Developing patience by being prepared

July 29, 2015Scott Miker

Patience isn’t something that comes from inaction.  It actually comes from action, but specific action.  It comes from preparation.

Sometimes refusing to help is the best approach

July 27, 2015Scott Miker

Helping others is something that is ingrained in most of us.  The positive feelings we receive from helping somebody else is natural, but sometimes helping can actually be destructive.

Discipline, emotions and time management

July 22, 2015Scott Miker

The discipline to stay on track when we set a new goal is important.  Most people have a hard time sticking with a new exercise routine, diet, budget, strategic plan etc. yet they never really stop to think “How can I make this easier on myself and how can I make sure I am making the right decision?"

What financial systems and habits can you use to get rid of your credit card debt?

July 20, 2015Scott Miker

One area of my life that has seen significant improvement from relying on systems and habits techniques is money.  When I was in college I, like most college students, didn’t have a lot of money and quickly found out how easy it was to get a credit card.  In fact the credit card companies would have tables set up at the student center and would stop students and try to convince them to apply for their credit card to get a free gift such as a shirt, coffee mug or other item.  

When you want to change, work systematically

July 15, 2015Scott Miker

Years ago I attended a seminar on personal development.  The speaker explained that the little things are important.  From time management to sales, the speaker gave example after example of what not to do.  

He would reference a person he knows or a character from a famous TV show and explain their faults.  He would always say, “We all know someone like that, right?”

Create a process today to save time tomorrow

July 13, 2015Scott Miker

Rory Vaden is one of my favorite authors.  I heard him speak a few years ago at a convention and have referenced his work many times.  His first book, Take the Stairs, is a great book that shows that we can be more self disciplined by making better choices and being willing to do the work that most people don’t want to do.

In his second book, Procrastinate on Purpose, he goes a little further into the system and habit development aspects of behavior.  At one point Rory is talking about the various processes of his business and says, “But now, looking back, we developed clarity around a critical lesson: Anything you create a process for today saves you time tomorrow.”

Create a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

July 08, 2015Scott Miker

sing systems and habits to reach goals isn’t new.  The roots trace back through Dr. W. Edward Demming.  After WWII, Dr. Demming went to Japan to teach the fundamentals of manufacturing.  Companies like Toyota utilized his insight to become incredible companies and created their own processes of improvement such as Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, and Kaizen.  

It is very interesting to see just how similar these business process improvement techniques are to systems and habits improvement.  Much of the principles are the same and they all focus on small, incremental improvements that produce great results over the long term.  

Don’t be a nag

July 06, 2015Scott Miker

When working on systems and habits improvement, one area that can be damaging is the little voice inside our heads.  This voice seems to always be talking and, for me, it wasn’t always the most positive self-talk.  

Patience is a core aspect of systems and habits

July 01, 2015Scott Miker

The idea of using systems and habits to reach goals may give the impression that it is about turning the work associated with reaching a goal into something automatic so that you don’t have to think while you are doing it.  But it is much more than that.

Everyone should work retail at some point in his or her life

June 29, 2015Scott Miker

ecently I was having a conversation with someone about her experience working at a retail store.  She talked about interaction with customers and how much she learned from this interaction. 

I started to think about my own experience working in retail environments.  I started to realize that a portion of my systems and habits knowledge came from this experience.  

Systems and habits are the foundation of improvement and success

June 24, 2015Scott Miker

Achieving a goal means that you do the things necessary to improve.  As you form new habits and develop effective systems, you will start to see patterns emerge.  

Don’t change the wind, change your sails

June 22, 2015Scott Miker

Jimmy Dean said, “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”

Know the rules before you break them

June 17, 2015Scott Miker

There was a saying that I had while teaching that seemed to help them understand the need for the information and instruction first, before taking control of the equipment.  I used to advise the students that they had to “know the rules before you break them.”  I explained that there are rules (standards, norms, etc.) and that these were there for a reason.  Breaking them was only ok if you understood why you were breaking them.  

How do you handle slips, stumbles and unanticipated stress?

June 15, 2015Scott Miker

If you are using systems and habits to set process goals to ultimately become the person you wish to become, you will certainly find that the journey isn’t always smooth.  Anytime we go after goals there are obstacles and no amount of contingency planning can account for everything.  But how can we better prepare and better face the challenges on the road to improvement?

Why improvement means more than adapting to change

June 10, 2015Scott Miker

People are not open to change.  As humans, we evolved and survived, in part, because we understood what worked, and we stuck with it.  But there were always those who seemed to defy that logic and would set out to explore new lands and take new chances.

The Importance of Early Focus

June 08, 2015Scott Miker

In my day job I work as an adviser to small business owners.  I often come across a startup business owner who is incredibly ambitious but lacks clarity and focus in their goals.  They usually take feedback from those around them and incorporate everything.  Their main motivation is to make sure they thought of and included EVERYTHING.

No Storm Lasts Forever

June 03, 2015Scott Miker

There is a popular saying that asserts that “no storm lasts forever.”  It is used to provide comfort during times of tribulation and remind us that no matter how difficult things seem, they will not stay this difficult forever.  The Tao Te Ching was written 2500 years ago and echoes this understanding when it states “Fierce winds do not blow all morning; a downpour of rain does not last all day.”

Systems and habits changes are not usually smooth

June 01, 2015Scott Miker

Whenever we make the decision to change something about ourselves that is ingrained in our thoughts and behaviors, we will likely face resistance.  This additional challenge can become very difficult to navigate through. 

Our bodies and minds are used to their routines and making changes will always mean difficulties and hesitation.  By relying on the principles of systems and habits we can slowly start to make change.  We start with easy and turn something small into a habit.  Then we move on and grow the new habit until we are reaching our goals.

The systems are patterns in our lives

May 27, 2015Scott Miker

The next time you are in a place of unhappiness or a time when you miss a goal, stop for a moment and review the patterns of the situation.  The patterns will give you in depth insight into your systems and habits.

Comfort Zone

May 20, 2015Scott Miker

How many times have you read an article, book or magazine or heard a motivational speaker talk about getting outside of your comfort zone?  Their advice usually stems from our unwillingness to do the uncomfortable things in life that are necessary to grow and succeed.

The problem is that this is a very complex area of our psyche.  It is comfortable for a reason.  This tends to be connected to the alarms inside our heads that tell us when something doesn’t feel right.