#446 Hat. Determining how we want it to play.

What if a small, ordinary choice could quietly steer your entire day? We take the humble hat off the shelf and turn it into a practical tool for setting intention, shaping mindset, and moving with purpose—from the first step out the door to the last task on your list.

We walk through how different hats can anchor different roles: a work cap that signals service and grit, a coaching flat bill that reminds us to listen and challenge, a branded hat that connects us to mission and community. By pairing your cap with your calendar, you can pre-load your day with cues that reduce friction and help you show up as the person your tasks demand. Rather than forcing motivation, you let a simple physical signal trigger the mindset you need—similar to affirmations, but woven into your routine.

You’ll hear practical prompts to choose your hat by intention: What kind of day do you want? What attitude will carry you forward? What mindset will help others? We talk about habit stacking, using color and style to mark tempo, and building a small “role wardrobe” that speeds transitions between deep work, coaching, and outdoors. The goal isn’t fashion; it’s focus. When the brim goes on, the mind aligns.

If you’ve ever wanted a low-effort way to start strong and stay consistent, this is your cue to make cues. Try the ritual tomorrow morning: pick the hat that matches your goals, put it on with purpose, and notice how your actions follow. Share your takeaways with us—call the Growth Instigators Hotline or message us at growthinstigators.com—and if this sparked a shift, subscribe, leave a review, and pass it to a friend who could use a simple tool for a better day.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Theme: Hats
• 0:18 Part One: Lessons From Hats
• 0:24 Are You A Hat Person
• 0:56 Hats As Intentional Mindset Cues
• 1:22 Choose The Day You Want
• 1:50 Share Your Hat Lessons

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome to message 446 of the Growth Instigators Hotline. I'm Aaron Havens, your host and growth coach. This week we are talking about hats. An everyday normal object that we can assign deeper meaning to, something that can remind us of a bigger truth. Welcome to part one of five as we dive into lessons we can learn from hats. Okay, as we kick off a week of talking about hats, let's start with a question. Are you a hat person? I mean, I work outside a lot, so I have plenty of hats for the occasion. Protection from the UV rays, shade, ease of just slapping on a hat because my hair's all over the place, to keep me warm or cool, to promote my company, style, and yes, a flatbell hat is an indicator that you are from Colorado. So do you wear hats? Do you have a favorite hat? Just like Dr. Terry affirms positive affirmations, I wear hats in a similar way. If I'm wearing a hat, I first off consider what I want my day to be or look at my calendar and dress accordingly. If it's a heavy sky commercial cleaning day, then on goes that hat. If it's a heavy coaching day, then on goes my growth instigator's flat bill hat, and I have to determine what color I want to wear. What kind of day do you want it to be? What kind of attitude do you want to carry out today? What mindset do you need? Maybe the secret is picking just the right hat, is also knowing just what kind of day you want it to be. Maybe hats can remind us to start our days off right by determining how we want to play it out. That, my friends, is how a common everyday object can instigate growth. I'd love to hear some of your thoughts. What growth lessons can you apply to hats? For those of you calling the Growth Instigators Hotline, I'd love to hear your thoughts after the beep, or you can send me a text message. For those of you listening in on our podcast, visit growth instigators.com and send me your thoughts. Let's never see hats the same.