Kevin DeShazo, founder of Be Better Leaders, posted the following on X this morning: “You are not your goals. You are your habits. It’s not what you want that shapes your life, it’s what you do every day. Live intentionally.”
While we certainly don’t always enjoy the discipline of the daily grind, DeShazo’s statement is undeniably true.
We all spend time dreaming about where we want to be one day, but we instinctively know that the everyday stuff of life determines that outcome of those dreams far more than the big moments. And yes, while the goals are important, it’s our habits (good or bad) that actually shape our lives.
It’s habits like tackling the tough task now instead of kicking the can down the road. Or, taking time to send a hand-written note that lets the person know they are worthwhile. It’s prepping for meetings, understanding that the most processed ideas carry the day. It’s carving out 15 minutes to just think, even when the day feels too packed to breathe.
As leadership guru Jim Rohn put it, “We must all suffer one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. Discipline weighs ounces, regret weighs tons.”
I’m not sure that discipline only weighs ounces, but I wholeheartedly believe that when our careers are said and done, the work we’ll be most proud of will be a product of our discipline. Yes, a tombstone from the sale of a company is nice. But I suspect we’ll be prouder of the way we collaborated with teammates to wrestle a problem to the ground or spent a day whiteboarding ideas that solved real problems or refreshed our vision. It will be knowing that we lived out the Core Values our team agreed on, and that those values were far more than just art for our conference room wall.
Oswald Chambers may have put it best when he said, “Learn to live in the domain of the commonplace, by the grace of God.” It’s a theme Chambers stressed throughout his writings: our character is wrought far more by the mundane than by the awards ceremonies.
As we dive into another week, let’s celebrate the quiet habits that do the heavy lifting in our lives—the small, steady steps that turn hopes into something real and profitable.
What’s one habit that has quietly transformed your work life? Please share in the comments below.