I'll add to this over time as we learn how people work with the curriculum.
Multiple participants have talked about how they often start with strong motivation, but slip back into default patterns as daily demands take over.
Reversion to the mean happens because of ingrained habits, external stakeholders dictating schedules (e.g., bosses or small children), and not having enough slack in the system to accommodate life’s unpredictability.
The solutions we discussed included:
One participant talked about how they remind themselves that they're going to drop balls. The question is whether the balls are made of rubber or glass. If you're going to drop balls, make sure they're the rubber ones.
A former student had a ton of experience delegating to VAs. They specifically suggested using this framework when delegating anything:
The last one was super important, because it helps them see what the desired end state is without being too prescriptive.
One student suggested that whenever they are struggling to stick with a habit, they tell themselves to do the absolute bare minimum, and tell themselves it's "better than zero." Often they'll end up doing more. But even if they don't, they still are making progress.
One student mentioned that when they struggle to make a change, they try to quantify not just the potential upside, but also quantify the pain of the status quo. This is helpful because we often look at a potential change and obsess over the downsides or risks. But we don't consider the risks of not changing nearly as much.
Habit formation is hard. It just is. So don't berate yourself when you stumble. Dust yourself off, be kind to yourself, and try again. Encourage yourself that you're on a journey, and journeys that are worthwhile take time.
One student referenced a talk from James Clear talking about 1% better. The get is if you get 1% better every day for a year, you'll end up 37x better by the time you're done. This obviously is a bit of hyperbole, but the idea is you can see compounding gains.
One participant mentioned how they heard Tony Robbins talk about how “people don’t get their ‘shoulds,’ they get their ‘musts.’”
The idea was that “should” language implies external expectations or a sense of guilt. “Must” language implies genuine commitment, clarity, and prioritization. By removing “shoulds,” you can reclassify tasks as “musts” (truly important) or simply let them go.
One member was talking about how they noticed their habits would go out the window whenever they travelled, and started using "tiny versions" of their habits. They'd do a 2 minute workout in their room so they didn't "break the chain."
During one conversation delegation, we discussed Andy Grove's idea of "task relevant maturity". The more experienced someone is with a specific task, the less hand-holding they need. New tasks or less-experienced employees require closer oversight, then you give more autonomy once they demonstrate competence.
One member discussed recognizing that location played a big role in their habits. Having a separate location for deep work (e.g., going to a coffee shop or coworking space) instead of being at home, which invited distractions - their bed, the fridge, etc.
Another member mentioned having a dedicated chair to give their brain a cue. “This is where I do X, and nothing else.”
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