Brainstorms

In the Year 2020, Think Two and 20

It’s the secret formula to habit change.

Published

5 years ago

February 9, 2020

INSTORE Staff Instore February 2020 Issue

TWO MINUTES AND 20 seconds. They should be your targets if you’re trying to get a new habit — be it walking, meditating or even reading more business books — to take root in 2020. Two minutes is an acceptably low target for Day 1 to start building momentum with your new habit, says productivity writer James Clear in his book Atomic Habits. As for the 20 seconds, that’s the time you should aim to cut between your inert state (like being couch-bound) and actually doing something. “If you reduce the amount of activation energy required, tough things become easy. So make new habits 20 seconds easier to start,” says Shawn Achor, author of the bestseller Big Potential. Examples could include leaving a job ready to work on overnight, scheduling an internet blackout first thing in the morning, or conversely, to make a bad habit harder to fall into, taking the batteries out of the remote control.

You Wouldn’t Cut Your Own Hair. Why Run Your Own Retirement Sale?

After being in business for over a quarter of a century, Wayne Reid, owner of Wayne Jewelers in Wayne, Pennsylvania, decided it was time for a little “me time.” He says, “I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s time to slow down, enjoy a lot of things outside of the jewelry industry. It just seemed to be the right time.” He chose Wilkerson to handle his retirement sale because of their reputation and results. With financial goals exceeded, Reid says he made the right choice selecting Wilkerson to handle the sale. “They made every effort to push our jewelry to the forefront of the showcases,” he says, lauding Wilkerson for their finesse and expertise. Would he recommend them to other jewelers who want to make room for new merchandise, expand their business or like him, decide to call it a day? Absolutely he says, equating trying to do this kind of sale with cutting your own hair. “The results are going to happen but not as well as if you have a professional like Wilkerson do the job for you.”