“Good habits are difficult to start because the pain comes now and the payoff is in the future. Bad habits are difficult to stop because the payoff comes now and the pain is in the future.”
– Craig Groeschel
Happy Friday, Brew Nation! Coach John here.
I recently finished a book that hit me like a ton of bricks – in the best possible way. It profoundly clarified something I’ve seen in leaders for decades: the struggle with unrealized potential. Why do we feel stuck? Why do we often know what to do, but just don’t do it? This book brilliantly dismantled common myths about change and, through its insights, provided a powerful roadmap for true, lasting transformation.
It boils down to this: real change isn’t about trying harder; it’s about shifting your identity, embracing training, and leaning into something far greater than your own willpower. These are my top takeaways, the highlights I underlined and dog-eared, that I believe will fundamentally change how you approach leadership and life.
This book delivered a massive paradigm shift in my thinking, and it all starts with identity. The author laid it out: you do what you do because of what you think of yourself. What we believe within ourselves, we are. Our decisions, our habits, our entire trajectory are fundamentally shaped by our self-identification. Trying to change what you do without addressing who you believe you are is like trying to fix a leaky faucet by painting the wall – it just won’t last.
This truth echoed directly from Scripture. As Romans 12:2 (NLT) says, the key to real, lasting, eternal change is: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” Paul isn’t telling us to change our actions first, but our mindset. Shift your thinking, and your actions will follow.
So, if identity is paramount, who does God say you are? The book beautifully listed many ways God defines us: sought after (Isa 62:12), precious in His sight (Isa 43:4), a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:17), not condemned (Rom 8:1), forgiven (Col 1:14), loved (1 John 3:1), accepted (Rom 15:7), a child of God (John 1:12), chosen (Col. 3:12), called (2 Tim. 1:9), and so much more. Embracing these truths about yourself is foundational to leadership that lasts.
This isn’t about importance; it’s about heart. The author shared a profound personal aspiration: “I want to become someone who is faithful and not worry about being important.” This resonated deeply with our Gallagher family core value of faithfulness. What’s interesting is when I aim for the target of faithful, I end up doing what’s truly important. So I ask you: who do you want to become?
The Challenge: Trying vs. Training
This next point hit me like a gut-punch (in a good way!). Many of us try to achieve our goals with sheer willpower, but this book taught me a crucial distinction: Winners don’t try, they train.
To try is to attempt to do the right thing by exerting effort in the moment. To train is to commit to developing strategic habits that equip you to do the right thing when that moment arrives. It’s like “wax on, wax off” from Karate Kid. Discipline, from its Greek root, literally means ‘to hit under the eye’ – to train rigorously. This principle defined my own health journey, which started in 2017. How could I coach others on discipline while being 80 pounds overweight? I had to train myself first.
This leads to the golden definition of discipline: Discipline is Choosing What You Want MOST Over What You Want NOW. It’s so much easier to choose what you want now (the cheesecake, the doom scrolling, the avoided tough conversation), but you live the life you want by consistently choosing what you want MOST. The path to public success is always paved with private discipline.
The Solution: Building a Life of Uncommon Habits
So how do we train ourselves to make these choices? The solution is found in shifting our focus from outcomes to habits.
Make “Doing Your Habit” Your Win. Leaders often get frustrated because they focus solely on outcome wins. If you focus only on the ultimate win (e.g., losing 80 pounds), you can feel like you’re losing every single day until you hit that final number. But if you focus on the habit (e.g., consistent healthy eating, daily exercise), you can win every single day. This subtle shift in focus builds momentum and reinforces positive behavior.
Success Isn’t Accidental; It’s Habitual. When you see someone who has achieved something you desire, understand that their success didn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of consistent habits. The book detailed five major triggers for effectively starting and stopping habits: Place, Time, Mood, Moments, and People. The influence of “People” was particularly striking – research shows that when a person loses substantial weight, one of their three closest friends often does too. As 1 Corinthians 15:33 reminds us, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.'” Make it obvious, attractive, easy, communal, and repetitious to build good habits. Good habits are difficult to start because the pain comes now and the payoff is in the future. Bad habits are difficult to stop because the payoff comes now and the pain is in the future.
Fanatical Consistency is the Secret to Uncommon Success. Many leaders cannot point to one single defining action, grand program, killer innovation, or lucky break as the reason for their success. Researchers found that the “best of the best” are successful because of their dogged zealousness in doing the same (usually small) right things, over and over again. Intentions don’t determine direction; actions do. You build your life one brick at a time, just like Nehemiah rebuilt the wall. Value progress over perfection. If you don’t like what you’re reaping, change what you’re sowing. If you don’t like the harvest, change the seed.
The ultimate mic drop moment: Rely on God’s Power, Not Willpower. We stay stuck because we consistently try to white-knuckle our way through life with sheer willpower. But willpower is finite; it runs out. True, lasting transformation, especially for the Christian leader, comes from relying on God’s infinite power. It’s trusting Him to transform us from the inside out, aligning our identity, habits, and discipline with His purpose. This is where real freedom from “Stuckness” truly begins.
This book was a powerful reminder that our journey as leaders, as champions, is less about perfecting a resume and more about refining our very being. It’s about letting God transform us into the leaders He called us to be, through consistent, intentional choices rooted in His truth. I highly recommend it – and the deep dive into its principles.
Being effective as a leader means consistently choosing discipline over distraction. It’s about deeply reflecting on what’s working, humbly learning from what hasn’t, and courageously course-correcting in relentless pursuit of uncommon growth. Leaders don’t just drift into success—they evaluate, decide, and act. At Growing Champions, we equip leaders with the precise tools and vision to do just that—because real leadership is about consistent, deliberate alignment between your values, your habits, and your desired outcomes.
👉 Ready to break free from the cycle of “stuckness”?
📩 I will be picking 3 people to receive a free copy of this book, The Power To Change. You just need to share this post with your community and tag me in the post with a hashtag ” #CHAMPIONSBREW and #ThePowertoChangebyCraigGroeschel “. After one week, I will draw three people to win!
- Quote of the Week
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
— James Clear
What you need to do:
Your Call to Action: Take Ownership of Your Transformation
The biggest barrier to growth is the one we allow ourselves to build. It’s time to take ownership of your personal and professional development.
Do you want to become a Champion of Change? Are you ready to stop relying on willpower and start training a new identity? Then commit to putting the power of Identity, Training, and Consistency to work in your life today.
It’s an honor to be your trusted Friday Coffee Guy. Each week, I bring what I’m learning and living in the trenches of leadership. If this edition challenged or encouraged you, share it with someone who leads, stays faithful, or learns alongside you, then click subscribe. Let’s grow Brew Nation together! ☕💪
Until next time—stay focused, stay faithful, and keep growing, Champions! 💪
P.S. Want to share your story of courage and grace on The Uncommon Leader Podcast? Email me and let’s connect!
