As a Habits Coach, I am often asked why it is so important to develop habits that consistently move us toward where we want to be, and why all habits are formed first by the story we repeatedly tell ourselves about ourselves.

Recently, my wife Gimalle, while visiting my office, pointed to a plaque on the wall that had been there so long, I am embarrassed to say I had stopped seeing it.

As I read it for the first time in years, it dawned on me that the perfect answer to the question I am frequently asked, was hiding in plain sight, right in front of me every day.

“Keep your thoughts positive,
because your thoughts become
YOUR WORDS.

Keep your word positive,
because your words become
YOUR BEHAVIOUR.

Keep your behaviour positive,
because your behaviour becomes
YOUR HABITS.

Keep your habits positive,
because your habits become
YOUR VALUES.

Keep your values positive,
because your values become
YOUR DESTINY.”

From now on, whenever I am asked that question, I think I’ll simply point to the plaque on the wall and let Mahatma Gandhi, perhaps the most powerful and influential person of all time, provide this simplest of explanations.

Let’s make a habit of meeting like this.