Why Build Positive Personal Habits to Help You Develop as a Teacher and Person?

Why build personal habits? I’ve spent the last two years reading a lot of books to help me personally and professionally as a teacher, and it has been LIFE CHANGING! I have to share four books that I’ve read and listened to, and how they have helped me.

In This Post

Reflecting and development is important to help you in every area of life. I will share four books I’ve read in the last two years that have helped me tremendously! They’ve helped me personally and professionally. I will tell you about each book and one or two things that have helped me, and how they can help you too! Building these positive personal habits is important to your growth as a teacher and as a person.

While you are reflecting, grab your free guide 5 Daily Must-Do Routines to Run Your Science Classroom Like a Pro. When you have the right habits and consistent routines, running your classroom becomes even easier! You can click this link or enter your name and email address to the right.

Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases with no cost to you. You can get many books on Audible to listen to while you are driving, working out, or relaxing. Click this link for a free trial and get a free audiobook!

What Habits Should I Develop?

The perfect book to answer this question is 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen Covey.

This book gives you seven habits, which are the habits you should develop. Why build these seven habits? Because it will literally make you a highly effective person in all areas of life! The title states it all! All seven habits have shaped my outlook on things in life and things that happen at work or at home. I’ve learned to take action or change what I can control, and release what I can’t control so I don’t worry about it so much. That one thing has helped me as a teacher most of all.

I love all seven habits, but the ones I use daily are Begin with the End in Mind and First Things First. This helps me focus on what’s important each day. On Sundays, before my week begins, I write down the things that I have to do this week. Then, I prioritize them and schedule them into my week. I do this for both my personal life and work. While I’m prioritizing, I make sure to fill in those tasks that bring me joy and fulfillment so I can Sharpen the Saw.

Then I repeat this each day in the morning. I make sure I’m getting my work done first. This also goes with being proactive, which is the first habit. You can read more about managing time in this blog post.

When it comes to leadership and relationship-building, Think Win-Win, Synergize, and Seek First to Understand Then to Be Understood are extremely helpful habits.

All seven habits will help you too. You will become a better person and teacher because of it. Yes, it takes intentional work, as does building any habit. But once it is a part of you, you will see and feel the difference!

Build New Habits

Building or changing habits doesn’t have to be difficult. I listened to Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear on Audible and it was so good! Through a traumatic event that changed the direction of his life from a baseball player to an author and speaker, he learned how to develop new habits. This is what he shares in this book.

He gives so many tips on building new habits and getting rid of old ones. I really enjoyed the information he shared about how the brain develops new habits. Knowing this helps us because we are actually in control of developing and breaking new habits. We just have to tell our brain what to do.

He also gives tips on how to develop a habit or break one. He divides his book into parts or laws. The first law to changing or creating a new habit is to make it obvious. The second law is to make it attractive. The third law is to make it easy. And the fourth law is to make it satisfying.

I appreciate the use of a habit tracker that he mentions and shares with us. It’s like in Seven Habits of Highly Effective People- you need to monitor your progress when working towards a goal, or building a new habit.

Using his strategies to help build positive habits or change existing ones will help you in all areas of life. You can choose to focus on personal growth, health, and/or teaching. These atomic habits you develop will pour out into all areas of your daily life.

Habit Building Tips

I don’t know if you’ve heard of Dean Graziosi, but he is now one of my favorite people. I learned about him through Tony Robbins (who is another amazing person). Dean sent me his book Millionaire Success Habits: The Gateway to Wealth & Prosperity and oh my goodness! It is filled with so many tips to build habits that will make you successful- with money and just as a human! In fact, one of my favorite things I heard him say on a podcast was, “The only person you need to be better than…is the person you were yesterday.” Don’t compare yourself to others- that’s damaging to you. Instead, focus on your own growth.

You may or may not be wanting to be a millionaire, but reading his book will help you each day.

One of my favorite parts for habit building tips was in the chapter “The Power of Happiness”. Dean gave 10 tips including those to help us define what happiness is to us, live in the present, stop overthinking, focus on a positive outcome, being grateful, and being a part of something bigger- something more than yourself.

I often remind myself to be thankful, which immediately changes my mindset when I’m feeling anxious or scared or worried.

I think these habits are part of the reason I’m able to find joy in teaching, especially when things are so stressful.

Why Build These Habits?

The last book I want to share with you is so FUN to read and listen to! Shonda Rhimes wrote Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person. This is another one I listened to on Audible and I was so entertained and inspired! I love her!

She shares her life as an introvert and how one decision affected the trajectory of her life! She decided that she was going to say yes to everything for one whole year, even if it was scary.

This has helped me open my eyes to new opportunities and appreciation for anything that comes my way. I hope to one day inspire the way she has. I love her wit and humor and honesty. It has helped me live in the moment and I try to say yes more often.

This is why you should build these habits- for a life of fulfillment and joy!

Wrap Up

I shared with you four books that I’ve read in the last two years that have helped me in my own life. Seven Habits of Highly Effective People will teach you what habits to build. Atomic Habits will show you how to develop these habits. Millionaire Success Secrets will give you many tips on building habits that lead you to your happiness each day. And The Year of Yes will inspire you and help you see more opportunities that come your way.

Your Turn

I challenge you to read at least one of these books and share how it has helped you. And if you’ve read a book that has helped you personally and professionally, please share that with me! I love to learn!