Building Speed Bumps: Habits that will Force Success

In the last few years the importance of habits has really been hammered in the Get Things Done empire of books. Success isn’t achieved in one shining moment of conquest but over decades of many small actions.

If you “begin with the end in mind” and have identified a desired state somewhere in the future, it makes good sense that you then need to plot a path to it, right? Habits, or the continual, repeated, predictable actions or choices we make are CRUCIAL in achieving the future we’re imagining.

Here’s a trick, imagine them as speed bumps.

We all know that one neighborhood or city block that has speed bumps. They’re annoying but effective. At some point, with regular driving, you realize that you’ve become unaware of them and yet you still slow down when you come to them.

There! That is a habit for you. Build a little bump in your life’s road that you’ll encounter daily, weekly, or monthly. Ideally, this speed bump is something you end up doing without intentional willpower. We don’t have the power to immediately will some goal into being (usually) but we do have the power to make small seemingly-insignificant choices that over time can get us there.

• Want to read more? Figure out a time within your daily or weekly routine and schedule in some time to read.

• Want to be more fit? Schedule in a regular speed bump of exercise that you’re committed to.

• Want a spiritual life more pleasing to God? Attend church every week. Pray and read scripture every day.

• Want to save for the future? Set an automatic monthly debit that pulls money into an investment account.

Once you’ve identified the speed bump you need, put your back into the corner and set things in motion that you can’t wiggle out of. Invite the friend, mark the calendar, buy the thing, tell someone you will be there, make the call, etc.

The problem most people face is they arrogantly think they can just “want” something bad enough. They put the desire in the realm of emotions and they know they’ll do it when they are motivated or feel like it. Which is true, but the motivation never lasts.

Instead, wisely turn your motivation into building that speed bump and when you hit it regularly, it doesn’t matter if you’re excited about it or not… you still need to drive over it!

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