Brainstorms

Here’s How to Get More Small Things Done Daily

It’s accomplished through a method called “habit chaining.”

Published

3 years ago

November 21, 2021

INSTORE Staff Instore December 2021 Issue

Want to get a bunch of small things done on a daily basis? Just do them, one after the other. That’s pretty much the advice of an e-book by blogger SJ Scott entitled Habit Stacking. The basic concept behind Scott’s (very brief) book is an old one in psychology — “habit chaining.” The idea is to pick something you have no problem motivating yourself to do — brushing your teeth is the classic example — then link to it some habit you want to acquire: flossing, say. Habit stacking is the nuclear-powered version. Make a list of small habits that take no more than five minutes each and 30 minutes in total, Scott advises. Then you’ll need to remember, and find motivation for, only one new piece of behavior: to rattle through the checklist once a day. Before long, you’ll jump from bed, drink a glass of water, eat one of your five-a-day vegetables, answer one long-neglected email, meditate for five minutes, do 10 pushups and read your daily bulletin from INSTORE.

Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration

After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years." Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations. The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.