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

“"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new." ~ SocratesThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.In less than a week this Maven cohort kicks off… The 28-Day Breakthrough!There are approximately 6 spots available.Be more productive than ever before in 28 days, or your money back! 110% money-back guarantee! No breakthrough – I pay you!*Visit: https://maven.com/thehabitfactor/the28daybreakthrough to learn more!Enjoy the show!Update:HERE WE GO!!! Whooohooo! Very excited about next week’s small-group coaching cohort (which is practically free!) A few spots are still available! The 28-Day Breakthrough! begins 8/8/23!*Recently Awarded: “Finalist: Self-help, Motivation” International Book Awards: EVERYTHING is a F*cking STORY.Visit https://thehabitfactor.com/templatesTo learn more about P.A.R.R., just Google “P.A.R.R. and The Habit Factor.”Get The Habit Factor® FREE with your audible trial! https://audibletrial.com/habits2goalsIt’s time to mak

“The greatest miracle is the ordinary.” ~Henry David Throreau This Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.Wouldn’t it be great if there were more miracles in your life?Recently, a woman approached me to explain that a miracle was supposed to happen to her in a few days.“Uh… this is it.” I replied, “This (life) is the miracle. It’s all a freakin’ miracle!”Apparently, Rumi proclaimed, “The greatest miracle is that we are awake and alive.”Einstein reportedly said: “Miracles happen every day, change your perception of what a miracle is and you'll see them everywhere.”Now, from the great Persian philosopher and the brilliant physicist to Insane Clown Posse (band). Yes, ICP!

“Sometimes the best way to find inspiration is to ask an important question.” This Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.In this episode, Jen and I discuss the significance of motivation and inspiration and their relationship to goal achievement.Inspiration tends to be intrinsic, while motivation can be both intrinsic and extrinsic.Both inspiration and motivation are powerful assets for goal achievement. Each has its place and neither is “better” than the other.Wayne Dyer used to suggest that inspiration was a calling from the spirit within. He would often say, “If you want to be inspired, be an inspiration.”How can you apply these ideas to your goals?Consider the person who doesn’t feel inspired to get fit yet, they know they must. They could change their environment, hire a fitness coach, and get a gym membership (external motivation).Motivation is both the carrot and the stick. Typically, it’s the desire to avoid pain that provides the greatest motivation.Both motivation and inspiration are t

“The very best heroes and philosophers are dead.” ~Friedrich NietzscheThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.The best heroes and philosophers are dead?!What does that mean?I thought I’d ask my AI buddies, ChatGPT and BARD to see if they knew.Unfortunately, their interpretations weren’t convincing; they were too literal. Neither offered the insight I suspected was behind the statement.In short, both AI “experiments” had a similar, weak response:“Nietzsche is suggesting that the greatest heroes and philosophers are those who have already lived and died. He argues that these individuals have already made their mark on the world and that we can learn from their example.”I believed the statement meant something else.Perhaps it was my own philosophical leanings (Exhibit A: Habits 2 Goals), that drove me to keep searching.I slept on this riddle for a while. Finally, the answer occurred to me.Have you ever heard the advice:If you truly admire or love a hero (a movie star, athlete, musician, author,

“Personal development exists on a spectrum. It’s a gift that allows you to become the person you could by using your intelligence, intention and effort.” This Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.“He (or she) is on the spectrum.” A phrase that is probably overused these days.BTW: If it’s a spectrum, then everyone is on it.In this episode, we carry the idea of “The spectrum” and apply it to our personal development and potentiality.If intelligence is goal-directed behavior, then improving one’s wellness (over time) is a terrific use of their intelligence.Is it possible to consider your health on a spectrum from 1 - 10? How would you rate it?What about your finances or your professional career?Is it possible to improve your score in any wellness category over time? Arguably, it’s mandatory.How do you know where to start your personal development journey?The answer is often found by identifying your greatest challenge – the lowest score – in each of the eight, essential categoriesEnjoy the show!Upd

“Life is like a dew drop, on a blade of grass, in the morning sun.” ~Zen ProverbThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.Deepak Chopra said it like this, “Life is a lucid dream.”How well can you recall yesterday?How about sharing a story from your childhood?The painting below has hung in my stairway for nearly twenty-five years. It’s a photograph from our wedding in Baja, Mexico. It has a Monet-type filter applied to it.The original image is a beautiful, crisp photo taken by a professional photographer.Yet, for nearly twenty-five years, the image has looked like this, intentionally blurry.Why?Where have the young newlyweds gone? Where did the 25 years go?As we approach our 25th anniversary, the effect is fitting. The wedding seems like it happened both yesterday and a lifetime ago.The effect perfectly captures the ephemerality of life.This moment is already gone.No matter how old you are, your life is nearly over. It’s just a matter of time……and time is illusory.Even if you live to be 200 years

“Zen is laughter, laughter Zen.”This Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.How is Zen like laughter? ☝️Many people think Zen is a philosophy. Philosophies are ideas. The answer can be found in this great quote by Zen master T.D. Suzuki, “Zen has nothing to do with ideas.”How much thinking do you do when you laugh?Have you considered all the amazing benefits of laughter?Here is a short list:* Reduces stress and anxiety. * Boosts the immune system. * Helps to relieve pain.* Improves cardiovascular health. * Strengthens social bonds. * Improves mood and outlook on life. * Improves cognitive function. * Helps with recovery from illness. * Increases creativity. If laughter and non-thinking are healthy. What is the cost of too much thinking or overthinking? How much anxiety and pain is created from too much thought?Isn’t it true that anxiety and most pains are created by thought?These quotes remind us to be careful of our thoughts; to be cautious of our perpetual cleverness — aware of our overthi

“You can only tell yourself one story at a time.”(see EVERYTHING is a F*cking STORY)This Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.On a recent training run, I reflected upon an answer I’d given in a podcast interview on the Fifth Quarter.Hosts Lason Perkins and Jeff Osterman asked: “Do you celebrate the green lights?”The guests were wondering, figuratively, if I had the habit of appreciating the little blessings in life. I surprised them, and myself, by noticing that very morning, I did just that – celebrated several successive green lights while running.I answered literally.I shared how the green lights allowed me to complete my run without stopping.However, on a subsequent run, I would realize a far better answer. I thought about their question as I approached a red light. I was forced to stop. Automatically, I raised my arms and celebrated. This is awesome!Why was I celebrating a red light!?It wasn’t because I was able to stop and rest. Rather, I was filled with appreciation that I was running…Tha

“The great value of having a big, hairy, audacious goal is that it forces you to get on your toes. Nobody with big, hairy audacious goals is living passively.” (see EVERYTHING is a F*cking STORY!This Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.At halftime of a recent NBA playoff game, Kenny Smith (the TNT color analyst) shared a powerful observation about the Warriors’ play and, more importantly, their disposition.Kenny’s observation isn’t confined to the basketball court. The defending NBA champs – the Warriors – found themselves down 0-2 to the Sacramento Kings and were now facing a crucial game 3.At the half, the Warriors were up 53 - 41.Kenny said, “This is the first time in this series that the Warriors look like ‘the hunters.’”----Champions tend to rest and relax. Success breeds complacency. Meanwhile, the competition becomes hungry.Those who are hungry hunt. Those who are well-fed become the hunted.Finding themselves down 0-2 and possessing a halftime lead in game 3, Smith made an important obse

“High expectations are the key to everything.” ~Sam Walton (Founder of Walmart)“The key to happiness is low expectations.” ~Barry Schwartz (American Pyschologist)This Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers. Which is it?Should you have high expectations or low expectations?How about…Both.Often you should have high expectations. Sometimes you should have low expectations. Sometimes, no expectations are the way to proceed. It depends.----To let go and to possess high expectations are just two sides of the same coin.While Habits 2 Goals is about goal achievement. It is also about appreciating the things we can influence as well as the things we cannot.Put simply: Goal-striving is intelligence in action. However, it is also one’s ego and willpower in action.John was a guy who seemed to accomplish every goal he went after. A goal achiever of the highest order. He’d recently sold his company for millions while undergoing an eighteen month battle with leukemia.Just a week before he would pass away, he did

“By adding positive pressure, anyone can improve their productivity, performance and even peace of mind.” ~MG (see The Pressure Paradox™)This Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers. On a return trip to San Diego, I stop in Orange County for breakfast with a great friend – a super friend – who happens to be a championship-winning, professional collegiate rugby coach.Surprisingly, he starts to ping me about setting big goals for himself and, more importantly, about how he can stick to them!----I tell him that the very best way I know (from experience), to stay on track and move toward my biggest goals is to simply track the key, supportive habits that will drive the goal’s attainment.He knows this, by the way.It’s likely that we ALL know this. That is, if it’s important to you, you’d better be tracking.“To know, and not to do, is not to know.” ~ConfuciusHabit tracking is not optional and some methods are better than others ; )Here’s the “right way.”---The first part to ACHIEVING ANY BIG GOAL is to c

“There are three constants in life – change, choice and principles.”~ Stephen CoveyThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers. Principles govern one's results over the long term.— Excerpt from Principles I —Principles can be likened to the law of gravity: Throw a rock out of a window and you know it will fall toward the earth – every time!Principles are environmental factors that control, influence, and dictate one's results.Covey shares his, "Law of the Farm" example to convey a principle in action.It's impossible to plant a seed today and reap the harvest tomorrow.Impossible.The principles at play demand that time and nurture are required to reap a harvest.Thus, principles govern results.Human effectiveness operates similarly – within a context of timeless, environmental principles.Part II is about how the concept of principles coincides with “The 3 Circles of Behavior Echo-System.”---In the model above, where do you think these governing, timeless principles are located?Correct.The environment

“There are three constants in life – change, choice and principles.”~ Stephen CoveyThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers. Chances are good that you've read or at least know of the book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.Most people think it's a book about habits. It is not.It's a brilliant book about effectiveness.Here's the key: Effectiveness by operating within the context of “universal, governing PRINCIPLES.”Now, you're saying what the heck does that mean?Principles govern one's results over the long term.----Principles can be likened to the law of gravity: Throw a rock out of a window and you know it will fall toward the earth – every time!Principles are environmental factors that control, influence, and dictate one's results.Covey shares his, "Law of the Farm" example to convey a principle in action.It's impossible to plant a seed today and reap the harvest tomorrow.Impossible.The principles at play demand that time and nurture are required to reap a harvest.Thus, principles gover

“If you want small changes, work on your behavior; if you want quantum-leap changes, work on your paradigms." ~ Stephen Covey This Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers. Paradigms: Part II – [Episode with special guest Jen Grant]Paradigm by definition:nounpar·​a·​digm ˈper-ə-ˌdīm : EXAMPLE, PATTERNespecially : an outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype… regard science as the paradigm of true knowledge.—G. C. J. Midgley: a philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws, and generalizations and the experiments performed in support of them are formulatedthe Freudian paradigm of psychoanalysisbroadly : a philosophical or theoretical framework of any kindA model or framework – a typical example or archetype. In short, paradigms don’t just influence behavior, they drive it from within as a self-referential model, similar to an operating system.Why are we talking about paradigms again? As a behavior model, the “3 Circles of Behavior E

“If you want small changes, work on your behavior; if you want quantum-leap changes, work on your paradigms." ~ Stephen Covey This Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.Clichés can become so overly used that people forget their original intent.What does it really mean to have a “Paradigm-shift”?Paradigm by definition:nounpar·​a·​digm ˈper-ə-ˌdīm ˈpa-rə-, also  -ˌdim: EXAMPLE, PATTERNespecially : an outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype… regard science as the paradigm of true knowledge.—G. C. J. Midgley: an example of a conjugation or declension showing a word in all its inflectional forms: a philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws, and generalizations and the experiments performed in support of them are formulatedthe Freudian paradigm of psychoanalysisbroadly : a philosophical or theoretical framework of any kindA model or framework – a typical example or archetype. In short, paradigms don’t just influence behavior, th

“Most people just go through the motions…” ~ Arnold SchwarzeneggerThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.I came across a Youtube short #youtubeshorts in which Arnold was pointing out that when most people lift weights they are just “going through the motions…”Examine his statement more deeply.It can be applied to everything.Where do you find yourself “just going through the motions?”If the difference in effective weight lifting is the powerful application of concentration – putting your mind into it – where else can this idea be applied?Essentially, this is a different way to approach concentration and focus – “putting your mind into it.”Next time you perform an important task, whether it’s accounting, writing, or lifting weights be sure to PUT YOUR MIND INTO IT!Enjoy the show!Visit https://thehabitfactor.com/templatesTo learn more about P.A.R.R., just Google “P.A.R.R. and The Habit Factor.”------Check out, EVERYTHING is a F*cking STORY my latest book.Get The Habit Factor® FREE with your audi

“It's not the will to win that matters – everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters.” ~Coach Bear BryantThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.While watching the NCAA men's wrestling championships a powerful mind bullet emerges.An excited reporter asks the Cornell head wrestling coach, "How can your wrestler assure victory?"The coach chuckles and replies, "Well, this is the easy part. All he has to do now is wrestle!"The lesson is simple and profound: Great performances rest upon a foundation of Planning, Preparing, and Practicing, "The 3 P's."The greater the pressure to perform in any event, whether it's wrestling, a concert, or a presentation, the greater the demand to Plan, Prepare, and Practice better.In The Pressure Paradox™, "The 3 P's" are detailed in depth.Notice how all the elite performers under the highest pressure situations tend to be the ones who Plan, Prepare and Practice the best.Enjoy the show!Visit https://thehabitfactor.com/templatesTo learn more about

“Effectiveness requires an appreciation for monotony and routine.”This Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.A lot of people say things like, "I hate monotony" or "I hate routines."The challenge with such an identity is that it establishes a fixed mindset about one's abilities; what one can achieve.The art of enjoying monotony and routine is an essential principle for success.Try to imagine a masterful painter, pianist, or bodybuilder who doesn't appreciate the value of practice.Consider the monotony of bodybuilding or training for a marathon. Each demand tedious, monotonous, and routine efforts; which become the path to betterment.In the natural world, nothing remains static or fixed for too long. Letting go of a fixed, deleterious story about monotony and routine will lead to growth.Learn to welcome and appreciate the value of routine and monotony as much as variety and surprise.Enjoy the show!Visit https://thehabitfactor.com/templatesTo learn more about P.A.R.R., just Google “P.A.R.R. and The

"Everyone faces the same challenge; aligning their willpower with their volition. The good news is that by following P.A.R.R. they also develop discipline."This Habits 2 Goals premium episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.Five plus years and 500+ Habits 2 Goals episodes later, a single, common theme reveals itself; the significance of habit tracking.Behavioral scientists used to say things like, "habit trackers don't work."They were semi-correct; they do not work when they are not used.When a person tracks their behaviors and follows the P.A.R.R. methodology (Plan, Act, Record & Reassess), they will experience tremendous success.By habit-tracking the 'right' way, they gain positive momentum and feel better about themselves. All because they have aligned their behaviors with their volition.Some people still say things like, "Life is meant for living, not tracking?"The truth is, one can, and should, do both. They should live and track. When your goals are important, it's time to start habit tracking.Enjoy the

“Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.” ~The Dalai LamaThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.It finally dawns on me that along with ANY worthwhile goal one chooses to pursue, pain and suffering are part of the “package.” Each is preloaded – like software – with every worthwhile goal and ideal.For instance, if you want to be a great mother, you can rest assured there will be pain and suffering.If you want to become a lawyer, there will be pain and suffering.If you want to become a great gymnast, a chess or surf champ, there will be pain and suffering.Do you want to have the perfect spouse? Brace yourself; there will be pain and suffering.Why is this worth mentioning? Since pain and suffering are inescapable, it’s imperative to pursue goals you are obsessed with and passionate about. Otherwise, you'll quit.Enjoy the show!Visit https://thehabitfactor.com/templatesTo learn more about P.A.R.R., just Google “P.A.R.R. and The Habit Factor.”------Check out, EVERYTHING is a F*cking STORY my late