Changing Work Habits…
(and Life Habits): The Discipline of Transformation
Changing work habits—and ultimately life habits—requires one crucial foundation: discipline. Without discipline, meaningful and lasting change simply won’t happen. It’s the engine that powers transformation, the fuel that drives your progress toward a better version of yourself and your company.
Step 1: Start With Discipline
Discipline is the starting point for any change. It’s not just about wanting something different; it’s about committing to a process of doing things differently, even when it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient. Change demands consistency, and consistency demands discipline.
When I first started my remodeling company 25 years ago, I didn’t have much discipline. Balancing work, a wife, two kids, and everything else in life was overwhelming. It took years for me to develop enough discipline to begin making real changes, and honestly, one key turning point for me was taking up running. Committing to a regular running routine gave me the structure and mental toughness to build discipline in other areas of my life, including how I ran my business.
Step 2: Retrain Your Brain
Once you’ve embraced the need for discipline, the next step is figuring out how to change. Change isn’t just about deciding to do things differently; it’s about retraining your brain and your habits to consistently operate in new ways. This process involves:
Clarity: Define what you want to change. Be specific.
Techniques: When you define what exactly needs to change, for example, you want to make sure to get a change order approved before commencing additional work. Then create the process, making it as simple as possible but including all the right steps. Then right that process down in simple bullet points. Review the process before you walk into each project. Review it again when you leave. Each review is reinforcement of the process and part of retraining your brain. This reinforcement also acts as a prompt to do the change order if you need to.
Repetition: Practice the new way of doing things—again and again—for months, until it becomes second nature.
Repetition: Make It Stick
Changing habits isn’t a one-time effort; it requires consistent repetition over time. To truly retrain your brain, you have to commit to doing things the new way—again and again—until it becomes automatic. Think of it like building muscle memory. The more you practice, the easier and more natural it becomes.
One technique that works for me is writing down a key habit or root change I need to make on a 3x5 card and putting it on the dashboard of my truck. This way, I’m constantly reminded of it throughout the day. Every time I glance at the card, it reinforces what I’m trying to change, keeping it top of mind. This simple trick helps me focus and stay intentional, even during busy or stressful days.
Find a system that works for you—whether it’s sticky notes on your desk, daily reminders on your phone, or even a card in your truck like mine. The goal is to stay engaged with your new habit long enough for it to stick.
The truth is, changing habits is hard. It requires effort, persistence, and the willingness to confront your old ways. But the good news is that it’s absolutely possible. Start small, stay consistent, and remember that every step forward builds momentum (a huge truth so read that again). This is also why keeping the first few things simple (that doesn't mean easy, just simple) is important; that way you feel success and are ready to take on bigger and bigger challenges
Step 3: Leverage What’s Already Working
One trick I’ve learned is to leverage habits or disciplines you already have to fuel change in other areas. For me, running helped me develop mental toughness and discipline that carried over into my business operations. Ask yourself:
What’s one area of your life where you already tend to have discipline?
How can you apply that same mindset to changing how you….fill in the blank.
Step 4: Make It Personal
Finally, remember that personal growth directly impacts professional success. What are some personal improvements you would like to make? Like maybe a date night with you significant other? Or actually taking some days off? Whatever it is, leverage change for more than work, it will make life more fulfilling