“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 ab ..read more

“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 t ..read more

“There are three constants in life – change, choice and principles.”~ Stephen Covey This 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: T ..read more

“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: noun par·​a·​digm ˈper-ə-ˌdīm  : EXAMPLE, PATTERN especially : 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 exp ..read more

“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: noun par·​a·​digm ˈper-ə-ˌdīm  ˈpa-rə-, also  -ˌdim : EXAMPLE, PATTERN especially : 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 sh ..read more

“It's not the will to win that matters – everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters.” ~Coach Bear Bryant This 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 gr ..read more

“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 ..read more

"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 & Reasses ..read more

“Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.” ~The Dalai Lama This 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 ..read more

“It's impossible to be grateful when you're complaining.” This Habits 2 Goals premium episode is FREE for ALL subscribers. Do you notice how often you complain to yourself and others? Have you ever tallied the total number of complaints in a day? Are you aware of how often you complain about "things" and "events" large and small? Complaining is a topic that was covered back in June of 2020. Once again, MG decides to address the subtle and disruptive habit. The first day he decides to tally his complaints, he notices the first complaint even before getting out of bed. Then, just fifteen minutes ..read more