Holy smokes. I am writing my first article for 2019! How did 2019 get here so fast? 

I did not accomplish all that I intended to in 2018, but a lot did go right. What changes must I make to have an even better 2019? Put another way, what habits can I establish in my life to make me a better person this year? I know that as I become better, the outcomes of my life will improve. 

A major problem with establishing new habits is that the process of turning an action into a habit requires willpower. Willpower is a limited resource in our lives. We must use our willpower resources wisely by focusing on the vital few habits that will make the greatest impact on our lives. 

These habits are “keystone” habits. In architecture, the keystone is the wedge-shaped stone at the top of a masonry arch. It is the last stone put in place and holds the entire arch together. Similarly, a keystone habit can “hold up” a lot of other great habits in our lives. They key is to find the right habits and to establish them as a standard operating procedure in our lives. 

I have a few keystone habits that are serving me well. I’m sure you do too. I no longer think of these actions because they have become a part of how I do things. Like any good habit, they just happen. One of those is getting out of bed early. I’m up by 5 a.m. most weekdays and I can tell a difference when I sleep in on the weekends. When I miss the keystone habit of not waking up early, some of my other key habits fall apart. 

For instance, if I sleep in on the weekends the kids are generally the ones waking me up. Getting woken up by your kids is awesome, but this means any “me time” is now canceled. I will not get in my quiet time, my planning time or my workout. One day a week of sleeping late works great in my life, but if I sleep in for several days I can become a real grump. Sleep is a good thing and I am sure the extra sleep is treating me well but missing out on my workouts and my time with God is what can throw me into a funk.

As much as I love sleep, I’ve realized things go better when I stick to my keystone habit of waking up early. Waking early gives me the time I need to accomplish my other critical habits before the rest of the world wakes up. 

When I wake up early, I get time to pray, plan and workout. When I pray, plan and workout I get more accomplished. I feel better. I have a better attitude. 

You have a keystone habit or two in your life. Take time to find them. How would your life improve if you did that habit more often? 

Is there a keystone habit that could be the start of many other great habits if you could establish it? I’ve got my eyes on two major habits for 2019. Eating right and blocking my calendar. 

We all know the multiple benefits that will result from improving our diets. From mood to energy, many things will improve when we provide better fuel for our bodies. For me, eating right is also a time saver. The better I eat, the better I feel. The better I feel, the more I can get accomplished in less time. Eating right will also allow me to maintain my weight with less exercise. Less time spent exercising creates more time to focus on my most important priorities. 

Time blocking is the habit of estimating the time required to complete your most important tasks and “blocking” out your calendar to get those tasks done. Because of something called “Parkinson’s Law” our tasks will often expand to consume the time allocated to them. I’m hoping to leverage Parkinson’s law to get more of my most important work done in less time. 

Getting more accomplished during my working hours will allow me to block more time for my family, for God and for giving back. 

What is a keystone habit that you should be chasing in 2019? I’d love to hear about it so we can cheer each other on. Drop me a line at [email protected] and let me know!

Curt Fowler is President of Fowler & Company and Director at Fowler, Holley, Rambo & Stalvey. He is dedicated to helping leaders create and achieve a compelling vision for their organizations. 

Curt is a syndicated business writer, keynote speaker and business advisor. He has an MBA in Strategy and Entrepreneurship from the Kellogg School, is a CPA, and a pretty good guy as defined by his wife and four children.