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Erin, welcome to unlearning work, where we empower you to redesign your job by rethinking work habits, behaviors and strategies. I'm your host. Erin Merideth, a work behavior enthusiast and a leadership strategist, join me as I explore various work related topics and provide practical insights and real life examples. We'll examine the nature of work from the ground up and deliver bite sized episodes with actual advice twice a month.
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Hey everyone, welcome back to unlearning work, the Podcast where we explore how to grow, thrive and achieve meaningful success by breaking old habits and embracing fresh perspectives. I'm Erin your host, and I'm so excited to have you here today. In our last episode, we dove into the power of self awareness, what it is, why it matters, and how it's the foundation for personal and professional growth. If you missed that one, I recommend giving it a listen, as today we're building on those ideas. This episode is all about taking the insights from self awareness and turning them into action. Because, let's face it, knowing what needs to change is one thing, but actually doing it, that's where the real work begins. The day gets busy. What happens those old habits creep back in
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Why is it so hard to change? The answer lies in how our brains work. Our brains are wired for efficiency and habits, whether helpful or not, are energy saving shortcuts. Once the habit is ingrained, it runs on autopilot. Breaking that cycle takes consistent effort and intentionality. But here's the good news, you can retrain your brain with the right strategies. You can turn those self awareness insights into actionable steps that stick. Let's start with why turning self awareness into action can feel so difficult.
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Habits are a fundamental part of how our brains operate. They help us function on autopilot, saving energy for more complex tasks, for instance, brushing your teeth or driving a familiar route, frees up mental bandwidth. But not all habits are helpful. Negative habits like overeating or procrastinating can hold us back from achieving our goals. Here's the catch. Habits form because our brains are wired for efficiency. When we repeat a behavior in a specific context and it leads to a reward, our brain chunk that behavior into a routine we can perform automatically over time, this process shifts control from deliberate thought to habit circuits in the brain, making the behavior feel automatic even when it's not serving us. The good news, even when a habit feels deeply ingrained, part of our brain is still monitoring our actions.
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This means we can intervene and retrain our brains, but breaking old habits or forming new ones isn't easy. It takes self awareness to recognize when a behavior isn't aligned with our goals and intentional effort to create change is needed. That's where today's conversation comes in. By building on your self awareness and using proven strategies, you can overcome the brain's tendency to cling to familiar patterns and take meaningful steps towards your goal. Let's dive in and see how to make that happen. So how do we move from knowing what needs to change to actually making it happen? I've found that a simple three step framework works wonders.
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Let me walk you through it. Step one, identify your why. The first step is understanding your motivation. Why does this goal matter to you? Let's say you want to be more productive at work. Ask yourself, is it about advancing your career, freeing up time for personal priorities, reducing stress so you can enjoy your evenings. Your why creates an emotional connection to your goal. It's the thing that keeps you going when challenges arise or old habits try to pull you back. Step two, create micro habits. Big changes can feel overwhelming, so start small focus on micro habits, tiny, sustainable shifts that build momentum. For example, want to stay focused block just 30 minutes each day for deep work, struggling with procrastination, break tasks into 10 minute chunks to get started. These small actions might not seem like much, but they compound over time, creating real and lasting change. Step three, monitor and adjust. Change is not linear, and that's okay. The key is to regularly check in with yourself, what's working, what's not. How can you adjust to stay aligned with your goals? Self reflection helps you course correct and ensure. You stay on track without getting discouraged.
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To bring this framework to life, let me share a real story of a manager named Maria who felt completely overwhelmed by her workload. She wanted to find balance, but she wasn't making progress through self awareness. Maria realized the real issue was she was saying yes to everything because she feared disappointing others. This habit was keeping her stuck in a cycle of over commitment and stress, and here's how she applied the three step framework her why Maria wanted to free up time for her strategic work and spend more evenings with her family. This clarity gave her a strong reason to make changes her micro habits. She started small by pausing before agreeing to new tasks and asking herself, does this align with my priorities and monitoring and adjusting each week, Maria reviewed her commitments and delegated tasks that didn't require her expertise. Within weeks, Maria saw a shift. She was less stressed, more productive, and finally able to focus on what mattered most.
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Now it's your turn. I want to challenge you to take what we've talked about today and put it into action using this simple three step framework. These steps may seem straightforward, but when approached with intention. They can create powerful, lasting changes. Let's break them down, dive into the details and add some practical tips along the way. So for step one, identify your why this first step is all about understanding your motivation. Ask yourself, why does this goal matter to me? This step isn't just about creating a surface level answer, it's about digging deep and connecting emotionally to your purpose. For example, if your goal is to be more productive, is it because you want to advance in your career and take on a leadership role, or maybe you want to free up time for your personal life, to spend more time with your family, pursue a hobby, or just simply relax, or perhaps you're just looking to reduce stress because it's affecting your health and happiness, whatever your why is, write it down, make it tangible, post it somewhere you can see every day on your desk, your bathroom mirror, or even as a note on your phone when challenges arise, revisiting your why can help you stay grounded and motivated. And here's a practical tip, try using visualization. Take a moment to close your eyes and imagine what your life will look like when you've achieved a school how will you feel? What will your day to day look like? This mental rehearsal reinforces your commitment and keeps you focused. And here's a fun research insight study shows that connecting your goals to intrinsic motivators such as personal growth or aligning with your values makes them more sustainable than extrinsic motivators like rewards or recognition.
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Step two, choose one, micro habit, big changes often feel overwhelming, which is why this next step is so important. Start small, focus on one micro habit that aligns with your goal and is manageable enough to integrate into your daily routine. For example, if your goal is to manage your time better, your micro Habit could be setting a timer for 30 minutes of focused work each day, followed by a short break if you want to reduce stress, commit to just two minutes of deep breathing in the morning or a quick stretch between tasks. If you're looking to improve communication at work, try ending every meeting with a brief summary of action items to ensure clarity, the key is to keep it simple and actionable. Micro habits may seem small, but they're incredibly effective because they're easy to maintain over time, they compound and lead to bigger results. And as a practical tip, use triggers to help you build consistency. For instance, pair your new habit with something you already do regularly. If you want to reflect on your day, do it after brushing your teeth at nighttime or maybe before you shut down your laptop. By starting small, you're more likely to succeed and build momentum.
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Step three, reflect on your progress. Finally, take time to reflect on your week. Self reflection is a powerful tool that helps you evaluate what's working, what's not, and where you can adjust. It doesn't have to be time consuming. Even five minutes can make a difference. And here's how to structure your reflection. First, what worked. Celebrate your wins. No matter how small Did you stick to your micro habit? Did it make your day a little smoother or more productive. Acknowledging progress reinforces positive behavior. Step two, what didn't work? Be honest with yourself, did you encounter specific challenges, or maybe you were too ambitious with your habit, or even some external factors got in the way? And remember, this is. About self criticism. It's about learning. Step three, what can you tweak? Use your insights to make adjustments. For example, if your habit feels too difficult to sustain, simplify it. If you forgot to do it, set a reminder or change the time of day. A practical tip might keep, might be keeping a journal or a note on your phone to track your reflections. Writing things down makes them feel more concrete and gives you a record to look back on. And here's a fun one. Harvard study found that employees who spent just 15 minutes a day reflecting on their work performance improved their efficiency by 23% reflection allows you to identify patterns, learn from mistakes, and double down on strategies that work.
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So let's put this all together with an example to see how this three step framework works in real life. So imagine someone named Sarah whose goal is to improve her work life balance. Here's how she might approach this challenge. Step one, she identifies her why, and her motivation is to spend more quality time with her family without feeling guilty about unfinished work. Here's Step two, the micro habit. She decides to block one hour at the end of her work day to wrap up tasks and plan for the next day, ensuring she can leave work at work. And step three, she reflects on her progress at the end of the week, Sarah notices notices that this habit helped her feel more in control and less anxious. However, she also realizes she needs to start her day with a clearer plan to avoid getting sidetracked by making small, consistent changes and reflecting regularly. Sarah is building momentum toward a healthier balance between her work and personal life. Why this matters? Taking action doesn't have to mean overhauling your entire life overnight. In fact, that approach often leads to burnout or discouragement. Instead, focus on small, intentional steps. These micro actions paired with self awareness create a cycle of growth and progress that's sustainable.
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So here's your challenge for the week. Identify your why write it down and keep it visible. Then choose one micro habit, start small, stay consistent, and finally, reflect on your progress. Take five minutes at the end of the week to celebrate wins and make adjustments. Remember self awareness is the starting point, but action is where transformation happens. Even the smallest step forward can create a ripple effect in your life. Before we wrap up, I want to remind you that change is not about perfection. It's about progress. Each small action you take brings you closer to your goals and aligns your daily habits with your long term vision, and if today's episode inspired you, I'd love to hear about it.
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Please share your progress challenges or aha moments on social media or in the comments, and let's keep this conversation going, supporting each other in this journey, and don't forget to subscribe to unlearning work so you don't miss our next episode on feedback. Thank you for listening, and here's to making meaningful change, one small step at a time. See you next time.
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