From Chad

Feelings can sabotage change and commitment. To achieve goals, it’s important to act according to ones identity and focus on the finish line, rather than being driven by feelings. This requires recognizing what feelings are working against you and forcing yourself to act until you feel like it.

When trying to change, focus on who you want to become, not just what you need to do. Nelson Mandela‘s identity as a leader for all of South Africa, drove his actions, even after 27 years in prison. Let identity drive your behavior, not the other way around. Identity equals destiny.

The easiest resolutions are often about stopping something rather than starting something new. Stopping a negative habit can have a significant positive impact on various aspects of life, requiring less energy and resources than initiating new behavior. Identifying and eliminating one detrimental habit can lead to a ripple effect of improvement.

Robert Kraft, nicknamed “the Raven,“ has run 8 miles daily for over 50 years, covering 145,000 miles despite challenges. His dedication has inspired a community, a book, and even a street named after him. His streak is arguably the greatest New Year resolution ever.

A one-word focus can help filter distractions and provide clarity. This concept, popularized by Ali Edwards through her “One Little Word“ tradition, encourages choosing a single word to guide actions and decisions throughout the year. This focus act as a rallying cry, simplifying goals.

New Year’s resolutions often fail because they start on January 1st, a time when routines are disrupted. Instead, use the time between Thanksgiving and New Year as a “preseason“ to practice and prepare for your resolutions. This allows for experimentation, failure, and building confidence before officially starting.

Lynne Cox, an open water swimmer, exemplifies the ability to endure pain, swimming in extreme conditions for up to 27 hours. Like Muhammad Ali, who only counted situps when they hurt, true growth comes from pushing through pain. To achieve excellence, one must expand their capacity for pain by embracing discomfort in setting high standards.

The 7 Habits of Highly Defective People are presented as humorous, relatable takes on Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This message encourages choosing change over chance and to take responsibility for your own growth, rather than waiting for things around you to change.

Real change start starts with changing your paradigms, or how you see the world. By choosing the right context and expectations, you can shape your reality and view problems differently.

John Ivanowski lost 40 pounds to become a kidney donor for his daughter, Delaine, who was unaware of his efforts until the day of the transplant. The story highlights, the power of having a strong “why“ to drive habit change. Five strategies to make discipline of delight are the breadcrumb method, making progress visible, rewarding yourself, shrinking the start, and adding joy.

Extra effort, surpassing expectations, going the extra-mile, putting in more than necessary are the ingredients of excellence. If there’s ever a doubt of what it takes, do more.

The most successful people are relentless learners, who understand that initial knowledge is insufficient for long-term success. They engage in “professional research,” such as reading and learning from others, and never stop being students of their craft.

Upgraded thinking has stretch goals. Stretch goals are doable, but difficult. Research shows stretch goals lead to better performance and outcomes.

Treat people appropriately, not uniformly, as preferences and abilities vary. Embrace diversity, and avoid trying to fit people into a single mold.

Criticism is inevitable, but it can be used as a tool for growth. Instead of letting negativity, bury you, learn to “shake it off” and build on it, using constructive feedback to improve.

Do you have a vision of a life well-lived. Brian Cain uses the images of a calendar, a resume, and a gravestone to help you align your daily actions to your vision of a life well-lived.

When facing challenges, draw strength from past accomplishments. Open water swimmer, Lynne Cox‘s story of swimming between the US and the former Soviet Union in frigid waters exemplifies the power of mental toughness and self talk.

Scott Hamilton, a figure skater who overcame childhood illness and adversity, embraced failure as a path to success. He fell over 41,600 times during training, but viewed each fall as a step toward his Olympic gold medal. This mindset, seeing failure as feedback and a necessary part of growth, helped him overcome, subsequent challenges, including cancer.

The Fram, a ship designed by Fridtkof Nansen, successfully navigated the Arctic by working with the ice rather than against it. This principle of a aligning actions with reality, rather than fighting it, can be obliged at various aspects of life. By embracing the natural order of things, individuals can achieve better results with less stress.

God works in both practical and miraculous ways. Sometimes we can understand what is happening in our lives and sometimes we don’t know the answers. When we aren’t given all the answers we have to find solace that is beyond understanding.

Accepting the past, even its tragedies, frees your mind for the future. Instead of fighting reality, acknowledge what happened, grieve, and then move forward.

Terrie, exhausted and struggling to finish the annual Vol State 500 K race, called a friend. He used his expertise to help her refocus on controllable factors, manage her fatigue, and ultimately succeed in the race. Learning to control one’s controllables is vital to navigating difficulties .

The story behind the song “Raindrops Keep Fallin’on My Head” is a metaphor for life’s inevitable troubles. To overcome obstacles, use the WOOP process: wish, outcome, obstacle, plan. Anticipate obstacles and have a plan to overcome them.

A professor carried an oversized folder labeled “if you carry a birdcage around long enough…” to prompt conversations about his research topic. This story illustrates how visibly signaling your goals can invite others to contribute and support your success.

Professor Rob Gilbert has recorded a daily motivational message since January 22, 1992, demonstrating the power of consistency over intensity. His commitment to a daily routine has fostered relationships and made a significant impact, proving that small, consistent efforts can have a greater affect than infrequent, intense ones.