How to create success behavior

Success. Many financial advisors go about getting it as if they expect it to be here right now. Yet, success eludes so many. Why? My experience shows me that it’s a simple clarity and goal issue.

The solution is to create clear and believable mini-goals on the way to the big one. Behavioral change needs to be reinforced at least every 24 hours. That means you have to accomplish a mini-goal every day.

Here are the essential steps to success behaviors:

1. Have a deep desire and commitment to acquire the behavior.
2. Clearly define your specific big goal (i.e., become more assertive).
3. Outline the daily, believable mini-goals that you’re willing and able to do (no mini-goal is too small; if your goal is to lose 30 pounds, an eighth of a pound is not too small a daily goal to begin with).
4. Achieve your mini-goals every day for 21 days.

After 21 days you do not have a habit, but rather the right to continue. It takes 60-90 days of repetition to create an excellent amateur-level success behavior. It isn’t until you’ve practiced the behavior daily for about 120-180 days that you become a master. Get extraordinarily clear about your goals, spend time creating a mini-goal list that is achievable on a daily basis, and then actually do them; you’ll be more successful than most of the people you know, 24 hours at a time.