Walking the .005 Wire
At a recent Sales Summit, thought leader and motivational speaker Rob Jeppsen delivered a powerful message about the impact of just .005 seconds in our lives.
He illustrated this with a striking example from the 2024 Olympic Games, where USA sprinter Noah Lyles won the 200-meter race by a mere .005 seconds. That infinitesimal moment—achieved by the simple act of leaning his torso forward—was the difference between silver and gold. One small, deliberate adjustment made all the difference.
Those who know me well understand that the past season of my life has been filled with .005 moments—moments that altered my course in ways I never could have imagined. Looking back, I realize they began in August, when I confided in a friend that I wanted to shake the proverbial tree branches of my life. I am, after all, a firm believer that thoughts become things.
The branches shook—hard. And in many cases, they snapped.
A few examples:
- After 24 years in a meaningful career with people I loved, I heard the words: “.005 … we have to let you go.”
- A call from my dermatologist after a routine biopsy: “.005 … we found squamous cells; they need to be removed.”
- A conversation with my freshman son: “.005 … I’m unhappy; I want to transfer.”
- And then, the text that shattered my foundation: “.005 … your mom has passed away.”
Life is filled with these pivotal moments, both devastating and transformative. We see this concept reflected in movies like Sliding Doors and books like 212: The Extra Degree. In history, a slight deviation—like the plane and helicopter collision over the Potomac River—can lead to unimaginable consequences.
But here’s the good news: Just as one small shift can create chaos, it can also bring about incredible course corrections.
For me, those .005 moments have led to:
- A new job that I love
- A successful procedure—the cancer cells are gone
- My son resetting and applying to a more suitable college
- And my mother, my daily confidant and best friend, no longer suffering
This past season has been nothing short of transformative. When I told my friend I wanted to shake the branches of my life, I didn’t anticipate how drastically they would fall. But here I stand, learning to embrace the change, finding silver linings in even the most painful shifts.
Grief is relentless, but so is hope. Even in darkness, we can look for signs, for opportunities, for moments that propel us forward. If you’ve ever lost someone or something deeply cherished, you understand—we become seekers. And when we seek, we find.
At that same Sales Summit, Jeppsen reminded us that thoughts become things. What we choose to focus on, even in the smallest increments, can reshape our world.
So I ask you: What will your next .005-second decision lead you to?
> 1/2 way there
Today, I hit day 55 of Andy Frisella’s 75 Hard Mental Grit program. And, as it turns out, my favorite podcaster, Mel Robbins, was in my ear this morning while I completed my outdoor workout talking about none other than building amazing habits that stick!
If, like me, you love science-based research, especially when it comes to creating healthy habits, you may have heard that creating habits in 21-days is a myth. In fact, I learned this morning that most habits take 66-254 days! And, according to a 2009 study that looked at 96 people over 12-weeks, it takes more than 2 months before a new behavior becomes automatic… 66 days to be exact.
I have been consistently following Andy Frisella’s systemic mental grit program of 2 daily workouts, a clean diet, 10 minutes of non-fiction reading, drinking a gallon of water and taking progress pictures daily. And, with the exception of squeezing 2 workouts in everyday, it hasn’t been too crazy hard. After listening to Mel’s podcast today, I am convinced a large part of my success was the systemic prep work. It is definitely not because I am more disciplined than others. I truly believe it is because I set up my own SYSTEM for success before starting the 75Hard system with visual benchmarks I could check off, alternative behavior replacements, and rewards including texting others daily who are also doing 75hard with me.
For example, my previous morning routine was eating sourdough toast with peanut butter in the morning. So, I knew I had to find a replacement for that “behavior” before starting. Fortunately, I found yummy gluten-free sourdough bread from a local bakery and now have a slice of that and a hard boiled egg everyday instead. And, like many other humans who enjoy a nice glass of wine/cocktail to decompress after a long day, I knew I had to find a replacement for that routine (insert Topo Chico with lime in a wine glass) so I wouldn’t be tempted. And, I also told myself before starting that it was completely fine if I went on 2 longs walks for my workouts on days when a gym workout or a hot yoga class was not possible. I also created a system that had a daily reward… And, yes I will be vulnerable (thanks Brené Brown) and share it included placing a gold star after I checked off all of my daily 75 hard to -do’s each day. Yes, once a teacher, always a teacher!
And, now that I have pushed this system of behaviors through my neural pathways, the habits of working out, eating clean, drinking water, and reading daily are locked in. So, although I may only have 20 more days left of crossing off habits on my frig, I know I can sustain these awesome habits going forward. Yes, I will ditch the required selfie, and go down to 1 daily workout. But, the other habits are baked in… including a gluten-free diet and gravitating toward reading a book in addition to some mindless Netflix. Speaking of books, thanks to all the great folks and companies I have been interviewing with, I am now reading System Wise about ….you guessed it SYSTEMS and the importance of acting, assessing and adjusting while working collaboratively (and being vulnerable!) using evidence to support and scale improvement.. A.C.E!
So, thank you reader for allowing me to take a beat to celebrate my more than ½ checkpoint of success with you. It’s been a wild adventure filled with some major life hiccups ( job loss, skin cancer diagnosis to name a few) but one that has been so rewarding. And, yes life-altering.
If you want to change anything in your life, I would highly recommend finding a realistic system that supports your known triggers and includes daily rewards, even if those rewards seem silly, and yes, very elementary or odd to others. 🙂 If they work for you and support your goals, I am confident you too will find yourself more than ½ way there too.
Carolyn Keeney 