Habits 2 Goals: The Habit Factor® Podcast With Martin Grunburg | Goal Achievement, Productivity & Success Simplified

"The smarter the person, and the smarter the device, the greater the complications. This episode's original title was "Simple Truths," because wherever you find real challenges in your life, the answers are often simple. Instead, we decided to call it "Complications," inspired by the Apple Watch, which refers to its smart device apps as "complications" when they're displayed on the watch face. Why would they call this device's apps complications? Because as feature-rich and helpful as they are, they complicate the device's original mission: telling time. Life is similar. If we have financial troubles, chances are all we have to do is remove the complications and find the simple truth: Why aren't we paying ourselves first? Too much drama in your life? What complications could you remove to restore peace? Often, the answer to our problems lies in the power of LESS—fewer complications. Think about your biggest problem. What simple truths lie at its core? What complications can you remove? Paring things down to s

"Where is your error log?" A number of professions require error logs. The way programmers improve their software is to review the error logs. The way pilots become better is to review logbooks. To keep and review a personal "error log" is just another way to affirm the importance tracking our habits, journaling and documenting our efforts as we move toward our goals. Without a log of our efforts, it's hard to identify a trend and know what is effective and what isn't. Where is your error log? Enjoy the show! *** New listeners: By texting the word "HABITS" to the mobile phone number "33444" you will instantly receive your "hack"/habit tracker/habit development template, or you can download it here: thehabitfactor.com/templates. Feel free to share the episode and leave a review on iTunes!  ***** Subscribe iTunes here! Subscribe: Android | RSS ***** TOOLS/BOOKS WE RECOMMEND: Bucket List PRO (iOS app) iTunes Grab your FREE copy of As a Man Thinketh (PDF) right here: As a Man Thinketh The 3 C's of SucCcess (Mi

"What he wanted most of all was a large waste basket to which he could consign all his false starts and mistakes." ~Walter Isaacson (Einstein: The Man, the Genius and the Theory of Relativity) How big is your wastebasket? How many false starts and mistakes do you create on any given day? [Excerpt] When shown his corner office at the institute (Princeton) Einstein was asked to indicate what he may need in the way of equipment, his requirements were not onerous, just a bit of office furniture and some stationary. What he wanted most of all was a large waste basket to which he could consign all his false starts and mistakes." Imagine being asked about your new office requirements and your one requirement is that the waste basket is large enough to handle your false starts and mistakes. Creativity demands activity. Einstein believed imagination was more important than knowledge because imagination is about the future and knowledge represents the past. We can all stand to learn from his example and embrace mistake

"Always do the things you fear the most. Courage is an acquired taste, like caviar." ~Erica Jong The interesting thing about acquired tastes is they can apply to seemingly every aspect of our life. Whether it's beer, whiskey, running a marathon or managing frustration, it's all an acquired taste. The first key to developing any acquired taste is to have an open mind. Too often people shun ideas immediately based upon a bias or story they've held onto. For instance, for the first 35 years of his life, MG was convinced that jogging was one of the "stupidest things anyone could do." His rationalization, "If there wasn't a team to run for or a ball to run to, why would you run at all!?" Today, he can't go a week without at least a couple 3-4 mile runs, at a minimum. Over time people evolve, and it's important to reexamine and experiment to test our conclusions, judgments and opinions. Doing so can enable personal growth. Heck, for most people, personal development itself is an acquired taste. Enjoy the episode! *

"I can think. I can wait. I can fast." ~Siddhartha ***WARNING** Please do your own research and consult your doctor before altering your diet.*** MG resumes the fasting discussion after recognizing there were a few items left on the "table." Beginning with this passage from Siddhartha: "I can think, I can wait, I can fast." The statement raised the question, "Can I really fast?" More Siddhartha excerpt for additional insight and value: >>>> Is that all? I think that is all. And of what use are they? For example, fasting, what good is that? It is of great value, sir. If a man has nothing to eat, fasting is the most intelligent thing he can do. If, for instance, Siddhartha had not learned to fast, he would have had to seek some kind of work today, either with you, or elsewhere, for hunger would have driven him. But, as it is, Siddhartha can wait calmly. He is not impatient, he is not in need, he can ward off hunger for a long time and laugh at it. Therefore, fasting is useful, sir. >>>> Beyond the Siddhartha re

"No man is free who cannot command himself." ~Pythagoras ***WARNING** NOT medical advice. Do your own research and consult your doctor before altering your diet.*** In long-form, discussion format, MG shares his experience with fasting for 36 hours, once-a-week (for 26 weeks). Like the Burpee experiment that arose from a mediation last year, an early February mediation this year brought forth the idea to experiment with fasting, just once, for 36 hours (no food/no protein). What began as a one-time experiment evolved into a half-year journey. In this episode, Martin discusses the experience from week one to week 26 and shares the good, the bad and the ugly. The primary driver was simply to see WHO is in control? Reflecting upon Pythagoras' great quote, "No man is free who cannot command himself," the question became, "Am I really free or bound by impulse? Who is in control, my behaviors and body or my mind?" "Could I go 36 hours without food after a lifetime of being conditioned to eat whenever I felt hungry

"You are energy and achieving your goal will require energy. Therefore, putting your energy toward creating and aligning habits that support your goals is the most efficient means to achieve them." In the business world the phrase "return on investment" is fairly ubiquitous. People want to understand, for instance, how spending $1,000 on marketing or advertising will translate into greater sales. In today's extreme, political and Covid-19 climate, many people are sucked into spending enormous amounts of time and energy debating and debasing the 'other' side. The question is, what is the "Return On Energy" for those efforts? Everything has a cost. The cost, as Thoreau put it, "is the amount of life you trade for it". Where you put your time and energy always produces results. The question is, are they the results you are looking for? Is the time and energy you devote to combating others within your social and social networking circles moving you favorably toward your goals and ideals? Some people will devote

"Remember this: The trend is your friend." In Earnest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, there's a scene where Bill asks Mike, "How did you go bankrupt?" "Two ways," Mike responds, "Gradually, then suddenly." We can find this, "The Law of Gradually, then Suddenly," nearly everywhere. How does one get old? How did the oak tree get so big? How did you get fit or fat or wealthy or broke? Gradually, then suddenly. Consider Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffett's extreme wealth and how it was acquired. Chances are good they would answer the same, "Gradually, then suddenly." For the most part this is how life goes, from gradually to suddenly. Within the context of any given day, things are imperceptibly small and slow. Then, suddenly, the compounding effects are impossible to ignore. Gradually, then suddenly. This is precisely how the force of habit compounds within our lives. The good or bad habits compound until one day they are impossible to ignore. The beauty is, when we take the time to pause, observe and reflect, it's

"A nail is driven out by another nail. Habit is overcome by habit." ~Desiderius Erasmus The first answer is provided by Desiderius' insightful comment above, rather than tracking a negative habit one should focus on building a new, positive habit in its place. For instance, if you wanted to stop and/or reduce your beer consumption, you should focus on tracking your water or other beverage consumption. Or, you might even substitute a non-alcoholic beer and track that. The problem is when you focus your attention on a negative habit by tracking it, you tend to reinforce the thoughts and emotions related to the negative habit. For instance, if you are told not to think about a pink elephant, the very first thing you will do is think of a pink elephant. Your mind and subconscious tends to ignore the concept of negatives. By focusing on a new, positive habit your attention and energy are set upon building a new positive habit which will replace the negative habit. The other effective way is to weaken a negative ha

"We're drowning in information and starving for wisdom."  We live in the information age. In an instant you can have top technical and scholarly articles on nearly any subject. Information is easily attained. That's the good news. The bad news is we love to consume information: news, books, movies, podcasts (irony recognized), social media, etc. On and on it goes. Information. Information. Information. All this information consumption comes at a cost. The cost is stagnation. By consuming information, we feel as though we are actually doing something.  "Well," you say, "information is knowledge and knowledge is power!" "A little information can't hurt?" Correct. A "little" information is very likely a good thing. Too much information has a price for many of us. In many cases, the consumption of information is precluding actual effort. Information/knowledge is only potential power. One needs to act! On a recent mastermind call, one of the participants was troubled by his recent health report. He was deemed over

"Day one or one day. It's your choice."  A single day is a powerful concept. In a single day our world can truly begin to transform. All it takes is one day! Just one day for us to make a life-long, lasting commitment to begin to develop new habits. Transformation and positive change can begin in a moment --on any given day YOU decide. Jim Rohn used to say, "We cannot change our destiny overnight but we can change our destination." The question is which day are you going to begin? Can you make today THE day? Or, will today be just another day.   Many of us get caught up in someday syndrome. Brian Tracy loves to call it, "Someday Island". And, he says there are a lot of people stranded there! You know, "Someday, I'll... go on that family vacation". "Someday, I'll start to save money." "Someday, I'll learn how to play the piano or learn a new language." The power to change is always in the present. Nobody ever created change in the future. Positive change is created on DAY ONE. Is today DAY ONE or just one day?

"The best way to change someone else's behavior is to change your own."  People often want their near-and-dear friends and family members to cultivate new, positive habits. Yet, the unfortunate reality is that behavior change can't be forced upon another. We can try to bribe, coerce, or even threaten but, without the cooperation and sincere desire of the individual, those efforts will prove futile.   Desire is the first key element of behavior change. Without desire, it's impossible to develop any new habit. With desire, however, new habits are formed more quickly and easily.   One of the most interesting and effective strategies to help others change their behavior is to change our own behavior. By creating goals for ourselves, we are challenged to form new habits. The behavior changes we undergo nearly always influence those closest to us, over time. Enjoy the episode! *** New listeners: By texting the word "HABITS" to the mobile phone number "33444" you will instantly receive your "hack"/habit tracker/habi

"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." ~Albert Einstein. Thought experiments come in many varieties and you don't have to be a theoretical physicist to put them to use. A good thought experiment can drive behavior change, goal achievement and even habit development! Albert Einstein was famous for his breakthrough "thought experiments". Even though he struggled somewhat in mathematics, his natural strength was using his imagination to solve problems. At the age of 16, Einstein was entertaining the bizarre thought experiment of riding a beam of light alongside another beam of light. This thought experiment ultimately helped to redefine the foundation of physics and facilitate his Theory of Relativity. The ability to pose questions and then lay them against a backdrop of our imagination can help us to solve problems and even problems that don't yet exist! When it comes to everyday life, we can learn from Einstein's example, putting thought experiments to use for ourselves. H

"Good solutions can lead us to better—and even the best—solutions, but only when we take action."  Theodore Roosevelt put it this way: "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Many intelligent people are bound by inaction and indecision. It's a trap created by overthinking and the awareness that there is always a better—or even, a best—solution "out there." Life, though, keeps moving at a relentless pace. There is little room for extended periods of overthinking without action. Paralysis by over-analysis becomes debilitating, and opportunities are lost. This mind bullet came to MG as he was challenged by the puzzles on Chess.com. The puzzles reward only the BEST solution. If you are wrong, your score drops. Life doesn't work this way. In chess, the best solution is always clear—always black and white. In life, the best solution may not be readily apparent for some time, or it may become apparent only after taking action. People who wait to avoid failure or to gather "all" the information are ofte

"What you focus on expands within your awareness."  Managing your environment, with some planning and forethought is one of the best ways to influence your behavior. If you want to focus better, eliminate potential distractions ahead of time. If you want to eat better, control what is in your pantry and refrigerator and change your shopping habits. If you want to quit smoking, ensure you are not hanging out with the same friends during the smoke break and make sure there aren't cigarettes anywhere in sight. MG revisits the famous "Standford marshmallow experiment" from the early 1970's where the professors leave children ages 3.5 to 5.5 in a room with their favorite treats; marshmallows, cookies, Oreos, etc. The objective of the experiment is to see how well the children are able to delay gratification. They are told that if they can wait for the professor to return they will get two of their favorite treats or, they can ring the bell aright away and get one. In turns out, the children who performed well in

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." ~Thoreau Most people aren't aware just how hard-wired they are toward the negative. In other words, something very positive will typically have far less of an impact on one's behavior and emotions than something equally negative. Theories vary, but most psychologists agree that negativity bias is a derivative of our long-evolved survival instincts. Thus, noticing and appreciating blue skies on a wonderful, warm summer day with friends is far less important to your livelihood than noticing a snake in the grass. Thousands of years of evolutionary programming has deeply embedded negativity (survival) into our subconscious. Meaning, we may hear ten different compliments from our boss, but all it takes is one negative critique and our day, week or evening with our spouse is completely ruined. Possessing a hypersensitivity to negativity bias can subvert out character and, if we're not careful, become habitually damaging our happiness, wellness, relationsh

"Never complain, about anything, to anyone, not even yourself." The quote above caught MG totally off guard when he was reading a book, so he took it as a literal challenge and wondered if he could do it for just a day. Less than a few hours later, he was at nearly twelve complaints! Why is the toothpaste cap not on? Who would post such a stupid thing on Facebook? Why is the broom there!? Why is there dog food all over the floor. Complaint. Complaint. Complaint. All silently and all to himself. "We become what we think about, most of the time." Complaining is rarely helpful and only useful when it's in a constructive fashion. Even though these weren't audible complaints, they were silent thoughts to himself, directing his focus and energy. Martin recalled the Zen koan about the butcher. "Everything is the best!"  Then the James Allen quote from "As a Man Thinketh" "Keep your hand firmly upon the helm of thought... Self control is strength; right thought is mastery; calmness is power. Neither one of these idea

"There are only three requirements for success. First, decide exactly what it is you want in life. Second, determine the price you are going to have to pay to get what you want. And third, and this is the most important, resolve to pay that price." ~H. L. Hunt When it comes to goal achievement and success there is always a price to pay. Did you become a better reader or student? Did you learn a new skill or vocation? Did you become more fit? The price of success is one that is always paid in advance! The price you must be willing to pay is the development of new habits. The price you must be willing to pay is your personal transformation. If the person you are today was sufficient you would already have achieved the goal you seek. Once you have clarity on what you want. Now it's time to identify the habits you must develop that support and align with the goals and ideals you want to achieve and begin developing them. That is the price you will pay. And, yes, the payment is due every day. It often means sacrif

"When you want to succeed as badly as you want to breathe, then you will be successful." ~Eric Thomas Last week's episode was, "What do you want?" This week, the question is "How hungry are you?" Hunger is an interesting concept because taken in its most literal sense, there are few driving forces quite as primal. Hunger gets people to take action and immediately. Hunger is very binary. You either eat or you die. Thus, non-action isn't an option. You take action toward your goal of getting food. Goal achievement at is most elementary level is binary as well. Are you really hungry enough to achieve your goal? You either truly want the goal or you don't? The challenge, the great impediment to our progress, is often comfort. Our behaviors are driven largely by two great forces; pain and pleasure. When we're comfortable, well feed, (not hungry) we're less likely to move into the pain of goal pursuit. Consider a super-star athlete like Michael Jordan. What was Jordan famous for? It was his competitive drive often

"I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can't find anybody who can tell me what they want." ~Mark Twain So, what do you want? Last week it was about WHY we should be challenging ourselves. This week it's about knowing/understanding what you want? Consider an all-you-can-eat buffet. You could eat any of the amazing food choices and as much you want, the problem is, you couldn't possibly eat everything. You must choose. You must select what it is you desire from a myriad of choices. Brian Tracy loves to say, "You'll never have enough time to do everything you want to do in life, but you'll always have enough time to do the most important things." Thus, determining what you really want is essential. If success can be defined as "creating your ideal future." The only way any of us can realize our ideal future is to first know what it is we're going after. Therefore, beginning with the end in mind—clarity— knowing what it is your really want is the crucial first step. Enjo