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

"The starting point of all achievement is desire!" ~Napoleon Hill In this episode MG suggests that there is a very simple way to know if you REALLY WANT IT (your goal) BADLY ENOUGH. It's an extremely simple litmus test. A similar message was covered in a prior episode, "What do you really want?" When you want something badly enough you'll always find a way. In fact, one of MG's favorite sayings is "Where there is a will, there is a way!" Therefore, desire and determination take precedent over the "how". The "how" comes when one is determined/totally committed to achieving their goal! So, how will you know if you really want to achieve your goal as badly as you think? The simple answer is right here! Enjoy! **NEW** Ask MG YOUR toughest question WITHIN A REVIEW ON iTunes... Chances are very good that it'll be answered on a forthcoming episode! Feel free to share and leave a review on iTunes!  The New HabitXP Planner! Grab your FREE copy of As a Man Thinketh (PDF) right here: As a Man Thinketh Enjoy the episode!

Chances are good that you are exactly where you are because that is where you want to be..." Quick question: "What do you think is your biggest limiter as you strive to be more successful?" If "all learning is remembering" (Plato) than the listener is guided back to a prior episode, "Learning Mastery". While cleaning his garage, MG ran across one of his favorite old books and is struck by a particular passage within the personal development classic, The Magic of Thinking BIG! (David J. Schwartz) Here's the passage: "Where success is concerned, people are not measured in inches or pounds or college degrees, or family background; they are measured by the size of their thinking. How big we think determines the size of our accomplishments."  ~David J. Schwartz So, how BIG are you thinking these days? The size of your thinking (and related belief) must be the over-arching limiter. Consider how difficult it is for your achievements to outgrow your thinking! Your vision and what you believe you are capable of must b

"These are two industries (gaming & advertising), let's face it, that are dependent upon changing your behavior; they have to specialize in mind-control..." ~Nir Eyal Nir Eyal seems to be wired for creativity and, as he describes it, lives at the intersection of psychology and technology. Nir has a storied and successful background in technology startups (as a founding entrepreneur) and has emerged from both the gaming and advertising space with a keen interest in the various ideas (and ingredients) that help to make products/apps successful— to make them stick and become habit forming. As Nir put it, "Let's face it, these are two industries (advertising and gaming) that are dependent upon changing our behaviors." By having a "front-row seat" within each of these industries, Nir continued to search and understand just what components helped to formulate habit-forming products and services. So, when he couldn't find that answer/book, he decided it was time to write it. Hence, his bestseller, Hooked, was bo

"A man's mind may be likened to a garden which may be intelligently cultivated..." The beginning of personal transformation begins with "right" thinking. For this Mind-Bullet Monday, MG revisits James Allen's classic, "As a Man Thinketh" and specifically points to the phrase, "nothing can come from corn but corn". "Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results. This is but saying that nothing can come from corn but corn, nothing from nettles but nettles. Men understand this law in the natural world, and work with it; but few understand it in the mental and moral world (though its operation there is just as simple and undeviating), and they, therefore, do not co-operate with it." How often do we pay lip service to the idea of "positive thinking" without understanding the idea is rooted upon this very concept. How much bad can come from thinking good and positive thoughts? Earl Nightingale used to liken our minds to a massive earth mover and sug

  Today's FAF (Frequently Asked Friday) "What's the best way to form (or build) a good habit?" MG tackles this question by dispelling some very popular misinformation on the internet mostly directed at something known within psychology as the "habit loop" or, Cue, Routine, Reward. Cue, Routine, Reward does little, if anything, as a process or methodology to help someone to develop a good, positive habit and here are just a few reasons why: Cue, Routine, Reward is: 1) Based upon tests with lab animals; mice and rats NOT humans 2) Involves little, if any, PLANNING on how to develop the good behavior (habit)! 3) It lacks any planning mechanism. Cue, Routine, Reward doesn't allow for the establishment of "targets". For instance, are you going to "Read" every day or just 3 times a week? And, when you read, are you reading for 10 pages or 20 minutes? 4) Cue, Routine, Reward provides NO instruction or recommendation about the recording or, TRACKING of their behavior. 5) Lacking any "tracking/recording" mechanism, Cu

"Success is loving yourself authentically and living from that space..." ~Bing Bush Jr. What hasn't Bing Bush Jr. done? Attorney, entrepreneur and horse-racing aficionado just for starters.  MG kicks off this interview with the statement, "If they were teaching life clinics, Bing Bush Jr. would be a master instructor." Growing up in Kentucky, Bing developed a lifelong love for horses. Upon visiting his sister in San Diego, he also fell in love with the ocean and the Southern California lifestyle. Bing's legal work was essential in helping a client who'd tragically lost a son in a trucking accident to win a substantial judgement (the largest of its kind at the time). Later, that same client would assist Bing in his effort to raise the funds needed to being his new Abbondanza Racing group.  @AbbondanzaRacing In typical Habits 2 Goals style, the subjects covered in this interview include dealing with difficult days, defining success, habits, goals and, as the title suggests, "how to be (become) the real you." Bi

"Truly I tell you," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown." Luke 4:24 Variations include: "Only in his own home and hometown is a prophet without honor." "I tell you this," Jesus added, "prophets are never welcomed in their hometown. Think about the term "prophet" perhaps as just another word for teacher or maybe even thought-leader. The key idea is that as you begin to transform and grow yourself and your skills and develop your own ideas the place to win acceptance is not likely to be your friends, associates or even family. Why is that? Well, one reason is they may have a difficult time reconciling who you are today with who you once were. Your family and friends might regard you as that same troubled teenager or twenty something party goer instead of an industry-wide recognized Ph.D. The beauty is, ultimately it doesn't matter as their acceptance of your creativity and work should not be your main goal anyway. While they may not understand or champion your work, it isn't personal --it's ju

"Our energy flows where our attention goes..." Today's FAF (Frequently Asked Friday) is: "How can I overcome challenges of the past to focus on a bright future?" MG runs through five paradigm shifting mindsets —a recipe— for anyone to get over an unfortunate past situation and get back on track! Tips/Steps: 1) Meaning: What is the meaning your currently giving the situation? Can you spin it from defeating to empowering? 2) Time: Consider just how fluid/dynamic life is, specifically how quickly time moves and this helps you to realize and guide your metamorphosis! 3) Focus: Our focus determines how we feel. Direct your focus toward "things" bigger than you and away from yourself! How can you be of service to others? 4) HabitStrength!: Knowing that even discipline is a habit empowers you to realize that anything that is difficult now can and will become easier overtime with effort and practice. 5) Results!: Assess results continuously using the feedback not to beat yourself up but to inspire you. Scientists don

"You can recognize truth by its beauty and simplicity." ~Dr. Richard Feynman “I am lazy and anti-authoritarian. I have a short attention span, a shorter memory, and no intellect. I am devoid of marketable skills and I despise routine. I have never held a job for longer than two months and, in the entire history of the United States government, I am one of five people (at most) to have been fired from a civil service job. Fortunately, these are ideal qualifications for an entrepreneur. ” Fred Gratzon It seems as though Fred Gratzon has lived several amazing lives. Ask him how it's happened and to where the credit ought to go, he's quick to reference one thing; Transcendental Meditation. In 1979 with no money, no business experience, and no knowledge whatsoever of how to make ice cream Fred founded, The Great Midwestern Ice Cream Company. 1984, it was judged by People Magazine as “the best ice cream in America”. Fred had signed a non-compete clause with the investors of Great Midwestern Ice Cream which forbade

"All men's miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone." ~Blaise Pascal How over-stimulated are you? Most people don't know and here's how to find out, just try to meditate. Blaise Pascal wasn't being overly dramatic with his above statement. It's hard to be creative or productive when you are overstimulated. MG suggests that for every minute you mediate you'll  get ten minutes back, much like what happens when you take time to proactively plan. Stillness, silence and emptiness (nothingness) is THE source of not just us but the solutions we seek.  Too many people listening will just shake their head, "Yep, I know, I should meditate." But in their head, they're telling themselves they don't have the time." Don't know how? There is a discussion around that as well! Enjoy the episode! Feel free to share and leave a review on iTunes!  Thanks for your help in selecting our Season IV Cover art! The Success Principles (Jack Canfield) Getting Things Done! (Allen's Great Book!) TRELLO! Enjoy and

"Pressure like habit is neither good nor bad. It's a neutral, super-natural force. Pressure may  be the greatest creative force in the universe." This episode begins where the last FAF (Frequently Asked Friday) left off. After covering why he wrote The Habit Factor® the discussion here carries onward to the subject of pressure with TPP, (The Pressure Paradox™). After The Habit Factor was published there was pressure (so to speak) to better understand how our environment, in particular, pressure influences our behaviors and habits. In fact, the basic laws of physics related to Pressure; for instance, P = F/A has significant application to our personal productivity, performance and even our peace of mind. That's right, discover how pressure is a requirement for peace of mind. Enjoy the episode! Feel free to share and leave a review on iTunes!  Thanks for your help in selecting our Season IV Cover art! The Success Principles (Jack Canfield) Getting Things Done! (Allen's Great Book!) TRELLO! Enjoy and share! Tha

"I've always felt my best when I was near, in, at, or on water... Blue Mind isn't about what we're adding, it's about what we're removing." ~Wallace J. Nichols Dr. Wallace "J" Nichols, called “Keeper of the Sea" by GQ Magazine and “a visionary" by Outside Magazine is an innovative, silo-busting, entrepreneurial scientist, movement maker, renown marine biologist, voracious Earth and idea explorer, wild water advocate, bestselling author, sought after lecturer, and fun-loving Dad. He also likes turtles (a lot). In this engaging interview MG and Dr. J cover all sorts of ground from creativity and happiness theories to even a bit of Shakespeare. Wallace moved from New York to Chicago and ultimately received his Ph.D. in Tuscon — just a hop and skip to Mexico's shores where he studied sea turtles. "This was the book I really wanted to read but I couldn't find anywhere. Ultimately, I tried to get a mentor of mine to write it, although his reply was, 'great idea! You write it!'" Blue Mind is much bigger than just th

"We all have it... the freedom of choice, the ultimate freedom and it lies in that space..." This was originally slated to be the kickoff episode for Season IV but it got pushed back a bit... ; ) How well do you use what is likely your greatest gift; your freedom to choose? "There are three great constants in life" Dr. Covey used to say. In this episode key ideas about choice and how it influences everything from our emotions (including happiness) to the meaning we give events and even, the outcomes we experience. How we choose our thoughts directs our energy. Our energy / focus directs how we feel. How we feel influences our actions and results. So, are you selecting conscientiously and wisely? Do you select thoughts that support your goals and ideals? Do you select thoughts that make you feel good and empowered? Finally, there is a classic, powerful FORMULA that emerges to us produce those outcomes we desire! Enjoy the episode! Feel free to share and leave a review on iTunes!  Thanks for your help in selec

"This probably sounds super-corny...  around 2003, I felt absolutely compelled to write the book..." MG kicks this one off with his "GTR" (Good Things Report) about a wonderful teacher at a university in Canada who emailed requesting to use the GRIT Pyramid artwork (a top shared post) for her class. In this  "FAF", Frequently Asked Friday, MG delves into some deeper background about the germination of The Habit Factor®, the inspiration for the book and app and his personal experience that wonderfully help to make the ideas more practical. Then, he takes a turn into a much bigger "WHY" and comes to a point, "I didn't know we were going to go there" calling it a "confession" of sorts. Enjoy the show! Thanks for your help in selecting our Season IV Cover art! The Habit Factor® Book (Amazon Kindle) The Pressure Paradox® Book (Amazon Kindle) Getting Things Done! (Allen's Great Book!) Enjoy and share! Thank you! >>>FREE RESOURCES to keep your mind tuned!! >> The Path to Habit Mastery! (Free Webinar) TRELLO! As a Ma

"I don't think it's about finding purpose... it's about taking what you're already doing and putting purpose into it." ~Jairek Robbins LEARN IT. LIVE IT. GIVE IT. That's Jairek's motto and mission and few people on the planet are as well versed on personal development as Jairek Robbins. And, the best part may be that Jairek is a consummate student who actively studies and, more importantly, practices what he preaches. In this entertaining interview, made more so by an amazing technical error at the most inopportune time (not edited out) Jairek and Martin roll through his many experiences including his education at USD (a semester at sea) and then a semester off to volunteer and serve in Africa. The experiences led to many great stories and insights about joy, happiness and purpose— to name a few. Jairek shares these stories and a near death experience that greatly influenced the course of his life. Finally, JR shares some wonderful tech tools (apps) and books that continue to provide value to his life and tho

"Once again, the answer reveals itself to be BOTH... we must not take life too seriously AND we must take it very seriously." ~Grunburg Often we'll hear, "he/she takes life too seriously." Sure, there are many times that can be a real problem. After all, "nobody gets out alive" right? At the same time, it's important to recognize that real success isn't an accident and that those who "arrive" in life, so to speak, know exactly what it is they want and are clear about where they are going. To put it simply, they are serious— they become very intentional and believe they can influence the direction of their life. Ralph Waldo Emerson put it this way, "The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going." In this episode Martin reaffirms this crucial idea: ONLY you know what it is you want and in order to get it you must become very responsible and intentional about its achievement. MG shares this great reminder his own pursuit of a personal (health) goal and what exactly he believes makes all the differe

"Habit is neither good nor bad... it's a neutral force we can either craft intentionally to serve our goals or they will form unintentionally, which rarely serves our goals.".." This one begins with a chuckle as MG explains how this episode is a "part deux" recap of Season One's most popular episodes. Due to its popularity, MG wants to set the record straight and revisit both WHY the show has this title in the first place and than address the question itself, "what makes a good habit?" Enjoy the show! Thanks for your help in selecting our Season IV Cover art! The Habit Factor® Book (Amazon Kindle) The Pressure Paradox® Book (Amazon Kindle) Getting Things Done! (Allen's Great Book!) Enjoy and share! Thank you! >>>FREE RESOURCES to keep your mind tuned!! As a Man Thinketh Free Webinar: (Mini Course)Why Happiness is a Habit and how to cultivate it! Free Webinar: (Mini Course) Focus & Discipline >> The 28 Day Breakthrough! TRELLO! Check it out and be sure to subscribe! >> Thank YOU for checking out this episo

"There was nothing in that work that fed my soul and I can remember... I just felt like my soul was dying" ~Roz Roz Savage holds a law degree from Oxford, is a Yale World Fellow, a Guinness World Record Holder, and the only woman to have rowed across three oceans: The Atlantic, Pacific and Indian (in that order). Yet, Roz spills her guts in this candid interview about being a "recovering management consultant" terribly unhappy chasing a three-car garage and professional career, all while she sensed her "soul was dying." Out of desperation and a great sense of urgency, "while there was still a soul left to shrivel," she dives into the world of self-help/personal development and comes across Covey's great work, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. She is struck by Habit #2, which is: "Begin with the end in mind,"  so she does exactly that by writing two versions of her obituary, one as if nothing were to change and the other as if she had led her ideal life. Check it out! BTW: Be sure to look out for he

"The mind is for having ideas not holding them." ~David Allen How often do you write down your thoughts? Do you have a system for doing so? Season IV is finally here and Martin breaks down Allen's profound insight in today's MBM (Mind Bullet Monday). His point; the best use of our minds is for creating new ideas but NOT for holding them. Note: There is an added bonus when we write our ideas down... can you guess what it is? Thanks for your help in selecting our Season IV Cover art! Getting Things Done! (Allen's Great Book!) TRELLO! Enjoy and share! Thank you! >>>FREE RESOURCES to keep your mind tuned!! As a Man Thinketh Free Webinar: (Mini Course)Why Happiness is a Habit and how to cultivate it! Free Webinar: (Mini Course) Focus & Discipline >> The 28 Day Breakthrough! Check it out and be sure to subscribe! >> Thank YOU for checking out this episode and we're always grateful when you SHARE our stuff w/ your friends and help us by writing a review ; )   ---------- More Resources (FREE! The Habit Factor's T

"I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing." ~Socrates How much do you value the unknown? How much do you appreciate what you do not know? Rumi - the great Sufi mystic put it this way. "Sell your cleverness and purchase bewilderment." And, Lao Tzu the great Chinese philosopher said, “To know that you do not know is true knowledge. To think you know when you do not is a disease. Recognizing this disease as a disease is to be free of it.” So, Socrates put it one way, Lao Tzu and Rumi another! On the cusp of Season IV, (BE SURE TO VOTE FOR THE NEW COVER ART HERE! It takes just two clicks!!) This "bridge" episode challenges the listener to embrace the unknown. "Not knowing can be incredibly liberating and lead you to a place of trust and faith." Rather than being totally self-defeating, learning to appreciate and accept what you don't know can take you to a place of powerful humility. The smartest most logical people in the world ultimately, run up again the unknown. Logic