I am planning to ask some questions in an upcoming time management survey, about whether or not users have an issue with learning new habits.
I recently read a shocking statistic — some 90% of Americans don’t get past the first chapter of the average book that they purchase.
Clearly, they don’t have in place the habits that they need to complete the book, and I imagine that the reason given has little to do with “interest in the book” and everything to do with “finding the time.”
In other words, they don’t have the habits, or the ability to create the habits, that support the completion of a book they wish they could finish.
I imagine that the same thing happens when someone attends a 2 day training program, hears a one hour webinar or downloads an ebook on time management tips. They hear some good ideas that they come to believe are wortwhile, and then fail to implement them in their lives.
That’s not to disregard the handful who can create new habits at will. They can learn a new practice and put it into place immediately.
The vast majority, however, have a great challenge.
They grasp the new ideas very quickly, and tell themselves to implement them, but simply fail.
One question I hope to ask is why they failed.
As a part of MyTimeDesign 2.0, I hope to use the internet to provide the kind of reinforcement that will improve the odds that a user will succeed in putting in place the habits they want, and continue them over time.
Some of the strategies I have used in MyTimeDesign 1.0 and in the live NewHabits programs do include these kinds of supports over a 2-3 month period, but I am now thinking that that might just not be enough.
I am starting to believe that a time management program that sets 4 hours apart for just assisting participants to teach themselves new habits would increase the implementation of new habits dramatically.
Hopefully, the survey will help to clarify this particular hypothesis.