People underestimate the power of doing the right thing every day… the repeated habit day after day that brings results.
I always talk about the impact that one NEW STREAK can have in your life. A streak starts with ONE decision. For me, I decided I wanted to do 10,000 pushups in a year. 64 months ago I made that decision, committed to my daily discipline, and then most importantly, set up ways to track my success and hold myself accountable. In that time, I’ve done over 105,000 push ups, now averaging 54 a day. But it wouldn’t have been possible without making the decision to start the streak at one.
I’ve been sharing the power of one decision in starting a new streak at my events for years. I personally know the power of this tactic in my own life, and am thrilled when I hear other’s stories of success. Here is one such story –
Chip Eichelberger! You gave me the key thing that help me change my life. I do NOT say this lightly, or as cliché. You never really know how or where that real special key comes from or what it will look like, but I would not have gone through this major improvement in EVERY area without the lessons you taught at a conference in Boston I attended for financial advisors in the Fall of 2015. You gave us your “Get Switched On!” presentation, and one of the many great things you challenged us to do in that fantastic keynote was 10,000 pushups in one year.
You spoke about the other areas of life that then become contaminated with accomplishment!
Well, it took me a few years of trying, but for 2 years in a row now I have done in 2018 – 35,001 pushups; in 2019 – an incredible 111,111 pushups! Eccentric but true. (that’s a 304/day average)
Now, in 2020 I have taken all that focus and attention and thought and energy and enthusiasm and goal-targeting-tenacity and turned it towards my production numbers for my business in a way like I have NEVER experienced before. One pushup, one phone call, one set, one meeting at a time.
Thank you Chip Eichelberger…YOU have made a huge difference in my life. I will remain grateful, and you and your family will remain in my prayers always. God bless you.– Jim, Financial Advisor
Hearing this story is the reason I do what I do. I truly believe in the innate power we all have inside of it. Oftentimes we can find ourselves pulled in so many directions, or stretched too thin. That’s why I say a streak starts with one. Honing in on one thing and successfully reaching that goal gives you the confidence to take on another challenge, and then another and another. One new discipline can have exponential impact on every area of your life.
10,000 push-ups is much easier to tackle when you realize you can accomplish it by knocking out just 28 a day. In Jim’s case, building up to 300 pushups a day is incredible. And even more incredible is that from that, he was able to take that success and apply it to his work.
Interestingly enough, building on a streak as a way of learning and growth starts naturally at a very young age. Think about a baby. They start with simple sounds mmmm, building to mama, and so on and so forth. When a child is close to walking, they are constantly pulling themselves up, gliding across furniture, until one day they take off.
Like Jim, taking on new challenges one pushup, one phone call, one set, one meeting at a time can quickly become a whole new behavior, lead to a revitalized mentality and ultimately, rebound to other areas of your life. But only if you commit wholly.Track your progress.
Another key to a successful streak? Don’t let setbacks derail you. A perfect example of this is diet. Does this sound familiar? You decide to take on a new eating habit, say you decide to cut out bread, it often goes great in the beginning. You’re committed, feeling motivated and ready to take on the world. Then, a few weeks into your new streak, you go to a friend’s wedding. You’d skipped breakfast, maybe had drank more than you normally do. And while seated at a table, chatting with people you don’t know, you reach for the rolls.
There are two choices after something like that happens – you wake up the next morning, say “Well, I already messed up” and grab a bagel for breakfast followed by a grilled cheese for lunch and pizza for dinner. Or, you say, “Oops, let me get back on track with an extra healthy day today” and have a Get Switched On smoothie, go for a run and let it go. So often we beat ourselves up when life gets in the way of a streak, but instead, looking at it as an opportunity to double down and do even better moving forward can supercharge your streak!
So find your one, just like Jim, one push-up, one call, one meeting.
Decide to commit.
Track your progress.
Don’t get derailed by setbacks.
Achieve. Build. Grow.