A New Trick to Actually Achieve Your Goals

Dear Younger Me,

It’s the end of the year.

I can’t believe how fast it has gone.

It was a special year.

Lots of change, lots of newness, but there are still things that remain the same.

The seasons changed, time passed by, and now at the end of the year, people are reflecting.

Reflecting on the year it's been.

The wins and losses.

The good and the bad.

The changes and the sameness.

As many people are looking back, even more are looking out to the future.

Hopeful for the newness of the New Year.

Setting goals for what we want to achieve in the coming year.

Have you set your goals yet, Younger Me?

I know you have in the past.

I imagine if you haven’t already for this year, you will soon.

Whether you have or haven’t yet, I want to encourage you to ask yourself a simple question for every goal you set:

Will you continue to desire your goal long after next year ends?

Seriously, give it a think.

Look back on the goals you’ve set.

Could you carry them out well beyond next year?

Because there is something really important about setting goals that I need to share with you.

A concept that will help you actually stick with AND achieve all your goals and resolutions for the year:

The necessity for continued desire.

What is it?

Simply, in whatever you set out to do, you can say with confidence that you will be able to commit to it beyond a specific timeframe.

Let’s take the most basic New Year's resolution:

Working out.

I know Planet Fitness is licking their chops for this time of year.

Everyone “commits” to working out so they can drop 20 pounds, gain some muscle, or finally have that beach body they’ve wanted for so long.

And then people quit.

Life gets in the way.

It is harder than they thought.

Whatever the excuse may be.

This is where the necessity for continued desire comes in.

And those that hit their fitness goals (or any goal for that matter) are also included.

Before embarking on your New Year's goal, imagine if the person actually committed to a continued desire for that goal.

If they achieve it, then they keep going to maintain it.

If they did not hit the goal, they keep going into next year until they do, then continue on to maintain it once they eventually do.

Do you get it, Younger Me?

In other words, expand your goal time horizon well beyond your initial expectations.

The necessity for a continued desire will keep you focused on the straight and narrow while also preventing erosion of your path's boundaries.

Because it is impossible to never achieve your goals if you never give up on them.

Happy New Year, I’m grateful for you!

Best,

Older You