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

"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

"When it comes to personal development, 'Why?' is both the question and the answer." WHY challenge yourself? Why get involved in personal development? Why read 'self-help' books? Why try to improve? Why run a marathon or try to write a book? Only you can know your personal motive. Understanding what drives your behavior helps you produce personal power— self-efficacy— the ability to create a desired result. Knowing your motives is a prerequisite to prove to yourself that you can control and improve yourself! Your motive, your why, reinforces self-efficacy which builds momentum. Your WHY gives you courage and confidence to push yourself further and go after bigger challenges. Your why makes you bigger than your problems. This is WHY. Enjoy the episode! *** 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 leav

"With just one short life to live a powerful question smacks us right between the eyes: What obligations come with it?" This week's theme layers nicely on top of last week's MBM, The Bucket List. Obligation: An act of being morally or legally bound; a duty or commitment. A debt of gratitude. While philosophers through the ages have struggled with this question, MG asks the listeners to consider the same theme. "Do you think you have any obligations with the life you've been gifted?" MG runs through a list of considerations: Do you have the obligation to care for yourself and others? Do you have the obligation to have the best health possible? Do you have the obligation to be kind — to treat others as you wish to be treated? (The Golden Rule). Do you have the obligation to find a purpose in life? Do you have an obligation to love? Do you have the obligation to be of service? Do you have the obligation to be happy? Do you have the obligation to challenge yourself? Do you have the obligation to learn, grow and s

"If beginning with the end in mind is important, and it is, than the bucket list exercise takes you to the ultimate end!" This week's theme layers nicely on top of last week's MBM, Motive. If knowing our motives helps to spark the action that drives the formation of our habits and goals, than knowing what is most important in our life, before we die, is the ultimate motivator to get moving! Too many people are simply going through the motions in life and unmotivated. The bucket list exercise reminds us that our time is precious and forces us to identify very quickly those 'things' that are most meaningful. MG quickly recounts how it was the bucket list exercise that is responsible for creating The Habit Factor (app and book). And, without forcing himself to consider his own untimely demise, very deeply, none of so many of his most meaningful achievements would have ever materialized. Enjoy the episode! *** New listeners: By texting the word "HABITS" to the mobile phone number "33444" you will instantly receiv

"Find the motive that drives the action you desire" Building off last week's Mind Bullet, "Feelings & Focus", MG tackles the significance that your motive plays when it comes to goal achievement and/or habit development. Simply put; motive drives action! The large majority of people remain frozen— stuck by inaction— waiting for ideal circumstances or, too afraid to make mistakes and fail. The path to progress and ultimate success requires action and knowing your motive is what will ignite your emotions and drive sustained action. Enjoy the episode! *** 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: Grab your FREE copy of As a Man Thinketh (PDF) right here: As a Man Thinketh The 3 C's of Su

"Your emotions guide your focus." A powerful element to goal achievement and habit building is taking control of your emotions and channeling them positively. The emotions you feel at any given moment can either help or hurt your ability to focus. One of the reasons this is important to understand is because so many people set goals that are uninspiring! As adults, we get to identify which emotions are serving us and even how we are going to respond. 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: Grab your FREE copy of As a Man Thinketh (PDF) right here: As a Man Thinketh The 3 C's of SucCcess (Mitch W. Steel) The Psychology of Achievement (Brian Tracy) The Power of Positi

"Begin something today you'll be pleased you started three or five years from now." When the environment around us shifts so dramatically that it dictates what we can and cannot do, concepts like non-resistance teach us to use constraints positively. No matter the pressure we're feeling, we have the opportunity to refract it towards optimism, hope and faith. (See The Pressure Paradox). Thus, we know it's a time to sow rather than reap — to to plant seeds. This may mean life-long creative projects or just getting on top of chores around the house. Martin shares an email from a friend who echoes these sentiments, his mission: to come out the other side of the pandemic; if not wealthier, stronger, physically, mentally, and emotionally. 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

"We know from a lot of research that when things get tough, the general rule is people actually tend to help people out...” ~Glenn R. Fox Today's interview brings the return of Season 2, episode #12 guest Glenn R. Fox, head of Design, Strategy, and Outreach at USC Performance Science Institute. For more background on  Glenn, be sure to check out our prior interview. The topic de jour is Covid-19 and the current pandemic, which sets the backdrop for a discussion about concepts such as optimism, gratitude, and purpose. Glenn shares various insights based upon his and others' studies and research that suggests, for instance, the general trend in crises is for people to be kind and compassionate, and that optimistic people tend to be more realistic and cautionary. Glenn leaves us with three real-life exercises we can practice in order to develop the skills that foster the powerful traits of purpose, optimism, and gratitude. Enjoy the episode! For more on this subject, check out Season 6, Episode 40: Attitude, a

"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.” ~Viktor Frankl This "tweener" Mind Bullet episode centers around how we respond to situations beyond our control—a fitting topic that comes during a time of great uncertainty throughout the world. Last week we addressed the Covid-19 virus and the idea of timing, including how important it is to pause and reflect on how the environment can dictate our behavior.  This week we expand on that idea, discussing the importance of our response to what's happening around us. Viktor Frankl's book, Man's Search for Meaning, shares many lessons to aid and guide our response to situations beyond our control.  "Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'.” In trying times, sometimes the one thing we can control is our response to what's happening. What attitude are you choosing? How are you going to respond?  Listen in for more on challe

"A rising tide lifts all boats." This "tweener" Mind Bullet episode was going to be about accountability, coming on the heels of our recent episodes on self-mastery and justification. But as the world shifts its priorities in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Habits 2 Goals pivots its subject matter to the idea of TIMING. In a time of understandable stress and panic, what we can do is be patient and focus on what we can control.  Environmental factors can and will throw us off course as we pursue our goals, and that's OK. It's not always as overwhelming as a pandemic, but there are times that call for patience, as we wait for the environment to be supportive of what we're setting out to achieve. As we respect and understand timing, we realize there are bigger, fundamental forces at play. Listen in for more on how timing affects our lives and goal achievement, why we need to focus on what we can control, and how no storm lasts forever. Enjoy the episode! *** New listeners: By texting the word "HABITS" to the mob

"Becoming aware of how you justify your actions will help you produce the results you want.” This in-between-seasons ("tweener") Mind Bullet episode was inspired by last week's episode on Self-Mastery as we dive into the idea of justifying our behavior. We learned last week that "Habit is the most imperious of all masters," meaning it will dominate our lives, with or without our permission. The beauty is, we have the option of directing and guiding those habits, and this self-mastery is a lifelong process.  This leads right into today's topic, which we first touched on in Season Two's episode, "Humans Are Justifying Creatures." As justifying creatures, when we veer off course with our choices or behavior, we find a way to justify it. Breaking a diet? Well, it was a friend's birthday party, what could I do? Not exercising as you planned? It's raining out!  No one wants to feel bad about themselves, so when we hit a challenge, give in to temptation, or make a mistake, it's easy to assign blame and make excuses.

"Habit is the most imperious of all masters.” ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe On this in-between-seasons ("tweener") Mind Bullet episode we examine a subject we've touched on but never fully explored: self-mastery. Self-mastery is simply the ability to take control of your life without being blown off course. Your body is the servant and not your master.  Self-mastery ties into the idea of challenge and change, a subject we've explored in depth. It's time to check the self-mastery meter and see how you're doing. MG discusses how a short fast tested and challenged his personal self-mastery, leading to insights about just how in control we are over our impulses. Self-mastery doesn't have to be about fasting or even food. Analyze your spectrum of behaviors, for example, spending vs. saving money, time spent on social media, playing online games etc. The key idea is to find ways in which you can test your own self-mastery and thereby develop self-discipline. Listen in for more on self-mastery, how it ties into the in

"No one told you when to run, you've missed the starting gun.” ~Pink Floyd On this in-between-seasons ("tweener") Mind Bullet episode we tackle a subject first brought up in the season 6 episode The Future: the moment is now. How many times have you heard a comment like, "Now is the defining moment of our time," in terms of an election or another big current event? But there's more to it: Now is (or can be), a defining moment in your life. Now! In our season 6 episode The Future, we realized that we're not just creating the future now, the future IS now. NOW IS THE FUTURE. How are you applying the moment? If you had a checklist for the moment, are you frittering it away, or are you using it to create clarity, take responsibility, take action, build better relationships, improve your wellness, etc.?  (Listen to the Brian Smith interview (UGG Australia founder) more about transformational awareness.) Now is the future. Use the moment to align your behaviors with your goals and ideals. Enjoy the episode! *** New

"Desire is the most important element of habit and skill development, not streaks.” On this in-between-seasons ("tweener") Wednesday Mind Bullet episode we discuss the subject of streaks.  Many people confuse and misinterpret the connection between streaks and habits. Streaks are something you do every day, and we often think we have to do something every day—have a streak—to develop a habit. Habit and skill development are more dependent upon consistency over time, not doing something every day. When we follow the PARR methodology, we incrementally develop new habits over time.  Streaks are a great tool (MG's burpee streak) for fitness and productivity and can be powerful mental and physical challenges. But streaks are not required for habit development. Listen in for more on the difference between streaks and habits; the physical and emotional downsides of streaks; and how desire, knowledge, and capacity to perform the behavior —not streaks—are the most important tools when acquiring habits and skills. Enjo

"If people knew how hard I worked to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful after all.”  ~Michelangelo This Frequently Asked Friday ponders a common theme: Should I work hard, or should I work smart? Common wisdom implores us to work smart, not hard. But like so much of the thinking we encounter here at Habits2Goals, this is another example of dichotomous thinking.  Working smart first ensures that we're asking the right questions and setting ourselves up for success. What's working? What's not working? Where do I want to go? But there's no getting around working hard, despite what you may hear. No one's going to do your push-ups for you, for example. Hard work makes you stronger physically, mentally and emotionally.   Listen in for more on starting smart and gaining clarity, working hard toward your goals, and applying the skillset of hard work toward habit and skill development. Enjoy the episode! *** New listeners: By texting the word "HABITS" to the mobile phone number "33444" you will instantly r

"You have two lives, and the second one begins when you realize you only have one.” ~Confucious This special Mind Bullet Wednesday is inspired by the above quote about coming to the awareness of life as a precious and fleeting gift. This kind of awakening usually happens after a few decades of living. We leave behind our autopilot, mindless existence and move to the clarity and understanding that there's no second time around. For MG, this awakening was spurred by the exercises we talked about in Episode 1 of our Vision & Wellness series, such as the rocking chair, obituary, and bucket list exercises, prompting him to seek new challenges and change. Do you have this awareness? Are you intentional about what you're trying to create in this life? Listen in for more on when your second life begins, finding what will prompt your awakening, and fulfilling the promise of your life's goals. Enjoy the episode! *** New listeners: By texting the word "HABITS" to the mobile phone number "33444" you will instantly re