The Secret to Habit (making or breaking) Success

Today’s guest post is from my business partner (and beautiful wife) Roslyn Rozbruch. She comes clean about habits and gives some great advice!  Thanks Roslyn!

break-481819_640 copyWe all know bad habits are hard to break and good ones hard to make. Over the past year, I’ve become more aware of the power I have (and that we all have) to make and break habits. As I write this for Michael Rozbruch's Tax and Business Solutions Academy™ members and followers, I realize this is a great topic for a New Year’s resolution post, but the fact is any time of the year is a good time to take action to better your life.

Lee Milteer, our Millionaire Smarts motivational coach and one of our webinar experts every month for our members circle, has told me many times that it takes 21 days to break a habit. Other motivational gurus like Tony Robbins say it takes 21 days to form a new habit, and I recently read it’s really a minimum of 21 days, and more like 66 days. I don’t know which is true, but when Lee brought habits to my attention over a year ago, it left an impression on me.

The habit I wanted to break was a small one, but a major time-suck. For many years, when I woke up in the morning, I’d turn the TV on and have the news on while I got ready for the day. The problem was, I spent too much time watching the news. Working with Michael full-time this past year and a half has made me realize I didn’t want to waste my mornings, and I knew the only way to get ready faster was to leave the TV off. And I was aware that if I went cold turkey and stopped altogether, somewhere between 21 and 66 days in I would no longer crave turning on the TV — in the morning, anyway.

There are plenty of books, seminars, and courses out there that have more tips than I have to give about habits, but I have learned a couple of simple secrets. Until Lee mentioned the patterns of habits, I never gave them much thought. Being aware that I could develop some good behaviors and get rid of others in 21 to 66 days was a lightbulb moment in itself. Second, since then I have kept my goals small and realistic, so I can actually achieve them. So many times we set the bar too high and then flake out.

The secret to habit making or breaking success: set small goals and stick to them for 21 to 66 days. What about you? What habit would you like to add or get rid of in your life?

Thanks Roslyn for your "food for thought" on healthy habit making (and unhealthy habit breaking) for our tax resolution business leaders! If you are not part of my Tax and Business Solutions Academy, be sure to visit www.rozstrategies.com to learn more about how we help CPAs, EAs, Attorneys and other professionals looking to build a booming tax resolution practice Get in the Business of Growing Your Business™!