A Goal without a plan is just a wish.
How often have you set a goal and forgot it 10 seconds later?
I’ve given up trying to determine whether it is me or the system.
I’ve read so many books and taken so many courses that you have no idea how much I know about this goal stuff.
After tracking and trying to make it all work, I’ve found that I was obsessed with finding the right system rather than getting the job done.
It’s like being obsessed with the gym and what you wear when you could have run around the local park in your swimming trunks and a Christmas jumper and got a better result.
The ‘hack’ is not just about doing the work but also about consistency, adaptability, and self-awareness. It’s about understanding your personal limits and setting realistic time frames.
What do you want?
When I started learning about goals twenty years ago, I was amazed no one had mentioned it.
So you write down what you want, and then you get it?
F&<k me, is that it?
You have to know what you want, and for that, you have to know who you are.
Why you need to keep repeating
After years of trying a million tactics, methods, gimmicks, and frameworks, I am sorry to tell you that simply reading or glancing quickly at your daily goals is the best thing to do.
I have used Hero On A Mission since 2020 and followed 12 Week Year since 2018.
Reviewing my current goals on a near-daily basis helped me spot what works, what I want, where my blocks are, and where I’m full of shit.
It has been a long, ugly path, but you must own your journey.
Daily attention keeps your attention; if you can, you are on the right path.
Don’t let someone else write your story.
At least it would be best to have goals to enter the game of life.
The first goal you have is not going to get you across the finish line at the Olympics.
But like Kofi teaches to everyone in Urban MBA, it’s all about mindset.
Goals create your identity, so you need something you’ve made yourself to connect with your potential.
Please don’t rely on the school system, mainstream media, or AI to determine what you should be doing with your life.
Lesson 1: Importance of specificity
I want more of this, less of that; I like this idea — it is unclear.
The more specific you are, the more precise your thinking will be.
My goal is to weigh xx by this date, and I will do that by running three times a week in the morning and swimming at 4 pm every Tuesday.
I will not eat sugar and weigh myself daily when I wake up.
When you are then specific, you know where you stand with yourself.
You must make it work, but be prepared to tell yourself why you can’t do the work to achieve this goal.
Lesson 2: Embracing Adaptability
Don’t be maniacal about your goal; be realistic.
Too often, I’ve stressed out and even made myself sick trying to make something work.
Not a good look.
You’ll learn how to adapt, but you must be open to learning how.
When you find your ‘flow ‘, you’ll experience efficiency because it’s not a battle. ‘Flow’ is a state of mind where you are fully immersed in a task, feeling energised and focused. It’s about keeping to a true north while being able to adapt.
When you have flow, you have efficiency because it’s not a battle.
Lesson 3: Value of regular reviews
Weekly Accountability Meetings.
We hold weekly accountability meetings as part of the 12-week-year process.
At 9:30 am every Monday since the summer of 2018, Karen and I have had a 30-minute call where we look at:
- What we got done.
- Our scores and progress on our goals.
- What are we going to do?
- What is in our way?
You’ll be amazed at how much you get done; addressing what you are missing is vital.
Lesson 4: Understanding personal limits
It would help if you were both honest and kind with yourself.
It has taken me years to admit that life works well when I do a few things.
Even now, I want to do everything everywhere, all at once.
I have a dysfunctional, self-destructive relationship with time and reality.
Work out your limits and gradually expand them; three goals at a time allow you to do this and stay focused.
Less is more, and you get more of what you want over time.
Lesson 5: Realistic time frames
Being overly ambitious blows up in your face.
Work out how long each step takes to get a realistic time frame, and you’ll have more time.
Self-awareness plays a crucial role in effective time management and goal setting.
Being honest about your abilities and limitations is critical to setting realistic time estimates.
For years, I was under the illusion that writing an article like this one takes me an hour, based on a few early quick flukes.
In reality, it takes closer to four hours on a good day, not including the time spent thinking and reading over the years.
Only work on three goals simultaneously; you’ll get further in the long run.
Spending fifteen minutes daily on your goals gives frequent personal accountability and gauges the truth about your intent.
The only hack is
Eventually, everyone serious about life finds out that there is no quick fix — the only hack is consistency.
Right now, based on my expericne, my thinking is here:
The more deliberate you are about making a few things work, the better you’ll be at working out the long term because you’ll develop a knack for living with intent at the moment.
When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help you:
- You can book your free 25-minute no-pitch call here
- For the Lowdown on Coworking, Community Building, & the Creator Economy — Subscribe on YouTube
- The Coworking Values Podcast is twice a week.
