Mindset Rec Rundown: Atomic Habits ⚛️

Welcome to the OPPO FLOW Storybook.

Each week I fly an entertaining and motivating story that provides actionable items to inspire growth towards your success and happiness.

The weekly flights bring you one of the following:

A MINDSET SHIFT to prepare for opportunity and build better habits towards success. 🤯

Or…

AN OPPORTUNITY STORY sharing inspirational pivotal moments from someone’s life that changed their trajectory in a positive way. 🚀

Let's get you introduced to our AMAZING CO-PILOT!! ✈

Journey Payroll & HR provides a refreshing way to payroll and HR to small business through their top technology and dedicated payroll service team. With over 98% client retention YOY, Journey brings heart to the forefront of how they serve their clients, because they care.

JOURNEY PAYROLL

FYI - If you’re interested in being a sponsored Co-Pilot for an upcoming FLIGHT, please SEND ME AN EMAIL

I meet with a lot of people on a weekly basis. 🤝

One of the questions I always ask during our meeting is…

“What books are you currently reading or which one helped change your mindset?” 🤓

Being a knowledge seeker and having a GROWTH MINDSET, reading books or listening on Audible is a MUST.

I don’t always know what to read or listen to, so I ask others…

Today’s FLIGHT is a MINDSET REC RUNDOWN, which is basically the Cliffs Notes and my takeaway on one of those books that I would recommend…

Imagine a plane that is taking off from LAX to NYC. 🛫

At takeoff, the heading is set at a certain degree to ensure the plane arrives to it’s destination as expected and then goes into auto-pilot.

Now, what if you changed that heading just a few degrees?

Instead of New York, you’d arrive in Washington D.C. 😱

Washington D.C. is over 225 miles from NYC.  

THE POINT IS…

A very small shift in direction can lead to a very meaningful change in your destination long term.

Opting for a choice that appears marginally better or worse may seem inconsequential at the time.

Nevertheless, over the course of numerous PIVOTAL MOMENTS throughout your lifetime, these decisions become the differentiating factor between the person you are and the person you could become.

Success is not the outcome of one-time transformations but the result of daily habits.

Your current level of success or failure is immaterial in comparison to the habits guiding your actions.

Be far more concerned with your current trajectory than your current results. 🚀

Forget about Goals. Focus on Systems.

Goals are great for identifying and understanding where you want to go and systems are about the processes you put in place that lead to those results.

In the book, James writes, “If you completely ignored your goals and only focused on your systems, would you still succeed? YES! Problems arise when you spend too much time on your goals and not enough time working on your systems. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

• Outcomes are about what you get.

• Processes are about what you do.

• Identity is about what you believe.

Habits and freedom complement each other. Habits do not restrict freedom, they create it. When you make change in your habits, you change your IDENTITY.

Four Laws of Behavior Change…

• MAKE IT OBVIOUS: Consider the time and location. Highly specific, and immediately actionable. Resourcing your last action creates a trigger for your next one

• MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE: The most effective way to motivation is progress you get to see.

• MAKE IT EASY: Start with small change. Create an environment where doing the right thing is as easiest as possible.

• MAKE IT SATISFYING: It feels good to watch your results grow. You’re more focused on the progress not the goal.

A habit is a behavior that is repeated enough times to become automatic.

The more you ritualize the beginning of a process the more likely it becomes that you can slip into a state of deep focus that is required to do great things.

THIS IS FLOW STATE.

When you’re looking to change the trajectory of your life, you MUST live it, breathe it, and stick with your unwavering commitment to it in order to fulfill that change. 💪

It can seem like an extremely daunting task at first, so break it down into little achievements and stack your WINS. 

For example, I identified as an athlete for the majority of my life.

I played 3 sports as a kid and basketball through senior year of high school. 🏀

I ran four half marathons in my mid to late 20s. 🏃‍♂️

Then I became an entrepreneur at 31 and with my kids at ages 4 and 2 at the time, life started to become EXTREMELY busy. 😨

I used it as excuse to let my health get away from me a little bit.

As I approach the second half of my life, I made the conscious decision to feel like an athlete again… 💪

To be healthy for my FAMILY, my TEAM, and for MYSELF.

I had made this decision multiple times before, but I failed so many times because I looked at the end goal and tried to be 100% healthy ALL AT ONCE.  

This always fizzled out after a week or so… It was too daunting to stick with it.

I followed a different model this time and took it slow. One habit change at a time. It starts with MINDSET.

Here are the small habits I was able to build upon…

• Started the year without a sip of alcohol the first week of January

  • Parlayed that into Dry January, then kept it going into Dry February. No other lifestyle changes other than no booze for 60 days. My mind was so insanely clear and I became laser focused with renewed energy.

• Then, my body started to crave healthier foods, so I went on a low carb diet for the next 30 days.

  • By the end of Q1, I was feeling lean and nimble like a freaking gazzelle.

• With my mind right and my body feeling great, I got more serious with strength training.

  • Q2 became all about building muscle and finding accountability partners to keep me going.

Now half way through the year, I am starting to feel like an ATHLETE again.

I am not where I want to be yet, but I am shaping my identity to think like an athlete would when it comes to their mind and body.

I AM ON THE PATH. And that’s all that matters…

James Clear goes into more detail in the book in what he calls… HABIT STACKING.

• Each action becomes a queue for the next behavior.

• Identify a current habit you already do, then add your new habit right after.

Whatever your goals are, remember to start with a small change and stack it up right after an existing habit. Once that new habit becomes the norm, stack another new habit on top of that.

In my “wanting to be an athlete again” example above, it started with…

• After work, no alcohol.

• When I don’t drink any alcohol, eat something healthy.

• When I eat something healthy the night before, then go to the gym in the morning.

• ETC…. ETC…. ETC….

See how this works?! This becomes your IDENTITY and the CHANGE you want starts to happen. The above is just one example…

• If you’re in Sales, make 2 calls after each sip of coffee. Leads to 20 or more calls before you even get into mid-morning.

• If you’re not great at budgeting personal finances, wait 24 hours before making a big purchase. Leads to eliminating impulsive buys.

Whatever change you’ve been looking to make, NOW is the time to start.

You’re not getting any younger.

It seems daunting, I know…

….start small and plan out your queues, then habit stack.

Develop strong and positive habits to bring alignment into your life and start or continue the path of living the LIFE OF YOUR DREAMS! 🤩

Can’t wait for the new YOU and YOUR NEW HABITS.

This will become your IDENTITY.

Highly recommend snagging the book HERE. In the meantime, forward this email to someone in your life who needs to read this and enjoy your song of the week. 👇

Remember, Opportunity is Everywhere!!

Cheers! Steven

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As always, thanks for your support!