This Habits 2 Goals episode is FREE for ALL subscribers.
Practice. Practice. Practice.
“The road to excellence lies in deliberate practice.” - Anders Ericsson
“Excellence, then, is not a single act, but a habit.” ~Aristotle
If “excellence” is a habit and the road to excellence is paved via deliberate or intentional practice, then both habit and skill development require PRACTICE.
Ericsson, a renowned psychologist pioneered the term “deliberate practice” back in 1996.* (More on intentional vs deliberate practice below)
The Spirit of Aloha
We all yearn for more aloha in our life; kindness, love, compassion and respect.
Interestingly enough, these qualities, just like any virtue, do not arise from mere aspiration; rather each is developed through intentional practice.
Personality traits, virtues, habits and skills are a result of practice.
This awareness is worth sharing. It’s helps us recall Season II’s episode:
BE LIKE BEN.
A concert pianist effortless performance, just like Mother Teressa’s virtue of kindness is a result of intentional PRACTICE.
When it comes to fostering the spirit of aloha, it’s important to be intentional - to practice.
HOW TO INTENTIONALLY CULTIVATE ANY NEW HABIT OR SKILL
Follow P.A.R.R., the habit development framework first published in The Habit Factor® (2010).
**Plan, Act, Record, Reassess** PARR provides a repeatable, predictable and practical roadmap for transforming fleeting good intentions into ingrained habits and skills.
By **planning** acts of Aloha, whether it’s offering sincere compliments or volunteering your time, you establish a clear course of action.
Part of the plan is to identify the “Target Days” and “Minimum Success Criteria.” (learn more here)
**Acting** upon your plan bridges the gap between intention and action/behavior!
**Recording** your experiences (Habit Tracking) allows for self-efficacy, introspection and reinforces your intention.
Finally, **Reassessing** your actions/behaviors against your plan allows you to assess your progress and even “raise the bar” for your next 28-day habit tracking period. Following PARR is a proven way to increase Habitstrength™.
By repeating the P.A.R.R. habit tracking process for successive 28-Day tracking periods, the automaticity of any habit or skill increases.
Through this iterative, intentional approach to virtue, habit and skill creation following PARR, you’ll not only cultivate the spirit of Aloha, you’ll also master the art of developing any new habit and skill at will!
Aloha my friend! 🤙
Enjoy the show!
~mg
INTENTIONAL vs DELIBERATE:
In my mind, intentional practice goes a step beyond, it emphasizes not just the action itself but the underlying purpose behind the action - the WHY.
Intentional practice involves not only planning and preparing but also aligning each practice session with the broader goals or values envisioned - the purpose behind the practice.
Intentional practice also suggests a type of mindfulness and purposefulness; ensuring that each repetition or drill, serves a meaningful over-arching purpose. Such practice can lead to deeper engagement, more effective learning, and ultimately greater progress towards your goals.
A Couple citations relative to P.A.R.R. and intentional habit cultivation
Does habit weaken the relationship between intention and behaviour? Revisiting the habit-intention interaction hypothesis
Benjamin Gardner, Phillippa Lally, Amanda L. Rebar
A meta-analysis of relations between perceived behavioral control and health behaviors: (2011) by Armitage and Conner. It suggests a positive correlation, indicating that a strong intention to perform a behavior can contribute to its successful execution.]
Intention, planning, and habit: A longitudinal study of exercise behavior: (2010) by Lally et al. [This research explores the interplay between intention, planning, and habit in exercise behavior. It suggests that while initial intentions might drive initial behavior, planning and habit formation play a more crucial role in long-term behavior change.]
PARR, with its emphasis on planning, acting, recording, and reassessing, provides a powerful framework for translating intentions into lasting habits and increasing Habitstrength™.
The link to the tracking sheet is here: https://thehabitfactor.com/templates
Additional:
Download the free habits-to-goals tracking template to cultivate the habits that support your goals here: https://thehabitfactor.com/templates.
Books that may help "The Power of Positive Thinking" by Norman Vincent Peale and "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie.
MG’s Books: EVERYTHING is a F*cking Story, The Pressure Paradox™ & The Habit Factor®
Check out the latest cohort offering; the waitlist is now open: The 28-Day Breakthrough!
*Recently Awarded: “Finalist: Self-help, Motivation”
International Book Awards: EVERYTHING is a F*cking STORY.
Visit https://thehabitfactor.com/templates
To learn more about P.A.R.R., just Google “P.A.R.R. and The Habit Factor.”
Get The Habit Factor® FREE with your audible trial! https://audibletrial.com/habits2goals
Feedspot’s “Top 10 Habit Podcasts You Must Follow in 2021”
New listeners, grab your free habits 2 goals tracking template here: https://thehabitfactor.com/templates
FREE copy of As a Man Thinketh (PDF) right here: As a Man Thinketh
Practice Aloha