This time of the year many people create goals desperately wanting their lives to change for better. Some of these goals sound something like:
• “I want to be in shape by spring.”
• “I want to be financial free.”
• “I want to own a sports car.”
• “I want cryptocurrency to continue to skyrocket.”
Other people who tried setting goals and at the end of the year had nothing to show for have already gave up. They no longer set goals. They look at examples such as gym membership that is bought beginning of the year compared to number of people mid-year actually using the gym and reason that setting and achieving goals just doesn’t work.
Those that set goals and those who have given up on setting goals can still transform their lives in a positive way by achieving this one goal. The goal of establishing goal-achieving habits.
Become self-aware of activities you do. Identify tension-relieving from goal-achieving activities. Tension-relieving activities are those that help destress you such as taking a coffee break, or having an extra-long lunch chatting with someone about things that bring little value to getting your work done. Goal-achieving activities are those that directly impact the results you’re looking to achieve. It’s not about eliminating tension-relieving activities as those have their place. It is about balance. The more goal-achieving activities you do, the more accomplished you will feel and become. The more tension-relieving activities you do the calmer you will feel with little to show for. That is until you get to the other side of the spectrum and start stressing out about not accomplishing much which may lead to questioning your existence.
Habits are funny creatures. When you see a good one that is well established they look awesome, well groomed, well behaved, never wavering. It makes you want to have one too. The challenge is that you can only acquire these creature as newborns. You have to feed them, change their diapers, clean up after them, give them guidance and structure. Oh, and don’t forget the teenage phase. This is when your creature will feel like they’re good and don’t need you much. They want to be independent. You will hear things like, “missing one day won’t hurt anything.” A lot of hard work goes into raising them. It takes anywhere from 30 to 90 days to have them grow into adulthood. Some of them take even longer it depends on how diligent you are in raising them.
In order to stick through the process of raising awesome habit creatures you will need to know why you are doing this. Remember as Henry David Thoreau said, “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Deep down no one wants to be forgotten as just another insignificant person that was born, lived a few years, and died having done nothing to help his fellow human being.
The road to success is not straight. There’s a misconception about staying on a straight and narrow path. The path is not straight, though it is narrow. The reason why it’s narrow is due to so few travelers. Albert Gray said, “The common denominator of success lies in forming the habit of doing things that failures don't like to do.” Even when the path is found, many people look at it and chose not to take it knowing that voyage will be hard. What they do not realize is that the destination makes the voyage worthwhile. Keep your sight on your purpose, on your “why” and persist in grooming your habit creatures into adulthood so that you can benefit from their contributions.
Foot Note:
Goal-achieving and Tension-relieving activities were referenced by Earl Nightingale in following video.
Earl Nightingale - How To MANIFEST Your Goals Faster