[This is the first in a series of posts about how we sustain ourselves, based upon ideas presented in “Sustainable You, 8 First Steps to Lasting Change in Business and in Life,” available from Fisherblue Press.]

Say you want to drive cross-country to visit your college roommate, whose house you’ve never been to. Here are some scenarios for achieving that goal:

“Behavior happens when…” That’s how B.J. Fogg advises how to express the left side of his formula, B=mat, which I will get to in a moment. But what I noted was that he shared that guidance, and I wanted to follow it.

I’d bet that that happens not seldomly with him. He’s clearly a winning individual.

So: the formula. M denotes motivation, A denotes ability, and T is for trigger. What it means: Behavior happens when sufficient motivation and ability combine with a trigger. All three have to coincide exactly, he said; just a few seconds’ separation will make a difference.

This is the last in a series of eight posts detailing concepts and attitudes for sustainable personal change. As one would expect of someone maintaining a 155-pound loss for more than 20 years, my examples have to do with food and weight, but their point is to illustrate how anyone can achieve and maintain healthy change. Today’s concept:  “Change is a choice.”

Welcome to another installment of “10 Words or Less,” in which I ask brief questions of interesting people and request brief answers in return. I became interested in today’s participant via our mutual interest in the National Speakers Association, of which he is not only a former president but a recipient of its highest honor, the Cavett Award. He’s a successful author and Ph.D. psychologist whose clients have included 3M, Daimler/Chrysler, GE, Honda, the FBI, and many more. Please remember: 10 words is an intention, not a limit, so please, no counting. It’s not that easy, and besides, let’s see you do it.
Name Terry Paulson
Born when, where "Panama City, Fla., fall of 1945."
Anything unusual about the circumstances? “The total charge for six days was $97. They didn’t charge enough, so now it’s a nursing home."
Your first paying job "Cutting apricots for $1.20 a flat. and I got to be pretty good at it because I wanted my dollar-twenty. I was also Baskin Robbins scooper of the month, May 1964."
Some wisdom gained through that job "I learned the importance of doing a quality job. At Baskin Robbins, I was appointed assistant manager. I got 15 cents more an hour, and I learned the importance of leadership."