Every day I would get in my car, lock the doors, and speed away from the run down office park where I worked.

Think Die Hard—but in a rusty red '92 Jeep Cherokee with a dent in the door.

The drive home was 17 minutes. And I navigated it like a U.S. Special Forces unit rescuing fallen soldiers in the battlefield.

Fast. Precise. Reckless abandon.

I worked and lived in the bad part of town. Prostitutes, needles, and broken down cars on every street corner.

But none of that could prevent me from feeding the new habit I'd acquired—stopping at the rundown gas station on the way home and risking everything to get my favorite item in the world…

A nutty butty ice cream cone!

Crazy? Sorta.

Tasty? Absolutely.

How did I become hopelessly devoted to such an illogical habit?

Because habits are like dogs. There are two types:

  1. Show Dogs: The animal you find, carefully consider, and make a conscious decision to adopt and take on. Purebred. It looks amazing, but it's secretly crazy. And it whines a lot.
     
  2. Stray Dogs: The animal that finds you, attaches itself at the hip, and forces servitude on you. And if you're being honest, they're usually the best kind. Loyal. Loving. Protective.

In 2020 I acquired a few new Stray Dog habits. One of which has turned out to be a highlight of my year…

Writing every day.

First thing in the morning, I set a timer for 30 minutes and start writing. At the end of the day, I come back, polish it up, and press publish.

It's a rush for me.

Learning new things. Trying them out. Distilling them down into actionable steps that others could use. And then carefully crafting them into an email.

I love the format of a perfectly written email.

The responses that come in when it hits just right.

The satisfaction of knowing that I've helped someone and shared what I've learned.

There is nothing else like it.

I look forward to it more than nearly anything else I do.

On days I write, the last thing I want to do is speed away from my work to get home. I get lost in it. I enjoy it. Time runs away. Hours pass without me noticing.

What lights you up like that?

Whatever it is, you should do it every day.

Here is a simple exercise to help you identify it if you don't already know what it is:

  1. Set a timer on your phone for 7pm each night
  2. When it goes off, quickly think about your day
  3. Jot down 1 sentence describing your highlight from the day

Do this for 10 days and you'll find your Stray Dog.

That thing you need in your life that you love, but don't even know it yet.

And once you find it, make it a daily habit.

As James Clear says: "Be the designer of your world and not merely the consumer of it."

- Bryan

P.S. One of the best ways I've found to build great habits is through coaching.

Hands-on guidance, accountability, and systems are forcing functions for growth.

If you're craving those things in your business, we should talk.

Schedule a Strategy Call with my team and we will:

  • Pinpoint the goals you have for your business this year
  • Walk you through a predictable marketing system that can help you hit them
  • Show you what it would look like to have us at your side, coaching you through every step of implementing that system

Go here to grab one of the remaining spots while they're still available.