Brantley 's Key Ideas from Triggers
by Marshall Goldsmith, Mark Reiter

We are surrounded by those kinds of triggers, which appear to be relentless and omnipresent – a cake that makes us forget the warnings about sugar content, a song that distracts us from a conversation.

All these modify our behaviour in less than a second. The good news is that WE HAVE A CHOICE. We can control them.

Daily self-monitoring, through 6 “active”/engaging questions – questions that measure our effort, not our results:

• Did I do my best to set clear goals?
• Did I do my best to make progress towards goal achievement?
• Did I do my best to find meaning?
• Did I do my best to be happy?
• Did I do my best to build positive relationships?
• Did I do my best to be fully engaged?

Being too used to an environment may become risky and make you vulnerable in front of unexpected triggers. A good example is represented by successful people. Used to winning, they risk mismanaging their emotions when faced with environmental triggers.

Five questions we should all ask ourselves:

• What’s my mission?
• Who’s the customer?
• What does the customer consider value?
• What’s the goal?
• What’s the plan?

• Creating = Positive/Change
• Preserving = Positive/Keep
• Eliminate = Negative/Change
• Accepting = Negative/Keep

In order to understand how triggers influence our behaviour, we look at these six key clues:

• A behavioural trigger can be direct or indirect.
• A trigger can be internal or external.
• A trigger can be conscious or unconscious.
• A trigger can be anticipated or unexpected.
• A trigger can be encouraging or discouraging.
• A trigger can be productive or counterproductive.

Overnight changes are a myth. Success is a sport. To achieve success, we have to practice every day. We have to build something great by making small efforts every day, efforts like these:

• Commitment.
• Motivation.
• Self-discipline.
• Self-control.
• Patience.

Significant changes are necessary but also hard to do. Your level of determination is crucial.

Changing behaviour is difficult because people often don’t realize which behaviours they need to change or how their environment impacts those behaviours. People resist change due to overconfidence in their willpower, a belief that their behaviour isn’t as bad as others, and magical thinking that leads them to believe that changing is a finite destination rather than a continuous journey.

Change requires effort and attention over time as well as directed thoughts about the changes that need to be made.

If I understand, I will do. Just because people understand what to do doesn’t ensure that they will actually do it.

I have willpower and won’t give in to temptation. We not only overestimate willpower, we chronically underestimate the power of triggers in our environment that lead us astray.

Today is a special day. If we really want to change we have to make peace with the fact that we cannot self-exempt every time the calendar offers us a more attractive alternative to our usual day.

“At least I’m better than …” We award ourselves a free pass because we’re not the worst in the world.

I won’t get distracted and nothing unexpected will occur. When we make plans for the future, we seldom plan on distractions.

An epiphany will suddenly change my life. An epiphany implies that change can arise out of a sudden burst of insight and willpower.

My change will be permanent and I will never have to worry again. If we don’t follow up, our positive change doesn’t last.

My elimination of old problems will not bring on new problems. We forget that as we usher an old problem out the door a new problem usually enters.