How to stand out starting tomorrow with tiny habit changes?

Along with the habits that take time to build and take even longer to show results, there are also good habits that generally do not take too much time or effort and begin to show results almost immediately. We call them tiny habits. We can start doing those tomorrow and immediately notice a positive change in our lives. This chapter explains some of those.

Show up on time.

What does it take to show up on time? Intention, nothing else. Yet we always come across people who are always late to work or meetings. They will never apologise and never learn. Sometimes people who scheduled a meeting are themselves late. We have to understand thatthis is not only frustrating but also an insult to people who showed up on time. To make things even worse, some people do not even have an iota of regret after wasting the time of others. Do not be that person. Always show up on time, and it does not hurt to be present 2–5 minutes before the scheduled time.

Use Please and Thank You more often.

No matter what your position is in the company and whether you are talking to your supervisor or subordinate, saying “thank you” and “please” goes a long way in showing respect to your teammates and building relationships. This also goes for your personal life, with your friends and family. Without please, your instructions might sound like commands from a general, and without thank you, it might feel like you do not respect contributions made by others.

Proofread your work before sending.

Whenever you are sending something written by you to anyone, be it emails, text messages, presentations, or essays, please proofread yourselves. Check for grammar mistakes, the choice of words, and what the recipient will understand from this written form of communication. Check your tone. Make changes if needed. In Gmail, you can add a 1-minute delay in the delivery of emails, which gives you time to undo anything that was not intended.

Deliver what you promised, even the smallest ones.

If you told someone that I’d deliver this by the end of the day, make sure you do, and in case you can’t, let the person know that you cannot deliver and that you are sorry, and you will try to complete that as soon as possible. If you made a promise, deliver it. If you commit to a deadline, deliver it. Try not to make promises that you cannot deliver. Always under-promise and over-deliver.

Don’t Gossip

Distance yourself from coworkers who keep gossiping about almost anything going on in the company, especially those who keep talking negatively about other colleagues. If you are a part of a group that can be seen in the office wasting their and others’s time, believe me, you are being noticed, and it will negatively impact your growth. Join the group of A players.

Dress Well

Dressing well not only gives you confidence, but it also changes the perception of you in the eyes of your coworkers. Dressing for the position you want lets your employer visualise you in that job. Take care of your personal appearance and hygiene. Also, you do not need expensive clothes for this; it’s more about dressing well than buying clothes at exorbitant prices. You do not have to go to the market tomorrow to buy new clothes; just ensure that you wear clean, ironed clothes. That’s it.

Offer help and ask for help.

No matter how talented someone is, the truth is that everyone needs help from time to time. There is no shame in asking for help, and there is no harm in giving it. If you are stuck with something and unable to figure it out, ask for help and keep your ego aside. You will find that a lot of people are always willing to help. On the other hand, always be ready to help others if your time allows. Offer help if you see someone struggling. It could be the beginning of a lifelong friendship between you and your colleague. Offer help to your managers or superiors if you manage to finish your work early. Ask your boss regularly, “How can I help you?”. You will be surprised to know that a lot of employees go through their entire careers without asking their bosses this question. Their growth will be completely different if they ask this of their superiors.

Be Honest

Be honest with yourself as well as with your colleagues. Admit mistakes and show genuine interest in correcting them. Do not try to cheat and make excuses, because chances are you will be caught sooner than you think. Ask for guidance if needed, but do not cut corners.

Be Proactive

Always be proactive, especially with your superiors. When your boss says, Let’s have a meeting at 4:00 pm, be proactive and send the e invitation. Never tell your boss to send you an invitation. If you need something from your superior, try to figure out if you can find it yourself before asking them and disturbing their schedule. Be a person who offers more help. Try saying “I will call you at 3:00 pm” rather than “Can you call me at 3:00 pm?” Be the first one to offer help. Consider challenges a new opportunity.

Be easy to work with.

Being easy to work with is a superpower a few people have. We all have someone in the office we would like to avoid. We would rather sit alone than start a conversation with them. We dread scenarios when we are put with them in the same team or asked to accomplish a task together. We all know someone who we know will reply with a no all the time if we ask for help. There might also be people with whom we have had bad experiences due to their behaviour. Do not be that person. Be easy to approach and easy to work with.

Be Part of the Organisation

We have all met colleagues who are not happy with the company they are working for, with the management, or with the policies. Do not be such a person. Move on if you really do not like your organisation, but if you choose to stay, be a part of the organisation. Get involved in various activities, programmes they run, or events they schedule. Get genuinely interested in the growth and success of the organisation. If you think you cannot do that, chances are you are in a place where you do not fit in, and in that case, move on.

I will make time.

Replace the sentence “I do not have time” with “I’ll make time.” This will alter your mental state, and you will be able to manage your time more effectively because, in order to make time, you have to audit your calendar and priorities consistently.