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

"If you fail to plan, are you planning to fail?" ~Benjamin Franklin As we continue The Quest—the pursuit of our ideal future—we recognize the journey requires that we step onto The Path! (previous episode) Once on The Path, we notice a powerful truth: Our ideal future only arrives ONE DAY AT A TIME. Thus, the essential question to ask daily is, "Was I on the path, today?" To make real progress along The Path conjures up another key question: What's The PLAN? The Plan is where the rubber meets the road. The Plan consists of two essential components: strategy and execution. What are you going to do today to make progress on The Path? How are you going to do it? And, importantly, how will you be held accountable? The strategy might be a model—copying a process by following someone who has already achieved what you're trying to achieve. There is a bit of caution when modelling; just realize, "No man can ever step into the same river twice." The second essential component of THE PLAN, execution, has two parts. How

"Ill ALL habits gather by unseen degrees, as brooks make rivers, rivers run to seas." If being on "THE PATH" (last episode), is absolutely essential to assuring "the great adventure"—living the life of your dreams— then, how can you get ON THE PATH? This question conjures up a couple of other questions: 1) What keeps anyone from getting on the path in the first place? 2) How do you know it's the right path? The most common challenge preventing people from getting on the path is CLARITY. Many people just aren't clear where it is they want to go. Thus, it's tough to arrive at a destination that hasn't been defined, and even tougher to be on a path that takes you there! However, if someone is clear about where they want to go, but has not yet stepped on the path, it's almost always because they are afraid. Stepping on THE PATH takes courage, and courage, as Winston Churchill put it, is the foremost quality that helps to assure all others. Finally, one more common fear emerges: "How do I know this is the right pa

"It doesn't matter how slowly you go, just do not stop just do your best to STAY ON THE PATH." Jen Grant joins MG on today's episode, and they revisit the last episode (before the John Assaraf special), THE QUEST! If we can agree on Oprah's observation that the great adventure—the quest—is to live the life of your dreams, then the question becomes, HOW is that accomplished? How can anyone pursue the life of their dreams? It turns out that the answer to this all-important question can be found within another question: "Are you on the path?" In other words, it's hard to pursue any journey—any great quest—if you're not first ON THE PATH. It's a simple, powerful, and fundamental question: "Are you ON THE PATH?" Do not pass Go. The only way any person can achieve the life of their dreams is one single day at a time. Thus, the ONE question they should ask themselves each day is, "Was I on the path today?" When the answer is "YES" more days than not, you are very likely to realize your own "great adventure." However

"I'm not the smartest or dumbest person in the room, but I am the one that's willing to do whatever it takes to upgrade my mindset and my skill set, and I'm persistent as hell to achieve my goal, no matter what." John Assaraf In this special episode of Habits 2 Goals, John Assaraf—a two-time New York Times bestselling author and H2G's first two-time special guest—takes us deep into the essence of personal development by sharing his own breakthrough stories and strategies, as well as the latest developments in brain science as it relates to goal achievement. John and MG discuss the upcoming 9th annual Brain-A-Thon—a free event hosted by John Assaraf specifically designed to help people break through their own limiting beliefs. John was a below-average student who struggled mightily in school; he ultimately dropped out in 11th grade.  Fortunately, he was introduced to a successful real estate investor who became his mentor, sharing a multitude of "success" insights. "When you’re interested in your goals, chance

"The greatest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams." Oprah Winfrey In this episode we expand upon Oprah's insightful observation. What could be a greater adventure than pursuing the life of your dreams? You might say something like, "The best use of my life is to serve the homeless, starving and underprivileged." Such a response would only reaffirm, THE QUEST.. Thoreau put it this way, "If one advances confidently in the direction of their dreams and endeavors to live the life they imagined, they will meet with a success in common hours." "Advancing confidently" toward your dreams is, as Oprah so brilliantly put it, THE great adventure. It is THE QUEST.  As a creature—a creator—arguably this is WHY you're alive, to pursue the life of your dreams. This is your preeminent adventure—it is THE QUEST! MG overlays Joseph Campbell's, "The Hero's Journey" as a reference point and shares his favorite definition of success: "Creating your ideal future." Ultimately, ALL of these ideas intersect

Is it truly better to give than to receive? Why is receiving—being a gracious receiver—so important? Are there rewards and virtues when it comes to receiving "properly"? That's the topic Jen Grant and MG tackle in this week's episode. Whether it's a compliment or a gift, knowing how to accept whatever offering comes your way may be as much an art as a science. A few weeks ago, MG's G.T.R. (Good Things Report) was about a gift—an expensive e-bike—given to him by a good buddy. The friend swore that he couldn't use it anymore and MG would be doing him a favor by taking it. But, because the bike is so expensive, it's been very hard for MG to accept it graciously. Jen chimes in with some serious advice about the importance of receiving. Enjoy the episode! How much do you really know about habits and goals? Check out the Habits & Goals Mastery course, NOW ON-DEMAND! Visit: https://thehabitfactor.com/challenge **** Feedspot's "Top 10 Habit Podcasts You Must Follow in 2021" New listeners: By texting the word "H

"People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals—that is, goals that do not inspire them." ~Tony Robbins This week, MG and Jen Grant review the fundamentals of goal setting, mainly, why goal setting is NOT optional. They review 3 fundamental reasons why goal setting is essential for everyone. First, goal setting is proof of "intelligence in action!" Stealing a cue from the world of computer programming, if "artificial intelligence is goal-directed behavior," then an intelligent person must set goals.  Secondly, setting goals adds meaning and purpose to life. Sadly, it's those who drift—who don't have worthwhile goals—who think life is boring, lacks meaning, and is worthless—even pointless. Yet, those who have worthwhile goals find value and purpose. Third, as demonstrated by The Habit Factor®, as you head toward your goal, the process demands that you cultivate supportive habits that will help you achieve that goal. You end up developing good, positive habits! So, if you're unsure about why goal setting

"The highest value habits are the ones that yield the greatest results relative to your most important goals and ideals." Last week, the discussion was about making sure we take more time to simply THINK about the activities that will yield the greatest consequences, relative to our goals and ideals. This week, the topic goes a bit further. Rather than focusing upon one-off "activities," the question is: Which HABITS will yield the highest value return once cultivated? Since it is our recurring behaviors—HABITS—that propel us toward our goals most efficiently and effectively, we ought to spend a significant amount of time just identifying the HIGHEST VALUE HABITS. The entire exercise falls beautifully in line with The Habit Factor's core methodology: P.A.R.R., Plan. Act. Record. Reassess. Make time to identify the core, related behaviors—HABITS— that will yield the HIGHEST VALUE RETURN and begin tracking them today (no more than 5 habits). BTW: If you need the free habits-to-goals tracking spreadsheet, see th

"Time and consequences go hand in hand." When you hear the word "consequences," what's the first thing you think? Not unlike the word "habit," "consequences" has a predominately negative connotation. Yet, by definition, consequences simply means "the result or effect of action or condition." Think about how you spend your time. Anything that consumes your time and attention enables consequences, both good and bad. Brian Tracy likes to say, "Failures spend the majority of their time in low-value, low-return consequence activities. Whereas successes spend the majority of their time in high-value, high-return consequence activities." That may sound obvious, but the fact remains that very few consider deeply the long-term value—the consequences—that will result from their present actions. BT goes further: "Successes will spend a great deal of time just thinking about which activities will yield the greatest consequences relative to their goals and ideals." MG and Jen's explore BT's observation and discuss the sig

"If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster." ~Clint Eastwood Humans love guarantees. Yet, when it comes to goal achievement, finding a guarantee is nearly impossible. Goal achievement is far less about guarantees and much more about probabilities. Nobody is guaranteed to achieve the life of their dreams. They are, however, FAR more likely to achieve such a life by aiming for clear goals and ideals. In a world short of guarantees, we enhance our odds of success by establishing a great plan (strategy); tracking core, essential behaviors aligned with our goals; and having a clear picture of the ideal outcome. Imagine being blindfolded and trying to throw a dart at a dartboard's bullseye. What's the probability of hitting the bullseye when you don't even know where the dartboard is? With no vision, and no target to aim for, the likelihood that you'll hit your target is close to zero. Now, take off the blindfold, aim at the bullseye, and practice each and every day. What's the likelihood you'll end up hitting the bul

Why do we construct so many obstacles in our lives? Have you constructed anything lately? Constructs are anything that you create—manufacture—within your life. The "interesting" thing is that even our thoughts are constructs; that is a very important awareness. Last week, we reviewed the concept that the best way for anyone to get out of a hole is to stop digging. The "digging" is our habitual behavior that put us in the "hole" (an undesirable position) in the first place. (Stop Digging!) In this episode, we acknowledge that many of the holes we may find ourselves in have been created by our own thinking. A key reason for constructing anything ought to be to facilitate our lives, not to make them more difficult. Yet, how often do we construct thoughts and stories that are self-defeating and do not serve our goals and ideals? Rather than constructing thoughts that are beneficial and supportive, we create barriers—obstacles—that make our goals and ideals even harder to achieve! So, how aware are you of the thou

"The first law of holes: If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging." Are you in a hole? A hole is simply a metaphor for a situation or circumstance you'd prefer not to be in. There is an old adage, sometimes referred to as the "first law of holes," which states: "If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging." Too much debt? Out of shape or overweight? Poor relationships? Drinking too much alcohol, etc.? Any of these situations could be considered "holes" in which you may find yourself standing. You probably get the picture—and that picture should be of you, standing at least waist deep, in a hole! Here are a few key questions:  Are you still shoveling? Why are you still shoveling? What is it going to take to stop the shoveling? Do you continue to spend on credit? Dig! Maybe you continue to eat unhealthy foods! Dig! Perhaps you continue to say the wrong things. Dig! Time to assess your results. Are you standing in any holes? Are there any situations you've created that you'd like to get out of? Ask yourself

"By immersing yourself into a new, different, and challenging environments, the last thing you'll be able to do is feel depressed or sorry for yourself." MG invites Jen back on to discuss this week's Mind-Bullet, "Immersion." By definition, to immerse yourself means to involve yourself deeply into a particular activity or interest. In a recent interview with a fitness expert who had suffered a lot of personal trauma in his youth, he mentioned how immersing himself into new activities, such as kitesurfing, helps him to avoid getting depressed or even making poor decisions and even creating bad habits. By changing his immediate environment and immersing himself into the unknown, he had no time to let his mind get away from him. By immersing himself in unfamiliar environments, all his senses are engaged, and his complete concentration and focus is required. Next time you feel depressed or off balance, consider how you might immerse yourself into a new, different, or unique environment, which is likely to consume

"Unhappiness is tied to a feeling of not being in control. By establishing small wins each day you not only feel happier, you move you closer to your goals!" MG invites Jen back on H2G to discuss this week's Mind-Bullet, "Small Wins", a different spin on the importance of self-efficacy, the ability to produce a desired result. Coming off last weeks episode, "Intentionality" we know humans are goal-achievement machines. Thus, they must be setting goals. The key to bridging the gap, going from point "A" to point "B" is to compile small wins as often as possible along the way. This is precisely why tracking habits that are aligned with your goals is so effective. Each time you tick-off a habit, you feel as though you've inched closer to your goal and you demonstrate self-efficacy—the ability to produce a desired result! Thus, pilling up small wins provides a sense of purpose as well as a feeling of control. Two important aspects that influence your ongoing effectiveness and overall happiness! Enjoy the show! How

"Intentionality is your superpower, and the best news is, you're already great at using it!" When was the last time you went shopping? When was the last time you got a haircut? When was the last time you ate some food? That fact is, you're already an incredible, purposeful, deliberate, goal-driven machine. You use your intentionality every day, all day long. Getting your hair cut wasn't an accident. You set up an appointment and then showed up. You didn't just arrive at a grocery store; you realized you needed food and made a plan to go shop. You didn't accidentally start reading a book; you intended to read the book, so you picked it up. Intentionality isn't just a superpower, though; it's your means to design the life you want, AND it's a demonstration of your intelligence in action! Being intentional—being purposeful, being goal-driven—equates to intelligence in action. Tony Robbins put it this way: "We all have goals; the problem is, most of us have really crappy goals, like, 'I just want to get through t

"Like painted kites, those days and nights they went flyin' by." ~Frank Sinatra (Summer Wind) Building off last week's episode, "Bridging the Gap," this week, we review a force that makes progress possible: TIME! Some view time like the flow of a river. Brian Tracy uses the analogy of a delivery truck backing up to deliver 24 fresh hours each new day. MG loves Sinatra's imagery of days "flyin' by like painted kites" from his hit song, "Summer Wind." Whichever imagery you choose, there's no mistaking just how quickly "The DAYS" go flyin' by. To illustrate, MG tries an experiment—an exercise—and asks the listeners to give it a try. This is an Arnold Schwarzenegger exercise called "The Vacuum," where you attempt to suck in your stomach and hold it in, as far as you can, for a minute or so. MG set the intention to do the "Vacuum" twice a day, a few minutes at a time, for seven days straight. The purpose is simply to illustrate just how quickly The DAYS go flyin' by. Whatever small behavior or exercise you may be

"When the student is ready, the lessons and teachers will appear." Approximately four years after presenting to IREM (Institute of Real Estate Management), James B., who witnessed The Habit Factor® presentation, finally decided to listen to the audio book.  FOUR. YEARS. LATER. Afterward, he was excited to put habit alignment and the free habits-to-goals tracking sheet to work. He shared this story with me via email. This week's episode is about "Bridging the Gap." Sometimes the steps we take are long and swift, and sometimes they are slow and small. To span the bridge, we must keep moving forward. If intelligence is goal-directed behavior, and we are "intelligent" beings, then we must set goals. We must have an ideal to strive for, but that doesn't mean we have to be unhappy about our present circumstances. We can do both: be grateful for our present and have a goal to strive for. At any given time, we could be at point "A" while we're attempting to arrive at point "B." The challenge for ALL of us, in theory,

"While every day can't be the best day ever, your best day is almost always right around the corner. Realizing it, though, depends upon how well you navigate your worst days." Gurus everywhere promote silly claims like, "HOW YOU CAN HAVE YOUR BEST DAY EVER, EVERY DAY" Here's the bad news: You can't have your best day ever, every day. The good news: Your best day ever is almost always awaiting you! Realizing those "best days ever" depends greatly upon how well you navigate your sh*tty days. Too often, people find a way to make their bad days much worse due to emotional fragility—taking too many things personally. Unfortunately, there will be days when awful things will happen to us and/or our loved ones. When that happens, the environment is not conducive or supportive (for the time being) enough for us to pursue our goals and ideals. In times like these, rather than wasting energy fighting unfortunate circumstances or taking things personally, letting our emotions get out of control, it's best to simply "duck

"To break the inertia: S.T.A.R.T.! Simple Today Actions Repeated & Tracked" It's inevitable: We are ALL trending toward zero. Laziness. Stillness. Eventually, even nothingness. However, that's a consideration that doesn't have to be depressing or debilitating; rather, it can be useful. The great mathematician, physicist, and philosopher Blaise Pascal put it this way: "Man is equally incapable of seeing the nothingness from which he emerges and the infinity in which he is engulfed." Next time you feel stuck, recognize the dynamic, universal forces at play, namely inertia and gravity for starters. The key to flipping the script is to get started! Just S.T.A.R.T.! Simple (small). Today. Actions, Repeated and Tracked! Once the inertia is broken, the task forward is much easier. Plato put it this way: "The beginning is the most important part of the work." Thus, whatever you may be attempting to do, whatever your goal may be, the real challenge is to GET STARTED. Nothing is done without a beginning. Once you'v

"The longest journey begins with a single step." ~Lao Tzu The Ocho—Season 8—is here, and we follow up last week's episode, "Try Slow," with this week's offering, "The Incremental." This episode was inspired by an illustration MG saw on Facebook: A man, struggling, on his tippy-toes, arms outstretched, attempting to reach the first rung of a ladder—yet the very first step was too far away. It's tough to climb any ladder when the rungs are too far apart. It's equally tough to develop any habit and move toward any goal when the expectations, targets, and next steps are too far apart. The key to habit development and goal achievement is the incremental: Small steps that are attainable, reachable, and achievable. To put our expectations, targets, and goals too far out of reach would make them about as worthwhile as a ladder with steps that are too far apart. Recognizing the INCREMENTAL is critical. Whether it's for saving money, getting out of debt, writing a book, or running a marathon, respecting and mastering t