I knew that they’d push through the pain, embrace the challenge, and finish strong.
Holding that thought, my pace quickened, fatigue faded, and I completed mile four with a burst of energy—it was the fastest mile of the day.
The experience taught me a valuable lesson: excellence—let alone any betterment—really begins with a DECISION.
Long before excellence becomes a habit, it’s a choice.
Stay after it my friend!
~mg
P.S.: This is precisely what the P.A.R.R. habit-building methodology represents (Plan, Act, Record & Reassess); choosing/deciding which habits to cultivate and align to your goals.
P.A.R.R. is a process for intentional habit development that leverages your innate human capacities of choice, intention and reflection; human abilities that the famed “habit loop” C.R.R. cannot account for.
After all, it’s your thoughts and decisions that trigger either positive feelings and emotions or negative ones and, typically the associated behaviors will follow.👇
It’s also precisely what the “Three Circles of Behavior Echo-System” / Grunburg Behavior model teaches. 👇
Your version of excellence begins with a your decisions.
GOOD HABITS HAPPEN WHEN PLANNED;
BAD HABITS HAPPEN ON THEIR OWN.
New subscribers:
Message me here (@ substack) if you want The Habit Factor’s free habits-to-goals tracking template.
»Plan. Act. Record and Reassess. (You are not a rodent* ; )
*If you don’t understand the ‘rodent’ reference, it’s related to the famed “Habit Loop” and “Cue, Routine, and Reward” (C.R.R.), which unfortunately overemphasizes a very limited theory on the science of habit development because it’s based solely upon the study of rodents. Humans (YOU) possess choice, intention, and reflection; rodents do not. Thus, P.A.R.R. (Plan, Act, Record, and Reassess) was introduced and originally published in The Habit Factor® (2010). ☝️ 🙌🏽 🤙 🙏
The Excellence Decision
The Excellence Decision
The Excellence Decision
The Thursday Thread
A decision first
Memorial Day: a day when most people were out on the beach enjoying barbecues, beers, and a well-deserved rest.
For better or worse, I’d started tracking “running” again to foster the habit.
For me, it was just like any other Monday, and it happened to be a “Target Day.”*
(see P.A.R.R. below).
The four-mile run began with immediate regret. Mile one was painful; legs felt like lead.
By mile two, the run became a brutal slog and it was getting warm outside with a strong headwind.
As mile three approached, the temptation to quit was overwhelming.
“Three miles is more than enough,” I told myself. My inner narrative continued: “After all, it’s a holiday. Why not take it easy like everyone else?”
Just as my pace slowed to a crawl, a bizarre question popped into mind:
“What if I were excellent?”
“How would I finish this run if I were excellent?”
It was a very odd thought/question, yet it sparked something.
Share
I imagined how an excellent runner would finish.
I knew that they’d push through the pain, embrace the challenge, and finish strong.
Holding that thought, my pace quickened, fatigue faded, and I completed mile four with a burst of energy—it was the fastest mile of the day.
The experience taught me a valuable lesson: excellence—let alone any betterment—really begins with a DECISION.
Long before excellence becomes a habit, it’s a choice.
Stay after it my friend!
~mg
P.S.: This is precisely what the P.A.R.R. habit-building methodology represents (Plan, Act, Record & Reassess); choosing/deciding which habits to cultivate and align to your goals.
P.A.R.R. is a process for intentional habit development that leverages your innate human capacities of choice, intention and reflection; human abilities that the famed “habit loop” C.R.R. cannot account for.
After all, it’s your thoughts and decisions that trigger either positive feelings and emotions or negative ones and, typically the associated behaviors will follow.👇
It’s also precisely what the “Three Circles of Behavior Echo-System” / Grunburg Behavior model teaches. 👇
Your version of excellence begins with a your decisions.
GOOD HABITS HAPPEN WHEN PLANNED;
BAD HABITS HAPPEN ON THEIR OWN.
New subscribers:
Message me here (@ substack) if you want The Habit Factor’s free habits-to-goals tracking template.
»Plan. Act. Record and Reassess. (You are not a rodent* ; )
Share
*If you don’t understand the ‘rodent’ reference, it’s related to the famed “Habit Loop” and “Cue, Routine, and Reward” (C.R.R.), which unfortunately overemphasizes a very limited theory on the science of habit development because it’s based solely upon the study of rodents. Humans (YOU) possess choice, intention, and reflection; rodents do not. Thus, P.A.R.R. (Plan, Act, Record, and Reassess) was introduced and originally published in The Habit Factor® (2010). ☝️ 🙌🏽 🤙 🙏
Share a bit about YOU + your GOALS, → https://gozenforms.com/r3lQxxZpiBnDpr9tJa5C