Want to get a peek into someone’s character? Ask him what he does first thing in the morning. Not only will this give you a glimpse of his values, more importantly, it’s often a tell-tale sign of the habits that guide his life. For years now, this has been the one question that anchored my conversations with potential partners or hires, simply because its the lens that helps me see the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ behind that persons’ actions.
By now, we all know that human beings are creatures of habit, and habits are at the root of how we behave. In his epic book, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We do in Life and Business, New York Times Columnist Charles Duhigg, reinforces this by reminding us that “habits are powerful, but delicate. They can emerge outside our consciousness, or can be deliberately designed. They often occur without our permission, but can be reshaped by fiddling with their parts. They shape our lives far more than we realize – they are so strong, in fact, that they cause our brains to cling to them at the exclusion of all else, including common sense.”
Habits are certainly not ironclad, and can be changed, replaced or even ignored; but that’s a lot easier said than done – unless, of course you get serious about using an app like, Lift. Jon Crosby and Tony Stubblebine are betting that positive reinforcement is the lever that will ignite the change you need to maximize your potential. After you listen to our conversation, you’ll definitely want to try it yourself.