How to Make Any Training More Sustainable
Developing skills takes time, forming a new habit will take you 21 days. Having newly acquired your skills, you are full of energy and ready to run the extra mile. But you are not alone, and your actions have an impact on others in your peer group, your family, or your friends.
Sometimes we tend to think that our actions will not change anything in our environment. But in systemic coaching, every individual can cause a wide-ranging chain reaction, just by acting or responding differently. This recipient’s response is not predictable. You may even be surprised by how your environment acknowledges your change of behavior.
You just had a training session and you have these great tools at hand. A new idea on how to do your crunches more effectively, the new fancy organization tool, or the new product management tool you plan to apply.
Plan your next steps:
As simple as it may sound, planning your next steps is crucial for implementing these skills in your daily life.
What specifically needs to be done? The more specifically you describe your actions, the easier it will be to monitor implementation. A written plan consists of the “W” questions. What needs to be done? Why do I need this? When is it due? With whom do I need to accomplish this?
Social Support:
Do you have a friend who would like to start the same endeavor, a “partner in crime” so to speak? Sometimes we might have a skilled boss, a colleague who did the same training, or the sparring partner you found during your class. The social support helps us gain motivation when we don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, or when we feel helpless. Social support is your rock when the going gets tough.
Preventive measures:
All your decisions in the past made you who you are today. How did you react to distractions in the past? It helps to describe what you did that kept you from your path.
Visualize what you could do differently next time. Write it down to foster your thoughts, hence making them stick better.
