Goals for Real Change, and the Goals That Change Us
When we emphasizes the process over the precise moment of success, the success becomes inevitable...
Happy 2024!
A Decade Ago: My Resolution Awakening
Ten years ago, on a chilly December 31st evening in the Bay Area, I found myself inspired by friends' New Year's resolutions. They spoke of getting healthy, spending time with family, and more. Caught in the moment, I resolved to leave my job to pursue my passion, even though I wasn't clear on what that would be. I remember feeling exhilarated by this decision.
What happened next surprised me, given my excitement for my resolution. As the year unfolded, my resolution succumbed to neglect, gathering dust in the corners of my mind.
Does this scenario sound familiar? We set resolutions, especially around New Year's Eve or days leading up to it, but often, nothing changes. This pattern wasn't unique to that year; it's been a recurring theme in my life.
Have you set your sights on 2024 goals? Are you hoping for success?
Let's transform that hope into a deeper confidence that you WILL succeed. While I'm hosting a workshop next week on this very topic, this newsletter aims to share a few mental shifts and tactics that have helped both me and my coaching clients turn goals into reality. In our workshop, we'll delve into live exercises and craft robust strategies for your goals.
**How to NOT Break Your New Year Resolutions** - Zoom - Luma
Rethinking Goal Setting: Beyond Just Resolutions
We often set ambitious goals annually, sometimes repeating previous years' resolutions. These can range from losing weight and getting healthier to spending more time with family, changing jobs, or starting a business. The real challenge is how to bring these aspirations to life.
Resolutions without a plan often remain just dreams. Without clear strategies and consistent actions, they tend to be forgotten as the year progresses, as was my own experience.
The Myth of January 1st: The Power of Daily Habits
Contrary to popular belief, January 1st isn't a magical date. True success lies in building and maintaining daily habits, not just making grand plans once a year. It's about engaging with our goals daily, be it through a daily review or incorporating activities aligned with our goals into our routines. This consistent effort leads to long-term achievements.
January 1st is merely one of many opportunities throughout the year to connect with our deeper desires and aspirations.
Embracing the Incremental Journey
Success rarely happens overnight. It's about appreciating each small step and understanding that the timing of achieving our goals is less important than the journey itself. Valuing incremental progress keeps our motivation alive and makes the process as rewarding as the destination. Moreover, if you get 1% better every day, the magic of compounding makes you better beyond your wildest imagination (37x in one year, e.g.).
“When you find yourself in the thickness of pursuing a goal or dream, stop only to rest. Momentum builds success.”
― Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem
In our upcoming workshop, we'll explore a sound process for achieving goals, highlighting that while we can't control the timing of our results, their eventual achievement becomes inevitable.
This video by Simon Sinek really drives this point home: Stick to the Process.
This approach emphasizes the process over the precise moment of success. We will figure out the process for at least one of your goals in the workshop if you are willing to play along.
Setting Up for Success: Creating Win-Win Scenarios
An essential part of goal setting is framing our efforts so we benefit, regardless of the outcome. This mindset prepares us not just for success but also to learn from failure, transforming setbacks into valuable growth experiences.
For example, if your goal is to get promoted, and you diligently work on creating value and communicating that value, external factors (like the economy or company constraints) might still impede your promotion. However, the growth you experience in the process equips you better for future opportunities, be it in the next promotion cycle or a new job search. The work you put in makes your state of mind so much confident and powerful that you start to see opportunities where there were none earlier. This approach has led several of my coaching clients to outcomes far beyond their initial aspirations.
Breaking Free from Past Limitations: Staying Present
It's easy to be hindered by past failures, but every new moment is an opportunity for change. Ask yourself, "What will be different this time?" and actively implement those changes. This might mean seeking external help, reading insightful books, finding mentors, or connecting with achievers in your field.
As the saying goes, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."
And remember the often-quoted (though misattributed to Einstein) line: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." To achieve different outcomes, we must break free from past patterns, learn concrete lessons, and start implementing them.
Conclusion: Embracing Action and Adaptation
It was only after a few years of that chilly December 31st night that I realized what I was missing in following through on my resolutions. I have shared some of those realizations here, and I will share more insights and practices in the workshop. Once those strategies and tactics fell in place, I did my job leave in 2017 and in a way that was sustainable. And it is my 6th year now working with people, having deep conversations with them to help them live a life of success, harmony, and abundance.
If you don't take different actions, you can't expect different results. Embrace change, seek guidance, and commit to your daily efforts. The journey towards your goals can be as fulfilling as achieving the goals themselves.
To get better every day, you need systems and processes that work for you. Without systems, it is hard to even know if you are making progress every day. In our workshop, we will talk about some of the processes you can follow to keep track of your progress towards your resolutions.
Join us in our workshop to dive deeper into these mindsets and strategize for YOUR goals.
**How to NOT Break Your New Year Resolutions** - Zoom - Luma
As always, we're here to support you on this transformative journey. Let's make this year one where our goals are not just dreams, but stepping stones to greater achievements and personal growth.
Cheers and all the best in the new year,
Yogi
Very well written! Totally agree with "Contrary to popular belief, January 1st isn't a magical date." I remember once year my goal was to give up sugar starting Jan 1st. But in preparation of it, I went out of my way to enjoy all my fav desserts in December. Come Jan 1st, my sugar cravings so strong, I really struggled with sticking to my resolution. Starting small and doing it consistently has worked much better for me since then.