A mentor may be what you need to reach the next level. They hold their mentees accountable and make sure they keep growing. Mentors seek to change your mindset and teach you vital skills that helped them get to where they are. They are a must-have for anyone trying to achieve success.

How Can A Mentor Help You?

There are so many reasons why you should have a mentor. If you’re looking to improve your skills, you should get an experienced person to teach you. Mentors can help you develop important personal and professional skills. 

When you are experiencing stagnation in your business or career, a mentor can provide a new perspective. They will be able to see the bigger picture and help you weather the storm. Mentors help to solve problems so you can move ahead.

Although mistakes are inevitable, a mentor can help you avoid lots of them. They will provide useful insight and show you the right decisions to make. With a mentor, you’re guaranteed to achieve success quicker.

How Can You Find a Mentor?

Before you find a mentor, you need to know what you are really looking for. They have to be experienced, passionate, and willing to impart their knowledge. Not everyone is fit to become a mentor, so you have to choose carefully. Here are some ideas to help you find the right mentor:

1. Check Your Network

There are some experts within your network that can mentor you. It’s very easy to recognize those who you would like to learn from. They are people that have achieved the exact type of goals that you’ve set for yourself. A prospective mentor is someone who you really look up to. 

You can also start by making a list of experts in your field, niche, or industry. Then, ask for their contact details in industry groups or ask some of your friends. All you have to do is reach out to these prospective mentors and find out what it would take for them to mentor you.

2. Join Mentorship Platforms

If you make a simple Google search, you’ll find tons of mentorship platforms to join. It has literally become easy to find a mentor online. Some platforms cater to a specific industry while others are quite diverse. It just depends on what you need mentoring sessions for.

Most mentorship platforms allow you to browse through their community of experts and reach out to those that you prefer. While some others let you post requests and receive messages from numerous mentors. On the platforms, mentors can set weekly, monthly, and yearly prices. 

3. Attend Industry Meetups

You need to be more intentional about expanding your network. That’s more reason why you should attend industry meetups such as conferences, tradeshows, and networking events. There are so many people with whom you can build valuable relationships.

You’d be surprised at the number of potential mentors that you can find at meetups. Finding a mentor at an event is as simple as walking up to someone and asking to connect with them. Once they give you their contact information, you’ll nurture the relationship from there.

4. Check Social Media

Social media can help you find the right mentor. First, you need to decide on the social media platforms that are most used in your industry. The best platforms are usually Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram. Next, you’ll search for mentors by using the related keywords and hashtags.

When you find professionals within your industry, you should follow them or send them friend requests. Then, you’ll start to build the connection over time. When you read their posts, make sure to engage and leave thoughtful comments. After some time, you will ask if they can mentor you.

5 Tips To Help You Find A Good Mentor

There are a few things to keep in mind when trying to find a mentor. You need to be patient and be willing to build relationships first. No matter how you choose to find a mentor, here are some tips to help you make the right choice. 

1. Build Relationships First

You can’t just approach somebody you admire and ask them to be your mentor. There’s a huge possibility of them rejecting you. No one wants to mentor anyone who hasn’t tried to make a connection upfront. Make sure to build a rapport with potential mentors before reaching out to them. 

2. Keep An Open Mind

When trying to find a mentor online, you need to be open-minded. You shouldn’t discriminate based on age, gender, nationality, or even religious beliefs. The most important thing is the knowledge, skills, and experience that you will benefit from. It really doesn’t matter if you’re older or younger than your mentor.

3. Don’t rush the process

It might take a very long time before someone accepts to become your mentor. There are various reasons why someone may refuse to help you. It’s either they are too busy or they are simply not interested in mentoring anyone. However, you shouldn’t take their rejection to heart. You have to be patient and continue to build relationships.

4. Look for skills and expertise

Mentorship is all about learning new things and improving certain aspects of your life. So you need to find someone who has the skills and knowledge that you lack. Make sure their strengths lie within areas where your weaknesses are. Your mentor should help you learn new skills and improve your current skills. 

5. Set Goals For Yourself

There’s no point in seeking mentorship if you haven’t set any goals yet. Nobody wants to help a confused person who doesn’t know the type of outcome he wants. You need to define your goals and write them down. Then, you can work on finding someone who can help you achieve those goals.

Conclusion

Mentorship is necessary if you want to get ahead in life. No matter your level of expertise, there’s always something new to learn. The above tips should help you find the right mentor. However, you should know that mentorship doesn’t always come free. Some mentors may ask you to pay for their time while others might tell you to buy their course or provide some sort of service.

Caela Farren, Ph.D., defines mentorship in her essay Eight Types of Mentor: Which Ones Do You Need as “a learning and development partnership between someone with vast experience and someone who wants to learn.” What is Human Resource.com expands on this by adding, “The mentor is responsible for providing support to, and feedback on, the individual in his or her charge.”

As this article by Coach.me states, “A mentor offers the value of their own experience but is not professionally trained at helping you change or succeed. That’s what separates a mentor from a coach.”

How to Find a Mentor

Here are a couple of tips on how you can discover mentors, and keep up with and sustain those connections.

Request that first meeting.

76% of individuals say that mentors are significant, however, just 37% really have one. Why the gap? I would say, this is on the grounds that the vast majority are hesitant to request that underlying gathering. The dread of dismissal is genuine and it’s significantly more intensified during this pandemic.

Connecting with somebody you appreciate, yet who you may not know so well — particularly if that individual is more senior than you — is somewhat scarier than it was the point at which you could nonchalantly stroll by their work area, chance upon them in the passage, or talk face to face during a systems administration occasion.

To ease the heat off of yourself and facilitate the dread, advise yourself that the individuals you appreciate have likely had different mentors for the duration of their lives who have assisted them with getting to where they are today and would seize the chance to help other people similarly. Assuming you need to associate with them, start with a straightforward inquire: a speedy 15 to 30-minute virtual short breather.

The most ideal approach to connect is typically sending a short email. Offer a couple of things you respect about their work, then, at that point disclose to them a little about yourself, why you’re connecting, what you might want to gain from them, and wrap it up with your inquire:

Dear X,

I’ve read a lot about the incredible work you’ve been doing with Y. I’m keen on building my profession in innovation and I’d love to hear how you rose from a (job title) to a (specialized job title) in five years. Can we have a quick call at (mention time, ideally with a week’s window)?

The first meeting can be in person or a short video call, is not a huge commitment for your target mentor. It will also offer you a chance to understand them better, measure your connection, and check whether they’d be an ideal choice for you.

Focus on growing the relationship.

Take the opportunity to truly associate with your target mentor.

Become more acquainted with them: Think of your first in-person meeting or virtual call as a chance for furthering the easygoing discussion. Recollect that you’re both as yet feeling each other out, so don’t simply zero in the conversation on work. 

Ask your potential mentor what they like to do at the weekends, what books they like to peruse, for sure leisure activities they’re keen on. The vast majority will be excited to enjoy a reprieve from their chaotic workdays and interface on an individual level. This sort of discussion additionally allows you both an opportunity to check whether you share a common ground based on shared interests.

Towards the end of the first meeting, it’s proper to raise questions about your profession. Have them talk about the spaces in which you’d prefer to develop your career path. As you wrap up the call, sum up the guidance they’ve given to show that you esteem their info. 

Send a card to say thanks: After your first meeting, circle back to a thank you email at some point around the same week. In your message, share a couple of key things you mastered during the discussion, and let them realize you’d prefer to follow up in half a month:

Dear X,

I adored finding out about your climb in Thailand and all the brilliant food you attempted en route. I figure I may go to the Thai café close by and check the cooking out. I was likewise amazed to hear that you taught yourself how to code through online courses. That is such an inspiration! In case it’s alright with you, I’ll get in contact in half a month.

A great many people might be occupied, so don’t be frightened in the event that it takes them a couple of days to react.

Follow up: Three to five weeks subsequent to sending the thank you message, follow up to tell your potential mentor what you did based on the topics you talked about in that first meeting. 

Then, inquire as to whether they would get together again inside the next two or three weeks. Don’t send a plan. Maybe, attempt to keep your tone and ideas easygoing. Great pioneers and mentors like a more relaxed environment. The fact of the matter is to make an air that is agreeable for both of you — not plan one more work meetings.

That said, it can be helpful to note down things that you’d like to discuss and share them in your email when reaching out:

Dear X,

I finally got down to reading that book and I have to say, I can’t believe I didn’t read it sooner. What a great story of grit and determination. Thank you for recommending it.

I was planning to take a course in creative writing from Y institute. Are you familiar with it? Maybe we can discuss this during our next catch-up? I know you’re very busy, but let me know if you’d have time to meet up in the next couple of weeks. I’d really appreciate it.

Usually, after three to four meetings, you’ll have a good idea of how your potential mentor is like. At this point, you can say something like, “These meetings have been very helpful to me; it’s almost like you’re my mentor!” Then pause and see their reaction.

If they reciprocate with a yes, that’s good news for you. If they smile but don’t respond directly, that’s okay too. It’s likely because they don’t want to formally commit to being your mentor right away. But don’t be discouraged. When they’re making time to meet with you, it’s a win-win as you’re getting the guidance you need.

Keep working on the relationship.

At the point when you request that somebody be your mentor, you are additionally requesting that they put their time in you. Show them that their time is in effect all around utilized by exhibiting a profit from their venture (ROI).

Keep them refreshed: For a mentor, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing that the time they have invested into a mentee was important and assisted them with progressing towards their objectives. Be that as it may, the mentee must assist the mentor to see exactly how they’ve done as such. 

Recall that initially follow-up email you sent? Make that something a regular thing. Utilize the time between your catchups to make a move on the objectives you set with your mentor. Send them refreshes (a straightforward mote or an email) revealing to them how their direction is assuming a significant part in your profession and self-awareness. 

Be certain not to spam them. About once a few weeks consistently is acceptable during the initial phase of your relationship. As time advances and you’ve set up a decent mentoring relationship, pinging your mentor once every couple of months is OK. The objective is to stay in contact and to keep them educated about how your profession and skills are advancing.

Offer to help: As with any other relationship, the connection you have with your mentor is a two-way road. The advancement in your career is a reward for your mentor. At the same time, there’s no damage in checking in with your mentor during your gatherings to know if there’s any way you can help them in any capacity. Possibly, they could utilize an external point of view, or maybe you know somebody they were hoping to associate with.

Offer thanks: Write a card to say thanks after each time you have a conversation with them. While it shouldn’t be pretty much as broad as your first thank you card, a concise “Thanks again for your time, was so rewarding catching up with you!” will show them that you like the time and direction they are providing you.

Mentorship can be extraordinary. Being proactive will make your relationship with your mentor an effective one. Utilize these standards to direct you towards a future you’ve envisioned for yourself.

Please tell me you read the goal-setting section. Otherwise, productive just means busy, and there’s no value in that. To what end do you care about productivity?

My own goals for productivity include things like having a positive impact and making money. But they also include goals like being able to say on Saturday, “I didn’t work on productivity all week just to have to work on the weekend.”

Productivity Tactics

Hacks, tips, assessments — there’s a ton you can do to maximize your productivity.

• Finding Your Right Productivity Style for People Who Resist Productivity Advice ~Liz Sumner

Systems:

• Implement the Marc Andreessen Productivity System in Trello ~Bryan Ye
• This Weekly Planning Routine Puts You In Control ~Rafael Sarandeses

Skills & Habits:

• Eight Health Habits You Can Use to Build Energy and Get More Done Every Day ~John Zeratsky
• Four Strategies to Reduce Interruptions at Work ~Patrick Ewers
• How to Consistently Start with Your Most Important Task First ~George Halachev

Counterintuitively, productivity doesn’t mean working all the time:

• Taking Intentional Breaks at Work ~Marta Brzosko

Delegation:

• How to Hire and Train a Virtual Assistant to Multiply Your Time ~Richard Phu

A case study in tracking your time:

• Lessons Learned From Tracking (Almost) Every Hour in My Year ~Willem van Zyl

Cure Technology Distraction

This section has a lot of articles because technology distraction is so pervasive. You basically have to go device-by-device and service-by-service until they’re set up to allow you time to focus.

The most important rule is that technology should be your tool, not your boss. I’m partial to my own article as a starting point. It’s a 75-minute read, which should signal that it’s thorough. But I also hope readers see the length and clue into how much work they have ahead of them to reclaim their lives.

• How to Configure Your iPhone to Work For You, Not Against You ~Coach Tony

For Android owners, try this article:

• How to Create a Zen Experience On Your Android ~Chris Jennings

Given that my iPhone-specific tutorial is so long and extreme, you should also consider the following shorter tactics:

• Beautility, My Ultimate iPhone Setup ~Jason Stirman
• Five Steps to Breaking Phone Addiction ~Megan E. Holstein
• How to Make Your iPhone Black & White ~Megan E. Holstein
• A Phone Setup That Will Make You More Mindful ~Niklas Göke

A lot of tech distraction comes down to social media apps. The articles below have you either change their settings or give them up entirely.

• Is Twitter Better Without Vanity Metrics? ~Niklas Göke
• How to Go on a Social Media Hiatus ~Alec Zaffiro
• How to Stop Wasting Time on WhatsApp ~Niklas Göke
• How to Stop Being Addicted to Facebook ~Niklas Göke

Our computers have the same distractions as our phones. But so far, we just have this one article:

• How to Setup Your Mac for Focused Work ~Niklas Göke

Sometimes the technology distraction has a real human being behind it:

• The Complete Guide to Dealing with Online Trolls ~Ragen Chastain

Cure Procrastination

The roots of procrastination start in the emotional centers of our brain. Normally, we won’t even notice the subconscious emotions that trigger it. Thankfully, there are a number of tested tactics to reduce and maybe even cure procrastination.

This series starts with the world’s leading researcher in procrastination, followed by applied tactics from top coaches, and then ends with a science fiction piece about what would happen if we could design a device that would apply these tactics for us.

• How to Use Psychology to Solve the Procrastination Puzzle ~Tim Pychyl
• How To Conquer Procrastination With Three Self-Awareness Techniques~Niklas Goeke
• How To Use Software and Apps to Beat Procrastination, Pt 1 ~George Halachev
• How To Use Software and Apps to Beat Procrastination, Pt 2 ~George Halachev
• How Artists and Creatives Can Beat Procrastination ~Bjorgvin Benediktsson
• The Complete Guide to Being On Time ~Robert Bateman
• Science Fiction: The Mood Repair Device ~K. D. McAdams

Use Your Tech Tools More Productively

The following are skills to help you use your tools more productively.

If you’re on a Mac:

• How to Move Around Your Mac at the Speed of Light ~Niklas Göke

If you’re on Windows:

• How to Configure Your Windows Global Hotkeys ~George Halachev

Different ways to use your web browser:

• How to Set Up Firefox for Productivity ~Niklas Göke
• How to Save 10 Minutes Per Day While Browsing The Web ~Niklas Göke
• A Complete Guide to Being Faster in Chrome ~eorge Halachev

Even more tools:

• How to Think Clearly with Evernote ~Niklas Göke
• How to Get the Most Out of Your Calendar ~Niklas Göke
• How to Implement a Killer GTD System in Google Sheets ~Mike Sturm

For your phone:

• Battery Life Hacks ~Niklas Göke
• Configuring Your iPhone for Maximum Privacy and Security: Web Browsing ~David Koff

Office Design for Productivity & Creativity

A four-part series from an architect who specializes in applying scientific research on productivity, creativity, and flow. All by Donald M. Rattner, AIA

• How to Use the Psychology of Space
• How to Use Noise to Improve Creativity
• How to Use the Psychology of Light and Lighting
• How to Use Music to Boost Your Creativity

If you are trying to build a new habit or get rid of an old one, tracking your progress on the calendar can be a huge motivating factor on your journey. If you mark the days on the calendar where you managed to successfully stick to your new habit, you’ll soon see a streak. The longer you build the streak, the harder it will become for you to break it.

Aside from that, tracking your daily habits has multiple benefits. This post discusses all that and helps you how you can start tracking your daily habits and activities.

Why tracking your daily habits helps

Tracking your daily habits can help you in several ways, including: 

• It helps you understand where your time went during the day and how you can better gain back control over your life.
• It helps you set realistic goals and be more organized with your tasks, priorities, and plans for the future.
• It gives you a better idea of how much time it normally takes for you to complete a particular task.
• It keeps you accountable and boosts your productivity.
• It helps you get better at single-tasking, rather than exhausting yourself with trying to perform multiple tasks at the same time.

How to track your daily habits

Now that we have established why keeping track of your daily habits is important, let’s take a look at how you can achieve this. Broadly speaking, there are two ways in which you can do it:

Using a journal and a pen

To keep track of your daily habits using a pen and paper, you will need the following:

• Set your daily tasks at the start of your day. In other words, make a to-do list in the morning.
• Track the hours you spend on each task you have to perform throughout the day.
• At the end of the day, make a summary to reflect on everything you have accomplished during the day.
• When you are trying to build a new habit, mark all the days on the calendar in which you successfully stuck to your new resolution.

Using a habit tracker app

Habit tracker apps come in. They serve as an incredible self-accountability check and can help you boost your motivation to stick to your new habit.

You can check this post for a list of the five most popular FREE habit tracking apps on the Apple App Store. 

Install the free Caoch.Me Habit Tracker here.

Watching TED talks have an amazing impact on most people. They are filled with the adrenaline rush of wanting to make an immediate change in their lives right away.

If you are a fan of watching TED talks and are trying to build better habits, this post is just for you. It discusses five TED talks that are powerful enough to help you build new habits and get rid of bad ones.

1. Judson Brewer: “A Simple Way to Break a Habit”

Length: 9 min. 24 sec.
Target: Learn to give up a bad habit.

Psychiatrist Judson Brewer talks about how we can break bad habits by being more curious about them. In this TED talk, Brewer explores the relationship between mindfulness and addiction and discusses how we can break away from the things we do even though we know they’re bad for us by being curious about them.

In an example, Brewer asked the people in his lab to be mindful about their breath while smoking. The participants weren’t forced to stop smoking, rather, they were asked to describe how their breath tastes and feels. Earlier, even though they knew cognitively that smoking was bad for them, being mindful about its impact on their breath made them feel revulsed.

One participant even commented, “Mindful smoking: smells like stinky cheese and tastes like chemicals, YUCK!”

“This is what mindfulness is all about: Seeing really clearly what we get when we get caught up in our behaviors, becoming disenchanted on a visceral level and from this disenchanted stance, naturally letting go.” — Judson Brewer

Watch the talk here.

2. Christine Carter: “The 1-Minute Secret to Forming A New Habit”

Length: 10 min. 56 sec.
Target: Building new habits.

Most of us have struggled with starting a new resolution and being high on motivation. Later, the motivation runs out and we’re left struggling with reasons to stick with our new habit. In this talk, Sociologist Christine Carter shares a simple step to shift your mindset and help you stay on track to achieving your grandest ambitions.

In this talk, Christine Carter shares that motivation or energy aren’t the only things needed to build a habit that lasts. You don’t need extreme talent. You need only to be willing to do something that is terribly small and to remember that to keep doing it is better than nothing. 

“When we abandon our grand plans and great ambitions in favor of taking that first step, we shift. And paradoxically, it’s only in that tiny shift that our grand plans and great ambitions are truly born.” — Christine Carter

Watch the talk here.

3. Matt Cutts: “Try Something New For 30 Days”

Length: 3 min. 27 sec.
Target: Building a new habit.

If there is something you always wanted to do, but just couldn’t find the motivation to start, Matt Cutts, an early employee at Google has a simple suggestion: Try it for 30 days. 

In this talk, Matt Cutts suggests that instead of waiting for the perfect moment, we should just start and stick with any new habit we are trying to build for at least 30 days. Armed with the knowledge that these 30 days are going to pass whether you like it or not, holding on to your resolution will become much easier.

“I learned that when I made small, sustainable changes, things I could keep doing, they were more likely to stick. There’s nothing wrong with big, crazy challenges. In fact, they’re a ton of fun. But they’re less likely to stick.” — Matt Cutts

Watch the talk here.

4. Shlomo Benartzi: “Saving for Tomorrow, Tomorrow”

Length: 17 min, 29 sec. 
Target: Start saving money today.

It’s easy to convince ourselves that we will start saving money next week, but how about starting right now, even when our instinct is to spend it. In this talk, Economist Shlomo Benartzi says this is one of the biggest obstacles to saving enough for retirement and presents a solution on how we can flip this behavioral challenge into a behavioral solution.

“Self-control is not a problem in the future. It’s only a problem now.” — Shlomo Benartzi

Watch the talk here.

5. Dean Ornish: “Your Genes Are Not Your Fate”

Length: 3 min. 12 sec.
Target: Change your genetics by adopting healthy lifestyle habits.

Dean Ornish, a clinical professor at UCSF and founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute shares how adopting healthy lifestyle habits can affect a person at a genetic level. He gives an example that when you live healthier, eat better, exercise, and love more, your brain cells actually increase.

The speaker is a leading expert on fighting illness — particularly heart disease with dietary and lifestyle changes, and his expertise shines through the length of this short, but impactful talk.

“Our genes are not our fate, and if we make these changes — they’re a predisposition — but if we make bigger changes than we might have made otherwise, we can actually change how our genes are expressed.” — Dean Ornish

Watch the talk here.

The first mention of “Tiny Habits” was by Dr. BJ Fogg, a behavior scientist credited for founding the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University.

He is the New York Times bestselling author of Tiny Habits. He is also the creator of the Fogg Behavior Model that has helped thousands of people design for behavior change.

Tiny habits are what the name suggests: take things in tiny measures and work on small goals as opposed to larger ones that so often fail. When you break down a new habit to its smallest element, you feel less resistance to do it, and it becomes easier to incorporate that into your routine.

This post discusses a hundred examples of tiny habits you can use to either build or break a new habit in your life.

But do tiny habits really work?

Check out what some of these bloggers all over the world have to say about the transformative power of tiny habits.

The testimonials on BJ Fogg’s website are pure gold. Have a look at what these users are saying:

“Tiny Habits is the only method for change that worked for me.” — Josef B.

“Tiny Habits is a roadmap to a better you.” — Rob G.

“This is the most helpful self-help book I’ve ever read. As a performance psychologist, I love this approach.” — Sarah H.

“It really feels like magic.” — Ruth G.

“Tiny Habits is the most positive, realistic plan to change habits I’ve ever seen.” — Lee J.

“Tiny Habits gives me hope. The best part is the immediate results in my life — within the first 48 hours!” — Jenna C.

Blogger Scott Trimble writes about his experiment with tiny habits. Here are the three tiny habits he tried to build:

• After I pour a cup of coffee, I will fill my water bottle.
• After I read the news, I will open my music lessons book.
• After I walk the dog, I will do five push-ups.

After a week of experimenting with setting up the tiny habits, here’s what Trimble has to say:

“I was surprised by how tough it was to accurately think about the anchors in my daily routine. In my mind, I was thinking that I always read the news at home on my computer in the evening, but this week I found myself reading the news all over the place and at different times every day. Maybe it was just a hectic week. I’ll stick with the music book tiny habit next week to try to find out.”

“Tiny habits give you a sense of control. When you accomplish one thing, it may lead you to accomplish and celebrate the next. It gives you hope and leads you to continue down the path and eventually change your life.” — BJ Fogg, Tiny Habits

When asked to work with tiny habits for a long period of time, here’s what users of the habit-building and tracking app, Coach.Me had to say:

“I really like the tiny habits philosophy. This is the technique I use most. It helps me to see change and feel a sense of accomplishment. I would recommend Michelle and this process of self-discovery to anyone who is seeking to improve. ”— Anonymous

“I got hooked on a writing habit. My coach did a great job leading me through a tiny habit of gratitude journaling at night. Then I built on that to add my real goal which was regular journaling every morning.” — Daren

“I was coached in Tiny habits. I got up to 17 new tiny habits of which I’m still doing the majority. It has changed my morning routine and kept me looking for more anchors during the day to add on some additional tiny habits. I guess also thanks to Tiny Habits I started running again (Yes, my body is my temple), will start playing basketball again (on a soft level, hey I’m no longer that crazy youngster), and seeing other positive changes. Pushups I can easily do 20 now (and more), when I stop for a red light I start thinking about what makes me happy, I’m writing a lot more, and so on and so on.” — Bart

“Tint habits have been very helpful and motivating, his insight on using anchors for habit change was particularly helpful. ” — Anonymous

So, what are you waiting for? Find a life coach to unlock the next level in your life today!

Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everythingis a New York Times bestselling book by the world’s leading expert on habit formation, BJ Fogg. The book shows how you can have a happier, healthier life: by starting small.

As the blurb outlines, “When it comes to change, tiny is mighty. Start with two pushups a day, not a two-hour workout; or five deep breaths each morning rather than an hour of meditation. In Tiny Habits, B.J. Fogg brings his experience coaching more than 40,000 people to help you lose weight, de-stress, sleep better, or achieve any goal of your choice. 

Change can be easy — once it starts, it grows. Let B.J. Fogg show you exactly how.”

The Power of Habitby Charles Duhigg, an investigative reporter for The New York Times. As the blurb outlines, “In The Power of Habit, award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. With penetrating intelligence and an ability to distill vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives, Duhigg brings to life a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential for transformation.

Along the way, we learn why some people and companies struggle to change, despite years of trying, while others seem to remake themselves overnight. We visit laboratories where neuroscientists explore how habits work and where, exactly, they reside in our brains. We discover how the right habits were crucial to the success of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, and civil-rights hero Martin Luther King, Jr. We go inside Procter & Gamble, Target superstores, Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, NFL locker rooms, and the nation’s largest hospitals and see how implementing so-called keystone habits can earn billions and mean the difference between failure and success, life and death.” Para los jugadores de casino móvil, los principales casinos suizos ofrecen aplicaciones exclusivas que pueden descargarse gratuitamente. Puedes jugar desde la comodidad de tu casa o desde cualquier otro lugar. Para más información, pulse aquí www.dominicana-onlinecasino.com/ . Disfrute de algunos de los mejores juegos de casino para jugadores dominicanos jugando al blackjack, póquer, vídeo póquer, ruleta, baccarat, keno, faro o bingo sobre la marcha.

“Change might not be fast and it isn’t always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.” — Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit

How are the two books similar?

As the book blurb suggests, “At its core, The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, raising exceptional children, becoming more productive, building revolutionary companies and social movements, and achieving success is understanding how habits work.”

It has been widely loved by readers and reviewers alike. As Goodreads reviewer Robert Chapman writes, “The book flows really well and uses research throughout to substantiate the concepts presented. The audience who can benefit from this book is vast, from individuals to corporates to governments.

Tiny Habits, on the other hand, discusses Fogg’s behavior formula: make it easy, make it fit your life, and make it rewarding. Whenever you get in your car, take one yoga breath. Smile. Whenever you get in bed, turn off your phone. Give yourself a high five.

The book is an incredibly valuable source of frameworks to build habits that last. As Goodreads reviewer Ariane Cap writes, “A powerful and lifechanging method. Once I got the hang of how this works I felt unstoppable. I have been doing the method for years. I am very happy that the book on it is out now. Forget the copy cats. Go to the source, go to the science. This is the definite guide by the creator of the method. Highly recommended.”

How are the two books different?

Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit comes from the author’s extensive research after reading hundreds of scientific journals in the field of social psychology, clinical psychology, and neuroscience. Duhigg has also interviewed the scientists who wrote them and crafted his exhaustive thesis. 

The result? The Power of Habit isn’t your average self-help book but takes a serious look at the science of habit formation and long-lasting change.

As for Tiny Habits, the bulk of the book comes from the research conducted by the author himself. BJ Fogg, PhD, is the founder and director of the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University, where he has directed lab research for over 20 years. What you’ll find in Tiny Habits is a combination of Fogg’s academic research combined with his hands-on experience personally coaching over 40,000 people in the Tiny Habits method.

So, what are you waiting for? Find a life coach to unlock the next level in your life today!

The concept in Tiny Habits that will help you build any new habit

While building a new habit or behavior, most people fail because they either aim too high and plan to make huge changes in a single day, or because they are so harsh on themselves for not sticking to their goals, that they drown in negativity and are unable to take back control over their aspirations.

That’s where tiny habits come in. Proposed by BJ Fogg of Stanford University, a tiny habit is described as:

• A behavior you do at least once a day
• A behavior that takes you less than 30 seconds
• A behavior that requires little effort.

Fogg has designed the B=MAP model of behavior change that states behavior is the result of motivation, ability, and prompts taken at the same time. This is a simple formula that can lead to incredible results. In other words, a behavior is a result of:

• Motivation, or your desire to execute the behavior.
• Ability, i.e. your capacity to execute the behavior.
• Prompt, or your cue to execute the behavior.

The secret sauce: Anchorage

The key to establishing any habit firmly into your life is by anchoring it with an existing habit. As BJ Fogg establishes, motivation is not reliable. If you are planning to build a new habit, you are of course motivated to achieve your goals. But motivation doesn’t last.

Either you don’t achieve your goal because it’s too hard or you forgot. And the secret way to avoid that is to tie your motivation with a prompt or trigger. 

The anchor habit can be your trigger. 

Any existing habit is the prompt or cue. These anchors are things you do every day, no matter what. These include things that you don’t even think about doing, like eating food, brushing your teeth, taking a shower, etc.

Here are some examples of tiny habits, combined with existing behaviors:

• “After I brush my teeth, I will wash my face.”
• “After I pour my morning coffee, I will make breakfast.”
• “After I start the dishwasher, I will do one sit-up.”
• “After I walk in my door from work, I will roll out my Yoga mat.”
• “After I sit down on the train on the way to work, I will open my book and start to read.”
• “After I put my head on the pillow, I will think of one good thing from my day.”

According to Fogg, it’s important to combine the new tiny habit with a previously established habit so you’ll remember to do it every time. This will make your journey of adopting the tiny habit easier and minimize the need for constant reflection.

So, what are you waiting for? Find a life coach from the world’s best coaching directory to unlock the next level in your life today!

We all know that you can’t start a daily exercising habit by doing hundred push-ups on day one. If you aim for something so high on day one, you’ll lose motivation and fail.

That’s where tiny habits come in. This is a revolutionary concept proposed by BJ Fogg, the behavior scientist credited for founding the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University.

Bj Fogg describes a tiny habit as:

• A behavior you do at least once a day
• A behavior that takes you less than 30 seconds
• A behavior that requires little effort.

Fogg has also designed the B=MAP model of behavior change that states behavior is the result of motivation, ability, and prompts taken at the same time. This is a simple formula that can lead to incredible results. In other words, a behavior is the result of:

• Motivation, or your desire to execute the behavior.
• Ability, i.e. your capacity to execute the behavior.
• Prompt, or your cue to execute the behavior.

This is true for building a habit and breaking an old habit in equal measure.

This post describes how you can use tiny habits to build any new habit or to break an existing habit. If you’re looking for some examples of tiny habits for the most common habits people all over the world are trying to build or break, click here.

Step one: Identify the tiny habit

The most common mistake people make while trying to build a new habit is that they start too big. To avoid falling into this trap, it’s important that you identify a habit that’s tiny enough so you don’t have any excuses. If you pick something sufficiently small, you can keep doing it every day until it becomes such an important part of your life that you no longer have to think consciously about starting it.

You can discover a tiny habit by experimenting with the subcomponents of the Ability variable from the B=MAP Model, namely time, money, physical effort, mental effort, social deviance, and routine. 

Start small. For example, if you’re trying to build a habit of reading every day, you can start by reading one sentence. These tiny habits act as the foundation for long-term behavior change. If they feel too tiny, feel free to do more and treat it as extra credit. No matter what you do, never skip the bare minimum — the tiny habit — that you had pledged yourself to. Instagram Reels are the hottest new phenomenon sweeping across social media, and for good reason. They make it easy to create, share, and download 15-second videos with speed and flair. With just a few clicks of your mouse, you can download any Reel directly to your device without having to download any extra apps or plugins.

Step two: Tie new tiny habits to anchors

Any existing habit is the prompt or cue. There anchors are things you do everyday, no matter what. These include things that you don’t even think about doing, like eating food, brushing your teeth, taking a shower, etc.

Here are some examples of tiny habits, combined with existing behaviors:

• “After I brush my teeth, I will wash my face.”
• “After I pour my morning coffee, I will make breakfast.”
• “After I start the dishwasher, I will do one sit up.”
• “After I walk in my door from work, I will roll out my Yoga mat.”
• “After I sit down on the train on the way to work, I will open my book and start to read.”
• “After I put my head on the pillow, I will think of one good thing from my day.”

According to Fogg, it’s important to combine the new tiny habit with a previously established habit so you’ll remember to do it every time. This will make your journey of adopting the tiny habit easier and minimize the need for constant reflection.

Step three: Celebrate 

Another reason why most people fail to build new habits is that they judge themselves too harshly. They hold themselves up to insane standards, and when they are unable to complete these tasks, they fall down the rabbit hole of guilt and self-blame.

To avoid spiraling down the same abyss, it’s important to celebrate small wins and reward yourself every time you manage to successfully complete one tiny habit. 

The choice of reward can vary from person to person, but it’s important to identify a reward before diving right into the action. Reward yourself immediately after you finish performing the habit. That way, it will be easier to stick to your goals as you know you’ll have something fun to look forward to when you are done.

Even if you follow all the steps, there might still be days when you fail to stick to the tiny habit you had pledged yourself to. Even in such cases, avoid negativity. Treat this as a slip, a blip on the radar that you can surmount the next day.

Yes, you failed today, but so what? You can start again tomorrow and keep the momentum going. Be kind to yourself and celebrate small wins, but don’t treat every small “loss” as a major “defeat.”

Step four: Scale up

If you keep repeating the habit tiny forever, you will continue to see tiny results. For long-lasting change, it is important to increase duration and dosage of the the habit over time.

If you feel demotivaed in the beginning, remember you’re not looking for results right now. You’re simply trying to create the habit. The results come later, once you’ve successfully established the habit and incorporated it into your routine. 

So, what are you waiting for? Find a life coach from the world’s best coaching directory to unlock the next level in your life today!

According to BJ Fogg, the founder of the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University, a behavior happens when motivation, ability, and a prompt converge simultaneously. This is known as the Fogg Behavior Model or B=MAP.

If you want to change your life, you’ll have to change your behaviors. There are only three simple variables that drive those behaviors. That’s where the B=MAP model comes in. It is the framework to understand and unlock the mystery of how habits take root in routines. It will help you adopt helpful habits and get rid of unhelpful ones. This post outlines the B=MAP model and lays down steps how you can apply it in your life to make room for transformative change.

The B=MAP Model

Behavior is the result of motivation, ability, and prompts taken at the same time. This is a simple formula that can lead to incredible results. In other words, a behavior is the result of:

• Motivation, or your desire to execute the behavior.
• Ability, i.e. your capacity to execute the behavior.
• Prompt, or your cue to execute the behavior.

This is true for building a habit and breaking an old habit in equal measure. 

“You can disrupt a behavior you don’t want by removing the prompt. This isn’t always easy, but removing the prompt is your best first move to stop a behavior from happening.” — BJ Fogg

The following sections will discuss each element of the B=MAP in detail and ay down actionable steps you can execute right away to welcome change into your life.

Motivation

Most people wrongly assume that motivation is all you need to successfully build a new habit. Fogg disagrees, stating that motivation is only one part of the equation. And as we all know. motivation is unreliable. It doesn’t last forever.

According to Fogg, there are three sources of motivation:

• Yourself, i.e. what you know you want.
• A reward or punishment you know you would receive if you complete the behavior.
• The context, i.e. if people around you are doing it as well.

The best kinds of behaviors you can focus on are what Fogg calls “Golden Behaviors”. It has three elements, namely, it should be effective in realizing your aspiration, you should want to do the behavior, and you are fully capable of executing it.

Ability

If you’re able to execute a behavior, you’ll not need much motivation to continue doing it. When you’re struggling to build a new habit, ask yourself what Fogg calls the Discovery Question: What is making this behavior hard to do? 

This is not only an incredible exercise in self-reflection, but is also a helpful step towards solving your inability to build the habit. As Fogg’s research suggests, your answer to the Discovery Question could be a combination of the following (Fogg calls them Ability Factors):

1. Do you have enough time to do the behavior?
2. Do you have enough money to do the behavior?
3. Are you physically capable of doing the behavior?
4. Does the behavior require a lot of creative or mental energy?
5. Does the behavior fit into your current routine, or does it require you to make adjustments?

Another question you Fogg suggests you ask yourself is the Breakthrough Question: How can I make this behavior easier to do? There are only three answers to this, according to Fogg’s research:

1. Increase your skills. Research more on the habit you’re focussing. You should do this immediately when your motivation is high. This can be done by reading books, watching tutorial videos, or joining a group of likeminded people.
2. Get tools and resources that help you with the new habit.
3. Make the behavior tiny. Focus on the starter steps — one small habit you can do every day that will lead you towards your desired behavior. In case you are trying ot break a habit, you should taking the behavior you want and shrink it, one step at a time.

Prompts

Prompts are the triggers or cues that push you to start the habit. As per Fogg’s research, there are three types of prompts:

1. Person Prompts: When you rely on a prompt from within to start a behavior, for example, a sore back might prompt you to stand up and stretch. While useful, such prompts are unlikely to lead to lasting change as they are so unreliable.
2. Context Prompts: These are cues in your environment that urge you to take action, for example, an alarm clock or a notification on your phone. They are useful, but having too many to manage can lead to overwhelm.
3. Action Prompts: These are the most reliable type of prompts, and as Fogg defines, “a behavior you already do that can remind you to do a new habit you want to cultivate.” For example, an existing habit of making coffee for yourself ever morning can serve as a prompt to take your medications.

“Action Prompts are already embedded in your life so seamlessly and naturally that you don’t have to think about them.” — BJ Fogg

How to apply the B=MAP model

Fogg proposes a simple graph to help us understand how to build a new habit or behavior. Along the vertical axis is Motivation (M) which varies between High and Low. Along the horizontal axis is Ability (A) which varies between Hard to do and Easy to do. Then, the Prompt (P) lands either above or below a curved line on the graph, known as the “Action Line.”

The position of your Prompt in relation to the Action Line determines whether you’ll do a Behavior (B) or not.

In Fogg’s own words: “When a behavior is prompted above the Action Line, it happens. Suppose you have high motivation but no ability (you weigh 120 pounds, but you want to bench-press 500 pounds). You’re going to fall below the Action Line and feel frustrated when you are prompted. On the other hand, if you are capable of the behavior but have zero motivation, a prompt won’t get you to do the behavior; it will only be an annoyance. What causes the behavior to be above or below the line is a combination of motivation pushing up and the ability to move you to the right. Here’s a key insight: Behaviors that ultimately become habits will reliably fall above the Action Line.”