Day one 2019, “I want more money,” “I want to lose weight,” “I want to be happy.” Come February, “Wait…what did I want?” The reason most of us fall short of our New Year resolutions is our lack of clarity.
“In the absence of clearly-defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia until ultimately we become enslaved by it.” –Robert Heinlein (1907-1988)
So you want to be happy. Well, what is happiness to you? More money, more family time, a new house? Paint the picture of your “happy day” in detail. Define the exact amount of money you want. Set a deadline date.The Universe and your brain need to know specifics in order to go to work for you.
High achievers can tell you in 30 seconds what they want, why they want it, what they need to give up in order to attain their goal, and the daily steps needed to accomplish it.
Know Thyself
Before we shoot for the moon, we need to know WHY we’re shooting. We need to clearly define our WHYs. Okay, we’ve got specific with our goals — I want a million bucks by 2025, or I want to be a rock star by the time I’m 30. But, in order for all this to work we need to know exactly why we want this. It will provide the foundation and motivation to see us through.
Marlene and I use the questions below every year to help define our WHYs:
What three things, if you did them, would make your life a success?
What would you be willing to die for?
What three things are you most grateful for?
What are you looking forward to?
Take some time and answer these questions honestly, and you will discover your WHYs.
“My WHYs are usually what makes me cry.” – Me
Gotta Give to Get
We’ve established why we want to achieve our goals. Now, we must face one of the universe’s many laws. You will have to give up something to gain something new. Most of the “stuff” in our life is noise or distractions. Netflix, video games, drinking, social media (I’m guilty of all of these time-eating monsters), but does it align with our primary ambitions? Eliminate the clutter and make room for the dreams you’re committing to.
Go Backwards to Move Forward
You want to be an astronaut. I love it. But to achieve lofty goals you need to break it down into manageable, bite-sized chunks. The Great Wall of China? Exactly! One brick at a time. The 5000-pound elephant in the room? One bite at a time. Wait, I may have used dumbo incorrectly there.
The point I’m trying to make is, that in order to progress forward, we need to work backwards from our ultimate goal and break it down into realistic, actionable steps that we can do on a daily basis. The beautiful thing is, even if you don’t hit your mark, you’re guaranteed to establish momentum and better understand what it is you really want.
Life and your goals are dynamic. Don’t be afraid to change them as you go. Feel free to adjust the daily action steps to find what works for you. Life is constant change. Your goals and daily to-dos should adapt.
Take Action
Marlene and I fill out the worksheet below every December and revisit it at least weekly. We use Google Docs so we can access it from anywhere, anytime, while knowing it’s secure in the cloud.
You can’t just talk about it, put it in your head and say “I’m good.” You need to write it down and track it. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Remember, being busy doesn’t always mean you’re being productive.
Start with the BIG picture and list your Lifetime Goals:
Long Term (complete within 1 year)
Long Term (within 3 years)
Long Term (within 10 years)
Long Term (before I die)
Move to the smaller goals next. All the categories below should be aligned with your Lifetime Goals. These are the elements you will need to be the best version of YOU possible.
Each category should have a seperate To Do List that’s realistic and manageable daily. I have listed the goal categories with my examples in each category for you.
Health & Wellness Goal
I will maintain my weight at 195 lbs. To do this I will:
- Not eat more than 2000 calories per day
- Learn new meal prep ideas
- Work out 5 days a week for at least 20 mins
Financial Goals
I will increase my net income by 10% this year. To do this I will:
- Make 5 more phone calls to potential clients a week
- Find more efficient strategies to save on overhead
- Hire an assistant to handle mundane tasks in order to free my time for the money-making activities
Education Goals (By the way, I’m a huge believer in “always be learning.” I truly feel pure happiness is linked to progression, and it doesn’t happen without continued learning.)
I will learn to speak Japanese. To do this I will:
- Buy Rosetta Stone
- Watch 2 YouTube videos per day
- Go to the library and find 5 books to read on the subject
Large Purchase/Home Improvement Goals
I will beautify my backyard. To do this I will
- Research cost if I hire a landscaping company
- Watch DIY videos to see if I want to handle it myself
- Look on Pinterest and select yards that I love
Travel Goals
I will go to Jamaica. To do this I will:
- Research cost if we use a guide or go it alone
- Plan a week in the year that works for our family
- Decide on a date and start a detailed worksheet of things to do on Jamrock
Family & Friends Goals
I will spend more time with family and keep eye contact with friends longer. To do this I will:
- Purposely plan and call a family member once a week
- Plan a fun lunch with Mom monthly
- When meeting with my friends I will stay off my phone, make eye contact, and be present and attentive to what they are saying
Community & Philanthropic Goals
Our family will pick a charity and donate our time 4 times a year.
- Research charities near me
- Teach my children the importance of giving
- Set an example for my children
Make sure to read your goals and To Do List daily. We need to program our subconscious mind to work for us. (More on that topic in a later blog.)
We could spend hours on this topic, and we will revisit many ideas here in greater detail in the future. But I wanted to humbly help you get 2019 started with a couple tools to make it your most amazing year ever!
You have made a road map to your dreams. Don’t worry about zigging and zagging. Enjoy the journey, it’s the most important part.
Stack Gratitude,
élan
