This email is part of our email series for our December 2020 pilot launch of our new program Momentum Lab. Enrollment will be open from Saturday December 19 through Wednesday December 23 at 10pm CST.
Today we’re focusing on the Third Cornerstone of Resilient Success, which is:
Uncommon Consistency
When most people think “consistency,” they think “habits.” So now’s probably a good time for me to talk about why we call this program Momentum Lab, as opposed to Habit Lab.
I actually don’t believe in habits. I don’t think they exist.
I believe what people see as “habits” are actually a deeper behavioral phenomenon: momentum.
The conventional wisdom about habits is that you’re basically like a computer running various behavioral programs. Habits are programs you’ve installed and no longer have to give conscious attention to. Installation takes time – 21, 30, 90 days (depending on whose TED talk you’re watching).
Once a habit is installed, it runs unconsciously (requiring neither effort nor attention) until and unless you do something to disrupt and change it.
You have a mixture of habits in operation at any given time – some of which you chose to install intentionally, some of which were installed without your awareness, some that were even installed when you were quite young and impressionable.
Here are some examples of “habits” people follow:
• Reading the news on your phone first thing each morning.
• Checking your watch when you’re bored.
• Reaching for a drink after a long day at work.
• Watching Netflix at the end of the day.
• Getting annoyed with your parents when they ask you the last time you got your oil changed.
Well, I decided to run an experiment on habits.
I performed a specific yoga routine every day for 1,192 days in a row.
Then, on day 1,193, I attended a meditation retreat where yoga was not permitted.
So, for 10 days, I didn’t follow the simple yoga routine I’d done the previous 1,192 days in a row without fail.
After the 10-day meditation retreat, what do you think happened?
Were the 1,192 days strong enough to instill a habit capable of withstanding 10 days of disruption?
You can probably guess the answer.
I never did that particular yoga routine again.
At the end of the meditation retreat, I thought about it, and I decided to mix up my morning exercise routine. I experimented with something new.
It wasn’t a habit.
It was momentum.
Then, my momentum was disrupted by the meditation retreat, and I decided to do something else and build momentum in another direction.
Habits are fixed, concrete, unconscious, frozen.
Momentum is flowing, moving, conscious, dynamic.
Momentum is THE key thing to keep an eye on when you want to achieve anything of true heft.
And so, Momentum Lab is what we call the program where we combine all these cornerstones into one super system of achievement, fulfillment, and meaning.
If there’s one thing I know from working with so many clients, it’s that consistent follow-through is rare and essential.
You can’t get anywhere truly worthwhile without Purpose and Vision.
But Purpose and Vision are NOT enough. You need consistency to generate the all-important momentum you’re after.
As I’ve said previously, Momentum Lab is not for everyone. In fact, it’s not for most people.
In order to succeed in the way I’m describing, you need to be more Purpose-driven and Visionary than everyone you know, AND more consistent and dedicated to action than everyone you know.
We’re talking about some rare traits here. And some hard work to do on your own.
But when you know why (Purpose) and what (Vision) you’re trying to create, then it’s simply a matter of how consistently you throw yourself into the messy details of doing.
Most of us are terribly inconsistent.
Inconsistency is common.
Consistency is uncommon.
And it’s vital to remember this. Hence, we focus on Uncommon Consistency.
Within TPA, on our coaching calls, one thing I mention repeatedly is that Consistency is our Superpower.
We don’t make excuses about what’s happening around us. It doesn’t matter if there’s a global pandemic or an anxiety-inducing news cycle.
We have the internal structures in place to stay focused on our Purpose and Vision so we follow-through consistently in the direction of our dreams.
I want Consistency to become your Superpower as well. And I know, from my own experience, how difficult it is to be consistent on your own (remember the 4th Momentum Killer?). I benefit enormously from uplifting accountability, which is something we’ll dive into tomorrow.
If you know by now that Momentum Lab is something special and you want to be one of the brave initial souls who dive right in and live it from the very start, then the next step is simple.
>> Book a call with Victor here.
–Matt
PS – Habits are super en vogue in the personal development world.
Scan a personal development bookshelf, and you’ll come across titles like The Power of Habit, Atomic Habits, Tiny Habits, High Performance Habits, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Some of those books are fabulous.
But I just haven’t been able to find anything called a habit.
Wherever I look, when I get out my microscope and dive into the detailed specifics of how that “habit” is operating, what I find instead is Momentum.
What we call a bad habit is actually just momentum without Purpose and Vision.
(Note: I’m not talking here about addictions or trauma. Those are something entirely different.)
But when it comes to “bad habits,” the bad habit is carrying someone in a direction consistently without consideration for Purpose or Vision. The person with the bad habit is moving in a direction they would not have consciously chosen.
Thinking in terms of
Purpose + Vision + Consistency = Momentum
is a much more powerful way to direct your energy, change whatever isn’t working, and stay on guard against how fragile intentional positive momentum truly is.
When you put your focus on the Purpose + Vision + Consistency combination, if you’re like me, your bad habits will slough off naturally without you having to spend time fighting them.
This is very good news if you’re willing to swallow the bitter pill that there isn’t some magical concretized set of good habits you can install once and never have to think about again.
Also, hopefully by now you’re seeing that these Cornerstones are far more powerful than they may initially appear.
A cure for suicidal thoughts.
Escape from the negative habits holding you back.
Truly healthy relationships designed to bring out your best.
A life philosophy that can work for a planet filled to bursting with 7 billion souls.
Etc.
Let’s dive in together. To book a call with Victor and discuss joining Momentum Lab, here’s that calendar link again:
>> Book a Discovery Call with Victor
PPS –
And if you are 100% sure Momentum Lab is something you want to do, you can join immediately via this link: