Jeff Corrigan: Welcome back to Habit Masters. I'm Jeff. I'm Sheldon, and today we wanna share with you an idea about Action Catalyst. I know we've been talking about this for a couple weeks now. It's finally here. , we said November. Now it's December. But hey, it's nobody's counting, right? You're probably listening to this whenever.
But an action catalyst. is one of the most powerful tools we've ever found at keeping consistency with our habits because it makes the action, you're taking that action, that's taking you towards your dream so much easier to do in the moment. Yeah, cuz there's a lot of things that are stopping you from doing that, and we're gonna share with you some ideas today that will help you make it.
Sheldon Mills: Yeah. Uh, let's start with what is a catalyst? Cause we've talked about action triggers and catalyst. So in the simplest forum, a catalyst, uh, you know, physics, it lowers the amount of energy that it takes to make the transformation, right? Mm-hmm. . So if we give a catalyst to something, it makes it easier to do the thing, right?
So, uh, maybe a good story of this, what, give us a good example of an action catalyst. Maybe if you just start with an example or two.
Jeff Corrigan: Yes. So in my own life, I'll take running for example. I have often run and have, when you get into a routine of running. Right. You always think, okay, I'm gonna go running tomorrow.
You've set up the action plan, which we've already talked about, action triggers. So action triggers and action catalysts are a little bit different, and action trigger is the plan of the who, what, when, where, of what you're going to do. So this is when I'm gonna do my action. This is how I'm gonna do it.
All those things. The action catalyst is the preparation. to get that done. Mm-hmm. . So to give you one more example of that, it's kind of the gift to your future self. It's like, okay, if I'm gonna go running in the morning, the gift to my future self is to leave out my running clothes by the door with my running shoes all set up, ready to go.
If I, you know, I looked at the weather beforehand, I know what's gonna happen tomorrow morning, approx, you know, 99% chance, and I'm ready when that happens. So that when I wake up, and even though last night I was super motivated to go running, I wake up in the morning and I'm not motivated to go running.
now, at least I have no more obstacles other than, okay, I just gotta put on my clothes, they're ready to go. , right? Mm-hmm. , my neighbor's waited for me outside my running partner and it, it's time to go. And I, and it's no longer an issue. The decision is already made. So it's kind of the pre-decision. Yeah. Uh, it's mar it's getting that set up so that when the time of decision comes, you don't have to make that decision.
The emotion is taken out of it because you've already made the decision.
Sheldon Mills: And so an action catalyst, it makes it easier, simpler to take the action, right? So another one, again, I like to work out. Me and my wife like to work, work out, and slowly over the time I've made it lots easier to accomplish that feat, right?
Mm-hmm. , uh, I used to work out. The gym with the coworker. So, you know, we did some stuff similar to make sure that happened at work, but once Covid hit, staying at home. So I've acquired, uh, you know, I've done everything from, I got a TV and put it down in the area where we work out that's connected to YouTube.
We do YouTube videos, right? Like all these little steps. So that the only, literally the only thing we have to do is walk downstairs. and do our exercise, right? It's like all the, if you think about any goal you want in life, any achievement, any daily action, there's still like 50 microsteps that it takes to do that action, right?
Mm-hmm. , so you're doing the first five out of the 50 micro actions, so it's just that much easier. To take your action every single day to move toward your goals and dreams every single day. Cuz whatever action that you're taking to move there, you've already done 10% of it. It's just like you said, a gift to your future self.
Jeff Corrigan: Yeah. And the reason that's a perfect example, Sheldon, and the reason this is so valuable for you in creating habits towards your bigger dreams is that human psychology is working against you with all of these goals because, You may think, oh, like getting my running clothes out of the drawer in the morning.
That's easy to do, but any excuse you give yourself not to take action in the moment. Is going to be a huge obstacle, right? Like it's mm-hmm . We, we think, oh, there's actually a great Jim Jim Roan quote where he says, what's easy to do is easy not to do. And those little easy things that seem so simple like, oh, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow guy can take care of that.
And we're gonna share an example from Jerry Seinfeld. It's hilarious. But, uh, tomorrow guy can take care of that. But then tomorrow guy really? Ready to take care of that. He's like, why did you leave this for me? And he goes back to sleep instead of going running . Right. Or he doesn't go exercise because he is just like, yeah, that's this little tiny obstacle that seems small yesterday, now seems huge when I'm tired and not emotionally like rare in to go.
Um, we, and there's another example we want to steal from the switch. Or switch, sorry, by Chip and Dan Heath. It's a great book. One of the examples they share about this and, and how human psychology works is they had a car. Uh, that was doing a, a kind of a study with loyalty cards and they put out two sets of loyalty cards.
The first set of loyalty cards was eight stamps and the second set of loyalty cards, and you got a free car wash. Right? And then the second set of loyalty cards was 10 stamps, and you got a free, free car wash, but they had already stamped two of the stamps. It's exactly the same.
Sheldon Mills: It's just psychologically speaking.
One, you're starting from ground zero and the second you're already.
Jeff Corrigan: So even though they both had eight stamps to collect to get the reward, you can imagine what happened. So the first group with eight stamps, 19% of them completed the task and got the free reward of the second group that got 10 stamp card with two stamps already stamped.
So they were part of the way there. They actually, 34% of them completed it and they did it in a shorter period of time. , you saw an enormous jump. A 15% jump in completion of the task, and not just completion, but a lot sooner than the other group, and that is how your brain is working with these little problems.
If you give yourself just a little bit of a nudge, say, I've already completed part of this task. you. You don't want to give that up. You're like, ah, but I've already done some of it, so I should definitely still do it. Right? Like .
Sheldon Mills: This is the classic example of like using psychology for you rather than against you.
Right? I think we underestimate how important the little things actually are. . Mm-hmm. , like the, the little things of making something simpler or harder make a huge difference. I, I mean, I'm in marketing. Take Amazon, take the shopping cart. You can't imagine how making like the, within digital marketing, if the shopping cart is difficult, the people who will not buy skyrockets.
Hmm. Amazon has spent so much money making it so simple that you have one click, buy it now. That has made them billions of dollars. I love
Jeff Corrigan: that one. Click by now made. It's so much simple. Yeah, right. . Oh, and I was telling Sheldon it's kinda the same thing, like when I can use Apple Pay on something and I don't have to enter all my address and my name and my phone number and all that stuff, when I buy something online, I'm that much more likely to buy it.
Yeah. Right. Because it's like, oh, I don't wanna have to go through six pages and enter all my information. So Amazon figured that out because psychologically we just like to have part of it. It's like, ah, yeah. So give yourself a gift. Finish part of the task now while you're feeling motivated, and then when the time comes, you'll be that much more likely to do the action that you wanted to do in the first place.
Sheldon Mills: I've got two examples. One of just like how the little things really are the big things. Mm-hmm. , and then one that's like exactly what an action catalyst is. So one is for our dog, our, our, it is in the mud room. Right. And the kennel, the door used to swing open at the kennel to, to the middle of the room. I mean, it was kind of in the way, and therefore like kids and everything, it would always get shut all the time, right?
Mm-hmm. , and it was always difficult to get the dog to go into the kennel. Didn't really like it, so I took a screwdriver, bent off the little hinges, switched it around, so it now opens toward the wall and therefore it stays open all the time, right? I kid you to you. Not all of a sudden the dog is in there more.
It gets used correctly. The kids don't, do you know what I mean? It is like that tiny little. Made all the difference. Right. And so an action catalyst, uh, that's just an example of how, like the little things really are the big things. I think our whole, our whole life is full of this stuff, right? And we don't even realize it.
Yes. But, uh, one is with playing the guitar, and I can't you probably remember Jeff, who this comes from. But, uh, the guy wanted to learn how to play guitar and just wasn't doing it, trying to set up everything. And so finally he did like a couple small things. One is instead of having it in the closet, He took it out of the closet and said it next to the sofa where he practiced, right?
Mm-hmm. , I think actually an example, he puts it in the middle of the room, so he sees it all the time. , it's like right there, right? And the, the simpleness of not having to go and get it from the closet and having it just right there, accessible front of mind. Made all the difference in the world. Like that is an action catalyst, and I guarantee that whatever goal that you have, whatever action you're trying to take on a daily basis, there are little steps you can take to make it that much psychologically easier on yourself to get it done.
It's like pulling the book out and putting it. You know, on the desk where you're gonna have breakfast or do you know what I mean? Like Yeah. Doesn't matter what it is, you can break it down to simpler steps and do the first few.
Jeff Corrigan: Exactly. It's even like, I know that there's a lot of, you know, writers out there who they'll write the first sentence or even the first few sentences of what they wanna write tomorrow.
before they go to bed, and then as soon as they wake up, boom, or at, as they're ending, they're writing for the previous day, they, they're like, okay, you know, I'm ready to go. So they've already written that first sentence, because that's sometimes starting is the very hardest part once you're in the work.
You're like, all right, I'm doing this thing and you're ready and rearing, and it's, and it's, and even if it's difficult, you're willing to push through it because you've already invested time and energy. Mm-hmm. . But starting sometimes getting over that little hump, the catalyst, as we call it, right, is lowering that, the energy it takes to get that initial motion and really create the momentum you need to take on the task, whatever that task is for you.
Whether that's writing or whether it's playing the guitar, it's exercising millions of. Um, the thing I was gonna say is we, we all struggle with this. This is like a, there's, because we believe, we honestly believe that the small things are small. But I would argue, and what Sheldon was just saying to add to that is the small things are the only things stopping us from our goals.
It's not big things. It's never big things, because the only thing we can do is something small. So if we start eliminating some of those small steps, we can accomplish who knows what, right? We can see massive results. There's false beliefs that we like to share in some of these episodes, and there's some big ones that go along with this one.
One is that you're always gonna feel the way you do right now, right? It's like you, you are like, oh, I feel really like you're motivated and energized. And so of course, tomorrow morning I'm gonna be motivated and energized to go running because that's, I'm feeling really good, right? But everyone knows you do not wake up on the same side of the bed you went to sleep on, right?
It's like, boom. That's why that word exists. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Well, chances are you woke up on the wrong side of the bed every day, right? You gotta get back into sync. Um, the second one is little obstacles. Don't keep me from taking action on my goals, but I would argue that if you've been waiting to do something for months, even years, it's likely because of some small.
You've been unwilling to tackle up to this point, , right? Yeah. Whatever that small thing is. And then the third one we like with this one is the little things don't make that much of a difference. And we've already harped on this quite a bit, but they definitely do. And psychology shows that they are absolutely the thing that makes the difference for us.
I, I'm
Sheldon Mills: so, uh, this is so simple. , but I think so powerful. I, I challenge, if you're listening to this, to take mm-hmm. , take the goal, take the thing, whatever it is you're, you're want to do, wanna move toward and, and literally write out a. all the actions, all the little actions it actually takes to do it.
Mm-hmm. and pick some of them. Pick some that either you can either do now, pick some that you can either simplify by preparing something down the road. I, I, I wish we had some audience members right now who could, like give us a goal, like a random goal and we, I guarantee we could find some
Jeff Corrigan: action catalysts.
Absolutely. You guys, if you email us, we will set. A coaching call about this and it'll be free, right? We'll set up a coaching call with you, , about your goal, and we'll help you create the action triggers, uh, the identity around it and, and, and some of these action catalyst pieces to help you realize. What action, the simple action you can start taking to move you in the direction of your goal.
Because this is so valuable, we're willing to spend, you know, 30 minutes to an hour with you to to share with you some insights on this. So if you wanna talk with us about how to create these in your life, cuz we've done it a lot at this point, , we can definitely help you do it. And I can promise you you've already done this in the past.
Yeah. It's just a matter. now consciously choosing it, and like Sheldon is saying, it, it starts with, and, and here's some examples of how to do this, right? A couple of things you can start to do to create catalysts in your life is, well, how can you make it more fun? A catalyst is making it more fun. So, uh, an an example might be like, if making it more of like a, a, a shoot, like.
Playing music while you're, while you're doing the dishes right, or something like that. Right. Like having, having some Make the task more enjoyable. Yeah. Making the task more enjoyable. Tie it to something that you really enjoy. Maybe a nice smell, maybe a, you know, something to eat. Whatever that looks like for you.
Something you like to wear. Uh, okay. Social accountability. This is another big one. Uh, is. Connecting with somebody on this, and it doesn't have to be someone who's actually even running with you or playing the guitar with you. Just just text 'em and say, Hey, I played today. That's it. Right? Like just say, Hey, I'm gonna text you whenever I do this thing.
just, and they don't even have to text you back necessarily. It's just you proving to the world that, Hey, I'm tied to somebody. I've committed to this, not just to myself, but to another human being. infinitely up to your chances to make this happen. Uh, public commitment's huge, right? Letting it out there into the world.
The, so these are just a few ways that you can put action catalyst into your world, as well as the physical things, of course, of having things out where you can see them and making it easier access. Those are, those are simple ones. So I don't wanna give you too much of this. We've, we've harped on it in enough, but how do you wanna wrap this up today, Sheldon?
Yeah. Yeah. I,
Sheldon Mills: I, Yes, I have a thought and then I'll ask you to share Seinfeld's nighttime, guys. Oh, yes,
Jeff Corrigan: yes. Good morning, . Perfect. We have a couple more nuggets for you guys, and then we'll finish this up. Yeah. So again,
Sheldon Mills: like this, we talk about identity a lot. This is a gift to your future, future self, right?
It just, it's that preparation that eliminates and minimizes any obstacles that are gonna get the way of your momentum, of, of the action, right? And, and tying this into, Uh, it's giving like a tangible evidence of commitment to this future. You, does that make sense? It's mm-hmm. , it's like proof. It's proof that you've already started to do it, which I think psychologically speaking is huge because this is the new person I wanna be.
These are the things I wanna do, and it's a little bit of proof that that's really who I am. Right. Um, we've talked about this before, you know, do you Yeah. Go out there and. For five weeks, and then you can call yourself a runner. Or do you make that mental switch? Like does your identity change? And you go, I'm a runner, therefore you can start running.
Do you know what I mean? Yeah. Like if you can change your identity, then the action is, the action follows identity first, right? Mm-hmm. . So this is a subtle thing that gives that identity the proof that this is really who I am, this is what I'm doing, this is the goal and the actions. I think psychologically it's almost, it is making it easier.
Like you said, it's like instead of having to get the shoes out in the morning, it's like already ready for you. So yes, like physically it's easier for you, but psychologically I think is the real benefit.
Jeff Corrigan: Mm-hmm. . And when you said it on a previous episode, I think it was last episode actually, or the one before, uh, that really, it, it's like an investment, right?
Mm-hmm. , it's like mm-hmm. , when, when you're really committed to, so, You're investing your time, your energy, your money, whatever that looks like into that thing. Yeah. And this is proof, like you said, or evidence that you've invested that, that you've invested, that you've already assumed the new identity.
Yeah. It's not like, oh, someday like we, if we can get away from this idea that, oh, I'll write, when I write, I'll be a writer. It's like, no, no, write and be a writer now, , right? It's like, Be that writer now, or be that guitar player or be that runner or be that healthy person or be that , you know, great spouse, be that great parent.
Whatever you wanna be, you can be it right now. Yeah, you can, as you can, put yourself in those shoes immediately. What's the simplest task you can take right now when you're in the motivated moment to be that new you? And I think that's the, that's a really valuable. You
Sheldon Mills: know what? I'm gonna break down again.
I think I've shared, I know I've shared this multiple times, like trying to be a loving, attentive husband. Spouse, right. I realized, just realized that I need to come up with some action catalyst to make planning and making dates easier.
Jeff Corrigan: Yeah, ,
Sheldon Mills: uh, I mean I love
Jeff Corrigan: it Less of like, I love going on a date with my less of a chore and more of a, less of a chore and more
Sheldon Mills: of a, yeah, it was like going on a date is never a chore.
even if it's as simple as like going grocery shopping together, just cuz it's like we have six kids and life, you know, it's like we have so much, right? Yes. But at the same time it's like, so why doesn't it happen? every single week. What is getting, you know, why is it I need to make it so simple? Hmm. I already have
Jeff Corrigan: some ideas.
I like this. He'll come back to us with his ideas, , or at least to me, you guys might hear it if we remember. Uh, okay. So let me share with you, uh, a little Jerry Seinfeld bit that really fits nicely with. This is Jerry Sideman. I'll just read it directly cuz it's hilarious. So he, he says, I saw an ad. I love this concept of no payments until June.
People are like, oh, June, it will never be June. They buy things and say to themselves, the guy in June, he'll have money somehow. . And I do that with myself like late at night I think, well it's night, I'm having a good time. I don't wanna go to sleep. I'm night guy getting up after five hours of sleep.
That's morning guy's problem. Let him worry about that. I'm night guy, I've got a party. Then you get up after five hours of sleep. You're cranky. You're exhausted. Night guy always screws morning guy. There's nothing morning guy can do to get back at night guy. The only thing morning guy can do is try to oversleep so many times that.
Night guy loses his job and then night guy doesn't have it, or day guy loses his job and then night guy doesn't have any more money to go out. . Um,
Sheldon Mills: it's like tired. Tired and unmotivated. Guy screws, the motivated dreamer want to accomplish these things guys, . You know what I mean?
Jeff Corrigan: Exactly. It's like you're you and we do this to ourselves, right?
Ah, we're been to Netflix. We're doing what, whatever we're eating, you know, we're eating ice cream late. . It's just all these things that are sabotaging our future self. So instead for once. Now I'm not saying you have to correct everything at once, but give yourself a, you give your future self a gift for once instead of a task or a chore or a headache, , right?
So, or you know, or bowels problems, whatever you wanna say. So, uh, okay. The action plan for today. So we will wrap this up and give you guys the, here's, here's what we suggest for. To get this started for you. Wanna take it away? Sheldon .
Sheldon Mills: So you. , especially if you've been following this. But even if you're brand new to this, you have a dream, you have a goal, you know, steps to take, to take you toward that dream and that goal.
You have the action triggers, which is the who, what, where, when, and how. Gotta have the plan, right? Mm-hmm. . So now break it into all the microsteps, all, you know, break it even. Further into all the little things that it takes to actually do that, and then pick 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 of those things that you can do beforehand, that you can do in preparation.
Cuz it's a gift, cuz it makes, you're already 20% done, you've already stamped the card, and then psychologically speaking, you've already. Some of the work to assume that new identity, this is who you are. You've already done it. Do you know what I mean? So just I guarantee you can break it down into 5, 2, 3, something.
Some things you can do now to gift your future self.
Jeff Corrigan: Yeah, because losing is more powerful than winning in the, in the psychological sense. Um, we, we, we hate to lose more than we like to win. So if you've already got those two stamps stamped on your card, you gotta finish it off. You're like, well, I've already got two stamps, I don't wanna lose that.
Right? Like, I don't wanna lose money on this deal, . So it's the same idea with this. It's like, well, I've already invested some time and energy into this. Uh, use that psychology in your favor for once, cuz it's usually working against you . So, You guys are great. Um, you wanna finish it off the Sheldon?
Sheldon Mills: Sure.
Thank you for listening. Uh, please share if you like this. And seriously, we would love to hear some examples of goals and things we'd love to brainstorm with you. I think this is worth another, another session if we can get enough people who literally wanna break it down, you know, for example, cause that's really where the rubber meets the road.
It's like, okay, I, I get the concept, but how do I really apply? .
Jeff Corrigan: Mm-hmm. . Well, and, and like we said earlier, if you the first, we, we don't have all the time in the world, so the first five people to email us based on this, this episode, we will book a time over the next couple of months, right? It's the holidays, so it might take us a little bit.
But over the next couple of months to spend some time with you in creating your own action catalyst around living your dream now. And if you haven't left us a review and you've been listening to our podcast, those who have listed review, thank you so much. And if you haven't, I love you. We, we still love you, but we really want you to go do it.
if you're, if you listen on an Apple podcast, Spotify doesn't do it. But you know, uh, or just share it with a friend. We, we love you guys. Thank you so much for listening. You have a great day. Have your best life. It's time to start living your best life. .
Sheldon Mills: Cut that out. Charmaine. It was, it was, it was a weak sauce ending.
what? Which part? My part. The lackadaisical. Live your best life now,
Jeff Corrigan: but, oh yes. Charmaine, you can cut out a little bit of that if we fluff it in there, but,
Sheldon Mills: and we thank you for starting to edit these for us, so it gives us time. Thank you. To create more content. .
Jeff Corrigan: Yes, you're the best. Appreciate you. Thanks.
