21-Day Challenge: Transform Habits & Business Success

COMMIT TO 21 DAYS – IT COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING!

Believe it or not, the number “21” is a powerful one! This number is not only the year Americans can legally drink alcohol, or the title of the notorious Adele album that houses the tracks “Rolling in the Deep,” and “Someone Like You.”

As we planned for the launch of The Heart Behind It, it was extremely clear that we wanted to incorporate the number 21 throughout our internal planning, and we thought it would be fun to share with you why!

COMMIT TO FORMING HABITS

The old rule says it takes 21 days–3 weeks–to form a habit. Although deep down we all wish habits formed overnight, that just isn’t our reality.

Of course, some habits take longer than 21 days, and it’s easy to backslide, but there’s still power in dedicating your time and energy to commit to 21 days. Internally, we saw that 21 days of sifting through applications, hearing the passions and stories of applicants, and setting time aside to have genuine conversations with business owners would form a habit within our company. We are dedicating this time to consider our community, think strategically, and live generously.

We’re here to do good things, make great people, and pursue opportunities to love and serve others. This is our mission, and after these 21 days, it won’t stop! We are continuously looking at our impact, and The Heart Behind it is a way to put action behind our words!

Each of our employees is asked two questions every week: What are you doing to improve yourself? And what are you doing to improve The It Crowd? We encourage you to ask yourself the same–What are you doing to improve yourself (personally or professionally)? And what are you doing to improve your business?
From these questions, you’ll likely see areas for growth! Don’t let that scare you away, but rather, go after it! As you set yourself and your business up to grow, here are some tips for creating habits and turning them into lifestyle changes. Just commit to 21 days!

21 QUICK TIPS TO TURN A HABIT INTO A LIFESTYLE

1. 1. Commit to 21 days!
   2. Be okay with starting small, at least you’re starting!
   3. Make your new habit a daily change.
   4. Create habits that will genuinely benefit you or your company.
   5. Write out exactly what you’re committing to timeline and specifics!
   6. Ask for accountability.
   7. Be honest with your accountability.
   8. Know your motive! WHY are you committing to this change?
   9. Make sure your commitment is sustainable.
   10. It’s easy to forget things that aren’t habits yet, write them out, and put reminders everywhere! On your phone, on your mirror, in your office, etc.
   11. Evaluate your progress weekly and the impacts this habit has had on your life.
   12. Don’t miss two days in a row–if you have an off day, that’s okay, but get back to it tomorrow!
   13. Look for role models! If there’s a person or company already doing what you’re working toward, look to them as motivation.
   14. Visualize the impact this new habit will have on you or your company long-term.
   15. Remove all temptation that you can.
   16. When turning down temptation, be honest about why you’re doing it! Not just because you have to, but because you’ve made a commitment.
   17. Stack your habits! If there’s something you already do that you love, find a way to incorporate your new habit with it.
   18. If you’re removing something, find an alternative to replace it.
   19. Plan a reward–something to work toward–for the end of your first 21 days!
   20. Show yourself grace if you slip up!
   21. When it gets tough, remember the WHY behind what you’re doing.

COMMIT TO WEEDING OUT IDEAS

Similar to forming habits, many say it takes 21 days to see success in just about any idea. We’re sure many could argue this number is up or down, but generally speaking, we don’t know the impact of major decisions immediately.

For The It Crowd, The Heart Behind It campaign is the first of its kind. It is our passion project and we want nothing about it to feel rushed, gimmicky, or confusing. To make sure our decisions reflect this heart, we’ve spent two months and many, many rounds of revisions to produce the plan and content for The Heart Behind It campaign that we are proud of. On top of that, we decided to commit to 21 days to evaluate, process, and make a decision that we are confident in.

Weeding out ideas and asking the tough questions is vital in business decisions. If we were to pursue everything we once thought was a good idea, we’d waste a lot of time and money. We compiled a list to help you answer the tough questions–Is my business worth the investment? Is it time to grow? Is it time to close my doors? Should I outsource this task? And more!

21 QUESTIONS TO EVALUATE YOUR INVESTMENT?

1. 1. Do I believe in what I’m doing?
   2. Am I excited about what I’m doing?
   3. Am I excited about what could come from this investment of resources, time, and energy?
   4. How much time am I spending on this project? Could my time be better spent?
   5. What is this project costing financially? Could my resources be better spent?
   6. How much of my energy is spent on this project? Should it go somewhere else?
   7. Do I have the resources to keep going?
   8. How far am I willing to expend myself for this project?
   9. Do I have the capacity to dedicate to this project?
   10. Is this project my dream, or a stepping stone toward my dream?
   11. Do I have goals and parameters set around this project?
   12. How will success change my current status or position? Do I want that change?
   13. If this investment is successful, how will that make me feel?
   14. What will I do if I fail?
   15. If I fail, will I regret trying at all?
   16. Why am I doing what I’m doing?
   17. Does this investment align with my core values?
   18. Can I think of anything immediately that I would rather be doing/investing in?
   19. How will success impact my community?
   20. How will failure impact my community?
   21. Am I giving this project all the attention it deserves to succeed?

We hope these quick lists were helpful for you as an owner/employee and as an individual. The Heart Behind It campaign has allowed us to evaluate our purpose as a company more than ever, and we encourage you to do the same!

As we said, great decisions and great changes only take 21 days, and that’s never been more true at The It Crowd. From September 10-30, we are accepting applications for 90 days of resources, expertise, and creativity, all on us! If you’re looking for a sign to finally start, this is it.

Ready to apply? We say go for it, apply here: www.theitcrowd.com

Want to learn more about the campaign or The It Crowd in general, feel free to check out the rest of our website, subscribe to our newsletter, and follow us on social media!