The Origins of Christmas Traditions & A Simple Way to Achieve Important Goals

Summary

Podcast Summary: "The Origins of Christmas Traditions & A Simple Way to Achieve Important Goals"

Something You Should Know
Host: Mike Carruthers
Release Date: December 5, 2024
Guests:

• James Cooper, Web Designer and Christmas Traditions Expert
• Dr. Michelle Rose, Leadership, Motivation, and Change Expert

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Section 1: The Origins of Christmas Traditions

Guest: James Cooper
Timestamp Range: [04:04] – [23:42]

Mike Carruthers kicks off the episode by delving into the rich history of Christmas traditions with James Cooper, a web designer passionate about the holiday and the creator of whychristmas.com.

1. Why We Celebrate Christmas on December 25th

James provides an insightful exploration into the origins of December 25th as the celebration date for Christmas. Contrary to popular belief that it was adopted from Roman festivals, James explains that early Christians focused on commemorating both the death and conception of Jesus. By calculating nine months from the traditional date of Jesus' conception (March 25th), December 25th was established as His birthdate. This alignment conveniently coincided with midwinter festivals, aiding its acceptance and integration into broader cultural practices.

Notable Quote:
"The earliest evidence seems to be that it was actually the early child church working out the death of Jesus rather than anything to do with his birth, which is kind of surreal."
— James Cooper [04:04]

2. The Evolution of Christmas Ornaments and Trees

James traces the transformation of Christmas trees from "paradise trees" or "miracle trees" in the Middle Ages—decorated with apples representing the Garden of Eden—to the modern-day embellished fir trees. He highlights how the tradition of round, red baubles originated from glassblowers imitating apples, a practice popularized in the United States by retailers like Woolworths in the 19th century.

Notable Quote:
"The earliest Christmas trees had red apples put on them. And we have red round baubles today because when glassblowers first made decorations, they made them to look like apples because that's what people were used to putting on their trees."
— James Cooper [05:35]

3. Other Christmas Greenery: Wreaths, Mistletoe, and Holly

The discussion expands to other traditional Christmas plants. James explains that much of the Christmas greenery predates the Christmas tree itself, stemming from winter solstice celebrations that used greenery to symbolize the enduring nature of life through winter. Specific plants like holly and ivy carry deeper symbolic meanings related to Christian theology and ancient Roman traditions.

Notable Quote:
"Holly in the Middle Ages became to represent the crown of thorns that Jesus had when he died... wreaths were a sign of victory, so the Christmas wreath became a symbol of everlasting life."
— James Cooper [11:01]

4. The Tradition of Gift-Giving

James outlines how gift-giving evolved from pre-Christian festivals like Saturnalia and royal customs meant to curry favor, into the widespread practice seen today. The commercialization and mass production of goods during the late Victorian period made gift exchanges accessible to the broader public, cementing it as a central Christmas tradition.

Notable Quote:
"When commercial printing and commercial goods and toys especially became more widely made in the late Victorian period, it became a holiday for everyone to exchange presents."
— James Cooper [11:56]

5. The History of Santa Claus

The transformation of Santa Claus from St. Nicholas to the modern, jolly figure is meticulously detailed. James explains the journey from St. Nicholas, a generous 4th-century bishop, to Sinterklaas in the Netherlands, and finally to Santa Claus in America, influenced by literary works like "The Night Before Christmas" and illustrations by Thomas Nast. He clarifies that the iconic red-and-white suit predates Coca-Cola's advertising by decades, rooted in both Nast’s illustrations and St. Nicholas’ traditional robes.

Notable Quote:
"The modern Santa is an American invention... the red and white was a good color for printing and it showed out well on magazine stands, which is one of the reasons why we get red and white."
— James Cooper [17:57]

6. Christmas Cards and Poinsettias

James discusses the origins of Christmas cards, introduced by Sir Henry Cole in 1843 as a marketing tool for cheaper postage stamps, and how they became a global phenomenon with advancements in printing technology. He also touches on the poinsettia’s introduction to America by Joel Roberts Poinsett, which integrated beautifully into Christmas décor with its vibrant red and green foliage.

Notable Quote:
"Christmas cards were invented by a man called Sir Henry Cole in 1843 as a marketing ploy to show that you could use this cheaper penny postal service."
— James Cooper [20:34]

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Section 2: A Simple Way to Achieve Important Goals

Guest: Dr. Michelle Rose
Timestamp Range: [25:23] – [44:51]

Transitioning from festive traditions, Mike introduces Dr. Michelle Rose to tackle the pervasive issue of goal-setting and achievement. Drawing from her expertise and authored work, "The Six Percent Unlock the Secret to Achieving Any Goal and Thriving in Business and Life," Dr. Rose provides actionable strategies to bridge the gap between setting goals and achieving them.

1. The 94% Failure Rate in Goal Achievement

Dr. Rose presents alarming statistics indicating that 94% of people abandon their goals within the first two months. She emphasizes the importance of understanding why this high failure rate exists and how to break into the successful 6%.

Notable Quote:
"People struggle with setting goals because they're not doing it the right way. And nobody ever teaches you, Mike, how to do it."
— Dr. Michelle Rose [25:25]

2. The 30-Day Focus Strategy

A cornerstone of Dr. Rose's methodology is concentrating on one specific goal at a time for 30 days. This approach prevents overwhelming the brain and fosters the automation of new behaviors, making goal achievement more sustainable.

Notable Quote:
"The system says, hey, you dropped the ball on something that you wanted to do. Don't beat yourself up... All you need to do is go back to the beginning line and repeat, Repeat, repeat for 30 days."
— Dr. Michelle Rose [28:06]

3. Manipulating Your Environment

Dr. Rose underscores the importance of environmental manipulation over sheer willpower. By altering surroundings to serve as reminders, individuals can seamlessly integrate new habits without relying on fluctuating motivation levels.

Notable Quote:
"Instead of relying on their willpower, they manipulate their environment. That means that either you set a reminder on your phone or you move where that jar is so that it reminds you."
— Dr. Michelle Rose [30:32]

4. The Law of Specification

To counteract the brain's tendency to resist change, Dr. Rose introduces the "Law of Specification." By setting highly specific and granular goals, individuals can create clear neural pathways that make new behaviors more intuitive and less taxing.

Notable Quote:
"Get really specific and granular. Don't just say, I'm going to save more money. Get as specific and as granular as possible."
— Dr. Michelle Rose [38:13]

5. The 0 to 10 Rule

Dr. Rose presents the "0 to 10 Rule," a tool to assess the importance of a goal. By rating how much a goal matters on a scale from 0 to 10, individuals can ensure that their efforts are aligned with their true motivations, significantly increasing the likelihood of success.

Notable Quote:
"No matter what your goal are, make sure that it's a 10 for you, which means something that you really feel very strongly about."
— Dr. Michelle Rose [41:17]

6. Building Confidence Through Small Successes

By achieving small, specific goals, individuals build confidence that propels them toward larger objectives. Dr. Rose highlights how incremental successes can create a domino effect, fostering an accumulating momentum of positive change.

Notable Quote:
"Your confidence grows. You say to yourself, oh, my gosh, I'm so cool. I did it. Let me pick a bigger goal. And so there's an accumulating effect of generating those successes."
— Dr. Michelle Rose [32:25]

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Additional Insights: The Importance of Specificity and Support

Throughout the conversation, both guests emphasize the significance of specificity—whether understanding the origins of traditions in detail or setting precise, manageable goals. Dr. Rose also touches on the value of having a supportive environment and accountability partners to enhance goal attainment.

Notable Quote:
"Surround yourself with people that support you and then if you have those people as a support system, as accountability buddies, it's amazing because it's going to make you stronger."
— Dr. Michelle Rose [43:14]

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Conclusion

In this episode of Something You Should Know, Mike Carruthers provides listeners with a deep dive into the historical roots of beloved Christmas traditions and equips them with practical strategies to achieve personal goals. Through engaging discussions with experts James Cooper and Dr. Michelle Rose, the podcast offers both festive insights and actionable advice to enhance listeners' lives.

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Links Mentioned:

• whychristmas.com
• The Six Percent Unlock the Secret to Achieving Any Goal and Thriving in Business and Life by Dr. Michelle Rose

Transcript

[Mike Carruthers]

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[Dr. Michelle Rose]

If your bingo has ads in it, that's not a bingo. If it doesn't have the coolest tournaments, mini games, and the most breathtaking design, nope, not a bingo.

[James Cooper]

If your bingo moment makes you feel so excited that you just want to.

[Dr. Michelle Rose]

Burst in joy and scream out loud, bingo.

[Mike Carruthers]

Sorry.

[James Cooper]

So you're playing Bingo Blitz.

[Dr. Michelle Rose]

Now that's a bingo step for a world of excitement with Bingo Blitz, the number one free bingo game. Download Bingo Blitz and play for free.

[Mike Carruthers]

Now that's a bingo. Today on something you should know. Have you ever not asked for a raise because you worry what your boss will think of you? If so, listen up. Then the origins of some of your favorite Christmas customs, like why we put round ornaments on a Christmas tree.

[James Cooper]

The earliest Christmas trees had red apples put on them. And we have red round baubles today because when glassblowers first made decorations, they made them to look like apples because that's what people were used to putting on their trees.

[Mike Carruthers]

Also, the right way to sit, and it's not sitting up straight. And how to achieve important goals in your life. And it starts with choosing the right goal.

[Dr. Michelle Rose]

And I have a tool for that, but it's called a zero to ten rule. So no matter what your goal are, make sure that it's a 10 for you, which means something that you really feel very strongly about. Because if it's not a 10 for you, you're not going to care enough to make the effort.

[Mike Carruthers]

All this today on something you should know. Something you should know. Fascinating intel, the world's top experts, and practical advice you can use in your life today. Something you should know with Mike Carruthers. Hi, here's a question for you. I think this has probably happened to everyone. You get your nerve up to go walk into the boss's office to ask for a raise and then you chicken out. You don't go through with it. Well, why? Well, for one reason. Who wants to be turned down? Nobody likes hearing no when you ask for a raise. But also, I bet you wondered about your reputation. What will the boss think of you for asking? Will he or she lose respect or think you're greedy? Apparently not, according to Michael Wheeler. He's author of a book called the Art of Negotiation. He says there's a lot of research that shows that when you ask people after a negotiation how they feel about the person they just negotiated with, the answer is entirely independent of the deal or the money that was negotiated. So if you're worried your boss will think less of you just for Asking for a raise. That's likely not true. What's more important is how you ask. Making your case well and being respectful is what will get you more, if there is more to get. And that is something you should know. For many of us, Christmas is the favorite holiday of the year. The Christmas season has a lot of meaning for a lot of people. It brings back memories of Christmases gone by and maybe memories of people who are no longer part of our lives. But the memories are wonderful. And the glue that holds this whole season and this holiday together are the traditions, the rituals, the things we do only this time of year. And joining me to talk about these traditions is James Cooper. He's a web designer by trade, but has a deep love of the Christmas holiday and has a great website you'll enjoy. If you are also a fan of Christmas, the website is whychristmas.com hi, James. Merry Christmas. Welcome to something you should know.

[James Cooper]

Well, thank you for having me, Mike, and very happy Christmas.

[Mike Carruthers]

So, first of all, since we celebrate Christmas on December 25th, why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25th?

[James Cooper]

Yeah. The short answer is no one really knows. The long answer is it's complicated. I'll try and do my best to explain. You might have heard some people say it's because we took it from the Romans. That kind of doesn't really fit. If you look really at the evidence, the earliest records of people trying to find out when to celebrate the birth of Christ was actually to do with his death. Because in the early church, the early Christians, there was kind of a belief that you are important people, especially prophets, and so especially the Son of God was born and died on the same day. And they were trying to work out when Jesus died. And they came up with the date of 25 March, March, as a good consensus date because there were various dates in and around that time. But they chose the 25th of March. And it changed from the belief that you were born and died on the same day to you were conceived and died on the same day. So if you then put nine months onto the conception of Jesus being on the 25th of March, you get his birth on the 25th of December. Now, that happened to coincide with several other midwinter festivals, so it worked quite well. But the earliest evidence seems to be that it was actually the early child church working out the death of Jesus rather than anything to do with his birth, which is kind of surreal. But there we go.

[Mike Carruthers]

So let's talk about Christmas ornaments, the decorations you put on your Christmas tree. Where did that tradition come from?

[James Cooper]

Okay, yeah. The earliest Christmas trees seems to have actually come from trees that were paraded round towns in the early Middle Ages as part of what were known as paradise trees or miracle trees. There were plays put on outside churches or on traditionally on Christmas Eve, telling the story from creation up to the time of Jesus. Kind of like an old version of Handel's Messiah, basically. And to drum up support and interest in the plays, they would carry around branches of apple trees or just dead, you know, not fur trees as we think of them today, but branches of trees or frames of trees. And they were decorated with apples traditionally because they represented the Garden of Eden. And so the earliest trees had red apples put on them. And then when trees became popular as an indoor custom, firstly in northern Germany and people started decorating fir trees, they still traditionally put things like apples on them. And we have red round baubles today because when glassblowers first made decorations, they made them to look like apples because that's what people were used to putting on their trees.

[Mike Carruthers]

And I think I saw on your website it was Woolworths, the chain of retail stores that started. That was first started selling glass ornaments.

[James Cooper]

Right, yeah, they were the ones that sort of did the first big introduction certainly into the States. They came over from Germany from Bavarian glassblowers. And you also had things like gingerbread that were put on trees, shapes cut out of bits of paper, stars and angels and things like that. But yeah, the first commercial ornaments came in the way of glass blown ornaments. And the big ones were from Walrus.

[Mike Carruthers]

But before that it was all kind of handmade. You make it at your home and stick it on your tree kind of thing.

[James Cooper]

Yeah, but indeed. But Christmas trees didn't really become a thing in the US until the 1850s onwards. Before that they were. You would have some of the German and Dutch immigrants that would have had trees, but they were looked on as a very unusual custom. They only came into the UK predominantly in the 1840s. The earliest tree in the UK was from one of the royal family, Queen Charlotte, who was the German wife of King George iii. She put up a yew tree in one of the lodges at windsor Castle in 1800. It's a children's party, but Queen Victoria and her German husband, Prince Alber, but really popularized the Christmas tree in the UK and in 1848 there was a drawing published of the royal tree at Windsor in one of the big London newspapers. And that sort of became the ignition of the popularity of trees in the UK. And then in December 1850, that same drawing, but with some early Photoshop going on, because they took out Prince Albert's moustache and swapped the. Took off Queen Victoria's tiara to make it look more homely and American. And that was published in 1850 in Philadelphia. And that's when Christmas trees started to become popular in America because they were seen as sort of the fashionable British thing to do.

[Mike Carruthers]

The whole idea of when Christmas trees were first brought into the house, what was their function? Just a decoration. Because now it's the place where you put presents under it and you. But was it just something people stuck in the corner? Do you have a sense of that?

[James Cooper]

Yeah, well, the first ones were much smaller than we have today. They might have just been a branch or part of a tree. And they were often put on tables, on tabletops. And you'd traditionally, some of the earliest ones from Germany, they would have sort of your traditional sort of Christmas village was put under it. A little Christmas scene. And then people started when gift giving became more pop in the late Victorian period, it became a place that you could put your presents. And then bigger trees came along and they became put on the floor and you got it from that.

[Mike Carruthers]

And so what about all this other Christmas greenery? We have wreaths, we have mistletoe, we have holly, we have the Christmas tree, we have. What are they all just offshoots of the tree or what's the story?

[James Cooper]

No, most of them are pre tree basically, since people have been celebrating the Winston stock solstice, which is the mark of December 21, December 22, the shortest day of the year. Having greenery in your house sort of reminded you that winter wouldn't last forever and that spring would come. And there's some thought that some greenery plants, like some of the spruces and some of the firs actually have anti insect and antifungal properties to them. So if you're living in a cold, drafty house with lots of fleas and things, actually having those strewn around on the floor would also make it smell nice. But they could help keep some of the bugs at bay, which would be quite nice.

[Mike Carruthers]

And what about holly?

[James Cooper]

Holly in the Middle Ages became to represent the crown of thorns that Jesus had when he died. And in Scandinavia the translation can be the Christ thorn with the red berries being the blood of Christ. Ivy was given the similarity of that. It has to cling to something to live. So Christians need to cling to God. And then wreaths came farther back from that back in the Roman times. They had wreaths given like at the Olympic Games and sporting events. And so they was. They were a sign of victory. So an everlasting life because they go round and round and round. So that again was given a new meaning of. The Christmas wreath became a symbol of everlasting life and sort of the turning of the year and things like that.

[Mike Carruthers]

At what point did Christmas become a holiday where you give gifts to each other?

[James Cooper]

For most people, the late Victorian period for the rich, throughout history, back in pre Christian times, in the Saturnalia festivals, there was an element of gift giving, but it's not. It's that sometimes claimed as that's where we get gifting from. But it was very different to what we'd think of as gift giving. It was more that you would actually give a bit of greenery to someone, which I think if you rocked up with. With a branch of holly in your hand at someone's house this Christmas, I don't think they'd be particularly happy with it. So. But I mean, certainly royalty wanted gifts. Throughout history, you know, it was a sign of often your. The act, your actual prosperity that you would give gifts to the royals and to people above you to try and win favor. That was you. You gave gifts to get something in return, you know, royal favor and prestige. And it was only when commercial printing and commercial goods and toys especially became more widely made in the late Victorian period that it became a holiday for everyone to exchange presents.

[Mike Carruthers]

We're exploring some of the origins of your favorite Christmas traditions and my guest is James Cooper. He has a website I know you'll love. It's called why Christmas.com. so, James, I remember, you know, watching one of the versions of the film A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge, the one with Alistair Sim in it. I always enjoyed that movie. But I remember the Christmas dinner at Bob Cratchit's house the night of Christmas, after Scrooge has made his transformation and all that. I noticed that there was no tree, there was no gift giving. And I remember thinking, well, that's kind of an odd Christmas.

[James Cooper]

Yeah, well, I mean, the Christmas Carol was published in 1843, so that's five years before the Christmas tree became popular in the UK. So that's why there's. There's no tree mentioned in the book. There is greenery, but it's just hanging around the house and being put decorated on top of things like paintings and mirrors and things like that, rather than a big sort of centerpiece. Yeah. And there is no gift giving. It was a Much more quiet celebration. And it lasted. And it started on December 25th. And your Christmas celebrations lasted until December 5th, sorry, January 5th, which was Epiphany Eve for the 12 days of Christmas. That was when you had your Christmas feasting and Christmas holidays. You had Advent before Christmas, which was a much quieter time and a religious time. After the Industrial Revolution, when people were working in factories rather than in out in farms in towns and villages, you generally had Christmas off, but then the bosses wanted you back at work as soon as Christmas holiday was over. So you also then started to get what we associate with Christmas now happening in December, but before the sort of mid-1800s, it all happened after Christmas, between Christmas and the start of January.

[Mike Carruthers]

So I know it's a fairly lengthy story, but I bet you're pretty good at making it shorter. Is the history of Santa Claus and how we got to the Santa we're at today from when this all started.

[James Cooper]

Sure. Well, the original Santa was a man called Nicholas, and he became St Nicholas. And that's where we get the name Santa Claus, for that went through a few changes in its own. First of all, Nicholas was a bishop who lived in the 4th century in a place called Myra in Asia Minor, which is now in Turkey. Back then, it was part of Greece. He was a Christian, and he was orphaned at a fairly young age. But he was very rich, and he was known for his generosity and gift giving. And one of the most famous stories about Nicholas is that there was a family in the village that he lived that had three daughters. And they were a very poor family. And the daughters couldn't afford dowries, so that would basically mean that they couldn't get married. So the daughters would have had to go into prostitution. So as he was a kind man, Nicholas dropped a bag full of gold either down the chimney or through the window. And if it went down the chimney, it fell into a stocking. And if it goes through the window, it fell into a pair of shoes. And you either get presents now in stockings or shoes, depending on what part of the world you live in. And he did this for the first two daughters. And the father wondered who was given these kind gifts. And he finally caught up with St. Nicholas and told everybody about his generosity. And the story of St. Nicholas's generosity traveled around Europe, especially northern Europe, into parts of Germany, France, especially in the Netherlands and Belgium. And St Nicholas became known Sinterklaas. And in the Netherlands and Belgium and other parts of Europe, Sinterklaas is still separate from Santa, even though his name is derived From Sinterklaas, because Sinterklaas came with American settlers and Dutch American settlers over to America and English and Irish and other American settlers couldn't pronounce Sinterklaas, so they turned it into Santa Claus and then it came back into the rest of the world from America. So it's a very convoluted way that we get the name from St. Nicholas to Santa Claus. But yeah, if. If you had a couple of. On the 16th of November this year, Sinter class arrived on the Netherlands in his steamboat from Madrid, because Sinter class and Santa Claus are two very different people. And kids in the Netherlands get their big presence on Nicholas eve, which is the 5th of January, 5th of December. And yes, they believe that Sinterklaas lives in Madrid. Not the North Pole, but the Santa.

[Mike Carruthers]

Claus we have now is this kind of fat, jolly old elf thing, which is a fairly recent creation. Correct, isn't it? Coca Cola is involved in this somehow.

[James Cooper]

To less extent than people would think. The modern Santa is American invention. In the 1800, in the early 1800s, there was a poem called and Old Santa Claus, with much delight was published in a poetry book for children in 1821 in New York, and that had the first illustrations of Santa and a reindeer. And then a couple of Years later, in 1823, we had the famous poem the Visit from St Nicholas. Twas the night before Christmas, and that's when we learned about the reindeer. And he was described in that as a jolly old elf. When printing and magazines came along in the later 1800s, especially HarperCollins and things and things like that, we got the illustrations from Thomas Nast, which developed him into the much chubbier tubbier plumpy one that we think of as Santa today. And back then he wore lots of different colours, but red and white was a good colour for printing. It showed out well on magazine stands, which is one of the reasons why we get red and white. And also St. Nicholas wore red and white bishop's robe. So that's the connection goes all the way back to there. Koch picked up that he was already red and white and so used it. But. But he was red and white long before Coke came along in the 20s and 30s.

[Mike Carruthers]

And when did it become this thing where he comes on a sleigh with reindeer and brings presents down the chimney?

[James Cooper]

That was from towards the night before Christmas in 1823.

[Mike Carruthers]

And wasn't it that poem that Twas the night before Christmas, that's where the reindeer show up.

[James Cooper]

Before that, he always arrived on a horse it was really because the reindeer, you had some people drawing reindeer up in the northern states, in the snowy states, and also up in Norway and Sweden. It's thought that Clark Moore drew some of the inspiration from Nordic traditions of the sleighs over there, which are pulled by reindeer to bring the reindeer into the poem. And that's where we get the reindeer from. Although of course, Rudolph only arrived in 1939 for Montgomery War Department Stores when a book was written about him. And then the cartoon was made in 48 and we have the famous song in 49.

[Mike Carruthers]

So there's a tradition, at least in the US that seemed to have been bigger a few decades ago, but still persists, and that is Christmas cards. And I have no idea where that came from.

[James Cooper]

That's a good old British tradition. And that was invented in the same year that A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was published, which was 1843. Christmas cards were invented by a man called Sir Henry Cole. He was one of the founding members of the Victoria and Albert Museum over here in London. And he also helped set up the earliest UK post office. And he invented and introduced a new cheaper form of postage stamp. So he got a friend of his called John Horsley, an artist, to design him the first Christmas card, basically to show off that you could use this cheaper penny postal service. It was kind of a marketing ploy to show that he got this new way of cheaper postage and he could send out these cards to his family and friends to wish them a Merry Christmas. And it really took off from there. And then when cheaper printing came in in the 1860s and 1870s and the cost went even cheaper, then Christmas cards sort of blossomed around the world.

[Mike Carruthers]

But they don't seem to be as popular today as they did say in the 50s or 60s or even 70s. They seem to have. People don't seem to send them as much.

[James Cooper]

Yeah, no, I think they're, they're, I think they're on the way out, Frankly. I think five, 10 years time, Christmas, Christmas cards certainly in the UK will be a thing of the past because one, postage is so expensive these days and two, we just have other means of communication. They were often a time when families would catch up once a year, you know, the traditional family newsletter of what's been happening through the year. But now we have email and WhatsApp and social media that we're in much more close communication with lots of people all over the world these days.

[Mike Carruthers]

Oh, one more I really wanted to get you to talk about is the Poinsettia is how they got mixed up in Christmas, because it seems odd to me.

[James Cooper]

Yeah, again, they're an American thing because they come from Mexico. The poinsettia, it was made widely known because of a man called Joel Roberts poinsettia, and that's why we called them poinsettias. And he was the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico in 1825. He had some greenhouses on his plantations in South Carolina. He visited Mexico and saw these interesting plants growing that were beautiful colors around Christmas. And so he got some of the plants and took them back to his plantation and grew them in South Carolina and then sent them out around America to his family and friends. Kind of like early Christmas cards in a way. He sent them to John Bartram in Philadelphia, who was a big botanical name in Philadelphia. And that's where they became. They really bloomed into popularity as a Christmas plant because they were something again with the reds and the greens that were already associated with Christmas that they just really fitted with Christmas decorations.

[Mike Carruthers]

Well, it's always fun and interesting to hear the backstories of all our holiday traditions. I just really enjoy listening to this. James Cooper has been my guest and he has a website. If you're into Christmas at all, you've got to check out his website. It is whychristmas.com w h y christmas whychristmas.com and I'll put a link to it in the show notes. Thank you, James.

[James Cooper]

Well, thank you very much for having me. It's always fun to do these sorts of things. Thanks.

[Mike Carruthers]

According to a survey that you're about to hear about, for people who set goals, who commit to making a change in their life, whether that be for health or career or whatever, only 6% actually achieve the goal they set. Now, there's good news and bad news in that statistic. The bad news is that that a 94% failure rate is rather dismal. But the good news is that 6% pulled it off. They achieved their goal. So what can we learn from that 6%? How did they achieve their goal when so many others failed? And how can you use that strategy to achieve goals in your life? That's what you are about to discover from my next guest, Dr. Michelle Rose. She's a much sought after speaker on leadership, motivation and change. She works with brands like Pfizer, Merrill Lynch, Coca Cola and others. And she is author of a book called the Six Percent Unlock the Secret to Achieving Any Goal and Thriving in Business and Life. Hi, Michelle. Welcome. Glad to have you on something you should know.

[Dr. Michelle Rose]

Hi Mike, I'm so glad to be here.

[Mike Carruthers]

So what is, do you think the big problem that people have? Because when you think about it, if I set a goal, if I something I want to do, why is it so hard to do? I mean, it's my goal, I set it. So why do people struggle with this?

[Dr. Michelle Rose]

People struggle with setting goals because they're not doing it the right way. And nobody ever teaches you, Mike, how to do it. So what they do is we're always told, oh, you should have a list of goals. And that's considered to be like advanced. You just don't have them in your head. You have a list, list. But what actually happens is that setting a goal and automating that new behavior in the human brain, it's not easy. It's a process. And so when people set too many goals, the brain gets overwhelmed. And the brain says, I don't know how to do all these new things at once. I mean, you started the year, you have like these 10 things that you want to change. And so people get overwhelmed, they drop the whole thing.

[Mike Carruthers]

Think so talk about that survey that you did, because I think that's kind of the beginning point for this whole discussion. So explain what you did.

[Dr. Michelle Rose]

On January 2023, I surveyed, after being so many years in the space of and the field of change, I surveyed 1,000 people all over the US and all of them, like so many of us, said, oh yeah, you know, I'm going to do all these amazing things and I'm going to lose the weight, I'm going to save more money, I'll be more present with my team, I'm going to do better with my business, I' spend more time with my kids, whatever their goal was. And what I found out was that no matter what category, no matter what it is that those people wanted to do, 94% of the people surveyed dropped their goals within the first 60 days.

[Mike Carruthers]

Which is a lot of goals not achieved. But those 6%, the other 6% that did achieve them, what did they do differently that allowed them to achieve their goals? Goal.

[Dr. Michelle Rose]

One of the things that the 6 percenters do differently is they pick one goal at a time for 30 days and do only that. So rather than trying to do this and this and this and that, overwhelm your brain, drop the whole thing. They say, okay, for the next 30 days, I'm going to go to the gym every day at 6 o'clock, repeat, repeat, repeat for 30 days. It automates that new behavior in the brain. Then they pick another goal. Then they pick another. The domino effect of, rather than overwhelming yourself with a lot of things, getting overwhelmed, drop the whole thing. How do you get really specific and granular and nail down those new habits one at a time every 30 days.

[Mike Carruthers]

And in that 30 days, as I'm going through and going to the gym every day at 6:00 and then on Thursday something comes up and now I've missed the gym because I had to go to the kids school or something and something happens and then the next day I'm thinking, well, I missed yesterday, what's another? And then what? And then what?

[Dr. Michelle Rose]

So think about it this way, Mike. Let's say that the beginning of the year you had, I'm just going to come up with a random number. You had 12 goals for yourself. And let's say, because you're talking about what happens if I drop the ball, which happens to so many people, because you know what, we're human, we're not machines, we're not robots. Life gets in the way. And it can be that you couldn't go to the gym, or it could be that you wanted to save this much money every month and you had this whole system or every week and then, then a big expense came something. Life happens. And so what the six percenters do differently is they say, okay. Instead of saying, okay, I have 12 goals, get overwhelmed, drop the whole thing. Let's say that they have 12 goals, they kill them one at a time, nail them one at the time. And let's say that in the course of a year, the year Mike, you dropped your goal, you dropped the ball on four things, you were still able to automate eight different new healthy behaviors in the course of the year. That's a huge amount of change. Now think about year two, now think about year three. That's a transformation. So the system is very simple. The system says, hey, you dropped the ball on something that you wanted to do. Don't beat yourself up, don't be hard on yourself. All you need to do is go back to the beginning line and repeat, Repeat, repeat for 30 days.

[Mike Carruthers]

One of the things that I've tried to do better, and this has been a frustration for me is, you know, I have like a bowl that I put my keys and my glasses and my wallet and when I come home, but sometimes I don't, and then I can't find them. And I try very diligently and every day I go looking for them. And some days they're there and some days they're not. And it's Just, it's very frustrating because something will happen or I'll come in a different door and put my stuff down there. And it just. There's always something that kind of throws a monkey wrench into the system.

[Dr. Michelle Rose]

Yeah, I love how you bring that up, Mike, because, you know, sometimes the things that frustrate us, when people talk about goals, they think, oh, big. You know, I'm going to change the world. At no, no, no. Most of people have goals that start from very everyday things, you know, and that's the right place to start. You start with the small things, and you start building those new habits. You start practicing what the 6 percenters do differently. And so back to the point that you're bringing up, it's such a good point, because one of the things that the 6 percenters do differently is that instead of relying on their willpower, which is what you're doing, you're relying on your willpower to remember to put the keys away when you come into the house. But you get distracted, and there are other things that are happening. So rather than relying on their willpower, they manipulate their environment. That means that either you set a reminder on your phone or you move where that jar is so that it reminds you, or you put a piece of paper on the floor so that as soon as you come in, there's a piece of paper, a note that says, put the keys in the jar. Do you see what I'm saying? So, you know, we spend a lot of energy. There's a tendency to spend a lot of energy on relying on our willpower. Oh, I'm not going to eat late at night. Night. Or I'm not going to forget to drink water. Or I, you know, or I won't forget to put my keys away. But willpower is very flimsy. You know, if you're tired, hungry, you had a bad day, it's just not there anymore. So instead of relying on their willpower, the 6 percenters manipulate their environment. I bet if you had a sign on the floor when you open the door or on the wall in front of you that said, put keys away in the jar, you did that for 30 days. After 30 days, it's automated in your brain. The door opens, you're like, oh, yeah, I got to put the keys in the jar. I've done that before. I have that neural pathway weight in my brain.

[Mike Carruthers]

What are some of the common goals people have a problem with?

[Dr. Michelle Rose]

Everybody wants to be healthier. People want to have better relationships. There's a lot of pain around loneliness and relationships. I noticed that in the research and money, people want to have more money, do better financially. So at the end of the day, everybody wants to live better. And there's a tremendous amount of pain in the world, especially these days, with people that want things with their relationships, with their money, with their health, and they keep dropping the ball. And a lot of times people ask me, oh, you know, Michelle, how do I. Why do I lack confidence? How do I get more confident? And you know, Mike, confidence breeds success. Success breeds confidence. And what's nice about the 6% club is that that you start from the little things. You automate them. You know, you start small and it works. And then you say to yourself, wow, this is really cool. I am putting the keys away. I am going to the gym every day. This is so cool. Let me pick a bigger goal. And you follow the same methodology, and it's not complicated and it's not overwhelming, and it works. So then your confidence grows. You know, you say to yourself, oh, my gosh, I'm so cool. I did it. Let me pick a bigger goal. And so there's an accumulating effect of generating those successes. You know, one after the other, one after the other. Start small. It gets big over time. And so in that respect, it's a process of becoming. You become, you know, a 6 percenter. A lot of people come to me and they say, you know what, Michelle? I'm going to be a 6 percenter. And I know that it's possible because it's very underwhelming. It's really not complicated. It's just a different approach to creating a list and doing all those things and, you know, overwhelming yourself.

[Mike Carruthers]

So take, if you can, take a couple of those things. You said that people want to live better, so they want more money, they want to be healthy and create a common goal. And how do you put your toe in the water?

[Dr. Michelle Rose]

I'll give you an example. Real life example. Last week. So last week I'm giving a keynote. One of the attendees goes up to the stage and she shared that her goal is to eat healthy, healthier. She's telling the audience, I'm working with a new coach at the gym and I want to eat healthier. And the coach also said that I need to eat healthier, but I can't do it. You know, every time I say I'm going to eat healthier and it's not working out for me, and the coach is a little annoyed with me and I don't know what to do. So what we did together. I said to her, listen, eating healthier is very overwhelming because what does that even mean? You know, if for the last 30 days. 30 days, 30 years. Years. You're used to eating in a certain way, your brain gets so overwhelmed. Like what do you mean? What does that even mean? Drops the whole thing. So I said for the next 30 days all you're going to do is just change your lunch. That's all you're going to focus on. I don't care what you eat for the rest of the day, you're going to do that. You can automate it after you automate it for 30 days. Once you hit the 30 days mark, it's automated in your brain now. Just change your snack. And I said, if you look at the next six months, your likelihood of succeeding in changing your eating habits in the next six months, if you follow that methodology versus I'm going to eat healthier, get overwhelmed, drop. The whole thing is incredibly higher. And that's how you reach transformation.

[Mike Carruthers]

How about like I know people, there's a huge problem with people not saving money. And, but it's such a, it's such a big thing. Like if, you know, saving $5 is not like doing much. So people just go, oh screw it. And they don't do anything. But so how do you, how do you set that 30 day thing up so it becomes a habit?

[Dr. Michelle Rose]

So let's take just what you said, Mike. I love that because that was so specific and granular, right? I call that the law of specification. So you were just super specific. You said five day, $5 every day, right? So if you said for them next 30 days, all I need to do is every day I need to transfer $5 into this saving account. Super simple. Problem is like you said, people are like, oh, you know, I was busy today, I didn't do it. I don't know if it's even going to work. But that's the goal you set for yourself. The first thing you do, you manipulate your environment. So you set a reminder on your phone every day at the same time. So let's say 15 minutes before dinner, you transfer $5 to your savings account account every day at the same time. Because your goal is to automate. And so you set a reminder on your phone. I promise you after the 30 days, Mike, even if you don't have a reminder on your phone, you're going to be like, what time is it? 5:45. What do I do at 5:45? I transfer $5 into my savings account. And so that's how you use. It's a specific goal. It's very attainable. All you need to do is automate it, and then it becomes a habit. And then you can say, you know what? Second month, I'm going to transfer. Transfer $10 into my savings account every day at 5:45. And so you do that. And so over time, you get yourself into habits that build you, and you can do that in every single aspect of your life. It's simple, it's specific, it's doable, and it's a lot more attainable than to say, I'm going to save so much more money this year. You know, definitely going to do it. Get overwhelmed. The brain doesn't even know what it means. Drop the whole thing. So much more attainable, so much simpler.

[Mike Carruthers]

Well, that brings up a point about goals because people often say, well, you know, I want to have more money, I want to be healthier, I want to. Well, that's not a. There's no way to measure that. You ever get there? Because that's not really a goal. What's more money? What's healthier? It doesn't mean anything.

[Dr. Michelle Rose]

Exactly, exactly. And that's what your brain says. Your brain says, I don't know what you mean. You know, think about it this way, Mike. The brain takes about 20% of the overall body energy. So the brain is very costly to the body in terms of energy. 20% is a lot. And it's 20% to just to do what you know how to do already, just to live. Every time you ask your brain to do something different to start a new habit, you're asking for a lot. And so your brain would prefer to do what it knows how to do already. So if you say, every time, oh yeah, I'm going to save so much more money. Money. And you don't do it, the next time you say it, your brain would say, can we just. Can we just do that? Can we just like, drop the whole thing? Because that's what you. I have a neural pathway for that. If you want to curb your brain's tendency to pull you towards your old habits, the only way you can do that is by using what I call the law of specification, which means you get really specific and granular. Don't just say, I'm going to save more money. Get as specific and as granular as possible. So you say, I'm going to save $5 a day. I'm going to save $100 a month. I'm going to do that every last day of the month. Whatever it is that your plan is, be as specific and as granular as possible. Otherwise, I promise you, your brain will prefer, just for saving energy purposes, to pull you towards your old ways. And that's not what you want.

[Mike Carruthers]

Well, I understand what you said about, you know, setting these big, huge goals, but can you set them too small? And what I mean by that is, you know, if you, if you make it a habit to send $5 a day to your savings account, okay, it's something to remember every single day. And at the end of the month, five, five dollars a day, look at what you've got. You got hardly anything. Was it worth it? Maybe you should have shot a little higher.

[Dr. Michelle Rose]

There's nothing wrong with setting big goals. Nothing wrong. I love setting big goals. I set big goals for myself. I think that big goals are exciting. As long as you take whatever goals and whatever goal you have for yourself. You don't owe anyone an explanation why you want to save $5 or why you want to save a thousand dollars or why you want to take. Doesn't matter. It has to be important for you. And I have a tool for that. But it's called a 0 to 10 rule. And the 0 to 10 rule is a tool for a lot of things, but one of the things that it measures is how much you care about something, right? So. So if you don't really care, I asked my daughter the other day, my youngest one, my 16 year old, you know, she said she's not going to the gym as much as she thought she would. And I said, how much do you care about it? 0 to 10. That's the 0 to 10 rule. And she said, actually 4. So I said, well, that's why you're not going. It's not important enough for you. So no matter what your goal are, make sure it doesn't matter, big or small. You don't owe anyone an explanation. Make sure that it's a 10 for you, which means something that you really feel very strongly about. Because if it's not a 10 for you, you're not going to care enough to make the effort. And so you pick Something that's a 10 for you. It can be big, it can be small, no matter what it is. And you go for it and you manipulate your environment. You get really specific and granular. It's not complicated, super practical. And whatever it is that you want for yourself, go ahead and do it because it's in your hands. You don't have to be the kind of person that talks about Goals, gets overwhelmed, drops the whole think. Whatever your goals are, you can get there. You just have to use the right methodology.

[Mike Carruthers]

There are some goals though that are really hard. It isn't just a matter of remembering to do it. I mean losing weight, I mean statistically your chances are just so low that you will take the weight off and keep it off. Stopping smoking is really hard to do. Even if you're committed to doing it. There are some where the odds are really, really, the deck is stacked against you.

[Dr. Michelle Rose]

You don't care about the statistics, you care about yourself. And whatever it is that you want to do, you can do. A lot of people stop smoking and they just decide that it's a 10 for them and they go for it. A lot of people do amazing things with weight or amazing things with health because it's a 10 for them. It doesn't matter what the don't look at the statistics, it doesn't matter what other people do. And it's not a matter of remembering to do it. It's a matter of manip your environment to do it and being very specific. So if you don't look to the left, don't look to the right, don't look at people on social media, don't look at the numbers, look at yourself. What do you really want to do that is really important for you right now? That is a 10. Get specific, get granular and know that you can do it. Doesn't matter what other people can and cannot do.

[Mike Carruthers]

What about the idea of if you have a goal of doing, doing it, trying to achieve it with, along with somebody else?

[Dr. Michelle Rose]

That's amazing, that's wonderful. As long as that someone supports you. So there's going to be people around you and we do talk about the people that surround you. There's going to be people around you that will tell you that you can't do it. All you need to do is focus and follow the methodology and it's going to generate success. So surround yourself with people that support you and then if you have those people as a support system, as accountability buddies, it's amazing because it's going to make you stronger. So mind the people that surround you and make sure that you surround yourself with people that support you, uplift you and share your optimistic and justified crushing your goals.

[Mike Carruthers]

It would seem that, you know, sometimes people do things not because they're all that enthusiastic about it, but it's because other people are nagging them, oh, you got to lose some weight. Oh, you really should stop smoking. I'll give it a try and there isn't a big commitment to it. It's you're either doing it because somebody else wants you to or but there isn't a lot of momentum built behind this.

[Dr. Michelle Rose]

So let's apply the 0 to 10 rule here. It's not going to work. It's not going to work because you don't care enough. If you really care about something, something you're going to do amazing at getting there. You just need the right methodology. But if you don't care enough, you just don't care enough. You've got to have a sit down with yourself and ask yourself, what do I really want? What is a 10 for me right now? And you don't owe anyone an explanation for why your 10 is your 10. But whatever that 10 is, go get it.

[Mike Carruthers]

Yeah. And if it's not a 10 for you, then when you think about it, well, why bother? This has been great. I've been talking with Dr. Michelle Rosen. She's author of the book the Six Percent Unlock the Secret to Achieving Any Goal and Thriving in Business and Life. And there's a link to her book in the show notes. Thanks for talking about this, Michelle. I appreciate the insight and the enthusiasm. It's contagious.

[Dr. Michelle Rose]

Thank you so much. Mike.

[Mike Carruthers]

I'm sure you were told since you were very, very young to sit up straight, but some experts say that's actually bad advice for your back. Sitting up straight in a chair puts strain on your spine and ligaments and over time that can lead to pain and deformity and chronic illness. That doesn't mean you should slouch or lean forward either. That's even worse. The best position for your back is leaning slightly back at an angle of about 135 degrees. If you work at a computer, give your back a break and recline a little bit. And don't forget to get up and walk around. It is one of the best things you can do for your back and that is something you should know. Our producers are Jeffrey Havison and Jennifer Brennan. Our executive producer is Ken Williams. I'm Mike Carruthers. Thanks for listening today to something you should know. Buffet brawlers, glory holes gone wrong, cannibalistic castration cabins, public poopers. These are just a few of the crazy topics you'll hear covered on Excuse Me, that's Illegal, the pettiest podcast around. Whether you need a break from all that murdery true crime stuff or just enjoy hearing hilarious stories told in a unique way, I got what you need. I'm Leroy Luna, your fearless host chauffeur. So come hop in my minivan and let's go for a ride. I promise you probably won't be disappointed. Excuse me, that's illegal. Is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, basically everywhere you consume podcasts with new episodes dropping on the 10th, 20th, and 30th of the month. Baby. There is a fascinating and unique podcast I'd like you to check out as I have. It's called Only One in the Room. A few years back, Laura Cathcart Robbins attended a writer's retreat where out of 600 attendees, she was the only black one. So later she wrote about her experience and the article went viral because people understand what it feels like to be the only one in the room. Only One in the Room is for anyone who has ever felt alone in a room full of people. I bet you've had that feeling. Listen and you'll hear guests like Hilary Phelps, sister of Olympian Michael Phelps, sharing her story of her secret addiction, former Fox News reporter Christine O'Donnell, who was fired after one of her social media posts was taken out of context. Only One in the Room was named a top podcast by Reader's Digest, the Manual, and Bustle magazines. Every week, Laura and her co host, Scott Slaughter invites you to join them for an hour and lose yourself in someone's only one story. Check out Only One in the Room wherever you get your podcasts.