Bad Habits

With the New Year looming, I always start getting more introspective. There is something about starting a new year that makes me think "change" is possible and I can be fresh and new.

Marshall Goldsmith has written a book called "What Got You Here Won't Get You There" with some simple tips for successful people. His premise is that simple bad habits keep us all from achieving what we could in life and we are often unaware of what we do. It applies to home and family as well as the workplace. Here are a few that may sound familiar:

• Passing Judgement
• Making destructive comments
• Starting sentences with "no", "but" or "however". These terms are progress stoppers.
  
• Failing to give recognition
• Clinging to the past
• Failing to express gratitude
• Not being able to say "I'm sorry"
• Making excuses - not owing up to our own actions
  
• Goal obsession - getting so caught up that we don't focus on what is important.

Goldsmith says you can't overestimate the results of just plain "being nice". Listen to others without interupting. Give credit to others and don't be a limelight hog. Apologize when you do something wrong or hurt someone. Be positive when someone else expresses an idea or plan.

It seems like common sense and just good manners, but it's amazing how many times these little bad habits can creep up. I'm going to try and be aware of all of them for 2008!