The Power of Habits

Don’t get trapped in a routine. The secret of success is to practice what you are not good at. Get uncomfortable. A sport’s man, when asked to identify the secret of his success, replied ’I practiced what I was not good at’.
All successful people both in and out of Toastmasters have had to overcome obstacles in life. What determines their ability to transcend those obstacles and fears is a great willingness to stretch their comfort zones. In a Toastmaster’s Club your comfort zone is measured by the speeches you give and the assignments you take on. Successful Toastmasters have one thing in common – they form the habit of thorough preparation and active listening. People who clock watch and day dream do not get far.
Your habits reflect your personality. They influence how you dress; walk; sit; smile and laugh. As part of your internal makeup most habits are formed early in life. By adulthood those habits are much easier to follow than change. If you want to be more successful both in and out of Toastmasters, you must make an effort to reject stagnation, and form habits of self improvement. To evaluate your personal habits – ask yourself
• Do successful happy people seem to enjoy my company?
• Do others seek my advice?
• Do I continue to grow through careful reading and exposure to stimulating ideas?
• Do I surround myself with positive uplifting influences including people?
• Do I usually feel good about myself?
• Do I look for new ways to improve my speaking, writing, and listening skills?
The ability to invest time wisely is a habit acquired through deliberate choice. Success requires passion and is governed by the laws of habit. To develop habits, one must have an objective. It is never the strength of a goal that will make you do anything in life. It is the strength of the purpose behind it. If your goal in life is to make money to put bread on the table, then that is all you will do. This standard requires you to cross the finish line only because it exists. In order to achieve a far greater level of success, you must have passion to go the distance.
Remember: “Never be content with what you are, if you want to be what you are not”.

Speak Easy Toastmasters will hold their next meeting (The Area Finals International Speech and Evaluation Contests) at the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow, April 7th 2011 at 7:50PM. Non-members are more than welcome to attend and will not be asked to speak. Further details about the Club are available on our website, www.speakeasytoastmasters.com or why not follow Speak Easy Toastmasters on Facebook