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

“Good habits happen when planned; bad habits happen on their own.” ~M. GrunburgThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.Refining Thought & Character HabitsFrequently Asked Friday: PARR (PLAN, ACT, RECORD & REASSESS) is great for developing ‘planned’ habits. How can I develop thought and character habits such as being more assertive? Especially since I don’t know when those opportunities will arise.P.A.R.R. Lite: One Savored Moment at a TimeWhile PARR excels at shaping physical habits, its latest sibling, PARR Lite (soon to be released in the app), empowers you to refine your inner diamond – your character– via thought and behavior habits. Take assertiveness, a potential virtue often hidden beneath layers of self-doubt. One app user asked the very question above.PARR Lite, soon to be released, will help strengthen these with each mindful moment.Imagine setting a daily threshold of “3 assertive actions.” Upon waking, PARR Lite whispers, “Be mindful of opportunities to speak up.” At work,

“Good habits happen when planned; bad habits happen on their own.” ~M. GrunburgThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.Habits and Skills: The Fraternal Twins of Personal DevelopmentWe’re bringing back Frequently Asked Friday (w/ Season 12) – on a Monday!Frequently Asked Friday: Why do Habits and skills share the same space in the “3 Circles of Behavior Echo-System” / Grunburg Behavior Model?Upon further review, habits and skills share remarkable similarities, making them more like fraternal twins than distant cousins.Where Habits & Skills Reside:Both habits and skills, once fully formed, reside deep within the limbic system, specifically in the basal ganglia. Once a habit or skill is ingrained in the basal ganglia, it becomes seemingly “automatic.”The Four Stages of Learning or Competence:When it comes to developing good habits intentionally, it helps to reflect upon the four stages of learning and to think about how you would practice any skill you’re trying to cultivate.* Unconsciously I

“Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.”~ Charlie ChaplinThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.Life’s Balancing Act: Tragedy & ComedyWhat feels like a world-ending personal disaster today may just become a hilarious anecdote tomorrow.Just a few years ago, everyone was panicking about the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the end of the world. It was a scary time, filled with uncertainty and fear. Today, the epoch provides comedians worldwide (just check Netflix and social media) with endless material for jokes. To be clear, nobody is laughing about the millions of fatalities. Having said that, they are laughing at the ridiculous things people did, particularly in the early days: hoarding toilet paper, wearing masks made of scarves, and Zoom meetings with our pets dressed up as co-workers.Consider another quote, or rather a formula, this time from Woody Allen: Tragedy + Time = Comedy.For example, imagine the grief and shock surrounding the assassination of President L

“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequencey and vibration.“~ Nikola TeslaThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.What’s the first clue that the latest habits “Gooroo” knows little about habit development? They teach the idea that doing a behavior for a month or thirty days – is the key to habit development. Performing a behavior for thirty days is helpful, but it misses a core, fundamental precept of habit development: RHYTHM“Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances.” ~ Maya AngelouWhen I set out to write The Habit Factor®, the first question I pondered, researched and even queried Google was, “Why do habits exist?”Google served up a grand total of ZERO answers – nothing. (See the book for a screenshot)After weeks of contemplating that question, the answer revealed itself. It was elemental: All life is energy. Energy has a predisposition for pattern and rhythm; consider sound waves, ocean waves, the rhythm of the seasons, high tide,

“Let everyone sweep in front of his own door, and the whole world will be clean. “~ Johann Wolfgang von GoetheThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.Amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life, it's easy to get caught up in the pursuit of worldly goals, the accumulation of possessions, and fleeting pleasures.Yet, at the end of the proverbial day, the true measure of your life will not lie in material wealth or even accolades. Instead, it will be determined by the impact that was made – the lives you touched – the GOOD that you did.“The true worth of a man is to be measured by his deeds and not by his words.” ~ SenecaIn the realm of spirituality, a multitude of religions posit that we exist for a reason – to serve others – to do GOOD. It is not the length of our lives but the depth of our impact that matters.While the religions vary, the core message is the same: we are called to make a positive difference in the world, to use our gifts and talents to serve others and to make the world a better

“We are but dust and shadows, and like a lamp that is lit and then extinguished, so too will our lives be extinguished.” ~ Marcus AureliusThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers. In the vast expanse of time and space, our individual existence might seem like a fleeting flicker, a mere ripple in the cosmic ocean. A thousand years from now, our names will likely fade into obscurity, our actions lost to the annals of history. Despite this inherent insignificance, we also possess the power to leave an indelible mark on the world, to create a ripple effect that echoes through generations.Life is a paradox, simultaneously insignificant and immensely significant. On one hand, our individual lives are finite, destined to be consumed by the relentless march of time. Our achievements, no matter how grand, will fade into the background of the universe’s vastness.On the other hand, we are capable of extraordinary acts of love, compassion, and creativity. We have the power to inspire, teach, uplift, and he

“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.” ~Abraham MaslowThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers. The other day, a good friend (former professor and a professional writer) – a man whose top value is a “learning mindset” – said something that caught my attention.“I’ve realized the importance of ‘dumb stuff.’ It’s the dumb stuff that supports the smart stuff.”“The dumb stuff supports the smart stuff.”It’s brilliant! I loved the idea and sentiment.Running doesn’t require much intelligence yet; after he runs, he’s a better writer.Sleep doesn’t require much or any intelligence yet; after he rests, he’s a better writer.After a few days of contemplating the comment, it occurred to me that this “stuff” is only “dumb” in the context of ‘intelligence.’ In other words, how hard is your brain working while you’re running or sleeping?Chances are, not very hard.What if we viewed these behaviors not through an intelligence lens but through a wellness and health one?Eat

“Before focus, concentration; before concentration, selection.”This Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers. To focus for an extended period of time on anything can be challenging. In today’s world, it’s made far more difficult, particularly for people with ADD/ADHD.This episode promises to have you focusing better nearly instantly.Below are some tips on how to focus better, especially if you suffer from ADD/ADHD.First, a background story.The Habit Factor® (book and app) only exist because of my inability to achieve goals.I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but what I created was a goal achievement system that forced me to address my first fundamental challenge, FOCUS.FOCUS: DefinedThe center of interest or activity. “this generation has made the environment a focus of attention”An act of concentrating interest or activity on something. “our focus on the customer's requirements”By creating THIS tracking sheet (which is free btw ), I was forced to identify which core, related behaviors - habits - I w

“The only discipline that lasts is self-discipline.” ~Bum PhillipsThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers. It’s baaaaaack… The 36-hour, (once a week), fast ***WARNING** Please do your own research and consult your doctor before altering your diet.***What is it? Why do it? And, the backstory.In 2019, (at 51), I came to the sudden awareness that I’d never gone a day without eating. I wondered if I could fast for an entire day.The only way to find out… challenge myself. My plan was to cease eating around 8 p.m. on Sunday. Then, see if I could make it through Monday without food. If I could then make it to Tuesday at 8 a.m., I’d have gone 36 hours. The first fast was brutal!Afterward, I recall saying, “Maybe I’ll try that again next year.”Then a day went by and I said, “Maybe I’ll do that again next month.”Then another few days went by and I said, “I’m going to do that again next Monday!”The next thing I knew, it was 30 weeks later…30 consecutive weeks of fasting – 36 hours, once per week.I share

“No man is free who cannot command himself.” ~PythagorasThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers. To act according to your intentions…Arguably, it’s the crux of the entire personal development industry.How often have you said, “I’m going to…” Only to find, a week, month, or year later, “it” never transpired.Why?There are three main reasons.Reason One: PAIN.Chances are that the task at hand involved some pain; emotional, physical, mental, etc.Humans are wired to avoid pain and seek pleasure.PAIN versus PLEASURE: It’s a perpetual war that is being waged internally.Humans will go to great lengths to avoid pain, naturally.The challenge is that growth and personal development, lie on the other side of challenge and pain. Learning is painful, yet we become smarter as a result of the effort. Lifting weights is painful, yet the effort makes us stronger.How do we reconcile this? Well, the answer is fairly simple.In fact, the answer has been known for millennia and apparently, science has affirmed it re

“I cannot wait to see genes that operate in a vacuum.”This Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers. The “Nature vs. Nurture” debate can be traced to ancient Greece and perhaps earlier.In the entertainment world, there have been several books, plays, and movies that touch upon the subject matter.The riddle: How much influence does nature (genetics) versus nurture (environment: culture, family, friends, home, city, etc.) have upon one’s life?For example, Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper, published in 1881, is a tale about two boys who were born on the same day, one a prince and the other a pauper; they accidentally switch places.Not coincidentally, Trading Places, the 1983 hit comedy starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd, pursued the exact same theme.Recently, I tripped upon a few well-done Khan Academy videos covering this debate. [I link to a few of their videos below.]The short story: While these videos are very well produced, and the instructors do a fantastic job, the longer you watch them,

“Take away paradox from the thinker and you have a professor.” ~Søren KierkegaardThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers. In 2014 I wrote It’s Both! Your (Habitual) Dichotomous Thinking is Killing You.That’s right, “Killing You!”I went a bit deeper on this concept in The Pressure Paradox™ (2015).It’s worth revisiting as the idea is essential to critical thinking and, interestingly enough, peace of mind. A sure sign of a mature mind is one that can hold two opposing ideas together, at the same time (most of the time).The reason we’re revisiting the concept is that I’m noticing it’s percolating elsewhere.Let’s begin with Matthew McConaughey’s latest book (Sept 2023) Just Because. Just Because is an illustrated kid’s book designed to teach children many life lessons.In so doing, it fosters “Both” thinking.” Few lessons may be more important to understand for children.Straight from McConaughey’s book, examples on Amazon.com.“Just because they don’t hear you, doesn’t mean you don’t have a voice.”“

“Yeah, Mr. White! Yeah, science!” ~Jesse PinkmanThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers!For our 25th anniversary, my wife and I visited Denmark, Sweden and Italy. One night, in Italy, our hotel’s satellite TV was down.Before heading to bed, she dialed up her Netflix account and soon enough, we found ourselves watching Breaking Bad; our third time through the series!Breaking Bad is ridiculously GOOD.What caught my attention in this particular episode (Season 1, Ep 7) is a fairly comical scene where Mr. White – a grossly overqualified high-school chemistry teacher – has to resort to a motivational/personal development cliché, with the hope of inspiring his would-be crystal meth-dealing partner.“JESSE, TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!” Walter White begins shaking Jesse by the shoulders.The irony of White’s aspirational statement against their criminal intent is clever.Mr. White challenges his former student, Jesse Pinkmen to “think bigger” and not “live a life of fear,” as he req

“One of the best reasons to start habit tracking is that you will develop an ancillary habit, DISCIPLINE.” This Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers. The next 28-DAY BREAKTHROUGH! program begins 10/3/23!Learn more here —» The 28-Day Breakthrough!You’ve never tracked habits before? That’s alright, most people haven’t.After all, life is meant to be lived, not tracked, right?Well, it turns out, you can and should do both; live and track.As an example, Benjamin Franklin tracked his habits (13 virtues) for approximately sixty years. Sixty years!Apparently, habit tracking is what Hindu priests do to in order to refine their character and concentrate better.Habit tracking is an effective method for goal achievement.If your goals are important, you should begin habit tracking.Many people think that discipline is required to track habits.The truth is that discipline is a HABIT. Discipline is strengthened via habit tracking.Nobody is born disciplined.Habit tracking is difficult at first because it require

“The difference between a good life and a bad life is how well you walk through fire.” ~ Carl JungThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers. The next 28-DAY BREAKTHROUGH! program begins 10/3/23!Learn more here —» The 28-Day Breakthrough!What if a key difference between the successful person and the unsuccessful person was how well they navigate life’s difficulties?The fact is, nobody escapes life’s challenges.Yet, we all know people who seem to complicate matters when things get tough. They react rather than respond.What’s the difference?Animals, babies, and small children REACT.Humans have the capacity to RESPOND.By pausing, an emotionally mature adult can (more often than not), direct their response – tailor it – toward a desirable outcome.Meanwhile, reacting often compounds problems.Think of the people who seem to have drama follow them everywhere; work, home, events, relationships, etc.The collective drama isn’t a random coincidence. Rather, it’s the source of compounding troubles; and const

“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood." ~Ralph Waldo EmersonThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.After hearing a Gooroo caution his students, “When it comes to relationships, you must be very careful; relationships are dynamic.”I thought to myself. “That is kind of “funny.” Last time I checked, LIFE IS DYNAMIC.Thus, what got us “here” might not necessarily get us “there.”Deepak Chopra put it like this“The world is not a static place. It is constantly changing and evolving. To live a fulfilling life, we must embrace this dynamism and be willing to adapt to change.”Such an observation underscores the importance of setting worthwhile goals and ideals; the type that helps us to transform.We covered this in a prior episode, “Two Types of Goals.”“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” ~Peter DruckerIt’s the dynamism of life that forces us to keep upgrading our skills and habits to evolve —to keep up with the pace of change.Even better, the pursuit of

“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” ~Leo Tolstoy.” This Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.What if patience was the key to mastering your universe?If courage is the mother of all virtues (according to Aristotle), arguably the father, along with prudence, could be patience.Let’s run through some of the advantages of developing the virtue of being patient.“Patience is the key to paradise.” ~ Persian Proverb* Patience helps you achieve your goals. * Patience helps you make better decisions. * Patience helps you to build stronger relationships. * Patience helps you manage stress better.* Patience helps you stay calm in difficult situations. * Patience helps you learn from your mistakes. * Patience can help you be more creative. * Patience can help you become more resilient. * Patience can help you be more compassionate. * Patience helps you to cultivate discipline. * Patience will enhance mindfulness.* Patience will help you control your emotions. * Patience will help you to be

“What I didn’t realize is that everyone is a sailor. Everyone is sailing somewhere.” This Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.Right now you are sailing somewhere. The question is, “Do you know where you are headed?”It’s important to recognize that if you’re not pursuing an ideal destination, chances are, you’ll end up somewhere else.Yogi Berra put it this way…“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.”Seneca the great Stoic philosopher said, “If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.”No wind is favorable.No wind can help the sailor who doesn’t know where they are headed.If success is creating your ideal future then, it becomes one’s onus – their responsibility – to know where, ideally, they’d like to go.Do you know where that is?If not, that is priority #1. (See below info about The 28-Day Breakthrough!)Clarity – knowing your ideal destination – is essential for living a content and fulfilling life. Now, to be clear, just knowing your id

“The only way ‘it’ gets better for you is when you get better. Better isn’t something you wish for, it’s something you become.” ~ Jim RohnThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.Ironically, change is one of the great constants of life. Since the environment is constantly changing; relationships, careers, technology, etc., the same thought and behavior habits that once served us, may begin to make us feel stuck.Thus, one of the best ways to stay ahead of constant change is to set worthwhile personal goals. Peter Drucker put it this way, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”Translation: Pursue worthwhile goals and ideals!In this episode, we cover two types of goals. Long-term personal transformation goals – these are the type of goals that force you to develop new habits and skills. The other type of goal is relatively simple, an adventure/travel type of goal; say a trip to Paris. Each are often labeled “goals” and each are very different.For an adventure/travel goal, one only ne

“Critical thinking is the art of analyzing information to separate fact from opinion.” ~ Carl SaganThis Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.It’s no wonder people scoff at personal development.Often “GooRoos” will say ridiculous, silly, and dichotomous things like:“There are no good habits.”“Competition is stupid.”The following is a statement that inspired this episode. It’s kinda hard to read.It came in an email and it stopped me in my tracks."When I think of a truly successful person, I think of someone who can authentically say, ‘I cherished every moment of my existence.’”Once I read that, I knew I had to discuss critical thinking.Can you ‘authentically cherish the moment your child becomes ill or a loved one passes away?” Can you authentically cherish the moment your home burns to the ground?Authentically CHERISH every moment? Come on.Oh, and if you don’t, I guess you’re not a success!?I queried my AI buddy “BARD” Google’s AI “experiment.” I figured I’d ask him/her/it, “Bard, can you see any