The first quarter is over and it's time to ask, "Are you
one-quarter of the way to achieving your goals for the
year?" Unfortunately, too often, the answer is "No."
According to common wisdom, most of our New Year's
Resolutions and annual goals have long-since been
abandoned, forgotten, or simply ignored.
Over the years, I've learned there is a huge group of
people who refuse to set goals because they are embarrassed
by their failure to achieve them in the past. And, it may
surprise you, but I agree with that assessment! If I failed
to achieve most of my goals, I wouldn't set any more,
either!
I'll go further, and say that most goals and "resolutions"
are a waste of time. They delay and discourage success,
rather than enhance it.
There's a famous quip that says, "Insanity is doing the
same thing over and over, and expecting a different
result." I think that applies to how many people create
goals. They write down a wish-list of goals, and then go on
living the same way they have in the past. No wonder they
don't achieve their goals!
If you do what you've always done, you will pretty much get
what you've always gotten.
To change your outcomes, change your Personal Eco-System™!
Highly successful people know that the discipline to get up
early, work hard, stay focused and achieve unusual results
does not come easily. Most of us just aren't built that
way. In fact, we are creatures of habit who pretty much do
the same things, day after day.
No wonder our goals get lost in the routine! It is NOT that
we are lazy or stupid or any of those discouraging things
we say to ourselves. It's because we are surrounded with
things we "must" do every day, and after working 10 or 12
or more hours, who has the energy to think about reaching
new goals or achieving unusual success? Almost no one!
The key to achieving your goals is to design a system that
AUTOMATICALLY encourages you to achieve your goals, while
gradually removing everything that distracts or discourages
you.
Here is a small example: To lose weight, remove the sweets
and chips-and-dips from the house. Refuse to buy them!
Replace them with fruits and vegetables. Hang some
attractive pictures of yourself where you'll see them every
day. And, then bribe the kids to help you lose weight.
Simply cut a deal--when you lose ten pounds, they get a
trip to the movies. If you design the system correctly,
those pesky kids will MAKE you lose weight!
What most of us do is keep the cookies and chips in the
house out of habit or tradition, while we "promise" to
exercise, and we try very hard. The problem is that we are
still living in the Eco-System that helped us gain the
weight, and it doesn't work. The kids want ice cream, or we
get a pizza on the way home from work. We get tired and
exercising is hard. We lose our incentive, eat more
"comfort food" and keep the weight.
Change your Personal Eco-System™!
If you want to spend less and save more, you can either
develop the personal discipline to change your habits
through brute force, or you can change the way your Eco-
System treats money. I believe it is easier to change your
Personal Eco-System, than to change habits by brute force.
The key to achieving unusual success is creating a Personal
Eco-System™ that makes it easier to succeed than to fail.
Successful people have always done this. Thomas Edison
lived in his laboratory. Star athletes train with their
friends. And hire coaches! As a kid, Phil Mickelson built a
putting green in his parent's back yard because he wanted
play professional golf, and we have witnessed the success
of Tiger Woods, who started at age 4.
Highly successful people know where they are going, what
they value, what they want. They simply do not tolerate
distractions, frustrations, or the daily "chatter" that
burns up energy and wastes their time. They design their
environment so that their highest priorities are obvious.
Their goals are achieved not because they are unusual
people, but because their Personal Eco-System's™ make
success very likely.
one-quarter of the way to achieving your goals for the
year?" Unfortunately, too often, the answer is "No."
According to common wisdom, most of our New Year's
Resolutions and annual goals have long-since been
abandoned, forgotten, or simply ignored.
Over the years, I've learned there is a huge group of
people who refuse to set goals because they are embarrassed
by their failure to achieve them in the past. And, it may
surprise you, but I agree with that assessment! If I failed
to achieve most of my goals, I wouldn't set any more,
either!
I'll go further, and say that most goals and "resolutions"
are a waste of time. They delay and discourage success,
rather than enhance it.
There's a famous quip that says, "Insanity is doing the
same thing over and over, and expecting a different
result." I think that applies to how many people create
goals. They write down a wish-list of goals, and then go on
living the same way they have in the past. No wonder they
don't achieve their goals!
If you do what you've always done, you will pretty much get
what you've always gotten.
To change your outcomes, change your Personal Eco-System™!
Highly successful people know that the discipline to get up
early, work hard, stay focused and achieve unusual results
does not come easily. Most of us just aren't built that
way. In fact, we are creatures of habit who pretty much do
the same things, day after day.
No wonder our goals get lost in the routine! It is NOT that
we are lazy or stupid or any of those discouraging things
we say to ourselves. It's because we are surrounded with
things we "must" do every day, and after working 10 or 12
or more hours, who has the energy to think about reaching
new goals or achieving unusual success? Almost no one!
The key to achieving your goals is to design a system that
AUTOMATICALLY encourages you to achieve your goals, while
gradually removing everything that distracts or discourages
you.
Here is a small example: To lose weight, remove the sweets
and chips-and-dips from the house. Refuse to buy them!
Replace them with fruits and vegetables. Hang some
attractive pictures of yourself where you'll see them every
day. And, then bribe the kids to help you lose weight.
Simply cut a deal--when you lose ten pounds, they get a
trip to the movies. If you design the system correctly,
those pesky kids will MAKE you lose weight!
What most of us do is keep the cookies and chips in the
house out of habit or tradition, while we "promise" to
exercise, and we try very hard. The problem is that we are
still living in the Eco-System that helped us gain the
weight, and it doesn't work. The kids want ice cream, or we
get a pizza on the way home from work. We get tired and
exercising is hard. We lose our incentive, eat more
"comfort food" and keep the weight.
Change your Personal Eco-System™!
If you want to spend less and save more, you can either
develop the personal discipline to change your habits
through brute force, or you can change the way your Eco-
System treats money. I believe it is easier to change your
Personal Eco-System, than to change habits by brute force.
The key to achieving unusual success is creating a Personal
Eco-System™ that makes it easier to succeed than to fail.
Successful people have always done this. Thomas Edison
lived in his laboratory. Star athletes train with their
friends. And hire coaches! As a kid, Phil Mickelson built a
putting green in his parent's back yard because he wanted
play professional golf, and we have witnessed the success
of Tiger Woods, who started at age 4.
Highly successful people know where they are going, what
they value, what they want. They simply do not tolerate
distractions, frustrations, or the daily "chatter" that
burns up energy and wastes their time. They design their
environment so that their highest priorities are obvious.
Their goals are achieved not because they are unusual
people, but because their Personal Eco-System's™ make
success very likely.
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