Last week – I can’t remember where – I came upon a quote from Aristotle "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."
The quote really struck me – so much so that I printed it out in big text and posted it in my office as well as at the office door.
Then yesterday I received an e-mail from someone I have never heard from before and that quote was at the bottom of their e-mail. And THEN the fiction book I am reading for my book club had a whole section about habits – both good and bad!
So three’s a charm and obviously I am supposed to be thinking about habits!
The reason the quote resonated with me is because I have a lot of success, and I have a lot of bad habits. And I have to wonder – if I cleaned up some of those bad habits and replaced them with good habits -how much value would that add to my work and personal life? Nothing that would rock the world, or anything, but things that would perhaps make my work day just a bit better.
I have heard time and time again that once you are successful – or excellent, in the case of the quote – it is easy to continue going on being successful. Surely this is due in part to the habits – the good habits – that you have been putting in play over the years on which you can continue to rely.
Here are 3 GOOD habits that I rely on in my successful/excellent business:
- I return client phone calls within 12-24 hours
- I smile when I answer the phone
- I send follow-up emails to my clients within 24-48 hours of speaking with them
Here are 3 BAD habits that I will work to replace with good habits:
- I drop all of my "stuff" at the door when returning from a client appt
- I still OFTEN take notes on random pieces of papers
- I delay invoicing clients because I don’t like bookkeeping (that’s a BIG one!)
I want to know 3 of YOUR good habits – and 3 not so good habits YOU want to change.
Comment here and let’s share some EXCELLENT ideas!!
Here’s to Designing Your Success™,
-Mary
Mary Larsen
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This is a great exercise Mary!
My 3 best habits
1.I plan my day the night before
2.Send a hand written thank you to new clients within 24 hours of first meeting.
3.Keep detailed notes on all contacts in Outlook
3 habits I need to improve
1.Get proposals to clients quicker
2.Spend less time surfing the web
3.Get better at giving out business cards.
Oh, Marie, those are GREAT good habits. VERY inspiring. Now what can we do to get those proposals out more quickly? : ) -Mary
Good idea, Mary!
My 3 best habits are:
1. I always respond to clients very quickly, returning calls and emails promptly.
2. I work very hard to meet (and exceed) client expectations – referrals are everything, and there is nothing better than a happy client!
3. I like to find and support new businesses, sources, vendors, etc. so that I have lots of great new ideas and products to utilize on client projects; they love getting excited about something they have never seen before and incorporating it into their projects.
The 3 things I can work on and improve (this could be a very long list!):
1) Setting up better habits after I return from a clients (like you said, Mary!): I often pile up the fabric books, etc. that I took to the client’s home…it seems I am continually cleaning and rearranging my office – it could be more efficient (and larger!)
2) While my forms and systems are pretty good, they could be more uniform and sequential: I need to break down and buy Quick Quotes!
3) Culling files and previous project info: I like to hold on to it and have it at my fingertips, when the reality is they could be stored and still be readily accessible. Then I would have more room for new client info/product info/current projects!
Okay, you are making me create new projects and I am realizing that these are not difficult projects to tackle and would make my day-to-day life easier and more efficient. (I guess that was your point, right? If so, you were successful!)
Susan
Ok – 3 good habits would be;
1. Following up with clients quickly.
2. Being a full service workroom to my clients and helping them in whatever way I can.
3. I try my best to keep my paperwork in order.
Now, for the easy part – 3 bad habits!
1. Too much time on the computer and email. (Mary, I think I need to follow your lead and only check email 2x per day – maybe 3!)
2. I like to sleep in!
3. When I’m in the middle of a big job, most everything else gets put on the back burner and my office becomes a mess.
Humm, 3 good habits:
1. I provide full project management for my designers, offering window treat designs, measuring and installation so we are a one-stop shop for them.
2. I am always on the lookout for a new product, trim, etc. that will solve some window problem I haven’t yet met.
3. I pay into my sales tax account the minute I receive a deposit check. That way I don’t spend what isn’t mine.
3 bad habits:
1. I drag my heels on completely converting to QB. I still have a lot of paper to round up every year at tax time.
2. When researching a design I’ll get distracted by all the other images in the book or the surrounding books.
3. I keep buying trim books even though I don’t sell that much. It’s just great eye candy.
On the same note, I recently downloaded a program called GoalPro which not only helps you set your goals but it scolds and nags if you don’t set enough tasks and objectives to get to your goals or if you don’t do them when you say you will. It’s a bit annoying, but it has kept me thinking about the goals, even when I’m doing something else. We all need a little nudge sometimes. Thanks, Mary, for the nudge!
I find it much harder to ascertain my good habits than my bad!
Good Habits
1. I am organized.
2. I am dedicated to good customer service. I am always willing to go the extra mile for my clients.
3. I clear my desk at the end of the day. I hate loose ends.
Bad Habits
1. I over analyze a problem which takes time I don’t have.
2. I am very impatient.
3. I don’t smell the roses!
Good habits:
1. I finish when I say I’m going to be finished. If it looks like I may not meet a deadline, I talk to the client immediately.
2. I keep up with my profession. If something new is happening, I want to know about it.
3. I treat my clients the way I would want to be treated.
Bad Habits:
1. Web surfing – I can do this for hours!
2. Email checking – I think I’m addicted.
3. Trying to take on too much. When I do, it makes it really tough to follow my good habits!