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

"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve." ~Napoleon Hill “Clarity is essential. Knowing exactly what you want builds your self-confidence immeasurably.” ~Brian Tracy You're down. You're dejected. Things need to turn around for you. This Frequently Asked Friday brings us back to the beginning with a simple question: Where do I begin? First, it's important to note, as you're picking yourself up, that there is a distinction between failing (the activity) and knowing that YOU, the person, are certainly not a failure.  Failure, as we've noted in the past, is stepping stone along the path that we all go through. As long as they're non-lethal, failures are a necessary and important step on your path toward becoming your best self. So where do we start? Recalling Covey's adage "Begin with the end in mind," we must find clarity. Where is it you're trying to go? What is it that you're trying to accomplish? Do you believe IT is possible? Listen in for more about digging yourself out of a hole,

"In life, goals are not optional." ~Grunburg "Action is the real measure of intelligence." ~Napoleon Hill This special Mind Bullet Wednesday edition brings us a fascinating follow-up to our Alex Bates interview on artificial intelligence: In order to develop artificial intelligence, the programmer MUST begin with a GOAL. Therefore, does it not stand to reason as intelligent beings, we MUST have goals. To put it another way: If artificial intelligence is "Goal directed behavior." What is "real" intelligence? Ultimately, whether we want to admit it or not, REAL intelligence is the establishment of, and pursuit (action) of goals. The natural follow-up question is, "How do I set goals?" While "S.M.A.R.T." Goals have been a favorite methodology since the 80's it never accounted for the force HABIT plays in goal achievement! The Habit Factor continues to teach and preach that when positive habits are aligned with your goals, you are on the fastest most efficient path to achieve your goals.  To be intelligent then i

"Repeatedly, psychology tests have proven that telling someone your goal makes it less likely to happen.” ~Derek Sivers When it comes to goal achievement, lots of accountability advice urges you to TALK about your goals and share your progress with others. The idea is that this will keep you on track. But is this good advice?   The tendency may be to talk about our goals and progress, but there is incredible power in keeping your trap shut! Your big problem with goal achievement might be dissipating your energy with early self-congratulations.  Listen in for more on why withholding your precious energy might make your goal achievement easier — and more satisfying when you get there. Enjoy the episode and check out this blog post explaining to you in great detail 7 reasons to keep your yapper SHUT! *** New listeners: By texting the word "HABITS" to the mobile phone number "33444" you will instantly receive your "hack"/habit tracker/habit development template, or you can download it here: thehabitfactor.com/tem

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” ~Carl Jung “Where there is hope in the future there is happiness in the present.” Is there any value to negative emotions? Well, it may depend on the specific negative emotion. In truth, there IS value to many negative emotions; they serve a purpose. Is fear beneficial? It certainly can be — it can even be a motivator and even a lifesaver — as long as it doesn't prevent you from moving forward, growing and challenging yourself. As the Carl Jung quote above explains, within certain emotions, such as anger and irritation, we can turn inward and grow in our own emotional intelligence. We can use these emotions to grow ourselves -- as long as we don't dwell in the negative space. But it's important to make it a HABIT to constantly be aware of our emotions and shine the spotlight on ourselves. Listen in for insight into turning negative feelings into emotional positives. Enjoy the episode! ***** New listeners: By texting the

"The next wave of AI will be able to augment people to become superhuman. Solutions will be at the ready for nearly all problems facing humanity." ~Alex Bates Habits2Goals presents a powerful interview with Alex Bates, a phenomenal entrepreneur, inventor and bestselling author of Augmented Mind: AI Superhumans and the Next Economic Revolution. When Alex was growing up in Portland, battling for computer time with his siblings, he developed an obsession with the emerging Internet and artificial neural networks. Alex, fascinated by entrepreneurship, took his interest in AI and machine learning and in 2006 founded Mtelligence to harness the deluge of sensor data in the industrial IoT with the mission of creating a "world that doesn't break down." After spending a decade on the front lines of the AI revolution, Alex discovered the one key ingredient that was missing from mainstream AI research — humans!  His new book explains how augmenting humans, combining human intuition and artificial intelligence, will herald

"It takes the same energy to think small as it does to think big. So dream big and think bigger.” ~ Daymond John This Mind Bullet Monday was inspired by the awesome movie Bohemian Rhapsody, which is gaining accolades for its lead actor and compelling story of Freddy Mercury and Queen's rise to success.  There are a few nuggets of wisdom in this movie that we can all keep in mind while chasing our goals and dreams, overlaying some themes from the movie onto our own lives. The first "big idea" is to think BIGGER. At one point, Freddy prods his bandmates to see themselves as more than just a popular touring band and to actually record an album -- and aim to be legendary!  Where can you think big strategically?  The next big idea is to "synthesize." In the movie, Freddy indulges his creative instinct to blend opera with rock. Where can WE use this synthetic creativity in our lives? Listen in to for more personal development mind bullets from Bohemian Rhapsody and see how you can apply these lessons to your life.

“It's better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you'll drift in that direction.”. ~Warren Buffett What are Warren Buffett's criteria for hiring employees? Buffett is one of the wealthiest men in the world who possesses incredible insight into investing and business. What does it take to get hired by him? What he says ought to matter! First, a potential employee must be curious -- someone who is a perpetual student and constant learner. Knowledge is fluid and curiosity is so important because it allows us to connect the dots between disciplines. Trait number 2? Coachability! Learning isn't enough if you aren't coachable. Managers today are coaches more than anything, and the greatest coaches reinforce the good and positively redirect what needs tweaking. Trait number three: Character (ethics). The first two don't matter a whole lot with no ethics behind them! Listen in for a fun and fascinating look at one brilliant man's insight into what makes

"Self control is strength. Right thought is mastery. Calmness is power." ~James Allen, As a Man Thinketh On this doozy of a Wednesday Mind Bullet Habits2Goals episode, we meditate upon these James Allen words: "Self control is strength. Right thought is mastery. Calmness is power." Giving this great wisdom The Habit Factor spin, we take a look at the first idea, "Self control is strength." Discipline and self control are HABITS and can be developed. This is where strength originates, because if we can't control ourselves, we have nothing upon which to build our own strength. When we examine "Right thought is mastery," via the prism of Habit Factor and PARR, we see that challenging our thinking is essential to putting ourselves in a positive head space.  Can you kill the negative thought patterns and emotions that cripple you? Listen in for more insight into gaining true power and emotional poise -- and how HabitStrength puts us in control! Enjoy! *** New listeners: By texting the word "HABITS" to the mobile p

"Keep looking up. That's the secret of life." ~Snoopy It's a true Mind-Bullet Monday as we take on this little nugget of wisdom that came out of the blue: Look up! Look at the sky, the treetops, the clouds more often!  Our vision tends toward eye level at best, and ground level at worst. But looking up immediately changes your perspective. You get a more panoramic view — in more ways than one. When we're beaten down by life's challenges, our gaze tends to lower. But looking up gives us a new perspective, according to research, and triggers other parts of the brain as well as changing your thinking patterns and mood Are YOU looking up? You may be surprised by what happens next! Listen in for more on pausing, looking up, and changing your perspective -- and see how it affects your world! 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 development template, or you can download it here: thehabitfactor.

“Sitting quietly, doing nothing, Spring comes, and the grass grows, by itself.” ~ Zen proverb "Don't just do something — sit there." As we settle into our brand-new 2019, this Frequently Asked Friday episode addresses what we gleaned from last year: What lessons have we learned from 2018?    Lesson number one: The FUNDAMENTALS. Take a look at the things we do every day. Are we doing them right? Never be afraid to backtrack and hone, strengthen and improve the fundamentals -- even breathing! MG's Lesson number two: MEDITATION. After years of trying to be expedient and efficient with meditation, a talk with Fred Gratzon, author of The Lazy Way to Success, brought new insight into the power of not trying so hard. Sometimes pulling back is the lesson. What gifts and lessons did 2018 bring to you? Listen in for more lessons from last year, and learn how living life like an experiment may bring the biggest rewards in 2019. Enjoy the episode! ***** New listeners: By texting the word "HABITS" to the mobile phone numb

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.” ~Abraham Lincoln On this Wednesday Mind Bullet episode, we wish our listeners a Happy New Year and share five ways to make sure YOUR resolutions are successful! Whatever we RESOLVE to do (these are, after all, resolutions), it is our job to set our goals. No one else is going to set our goals for us! What does your heart desire? If we begin with the end in mind, as the late, great Dr. Stephen Covey advises in his 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, we can ask ourselves: If I were to die tomorrow, what experience would I most regret not having?  You may want to reduce debt, run with the bulls, lose weight — this exercise unveils your DESIRE.   What comes after DESIRE? Listen in for the rest of the key ingredients that will make your goals a reality--whether it takes one year or 10! Enjoy the episode! *** New listeners: By texting the word "HABITS" to the mobile phone number "33444" you will instantly receive your "hack

"The unexamined life is not worth living." ~Socrates Habits2Goals welcomes in the New Year with a look back at 2018. It's a time to reflect on a brilliant year, with thoughts, highlights and lessons learned.  As important as it is to look forward and set goals, it is just as crucial to reflect. And reflecting and assessing is, of course, part of PARR (Plan, Act, Record, Reassess) and habit building. MG looks back on his personal 2018 highlights and reflects on the importance of learning new skills and putting yourself out there -- reinforcing the idea that "life is an experiment, and the more experiments you make, the better." Are YOU viewing life as an experiment? Listen in for some inspiration to live YOUR best life in 2019 as you reflect back on your accomplishments of 2018. 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 development template, or you can download it here: thehabitfactor.com/temp

“Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character.” ~ Stephen Covey For this Frequently Asked Friday Habits2Goals episode, we ask a burning question that speaks to the core of goal achievement: What are foundational habits?    Sometimes referred as keystone habits, these are the habits that, over the course of a lifetime, will have the greatest compounding effect. Think about the habits we perform every day — eating, breathing, how we sleep, drinking water. Since they are performed every day, they have the greatest impact on our life AND our other habits. The compounding effect is powerful!  These habits influence — and infiltrate — all the other habits of our day. Knowing this, when we set out to design our lives, and achieve our goals, we must first look to these foundational habits. Join us for a reminder of how these keystone habits must be in alignment with our goals and how leveraging them can giv

"You were designed for accomplishment, engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness.”  “You cannot make it as a wandering generality, you must become a meaningful specific.” ~ Zig Ziglar This special Wednesday Mind Bullet episode has us pondering our goal achievement via an analogy: You are a heat-seeking missile. Goals are not optional -- we were designed for accomplishment! Climbers don't end up on the top of Mount Everest by accident. Authors don't write a book by accident. You don't complete a marathon by accident. Goal achievers go out and complete that goal -- once they know what their target is. A heat-seeking missile must have a target to go after -- even a moving target. The missile corrects when necessary, never wavering. It is self-correcting because it knows where it is trying to go!  It's hard to hit a target you can't see, and as goal-seekers, we need to figure out where we're trying to go and how to get there.  Listen in to be inspired by our unique predilection for goal achi

"Everything will be OK in the end, and if it's not OK, it is not the end." ~John Lennon This Christmas Eve Mind-Bullet Monday episode ponders a sobering and seemingly heavy topic: The end.  Every morning for the last 13 years, MG takes his dog out for a frisbee session on the beach, complete with audience and aerials. But on a chilly recent morning, when Roxy the dog pulled up a little cramped and lame, the thought occurred: The end is coming. Not today, not tomorrow, but the beginning of the end is here. The end is all around us and it's happening all the time -- bittersweet, but an integral part of the dynamism of life. The one great constant in life is change, so the end is often just a transformation -- a metamorphosis.  Listen in for an inspiring conversation about embracing the sometimes bittersweet metamorphosis of life. Enjoy! *** New listeners: By texting the word "HABITS" to the mobile phone number "33444" you will instantly receive your "hack"/habit tracker/habit development template, or you can do

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." ~ Dalai Lama On this Fantastic Frequently Asked Friday episode, we ponder a question that applies to family, business, goal-setting and all other aspects of life: What are the three rules?  Rule number one: Be Responsible. Own it. Take responsibility. No blaming or shaming. Rule number two: Be Grateful. Change your expectations for appreciation. Rule number three: Be Kind.  These rules serve as a simplified winning formula to make each day your masterpiece! Listen in for a reminder of some simple ways to find happiness and calm as we take our place in this world -- and how PARR can play a role. 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 development template, or you can download it here: thehabitfactor.com/templates. Feel free to share the episode and leave a review on iTunes!  ***** Subscribe iTunes here! Subscribe: Android | RSS ***** RES

"Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” ~ Zen quote On a special Wednesday Habits2Goals Mind Bullet, we ponder a topic we somehow haven't gotten to in five seasons: Enlightenment. The perplexing quote above shares with us that once we reach enlightenment, the work "out there" doesn't change. What changes is the "in here" -- what goes on within us. We go about our day, but we see things differently. So what is enlightenment? Is it oneness? An understanding of universal principles? Unity, love, kindness? Unifying principles that create a lens through which you see life? Or, does enlightenment mean something else altogether? Listen in for a fascinating discussion about a literal translation of enlightenment -- a "lightening of the load" when negativity is cast away. Enjoy! *** New listeners: By texting the word "HABITS" to the mobile phone number "33444" you will instantly receive your "hack"/habit tracker/habit development template, or you can download it her

"We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next 10. Don't let yourself be lulled into inaction." ~ Bill Gates Why are we overly ambitious in the short term but woefully shortsighted as we envision our long-term future?  In the goal-setting arena, we impatiently set our sights on short-term success. Who has time for 10 years of planning and hard work? We want success THIS year! But when we view the idea of reaching our goals as a process, we see that daily efforts compound over time and our ultimate success is greater than we could have imagined -- if we stick to the process. Listen in for a fascinating discussion of patience and persistence, and reaping the rewards of taking the slow road.. Enjoy! *** New listeners: By texting the word "HABITS" to the mobile phone number "33444" you will instantly receive your "hack"/habit tracker/habit development template, or you can download it here: thehabitfactor.com/templates. Feel free to

"Ask a Garbage In question, you get a Garbage Out response."  This Frequently Asked Friday was inspired by a Google search gone awry. When typing, "Why do I . . . " the search engine autofilled a tragic question: "Why do I suck?   The quality of our questions directs our focus, attention and energy. So if we're asking "Why do I suck...at life...at relationships," etc., this is not a quality question. Our energy is clearly in the wrong place. Asking a better question is a good place to start. Ask positive questions. Remember, where your attention goes, your energy flows! Begin with the end in mind: How do you create a quality question when you know what your goal is? Listen in for a fascinating look at reframing your questions to create momentum and energy, looked at through the filter of Covey's great book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. 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 devel

"What you resist not only persists, but will grow in size.”  ~ Carl Jung Is frustration and futility really worth it? Too often we get caught up in frustration and cling to what should be happening — we resist — instead of accepting what is and finding a solution. What are you resisting? Resisting can make things worse and often complicates your true end goal. Whether it's something as significant as hearing impairment or insignificant as a NEW pen that doesn't work, if we respond positively to what we perceive as a negative experience, the frustration dissipates.  Listen in for some revelations about how to positively respond to a bad situation, accept the circumstances, and go about finding a solution -- bringing light (acceptance) to a dark (negative) situation. Enjoy! *** New listeners: By texting the word "HABITS" to the mobile phone number "33444" you will instantly receive your "hack"/habit tracker/habit development template, or you can download it here: thehabitfactor.com/templates. Feel free to shar