A sequence of actions regularly followed, a fixed program, or quite simply stated, a routine. 

Routines lead to healthy habits that have been shown to reduce stress amongst other positive health benefits. Human beings tend to be creatures of habit, but we didn’t form these habits overnight. Daily habits – big or small – all formed from routines consciously or unconsciously started that we repeated over and over again. We tend to focus on routines before work and after work, but what about during work? What routines can you put into place at work that lead to habits contributing to your successful career?

There are countless articles on the topic of professional habits that lead to success, but new habits and routines started all at once can feel overwhelming. They prove to be hard to fit into your day-to-day life and eventually go to the wayside… consider the yearly phenomenon of gyms being packed in January and deserted in February.

The Harvard Business Review warns professionals about lofty aspirations for self-improvement becoming more burdensome than they are sustainable. If you are looking to improve yourself in the workplace or outside of the workplace, start with more “achievable behaviors that you build over long periods of time.” This concept has been coined a “micro habit.”

Have you ever tried to start a new fitness goal? If you’re like me, you start super motivated and over time the new routine fades away. I enjoy running; however, the season of life I am currently in doesn't lend itself to multiple long runs a week, but I found that I have a 20 minute break between meetings 3 days a week where I can take my dog for a short run. I formed a micro habit that is helping me to achieve my fitness goals over time. It looks different than I thought it would, but it is more sustainable longer-term.

When it comes to my professional habits, my personal favorites are: 

• setting boundaries

• protecting my valuable time

• taking time to structurally organize my thoughts

• leaving time to learn something new. 

These habits are not unreasonable to incorporate, but they are easier said than done in the busy day-to-day balancing act of my professional and personal life. 

Let’s delve into each of these habits, the routines that can contribute to them, and the micro habits you can establish to get a jumpstart.

What Micro Habits Help You Succeed in Your Career?

Know Your Boundaries 

Popular job search engine, Indeed says that setting boundaries at work is important because it can:

• Increase productivity

• Lower work-related stress

• Maintain a healthy workload

• Reduce the risk of burnout

• Set an example for others

Boundaries at work can manifest in different ways for different people. Some examples are:

• Blocking time on your calendar for personal time that you need to recharge, or for events important to your personal life

• Declining meetings that don’t require your attendance

• Delegating tasks to someone who can focus more effectively on the job at hand

• Wearing headphones to indicate you’re focusing (if you work at a location in an open space)

If you’re having a hard time defining your boundaries, start by setting your career priorities and ask yourself what is getting in the way of achieving your goals. Once you have identified roadblocks standing in the way of your goals, start to think of what boundaries you can put into place to remove the roadblocks you have identified.  Once you have identified your boundaries, think of what micro habits you can start tomorrow to ensure your boundaries hold.  For example, you could pick a task on your plate that is out of your job scope and schedule time with a coworker who can lead this task instead. Or maybe you block your calendar for 30 minutes each day to take a solo lunch to recharge. 

Take Time to Structure Your Thoughts

When I was a new graduate, someone gave me advice to schedule “thinking time” on my calendar. “Thinking time” is a time set aside to reflect on issues, projects, etc. I have found as I have progressed in my career that I can’t turn on creative thinking at a set time, but I still like the idea of blocking time for free space. The free space can be used to knock out administrative tasks that are piling up, to organize my to-do list so I have a clear picture on my tasks and priorities, and maybe… just maybe… I am in a creative mood and use this time to come up with new, innovative solutions. 

A recent article in Forbes, touched on the concept of “time blocking:” 

“Time blocking is the practice of planning your schedule for the day in advance by blocking every hour of your day for specific tasks and responsibilities. It's just like creating a to-do list, but here you know when exactly to do what. So it's actually a more specific kind of to-do list that works brilliantly in helping you get things done more effectively.” 

Taking time to structure your thoughts and leave time for completing tasks can take on a super structured approach like this or be more open, such as blocking a couple hours in your afternoon, a few days each week. Experiment with different methods to see what works for you. 

Leave Time to Learn Something New

Continuously learning and developing is more important than ever in our fast-paced work worlds. The Society of Human Resources Management recently wrote an article focusing on the importance of learning and development throughout one’s career:

“In the world of work, if you do not grow and change, you will get left behind." Continuous learning and development helps you stay competitive, advance in your career and achieve long-term professional goals.” 

It’s smart to first look at internal resources available from your current employer. What formal courses does your learning and development department offer? Have you expressed interest in a mentoring program? What about reaching out to someone cross-functionally for a coffee to understand their part of the business more? 

Don’t forget to consider external resources as well. Online platforms such as LinkedIn offer many different professional connections, online courses, webinars, etc. There are also routes through universities to sign up for continuing education courses if deeper knowledge is necessary for what you’ve set out to learn. 

Whether you have set learning goals or you’re trying to determine where you want to focus, you can start by introducing a learning micro habit. Perhaps you set a goal of making one new connection at your workplace each week. Setting up a simple coffee chat to learn about a different part of the business or using your blocked thinking time to listen to an online webinar to stay up to date on external trends in your industry are both examples of learning micro habits. 

Need More Support For Your Micro habits?

Setting new habits in your career can be linked to career development priorities you have set for yourself. Perhaps you are struggling to set your career priorities. A certified career coach for one-to-one coaching may allow you to understand next steps in your career journey.  Reach out to the experts at The Wilbanks Consulting Group. You can schedule a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your individual needs and challenges. We are happy to help you prioritize your goals and start forming habits leading to a successful career journey.