Daily Habits of “Delightfully” Successful People

When you hear the word habit- what do you think of? Do you hear routine? Boring daily grind? Not spontaneous? If you do, you’re not alone; many feel and think the same way you do. While a habit is a recurring pattern of behavior, it’s not just what you do, but what you do OFTEN that determines how successful you are in your work life AND your personal life. In other words, your repeated progress towards something is what makes you successful.

If you’re willing to view the meaning of “habits” through a new lens, then success is not seen as the end destination but instead it is something to be achieved on a daily basis. That is why habits are so incredibly powerful, because they determine your level of success. Let us take a look at some daily habits that can help achieve the “work success” you’ve wanted.

Walk Away from Gossip.
This “habit” does not just speak to gossip, but all forms of negativity. Accounting and Finance are stressful careers, with tight deadlines and high competition. Some find that getting involved with gossip may help them, but the reality is it hurts them. For example, a conversation with a colleague could innocently start out about complaining of the current weather. The negativity from the comments may generate an entire attitude of thinking. Before you know it, what started out as a negative comment about the weather turns into negativity about work and then negativity about a third individual; an individual not there to defend themselves. Gossip is more than just talk; it’s a mind set, a way of thinking- a habit that can be changed. If you find yourself around someone or a group of people like this then get into the habit of walking away from the conversation before it spirals downward. Or find a good point to be made about the individual being discussed.

Give One Person Unexpected Praise.
This habit has a double benefit. Not only does it get you in the habit of seeing the positives in others, but it helps others see the positives in themselves and those around them. “Pay it forward” truly applies here. When you praise someone unexpectedly, it builds self confidence and esteem and in turn allows them to sing the praises of someone else. It also is a great way to build trust among a team. When you are willing to see the positives, or strengths in what others do, it makes them more productive, willing to do the work, and more supportive of helping you build your success within the firm. This daily habit always generates the kind of success you are striving for in your work environment, whether as the leader of a team or a member of one.

Perfection is NOT the Standard!
No one is perfect, and while the accounting field doesn’t leave much room for errors, it is ok to say “hey I made a mistake”.  Being able to admit a failure, either past or present is a “strength” many have a hard time seeing as one. It means your human! You’re asking for help, and you identified an error you’ve made and are willing and wanting to fix. The more quickly we are to admit we may have made a mistake, the less severe the repercussions. In Stephen R. Covey’s book “The 7 habits of highly effective people”, he talks about one of the most powerful lessons in personal change that will affect how you perform is admitting to making mistakes; “Being is seeing, and what we see is highly interrelated to what we are”. This speaks volumes when working in a team environment and translates into very effective “delightfully” daily habits.

Want to determine the level of your success?
Learn more at Accounting Career Consultants. We believe that healthy, positive habits can generate a healthy and successful work environment. Contact us today to find out how we can help you!