Dec 13, 2020
One of the things that I have learned in learning about behavior design is the power of habits, and that habits really are the foundation of success.
I didn't expect my learning about habits to literally be life changing. And so once I started down this path and started learning from BJ Fogg, I learned that he has one non-negotiable, -- the Maui habit.
And what the Maui habit is, is that every morning, as soon as you wake up, you say to yourself, "This is going to be a great day."
Regardless of my hesitation or what I had thought at that time, I started doing it. And I can tell you that it has fundamentally shifted how I go through the day. When the very first thought in your mind is 'this is going to be a great day,' your mind articulates itself to looking to make it a great day.
But to be completely honest, not every day is a great day. And there are days where I wake up, and I know it's going to be challenging, I know I've got a very busy schedule ahead, I know there are hard things that I'm going to face, or I am going through hard things or I'm fighting with my husband or whatever it is. And sometimes those words to say it's going to be a great day just feels really hollow.
To answer this issue and struggle, I talk about the story of BJ Fogg’s sister in this episode -- a story he shared in his book. This story tells of how she was able to overcome her situation despite all the unfortunate tragedies in her life that came one after the other. Here you will learn the words she said to herself that was able to change her mindset and completely change her life for the better.
In Dr. Wendy Wood’s book, 'Good Habits, Bad Habits' she talks about how we underestimate the power of habits when it comes to resilience, when it comes to being able to carry us through hard things. This year has been such a great example of hardship. Regardless of who you are and what you do, you have been impacted in some way by the events of this year. And now more than ever, is when our habits are what will carry us through.