Bold Claims:

* What I’m going to talk about this episode is one of the most critical, if not most critical parts of a successful and happy life. Period!

* I’m going to talk about how Willpower is real and can be depleted & boosted

* …but you don’t want to always need or want to use it

* Good or Bad Habits is one of the primary factors deciding your success and happiness

* I’m going to talk about how to eliminate bad habits and build good habits

Some other notes from the episode:

* Earl Nightingale — Strangest Secret 100% habits

* Overcome or AVOID the effects of emotions and feelings…with habits first, then willpower

* When you build and sustain a habit, willpower is not needed (at least much less)

* Example: Yoga/meditation/shoulder exercises in the morning

* You remove a bad habit by replacing it with a good or neutral habit

* …or slightly less bad habit

* Examples:

* bite fingernails instant stop

* watching TV while eating –> watch trainings while eating

* eat ice cream –> eat fruit

* half the sugar in your coffee or tea

* post dinner TV –> post dinner walk

* 21 days…

* True loss of missing 1 day isn’t just that 1 day…it is the whole habit chain…

* Willpower is like a muscle

* You wake up at the beginning of the day with full willpower and you use it throughout the day

* why it is easier to work out at the beginning of the day than it is at the end of the day

* why you eat that frog with your work

* sleep replenishes

* You can build your willpower by giving yourself small willpower challenges AND doing the right thing in response

* M&M jar in your hallway example

* You can reduce or eliminate completely your need for willpower by setting up your environment right

* Example: healthy vs unhealthy food at home

* Example: keep your phone out of arms reach when…

* Meditation is YUGE

* Exercise is YUGE

* Even better than reducing or eliminating is reversing it and making it so you WANT to do the right thing

* Thinking about all the yummy things in salads…and how great I feel after I eat a salad…and how I want to live a long time…etc

* Thinking about how I’ll feel after doing Yoga, Meditation, and regular exercise for 20 years…

* CHANGE YOUR DEFAULT WANTS