KB52 - How To Achieve Any Goal

MIND
How To Achieve Any Goal

Today, let's explore a four-step process to help you achieve any goal:

Pick, Focus, Challenge, Reflect.

As we're nearly two weeks into the new year, you probably have several goals you want to achieve.

This straightforward process is designed to help you reach those goals and maintain your success once you get there.

Let's dive in...

Step One - Pick

Identifying the right habit to focus on is crucial for achieving a goal. Among the numerous habits that can aid in this pursuit, it's essential to pinpoint what's known as the "keystone habit."

A keystone habit acts like a domino; once set in motion, it makes all other habits easier to adopt. 

Take weight loss as an example…

A keystone habit could be committing to a daily 15-minute exercise routine. 

Regular exercise benefits you on its own and encourages other healthy habits like eating well, drinking plenty of water, and getting adequate sleep, all vital for weight loss.

Have you thought about what your keystone habit could be to jump-start a healthier lifestyle? 

Maybe it's a short walk or choosing water over sugary drinks each day. 

Sometimes, it's the simplest change that sets everything else in motion.

Step Two - Focus

When striving to achieve a goal, if your focus is solely on the end result, your habits and behaviours may become a bit extreme and inconsistent, as you're only concentrating on the outcome. 

This approach might speed up your progress but won't ensure long-term success. 

The key to reaching and maintaining your goal lies in your daily actions, which is why creating a daily habit sheet is crucial. 

Taking weight loss as an example again, an effective habit sheet could include walking 10,000 steps, drinking 2 litres of water, exercising for 15 minutes, and tracking your food intake. 

If you consistently tick off these four tasks at least 80% of the time each week, you'll achieve your goal and maintain it.

Step Three - Challenge

The next step towards achieving your goal is to commit to your keystone habit for 30 days straight.

This is crucial as we're building this habit and must focus more on discipline than motivation. 

You might feel very motivated in the first week, but when challenges arise, you'll need to continue, whether you feel like it or not. 

That's when discipline becomes key. 

Remember, motivation is doing things when you feel like it, but discipline is doing them regardless of how you feel.

To ensure you stick to the 30-day challenge, hold yourself accountable to others and share your goal publicly.

It's often harder to let others down than ourselves. 

As Bob Proctor rightly said, "Accountability is the glue that ties commitment to the result." 

Making your commitment known to others creates a sense of responsibility, helping you stay on track, especially on tough days.

Step Four - Reflect

Once you've completed the 30-day challenge, it's crucial to reflect on the habit and how it has changed you. 

To truly make a habit stick, take a pen and paper and answer these three vital questions:

1. How has this habit improved my life?

2. Who else in my life benefits from me keeping up this habit, and why?

3. How can I hold myself accountable to maintain this habit consistently?

The purpose of writing down your answers is to remind yourself why you're doing this. 

It's not just about weight loss or looking better; it's about feeling better and being the best version of yourself for the people you love.

A sincere reflection on the challenge will reveal whether the habit has positively affected your life. 

This understanding will help you reach your goal and maintain it for life.

TLDR

👉 PICK: Choose a key habit, such as exercising for 15 minutes a day, and prioritise it above all others. This habit acts as a catalyst, making adopting additional habits necessary for achieving your goal easier.

👉 FOCUS: Concentrate on daily actions rather than just the end goal. Regularly ticking off these daily tasks builds the habits that eventually lead you to your desired outcome.

👉 CHALLENGE: Commit to practising your chosen habit for 30 consecutive days. In the beginning, discipline, not motivation, will keep you on track.

👉 REFLECT: After the 30-day period, set aside some time to think about the positive changes this habit has brought to your life. If you find that it has significantly improved who you are, maintaining this habit for the rest of the year will seem much easier.