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Instilling Good Habits

There are two good reasons why it’s essential to instill the habit of making the bed every morning. First, it does feel good to know we’ve made our bed for the day. While it’s a small task, it makes a big difference in getting things done. Considering it’s the first thing that should be done in the morning, it can give a good sense of accomplishment. That’s the same feeling I want my kids to experience. If they experience it at a very young age, they can develop the habit of getting things done.

Cleanliness is the second reason to instill the habit of making the bed in the morning. The bedroom looks a lot cleaner. It boils down to the responsibility of taking care of yourself.

Work Habits

Be sure you are neat, tidy, and clean where you work. Make sure your desk or workstation is neat, clean, and pleasant. Clear perishable rubbish immediately and wash your mug at the end of the workday. The same attitude applies to the general office area and restrooms — use them considerately for others to enjoy.

Employees wait to be told what to do—entrepreneurs think strategically about what needs to be done and then do it. Employees do their job well—entrepreneurs are committed to the team doing well—so they mentor other employees, pitch in when needed, and go that extra mile if it means the work will be done better.

Work for yourself

Successful freelancers/entrepreneurs do not just make their beds and leave things neat and tidy for others; they have personal projects every day. I call these passion projects.

You work on a passion project (often outside of your chosen career path) that gives you satisfaction and happiness and puts you in a flow state. It’s what you do to escape it all. It’s your contribution to the world.

Be sure that you Focus on Results, Not Just Activities. It isn’t about the to-dos you’ve knocked off your list—it is about the quantitative results of your work.

My passion is helping missionaries and NGOs around the world. I help them tell their stories better than they can alone. I also come alongside people and capture their passion projects.

My focus on these projects isn’t about traveling and meeting people in different places. My passion is helping someone talk about their love for a people group and business in the world that they want to help improve.

When I am done, I want to hear that because of my work capturing photos, videos, and audio of their work, their supporters are giving more and increasing their number. Sometimes, I hear my work helping local indigenous people understand their jobs and become better connected locally.

Passion Project – My Blog

One of my passion projects is this blog, which grew out of my other passion for teaching.

I realized that many of the students I was teaching were not taking good notes, and my goal was for them to succeed. I started by posting some of my teaching assignments with examples in blogs.

Know How to Pitch Ideas (the Right Way)

Once you have been doing things for yourself and see how this has improved your life, pitching an idea to someone else is much easier. However, if you lack good work habits, what do you have to offer to someone else?

Smart people are full of ideas, but brilliant people can also sell those ideas to everyone else, sharing not only why the picture is a great one but also how it will impact the team and business.

Don’t worry about perfection. Put your energy into taking action. It would help if you failed now and then. It is essential to try new things, be willing to learn and grow, and constantly strive to get to the next level, even if you make a mistake.

Successful people know exactly what they need to get their work done—and they’re not afraid to make it happen.

Questions for thought

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• Did you make your bed today?
• Do you have an ongoing personal project?
• Do you have something on your calendar to do for your project?
• When was your last failure, and what did you learn from it?
• When was your last pitch to someone for an idea?
• What is your next idea pitch?