Turn Habits into Genius Habits Using 5 PrinciplesÂ

Turn Habits  into Genius Habits Using 5  Principles   Turn Habits  into Genius Habits Using 5  Principles   The beginning  of a new  business cycle  is  a time of re-thinking old behaviors  and  acting on  new ones. You may have  recently  had an end-of-year review or  perhaps  your organization  is moving toward  more frequent  performance check-ins.  Either way, work performance  and career direction  is  probably  top of mind. It may be time to think  about what habits you want to get rid of  and  which new ones will  help  you achieve the  career-related  results you  want  in  the year ahead.  You can  strengthen your strong habits or  build  new  behaviors that will help you  achieve your  ultimate goal  â€" a career you love.  During my 3-decade career I used the times when I changed positions or moved companies to “reinvent” myself by making conscious choices on what  to take  to my next role.     I talked to  Performance Strategist,  Laura Garnett,  who  has  researched the science of performance, success and happiness. She  discovered  that building successful habits  is one of the  most important  elements  in having great work performance.  She distilled  the science and created a methodology  that  helps  build  the right kind of work habits  to achieve  career success.     From her research, she created  The Genius Habit, which  focuses on  implementing  simple practices  to help you build more awareness about your  work  habits.  The Genius Habit  is  composed  of  five  principles  that are essential for improved work performance and more career success.     The five  principles  are:       Challenge:  Understand that challenge is an essential building block to great performance because  it  keeps you engaged  intellectually.  You  need to find your ‘sweet spot’ of challenge;  the challenge  cannot  be too hard or too easy  for you. The best way to identify your sweet  spot  is to identify your  Genius. This  is the thinking or the problem-solving that  you are  best at.  Garnett says,  â€œIn  The  Genius Habit, I walk you through the process of identifying your Genius. Using the performance tracker,  you can monitor how often you are using your Genius.”   Impact:  Motivation  to perform well  must  come  from within yourself, not from external rewards.  It is  also  important to understand and have  a personal connection to the impact that you are having on others or in the world.     Joy:  Enjoy  the actual work  you are  doing rather than counting on the achievement of your goals  for fulfillment. There is nothing wrong with celebrating achievements,  but when those achievements become your only excitement for work,  it is  a sign that there  is more joy to be had.     Mindfulness:  Slow down and be more aware of yourself.  The ability to identify what is  and is not  working is essential for success. Without mindfulness,  you  cannot  get to the root cause of any work issues that have you feeling anxious.     Perseverance:  Failure is an  inevitable part of any career.  Garnett says, “In fact, if you’re never failing, then you probably aren’t stepping outside of your comfort zone enough.  You should view failure as  something to celebrate  and work through. Perseverance is all about having grit and never giving up.”     So, if  you are  looking to shift how you operate at work this year, start by building the right behavior habits.  They  might  just  change the trajectory of your career.      Laura Garnett’s  new  book,  The Genius Habit: How One Habit Can Radically Change Your Work and Your Life,  has just been published  by Sourcebooks. Join Dana Manciagli’s  Job Search Master Class ®  now  and get the most comprehensive job search system available!