For those of you who read the last book, “The Slight Edge,” you may appreciate that I met the author Jeff Olsen many years ago at a Las Vegas business conference, inside a gym, around 6:00 A.M., and almost dropped my hefty 3-pounder weight (yep, the big guns) on his foot, when I recognized who he was. I saw him (and I quote myself here), “Hey you there, you’re that author-guy!”—And there you have my best first impression made on a great author and multi-millionaire. It was a great encounter, in that, I at least was able to compliment him on his book, and then Jeff (yes, let me claim a pseudo-familiarity here) said “good start to the day…it’s the small daily habits that count.” There wasn’t a light that shined down with gospel music or anything, but there was a little warm surge of self-pride in realizing, that I chose to get up that morning, and run on a treadmill—intentionally—without anyone chasing me.
So, how many of our daily habits actually matter—well, to us, anyway? We wake up, brush our teeth, shower, get dressed, get the kids ready, breakfast (maybe), and out the door—just the morning basics, that we do, and once learned, with the unconscious goal in mind—hygiene, professional image, and our stomach not growling grurullloooo in the middle of a meeting about corporate growth measures (ick). So, then, what would our daily habits look like with a conscious goal in mind?—Did you know that studying any topic for 30 minutes a day, for 6 months, will have people in your region seek out your expertise, and after 1 year people nationally will seek you out.? (John T. Reed) Did you know that a penny doubled over 31 days, would equal to $10,737,418.24? Did you know if you have quit smoking for 5-15 years, then your risk of a stroke has declined to that of a non-smoker? Did you know that if you eat snickers and candy-corn every single day for 3 months, this may lead to 4 cavities? (Yes, from experience) So there you have it—the momentum of a daily decision. Given a daily habit and enough time, we can master any task, any skill, any topic, and any behavior, due to “the compound effect.” It takes 21 days to form a habit—a good one or a bad one. If you’re taking on any new goals (or eating any good candy), I’d like to hear about it.
RECOMMENDED BOOK:
SEEDS of GREATNESS — DENIS WAITLEY
Written by a gentleman that describes himself as “behavioral scientist” interested in “identifying for human excellence and wellness.” The author has based his observations on 20+ years of study on “astronauts, Olympic and professional athletes, top corporate executives, (and) winning parents and leaders in every field.” (excerpt from Preface). Waitley identifies 10 human seeds: Self Esteem, Creativity, Responsibility, Wisdom, Purpose, Communication, Faith, Adaptability, Perseverance, and Perspective.
Related articles
- The Slight Edge Principle (leadershiptofreedom.com)
- “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” (adavidsite.wordpress.com)
- Passive Habits (foreignly.wordpress.com)
bookwormholes 