Did you ever stop to think that our daily actions are a simply a collection of habits formed at various stages of our lives and rarely, if ever, re-examined to see if they are working for or against us?

At the heart of most achievement is habit change. Whatever your goal—to make more money, get more clients, improve productivity, etc.—habits that protect that status quo must change. In a recent coaching session with an attorney, he recited the reasons he did not accomplish one of his prime goals—getting to the gym. I asked whether he ever decides to skip brushing his teeth and got an immediate “no” in response. So, exercise is optional and tooth brushing is mandatory. How did that come to be? And how could you make exercise, or any other habit you want to create, become nonnegotiable?