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

"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

"The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life." ~Muhammad Ali  Today's Mind Bullet Monday tackles a concept that spans the human journey of growth and change: evolve. What sparked this episode was remembering Kobe Bryant. When he started in the NBA he was young and brash, but he evolved. He entered the league as a talented athlete and exited as an example of work ethic, maturity, generosity, and grace. Surviving and evolving means adapting to change. Think about Madonna or other great artists with staying power. They're still relevant over time because they continue to evolve.  So what's the connection between habit and evolution? Habit means character (its Latin root is habitus). What is nobler than evolving your character—to take your habits and intentionally direct them toward your goal?! Ask yourself, how am I intentionally evolving over the next 5-10 years? Listen in for more on habit as intentional evolution; adapting to survive, thrive and grow; and how to

"Conscious breathing is my anchor.”  ~Thich Nhat Hahn Today's Frequently Asked Friday (FAF) picks up where last Friday's Mindfulness vs. Habit episode left off, exploring the significant role habit plays in mindfulness. To recap, an acquaintance "thought leader" asserted that he didn't believe in habit; he believed only in mindfulness. In the episode, we described at length how this is dichotomous thinking, and habit and mindfulness coexist brilliantly together.  In fact, we use our conscientious mind to intentionally craft habits to serve us in a subconscious fashion.  But there's more to the story when you think about the idea that MINDFULNESS is all-important. Think about breathing. Is every breath you take all day long a mindful one? In fact, the autonomic nervous system regulates breathing, body temperature, metabolism, and more. These are habitual patterns of behavior governed biologically. The idea here is that one is not more important than the other. There is a beautiful, delicate balance between hab

"You're only going to know how mentally tough you are, and what your limits are, by testing yourself.” This bonus sixth episode continues where episode 5, Mindset, left off, answering the critical question: How do I develop the GRIT mindset that will lead to success?  The first step toward creating a success mindset is to take control—grab the wheel of your mind. One way to do this is to practice affirmations or mantras, such as Brian Tracy's "I like myself." Since you can hold only one thought in your mind at a time, articulating a positive idea such as "I like myself" blocks negative, petty thoughts, and tunes your mind toward something positive. Another idea is to challenge yourself physically. By giving yourself physical tests, you exercise grit, resilience, adaptability, and so much more. (This is reminiscent of our Obsessed episode, which explored how wanting something so badly is a great ally when it comes to goal achievement.) Listen in for more on setting goals, taking control of your mind using affi

“You are the programmer... you are responsible. Write the program.” ~Stephen R. Covey Today's Mind Bullet Monday explores the idea of being programmed, a topic inspired by the Gay Hendricks book, The Big Leap. In the book, Hendricks discusses a coaching client who had a difficult time making changes because she had been "programmed" for many years to do things a certain way. This applies to all of us. What we do habitually continues to be reinforced, for better or worse, taking us toward our goals or sending us farther away. This brings up the critical concept of awareness. How aware are we of the things we're programmed to do? And where does this programming come from? In our episode on being hypnotized, we asked the question: If you were hypnotized, how would you know? This applies to our programming, as well. When we've been programmed to do things that hurt our goals and desires, how can we become aware of this—and how can we change it? Listen in for more about becoming aware of harmful programming, findi

"Use mindful, intentional, thought to forge the habits that will then serve you subconsciously.”   Today's Frequently Asked Friday (FAF) addresses a common question and a confusing concept: What role does habit play in mindfulness? This question sprang from an offhand comment by a "thought leader": "I don't believe in habit, I believe in mindfulness." First of all, this falls into the trap of dichotomous thinking. Of course, it doesn't have to be mindfulness OR habit. It's both. So if the goal is to be always mindful, where does habit come into play? Habit is an incredible tool to help us accomplish more because it lets us expend less energy. We use mindful, intentional, thinking to forge habits that will then serve us in a subconsious, autopilot process.  Listen in for more on the mindfulness-habit connection, why it doesn't have to be one or the other, and how to develop skills and habits that serve you mindfully. Enjoy the episode! *** New listeners: By texting the word "HABITS" to the mobile phone number

"Begin with a grit mindset that constitutes healthy habits of thought.” Episode #5,  the final chapter of our 2020 Vision & Wellness series, is all about mindset. Mindset is critical because it's your mindset that will help you recalibrate when obstacles throw you off track.  Just as we have behavior habits, we also have thought habits. We rehash the same thoughts from one day to the next, and this begins with our identity. Are you someone who gives up when things get tough? Or are you someone who will fight through no matter what?   A mindset that knows you WILL achieve—and will find a way—is the first step toward reaching your goals.  The foundational mindset habits that comprise grit are also critical to success, including having a vision, being hopeful, staying patient, working SMART and HARD, reframing rejection, fostering resilience, and being persistent.  Listen in for more on being aware of your habitual patterns of thought, controlling WHO controls your thinking, creating a mentally tough mindset

"Bring your energy to the here and now.” ~Roz Savage For this Mind Bullet Monday, we explore the idea of taking things one stroke at a time. A little backstory: Eco-activist Roz Savage wrote the foreword for The Habit Factor after using the app to reach her goal of rowing across the Atlantic Ocean (she subsequently rowed across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well).  When discussing with a friend how someone can tackle the enormous task of rowing across an ocean, the answer was readily apparent: one stroke at a time. This idea has ramifications throughout life and its challenges. Roz writes about the overwhelming obstacles she faced in her Atlantic journey and being flooded with despair—until she decided to regain her focus, take control of the here and now, and inch closer to her goal by focusing on the process. Listen in to hear more about the idea of tackling challenges one stroke at a time, how Roz Savage regained focused on her goal, and how we can all learn the lessons of overcoming the obstacles of l

"Many successful people get up before 6 am in the morning. They have rituals. They exercise, stretch, organize their day, and walk through that series of rituals.”  ~Brian Tracy Today's Frequently Asked Friday (FAF) tackles a basic yet important question: What's the difference between habits and rituals? A ritual is simply a series of habits. For example, your morning ritual may consist of healthy habits such as brushing your teeth, exercising, meditating, and eating breakfast.  Another more subtle distinction: Rituals involve a spiritual quality. Habits don't often get credit for spirituality, but they too have a spiritual component—after all, there's nothing more spiritual than the evolution and growth of your character. Listen in for more on the differences between rituals and habits, how the two are interlinked, and how the first hour of the day is a powerful time to create a wellness ritual. Enjoy the episode! *** ** New listeners: By texting the word "HABITS" to the mobile phone number "33444" you will

"If you're not tracking you're slacking!” Episode #4 in our 2020 Vision & Wellness series brings us to the all-important concept of tracking our behaviors to form good, supportive habits of our goals! After many thought exercises in the first three episodes, we find ourselves here, diving into the mechanism that bridges the gap - from vision to reality. In this episode, MG shares a handful of reasons to track your habits. 1) It enhances one's belief and drives momentum, 2) it improves one's focus and concentration and, 3) it helps you to stay on track/get back on track as well as creates efficacy. Finally, MG challenges the listener to add a secondary, physical goal to fuel better energy, health, and wellness. New listeners are encouraged to follow the P.A.R.R. method to track and develop new habits (Plan, Act, Record & Reassess) and to visit http://thehabitfactor.com/templates where they can download the free habits and goals tracking template. Be sure to subscribe as we head into week #5 of our 2020

"Practice!? You talking about Practice!?” ~Allen Iverson In today's MBM, yes, we're talking about PRACTICE! Practice, the art of strengthening a habit or skill is in itself, an overlooked skill. The question for you is, "What are you practicing today?" Practice precedes results in all areas of our lives. The more often and better we practice with intention, the better our results. The problem is so many people think of "practice" as something that applies only to professional athletes. What could you begin to practice today to improve the results in those areas that are important to you? A few examples of skills/habits to practice; saving money, breathing, stretching, drinking water, exercising, just to name a few. The beauty for long-time habit factor users is the process to improve one's practice habit follows the very same principles within P.A.R.R.; Plan, Act, Record & Reassess! Listen in to hear more about the significance of incorporating a mindset of daily practice to produce the results you

"Worrying is like paying interest on a loan that may never come due." Today's Frequently Asked Friday (FAF) attempts to grapple the all-to-common problem over chronic worrying. It makes sense to worry, right? Pick your topic; government, climate, work, the economy, family, friends, etc. The list of valid things to worry about is endless. The reality though is worrying about things we can't control or influence is a waste of precious time and valuable energy. Further, it's bad for one's health. Too much worrying and we'll head to an early grave. Rephrasing a classic Plato quote MG offers this: "There are two things you should never worry about, those things you can help and those things you cannot help." Finally, MG suggests a simple hack to thwart the worry habit for good by using each worry thought as a trigger to develop the gratitude habit! 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 develo

"The wave of change is coming. It's time to get on your 'New Habits' surfboard and surf with intention.” With the New Year comes a great opportunity to leverage the air of change and harness the force of habit for our benefit. This five-part Vision & Wellness series is designed to help you do just that! Today's episode, Part 4, is all about the great constant of CHANGE! Some of us hate change, and some of us never think things will change, yet the truth is everything is undergoing constant transformation. Take a look at a picture of yourself when you were just 10 years old. Is that really you? For many, such a reminder provides hope: The past doesn't determine the future, but the new habits and goals we set today (now) can. Today's exercises ask us to reflect upon our strengths and weaknesses and identify where we can put our attention and intention to forge new habits. Make sure you're subscribed as we get into part four of this powerful series to help you jump-start your 2020 to be your best year ever!

"You become what you think about all day long.” ~RW Emerson Where your attention goes, new habits and skills are developed. Obsession, by definition, is "an idea or thought that constantly preoccupies one's mind."  Obsession is arguably your greatest ally when it comes to goal achievement, as well as skill and habit development. Obsession is simply Desire 10.0. The question for you is, "What are you obsessed with?" What preoccupies your mind? When your desire for "IT" is so great that you wake up with "it" first thing, and it's the last thing you think of before you go to bed, then you will know your desire is sufficient. MG uses the example of writing both The Habit Factor® and The Pressure Paradox™. Each was years in the making, and during those years, MG was obsessed with these ideas — the concepts of HABIT and PRESSURE. Further, that obsession, he suggests, is what helps to inspire creativity via the subconscious mind! Listen in to hear the other four, key steps in the process of making feeling overw

"A wise man rules his habits, a fool obeys them." Today's Frequently Asked Friday (FAF) poses a classic question:  "How can habits help me achieve my goals?" This may be one of the most basic and fundamental concepts of the entire Habit Factor® ecosystem. First, the subject of habit is often confusing. Most people, sadly, only associate the word habit with negative actions, such as smoking, drinking, biting fingernails, doing drugs, etc. But habits are a force of energy and an incredibly efficient way to apply your behavior energy to help you move forward toward your goals more quickly and easily.  The Habit Factor teaches us to identify, craft, and implement habits that are essential to our goals. An author develops the habit of writing; a runner develops the habit of running. Someone on a health and fitness quest would craft habits of exercise, eating well, drinking water, etc.  Listen in for more on aligning habits to your goals, how following P.A.R.R. increases habitstrength incrementally over time, and