Robert Kraft, nicknamed “the Raven,“ has run 8 miles daily for over 50 years, covering 145,000 miles despite challenges. His dedication has inspired a community, a book, and even a street named after him. His streak is arguably the greatest New Year resolution ever.

A one-word focus can help filter distractions and provide clarity. This concept, popularized by Ali Edwards through her “One Little Word“ tradition, encourages choosing a single word to guide actions and decisions throughout the year. This focus act as a rallying cry, simplifying goals.

New Year’s resolutions often fail because they start on January 1st, a time when routines are disrupted. Instead, use the time between Thanksgiving and New Year as a “preseason“ to practice and prepare for your resolutions. This allows for experimentation, failure, and building confidence before officially starting.

Lynne Cox, an open water swimmer, exemplifies the ability to endure pain, swimming in extreme conditions for up to 27 hours. Like Muhammad Ali, who only counted situps when they hurt, true growth comes from pushing through pain. To achieve excellence, one must expand their capacity for pain by embracing discomfort in setting high standards.

The 7 Habits of Highly Defective People are presented as humorous, relatable takes on Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This message encourages choosing change over chance and to take responsibility for your own growth, rather than waiting for things around you to change.

Real change start starts with changing your paradigms, or how you see the world. By choosing the right context and expectations, you can shape your reality and view problems differently.

John Ivanowski lost 40 pounds to become a kidney donor for his daughter, Delaine, who was unaware of his efforts until the day of the transplant. The story highlights, the power of having a strong “why“ to drive habit change. Five strategies to make discipline of delight are the breadcrumb method, making progress visible, rewarding yourself, shrinking the start, and adding joy.

Extra effort, surpassing expectations, going the extra-mile, putting in more than necessary are the ingredients of excellence. If there’s ever a doubt of what it takes, do more.

The most successful people are relentless learners, who understand that initial knowledge is insufficient for long-term success. They engage in “professional research,” such as reading and learning from others, and never stop being students of their craft.

Upgraded thinking has stretch goals. Stretch goals are doable, but difficult. Research shows stretch goals lead to better performance and outcomes.