💫 9 weird facts for building better habits

Got in one last wakesurfing session this last Saturday - what a treat!

In case you needed a sign to get out and do your favorite warm-weather activities one more time before the weather aint so warm anymore… well, here’s your sign!

With that, enjoy today’s non-traditional issue of Habit Examples.

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A few months ago I wrote a post highlighting 9 weird facts, followed by hot takes on how each one might relate to building habits.

Many of you told me you got a kick out of it, so here goes round 2!

(Again, many of these facts came from various editions of Factopia! by Julie Beer, Paige Towler, and Britannica Group.)

#1 - Michael Jordan has missed over 9,000 shots in his basketball career.

Hot take: The most successful people you admire only reach their greatest moments by standing atop of a mountain of failures.

Failure isn’t a glitch.

It’s the process.

#2 - Queen Cleopatra of Egypt lived closer to the first iPhone than to the construction of the Pyramid of Giza.

Hot take: Just like we incorrectly assume Cleopatra must’ve lived much closer to the construction of the pyramids, our perception is probably off about a lot of other things too.

Ask more questions.

Question our assumptions.

Study things out before making big claims.

Seek first to understand rather than to convince.

#3 - Rosemary Smith became the oldest person to drive an Formula 1 race car in 2017 at 79 years old.

Hot take: It’s never too late to become someone spectacular.

#4 - 75,000 Cape fur seals live at a place called “Seal Island” off of West Africa. It’s known as the stinkiest place on earth, thanks to their poop smelling like death.

You can be remembered for doing cool things, or crappy things in life.

And whether you like it or not, your current habits already have you pointed in one direction or the other.

Course correct, or double down.

The choice is yours!

#5 - A teaspoon of the stuff neutron stars are made of would weigh about 6 billion tons.

Hot take: Don’t underestimate how big of a deal seemingly small things can become, like becoming 1% better each day.

#6 - You can survive in space without a suit. For exactly 15 seconds.

Hot take: While you might get away living with bad habits for a while, the negative effects of poor choices will inevitably always catch up to you eventually.

It’s only a matter of time.

Don’t wait to find out how bad it can get…

As James Clear says, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”

Vote for who you want to be with your habits.

#7 - 3 Musketeers used to come in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry (hence the name). They later narrowed down in World War II to just one flavor of the candy bar.

Hot take: Try lots of things.

When you think you’ve found what you’re good at and enjoy the most, go all in.

#8 - Toothaches were believed to be cured in ancient Egypt by the doctor placing half a dead mouse on the tooth.

Hot take: As my college Physics professor Scott Bergeson said, “Science is the study of proving itself wrong.”

Many things “backed by research” to help us live healthily, productively, and happily will one day be proved wrong (or at least partly wrong).

So study ferociously, follow the best advice you can find, but at the end of the day - do what seems most effective for you.

#9 - On December 10th, 1914, Thomas Edison’s laboratory burned down after a chemical explosion. He had no insurance. He began rebuilding on December 11th, 1914.

Hot take: Life is a lot less about what happens to us, and a lot more about how we respond to what happens to us.

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Consider just one of the ideas you just read.

Is there some way this principle prompts you to do something different in your life?

Write down the thoughts that come to your mind and make it your intention to live this new idea, at least for today.

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*I just finished topping my pancakes with peanut butter, bananas, and syrup*

“Wow dad… you’re a good decorator.”

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Not ready to go back to reality?

Read the Habit Example from exactly one year ago.

- Kody

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P.S. This took 5 hours to research and write. It only takes you 5 seconds to share.