. But what can we do to make this behaviour rewarding enough now to motivate us to make the choice to study again tomorrow?
The best way to change long term behaviour is with short term feedback. In construction, we show up every day and we change the environment to provide a service or function. What are the story, dialogue, and factors that drive that behaviour resulting in you getting in the truck and getting it done every day?
Clear spends a large portion of the book talking about what you can do yourself, but he recommends identifying who can help support you in designing, implementing, and living out your new goals and strategies.
Coaches and mentors can help ask the questions and give you advice when you are stuck. Lean into these supports whenever you feel your behaviour slipping away from your systems.
You do not need to do it on your own. Email us at mentor@clac.ca to see how we can help support the systems that will get you your desired outcome.