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A couple of weeks ago, Leo at Zen Habits ran an Ask Me Anything You Want post that yielded tons of great questions and answers. His reply to Question #60 (he answered over 100 questions in all!) really caught my attention because it has to do with personal change:

60. JEMi asked: “Would you say when you started Zen Habits it contributed to a personal change (since you are focusing on self improvement) and if so, how have you kept up the positive “momentum” so to speak - in your own life as well as what’s reflected on the charming ZenHabits :)”

Great question! Definitely, starting this blog has changed my life in so many ways. I thank all of you for that.

One way is that it made me realize that I can do something I love and make a living at it. That’s been tremendous for me. Another is that I’ve found the power of encouragement from all of you, and that feeds me to keep going and to improve.

I’ve used these lessons in many ways since then, fueling my drive to be able to quit my day job, to pursue a book deal, to use my sister as a workout partner where we encourage each other to continue our running and healthy eating and to continually improve.

I didn’t get a chance to ask, Leo (I was late to the party), but I have a strong suspicion that he had no idea that starting a blog would be such a powerful force for change in his own life. Over the course of two years Leo has gained a huge following and garnered enough attention to be able to quit his day job and become a full-time writer. This is a huge and very rapid transformation.

How did Leo do it? Read along for my theory:

Public Accountability
Leo is an A-list blogger, but even before he grew his blog to the large audience he now enjoys, he was publicly writing about his personal changes, both on his own blog and through numerous guest posts. Even though Leo lives in Guam and not too many readers of his blog will ever have the chance to catch him sneaking a cigarette or some chicken fingers, I’m sure that internally he created a lot of pressure on himself to continue his positive changes. At the very least, I’m sure his friends and family read his blog!

Simple Success System
One of the great contributions Leo has made to the personal development and productivity space is the development of his Zen To Done (ZTD) system. This system - which is an evolution of the popular Getting Things Done method - emphasizes focus, single tasking, and the gradual adoption of good productivity habits in the pursuit of your passions.  Assuming that he uses his own system, Leo has been able to improve his health, family life, and professional life dramatically over a few short years. For most of that time, he has done this while maintaining a full time job, a marriage, and the care of 6 (SIX!!!) children.

Replacing Bad Habits With Good (or Zen) Habits
A great key to Leo’s dramatic life changes has been the way that he has methodically replaced negative habits with positive habits. One example is how he stopped smoking and started running. Every time he had the urge to smoke, he would go for a run (or probably a walk in the beginning). This is really powerful because stopping a habitual behavior creates a void. Unless we find something different to fill that void, we’re almost guaranteed to go back to that negative behavior.

How Can You Use This to Change Your Life?

These things might seem good and fine for a blogging rock star like Leo, but how can they possibly apply to little old you? The good news is that Leo is just an ordinary person (as he has said many times), he just find a method that works for him and helps him accomplish his goals in life. I’m working through my own process, and you are working through yours. We can all make progress to get closer to our desired lives. Here are a few starting points for you.

1. Get Clear About Where You Want to Be. As I’ve written before, I’m no fan of applying S.M.A.R.T. goals to personal change. However, I find it really helpful to get a clear picture of what my ideal life looks like. Take some time to define what you want your life to be after you make a change. Do you want to be healthier? Describe what that looks and feels like. Draw a picture or find a photograph that represents your ideal. Keep it in front of you as much as possible.
2. Choose a Timeline. Some changes need to happen quickly, for example if your health is in danger or you are in a financial crisis. Other changes are very comprehensive and require a long timeline. Becoming healthier generally takes a long time, but the timeline could be shorter if you are willing to take radical steps such as having weight loss surgery. Think about what is most appropriate for your change and commit to it. If you need help at this step, read my post on Rapid vs. Gradual Change.
3. Pick Your Actions. If you expect to make a change in your life, you’re going to have to DO SOMETHING about it. Why not take a cue from Leo and pick one negative habit that you can replace with a positive habit. Continuing with the getting healthier theme, you could replace your habit of eating cookies in the morning with eating some fruit and nuts, or find a low calorie beverage such as iced tea to replace soda. When you’ve mastered this step, choose another action to take and apply it.
4. Tell Everyone (and Put Money On It!). There is scientific evidence to support that making a public and financial commitment to a goal is a huge motivator to take action.* If you tell everyone you know that you are working toward a goal, the social pressure to make the change will be tremendous. If you are really committed, go one step further and put money on it. You can give $100 (or an amount that would be painful for you to lose) to a trusted person and instruct them to keep it until you meet your goal. If too much time goes by, have that person donate your money to a charity. An alternative to this is to use Stickk, or start your own blog. Do a search on “diet blog” to see how well this is working for people want to lose weight and get in shape.
5. Stay Passionate. Be sure that the change you are going for is something that you are truly passionate about. If you select something just because you feel you “should” do it, chances are you will be working off of willpower rather than desire. Willpower wears out after a while, but desire is inexhaustible! Know what you want to change and why, and keep returning to your image of your desired outcome. Take a break from self-improvement from time to time to go on vacation, eat a special meal, or read some pulp fiction, but keep getting back on the horse. With time and persistence you will improve your life!

I hope this post has shown you how anyone can make positive changes to their life with a clear end in mind and some good techniques for getting to that end. If you have other ways of getting closer to your best life, please share them in the comments.

*Credit to Rick Maurer’s Change Management News blog for the study and introducing me to Stickk.

Related posts:

1. How Can Personal Change Help the Environment?
2. What Wife Swap Can Teach You About Personal Change
3. How to Create a Theory of Change
4. Book Review: Personal Development for Smart People
5. Get a Partner at Personal Development Partners

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