How to Achieve Anything

81 Comments

Photo: Kevin Russ. Check out his stock portfolio.

Is there a goal you want to accomplish, but just cannot find the time to start it? It might be something trivial like, to reduce the amount of TV watching, or time spent browsing the Internet. It might be, to become an early riser, or to quit drinking alcohol, or to start a home business. Whatever it is, what is keeping you where you are instead of reaching your desired destination?

I have several such targets in my life that I often think about, but rarely take action on. Each time I’m reminded of one of them, I would guiltily say, “I really should do [blah]”, and then forget about it until the next time guilt creeps back into my head.

One such target I have is to exercise. I’ve been talking about wanting to get in shape for about two years now. I even setup an arbitrary goal of doing a triathlon to get me excited. I did start to go running shortly after setting the goal, which lasted for about a week, before I became distracted with another target.

I like to think of myself as a pretty disciplined and motivated person - I mean, I write about this stuff! But, something about this particular target has been very psychologically challenging for me to take consistent action on. And I want to understand it.

Overcoming the mental blocks and actually taking action towards this outcome has been my focus over the past few weeks. I am proud to announce that I have been doing 5-mile walk-runs, every other day, successfully for fourteen days now.

I’m confident that since I have kept it up for two weeks, then surely, I can keep it up for a month. And if I can consistently do it for a month, I will have habituated the activity into my daily rhythm and be able to keep it up indefinitely.

The point of this article isn’t about running, but rather, extracting lessons from achieving a goal, and applying them to other areas of our lives.

Analysis of ‘Why It Didn’t Work’

Looking back over past failed attempts at this target, I realized that I didn’t have enough reasons to keep myself motivated, thus I wasn’t fully committed to making the change. Here are some observations:

1. Excuse: “I don’t have enough time”

I used to assume that it I was working too much and simply did not have the time. Well, I’ve come to learn that “I don’t have the time” is the biggest lie we can tell ourselves to justify for the lack of action towards activities that can (sometimes) significantly improve the quality of our lives. If we added all the time we spend on unimportant and not urgent things - like web browsing or TV watching - we would have the time, easily. We do have the time!

I used to tell myself, “When I leave my day job, I will have much more time to pursue the things on my lists, which I don’t have time for now.” Things like exercising.

You’d think, now that I’m in a position to create my own schedule (or lack thereof), surely, I should have enough free time to exercise. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I still don’t have enough time. It’s become obvious that without a measurable target and a reasonable plan, life has a way of magically inserting random (often unimportant) activities to fill up our day. The same items on my list while I had a day job are still on the list.

We don’t have time for things, until we create time for these things. If something is important enough to us, we will find the time, regardless of how busy we are. End of story.

It’s a matter of finding the compelling reasons why something is important to us - enough of a nudge to drive us to lasting change.

2. Focus on Pain

The more I focused on the uncomfortable factors associated with exercise, the less motivated I became, and the more excuses I made to skip workouts - before I stopped completely.

Here are my favorite excuses to justify not exercising:

It’s hard! I can’t breathe.
My leg hurts
It’s cold outside
It’s raining (I do live in Seattle, after all)
It’s late, if I go jogging, I won’t have enough time to do X.

3. Lacked Motives to Action

Although I kept telling myself that I should go jogging, I wasn’t fully clear on why I wanted it. I wasn’t overweight, and didn’t have an explicit incentive to get active. I didn’t have the motives to justify the necessary action for a vaguely defined goal.

Did you know that we will do more to avoid pain than we will to gain pleasure? In this case, the affects of not doing it, was not painful enough to drive me to get it done. In my mind, the pain of doing was greater than the pain of not doing.

4. Language, Focus & Priority

The goal was a should and not a must. “I should go jogging”, I would say , when it’s better to say, “I must go jogging, in order to gain the energy I need”. When something is a should, it is wishful thinking, and we don’t get it done. When something is a must, it becomes a priority that deserves our attention. Because the target was a should, I never gave it the focused attention necessary for it to become a reality.

The Art of Change: From Desire to Result

The actual change happened very quickly - the moment I decided to change. Instead of thinking about it, and silently beating myself up for not doing it, I just did it. It was beautiful!

Photo: Kevin Russ.

Sometimes, the best motivators are the ones we find when we hit a personal low point. My low point came a few weeks ago, when I realized that I hadn’t been outside for seven days straight (Eeeek!). I felt groggy, my body was aching, my energy level was low and I felt a slip in my grip on clarity.

When my clarity is threatened, I start to take notice. I now had a strong motive. I got up instantly and went for a run - a long one.

The System of OPA

OPA is a trick I picked up from Tony Robbins, which when applied, will assist us in achieving the results we desire. It stands for:

Outcome (O) - Having a clear vision.
Purpose (P) - Focus on results and purpose.
Action (A) - Create a massive action plan for meaningful results.

Let’s expand on these and apply them to the jogging example.

O, Outcome

Most of us have vague ideas on what we want. We know roughly the direction we want to go, but because we aren’t clear on the vision of our destination, we get pushed into whichever direction the wind is blowing. Without a vision, we will obsess over “the how”, and will often overanalyze and fail to take action, or take ineffective action.

In the jogging example, “wanting to go jogging” is not the ultimate vision. The ultimate outcome I am seeking is actually mental clarity and physical energy. One activity that contributes to this outcome is regular exercise. Additionally, because I am focused on the desired outcome and not on the how, I have realized that there are other things I can do which will contribute towards this outcome, such as deep breathing, swimming, and yoga.

What is the ultimate vision for what you want? Be specific in describing the outcome you desire.

P, Purpose

Knowing what we want isn’t enough to give us the push towards massive action. We must know why we want it. Why is it important that we achieve our desired result? When we achieve this outcome, what will it bring us? Without strong enough reasons, we simply will not be moved into action.

In the jogging example, my reasons for wanting mental clarity and physical energy are:

To feel physical wellbeing. To live fully and consciously.
To have the clarity to write articles that serve others. To empower and inspire readers towards a fuller life with more joy and passion.
When I have energy, I can get more out of my day. I can do more activities which will benefit my personal wellbeing, and in turn make more contributions to others.

Why must you achieve the target outcome? What are the reasons most important to you? What does achieving the outcome mean for you?

A, Action

Armed with your clear vision of the outcome and with the burning reasons why it is important to you, come up with an action plan for achieving the results you seek. Once you have your action plan, take one small action immediately. Then commit yourself towards taking some action regularly (everyday if possible) towards your target. Regardless of how small the action may seem, it will move you one step closer to your outcome, and - importantly - help build the momentum you will need to reach your destination.

In addition to knowing what you want, why you want it, and having a battle plan, the following are tips to overcome potential pitfalls on the road to lasting change.

Quantify & Measure - What gets measured gets managed. It’s important to be able to quantify results, so that we can evaluate our improvements and effectiveness. For my jogging example, I got the Nike sport kit for ipod nano - which allowed me to measure distance ran, duration and calories burnt. Once I had the numbers after each workout, I just wanted to beat them! As if playing a video game and trying to beat the top score.
Know Your Excuses - List out all the excuses you’re known to use in order to avoid action for a particular result. Now come up with an antidote for each excuse. Even without an antidote, at least, now you’re aware of which excuses might come up, and you’re ready to ignore them. For myself, “I am committed to going jogging every other day, regardless of weather, or how late in the day.”
Focus on One Target at a Time - When we try to focus on many results at the same time, rarely will we succeed. When we focus on one thing at a time, we can devote our undivided attention and energy on realizing the single result, thus giving it a higher chance of actualization. Move on to other targets only after we’ve successfully reached or habituated the current target. I’ve found it helpful to write the targeted outcome on a piece of paper, and posting it on a wall where I can see it regularly.
Change Your Language - Turn ‘should’ into ‘must’. The language we use carries with it energy. Notice that if you must do something, suddenly you feel a sense of urgency and priority? What is that thing that you’ve wanted to complete, and if you got it done will improve the quality of your experience? Now say, “I must do <insert activity>, because it will give me <insert reason>.” See how much more energy this sentence has, versus “I really should do <insert activity>.”
Consistency - When cultivating a new habit, consistency is more important than quantity. Have you noticed that when we skip a routine activity even once, it’ll be harder to get back into it? And the more we skip, the easier it is to skip it again the next time. Before we know it, we no longer have the habit which we’ve worked hard to create.
Fun Ingredient - Find ways to make the experience fun and enjoyable. For example, I will listen to motivational audio books or personal growth seminars when I run, and it really enhances both experiences. This added enrichment to the running experience, makes me look forward to the activity.
The 30 Day Challenge - If you can repeatedly do an activity for 30 days, it will become a habit, and will integrate automatically into your routine. Take it one step at a time, first commit yourself to following something for 7 days, then extend it to 14 days, then 21 days and 30 days. If you can do it for 30 days, you can likely continue it indefinitely (if you want to).
Change Your Questions - If you’re not getting the kind of results you’re looking for, perhaps it’s the questions you are asking yourself. Ask questions which lead to possibilities instead of limitations. Here are some examples of the limiting questions vs. more resourceful alternatives:
- Why can’t I do this? Vs.
  How can I make this work?
- Why can’t I make more money? Vs.
  How can I add even more value?
- Why is this happening? Vs.
  What can I do to help change this?
- How can they do this to me? Vs.
  How can I use this?
- What is wrong in my life? Vs.
  What am I grateful for?

Parting Words

We are the ultimate author of our life story. Within each of us, we hold the power to change anything in our lives, and in doing so, experience more joy and fulfillment. Lasting change starts with a change in the way we think - a clear vision for our desired results, meaningful reasons why we must have them, and building momentum towards massive action to make our visions a reality.

With meaning, understanding, awareness, and conscientious planning; we can turn massive responsibilities into actual possibilities, we can incorporate healthy habits, we can realize dreams, and we can live more deliberately and intentionally shape our own destiny.

Thank you for listening to my jogging story and allowing me to share my own life victories, regardless of how trivial they may seem. Through observing this experience, the jogging example accentuated some simple fundamental principles of achievement that can be applicable to other outcomes in our lives. I wish you success!

* What are some outcomes you would like to see in your life? Share your thoughts and stories with us in the comment section. See you there!

If you enjoyed this article, please vote for it on Digg, share it on StumbleUpon or bookmark it on del.icio.us. I appreciate your support. :)

Other Articles You May Enjoy:

External Resources:

Audio: The Time of Your Life

81 Responses (74 Comments, 7 Trackbacks ):

Comments

Alex Shalman

Dec 10 08, 7:36 pm PST

1
What an awesome list Tina. Just today I published a youtube video on taking massive action, and I mentioned some of the principles you listed above, in addition to others.

I always like the 30 day concept, and I’ve used it successfully to make exercise and eating habits for myself.

Anyway, check out my video LifeHack: Taking MASSIVE Action
Lewis

Dec 10 08, 7:39 pm PST

2
Excuses with not having enough time are a waste of time! If you want to get something done, and you don’t have time during the day, then stay up until 3am to achieve your goals…. sleep is for the dead, and if you aren’t fully going after what you want out of life, then you are dying too!

Check out Alexs’ video above, this is good stuff and it compliments everything Tina says.

Thanks Tina,

You Rock!

Lewis
Asianmommy

Dec 10 08, 8:14 pm PST

3
Great advice–and you’re so right! My current excuse for not exercising is that I came down with a cold, so I’m taking it easy and resting up. But come tomorrow, I’m definitely going to start up again. Thanks for the boost.
Jennifer Ryan @ I Choose Change

Dec 10 08, 8:40 pm PST

4
This was a really thorough and informative post. Great job!

I would like to add a couple of things as well. One, I would encourage instead of the word “must,” the word “choose.” The truth is, we don’t HAVE to do anything, and “must” is still a directive. Internally, when I hear myself say “should,” “must,” “ought” or the like, I have a give myself a little attitude back at my internal voice and say, “Uhh, no I don’t.” (Of course, this is all internal.) The word “choose” is really the truth - every action is about choice.

Last, there’s a little piece of advice I continually give my clients in my practice, and it is this: It’s not going to be easy. If you’re waiting for it to be easy and “when I feel….” or “when ____ happens, then….” well then, you might as well kiss that goal goodbye! Right? I mean, you make the choice to do whatever it is you want to do, with the realization it’s probably not going to be easy and it might make you VERY uncomfortable.

I really appreciated this post. It has some great information that many people “should” choose to read and put to use. =)
Will

Dec 10 08, 8:41 pm PST

5
Awesome to see that you’ve stumbed upon Tony’s “The Time of Your Life” Program! :)

This is the self improvement audio product that started it all for me.

Congrats to you for breaking the 5 mile mental barrier - I didn’t learn about running “10 and 1’s” till I registered for a Running Room workshop. I remember when I first broke running 10K, then 11K, 12K and then finally a half marathon. It blew me away when I finally crossed the finish line. Anyway, enough with rambling of actualizing goals.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on ‘Achieving Anything’.

This post may be one of your best posts yet… :)

Cheers!

Will
prihandoko

Dec 10 08, 8:45 pm PST

6
thanks Tina, I’ve been inspired from it
Vincent

Dec 10 08, 10:04 pm PST

7
Hey Tina,

I am currently undergoing a 30 day challenge which require me to exercise for 6 days a week and I agree with what you mentioned, by doing something consistently for 30 days or more, it will gradually become a habit. Thanks for sharing this wonderful article. :)

Cheers
Vincent
Personal Development Blogge
Jason Blackburn

Dec 10 08, 11:25 pm PST

8
Tina,

These are excellent tips. Tony has his programs have been a big inspiration to us all over the years. And while I agree with his formula, for most of us we read these simple formulas, agree with them, and then wonder how to do them. How do create a vision? How do I define my purpose? I want to take action, but how?

I would argue that vision is a part of discovering purpose. If we say that purpose is the result of clearly defined roles, the values of which we cherish, and the vision of the way we live the roles in alignment with our values, then we can define our purpose, or natural missions.

Once we know our natural missions, the question is how to take action to achieve our desired results over time, the definition of success. Tony became well known because of a program called “Personal Power”. Personal power is simply our ability to produce the results desired. Do have the energy, mission, attitude? Do we set goals, make plans, and prioritize? Do we synergize, organize, optimize and act now? If we are not strong in each area, we lack the ability to fulfill our natural missions.

I would say success is 2 steps:
1. Create crystal clear future expectations upon which you can take specific action, and
2. Apply sustained power to your actions such that you meet or exceed expectations.

At the point in time where your power intersects your expectations, a choice is made, an action is taken and a result is produced. If your power is sufficient to meet or exceed expectations, a positive result occurs. If your power is insufficient to meet expectations a negative result occurs.

Accumulate a successive series of positive results over time and you will become the success you desire. Accumulate a successive series of negative results over time and you will fail.

Take 2 minutes to answer 10 simple questions about your performance and we will give your assessment free by simply clicking <a href=http://www.thinktq.com/membership/tqs_register_page_2.cfm?sa=110646″ here.

Again, thanks for reminding us how simple success really is to achieve.

Regards,
Jason Blackburn
~Kat~

Dec 10 08, 11:59 pm PST

9
Congratulations on starting the running program. I just ran my first 5K on Thanksgiving. It was a lot of hard work getting started, but now I really enjoy my exercise time. Instead of it being something I “must” do, it is now something I treat myself with!
Martin Wildam

Dec 11 08, 12:53 am PST

10
Thank you very much for that very helpful article - your purpose to write helpful articles is fulfilled with this post. :-)

Regarding the time there is something I don’t agree:

> If we added all the time we spend on unimportant and not urgent
> things - like web browsing or TV watching - we would have the time,
> easily. We do have the time!

This is not necessarily true. If you spent hours in front of the TV then you can easily change by changing the priorities. This does not apply for commitments you have done that do have a long-term effect. In my case I have committed to take care of a family and a child. This is a long-term commitment and I cannot step out of this for some weeks because I want to do something else.

> If something is important enough to us, we will find the time,
> regardless of how busy we are.

I do have some wishes of what I would like to do. To gain this time I have to drop something (to gain time for something you have to drop other doing). The question is then: Is it worth dropping those other actions? What would I loose if I would drop these other actions?

I would loose loved family members and also a lot of comfort if I would set priorities differently. So we could find time for new things if we want to - but we have to look at the costs also.
B. @ personal transformation

Dec 11 08, 1:31 am PST

11
These are some great tips. I would also like to add in addition to what you have shared are a couple of things.

1) Language is important. It is a great indicator to what is truly going on inside. What we really feel and believe about a situation. Do we use the word “Try” all the time? That means that we don’t really want to claim what it is that we want. As Yoda says, there is no try it is do or do not. When we are aware of our language, we can see where we need to make changes to support ourselves in receiving what it is that we want.

2) It is also important to be unconditionally responsible for what it is that you are currently experiencing. If you are not experiencing the results you consciously want, then you have to realize that what you are currently experiencing is what you want even if you are not conscious of it. You must then decide if what you are receiving from your current situation is what you really want or not, then you know what kind of appropriate changes you do need to make. I it is important to be unconditional with yourself and not judge your current situation as good or bad because you will not be able to change anything when you are judging it.

This is just the micrometer of the tip of the iceberg. I wish I could say these words were mine, however I got them from THE CHOICE IS MINE by Veronique.
Nathalie Lussier

Dec 11 08, 4:48 am PST

12
I think taking action is one of the harder things, and getting ideas and setting goals is much easier. Steve Chandler says that when we “don’t feel” like doing something, we should just go out and do it… because chances are we will feel much better once we are doing it, than beforehand.

Keep on running! ;)
Stephen Martile

Dec 11 08, 5:38 am PST

13
“Whatever it is, what is keeping you where you are instead of reaching your desired destination?” ~ Tina

I would say for the most part it’s my impatience. And the patience is lacking in the area of business growth….

As far as working out and maintaining good health and well being, I’ve always been able to keep a regular routine even “when stuff came up.” And I think it’s because of the reasons you mentioned, but not in so many words. Simply,

> I have a clear vision of my healthy, sexy body
> I associate massive pleasure to fitness and working out
> taking action sort of just happens as a natural next step once I get the first two steps sorted out
kare anderson

Dec 11 08, 8:39 am PST

14
What an apt post for this time of year! In the interests of “thinking simple” I start with
• one clear, specific and actionable goal, then
• craft a vivid mental picture of “the reward” the situation in which I envision myself once I’ve reached that goal

That becomes my top-of-mind image first thing in the morning, last thing before sleep… AND as i am about to choose the next activity on which I will spend time.

In short, my main goal provides my CONTEXT for making my choice… which choice moves me closer to my main goal?

- another avid fan of this blog,
kare, moving from me to we
Jonathan - Advanced Life Skills

Dec 11 08, 9:16 am PST

15
Well Tina, you’ve done it again! What an excellent list of practical, productive, action steps to overcome our own pathetic excuses and self-imposed obstacles. I appreciate that you mentioned the effects of our perception of the pain / pleasure paradigm. Using personal lows as a springboard for taking action is also a great motivator, as you mentioned. Excellent article.
John Rocheleau

Dec 11 08, 10:47 am PST

16
Running is bliss — even the pain :-)

I was a long time runner. I ran in the morning sun, in the rain, and on dark and cold winter mornings through ice and snow. I loved every challenging moment of it. The secret is discipline and being mentally in those moments.

Hey have you ever looked at any of George Sheehan’s books on running? He is dead now, but I loved his way of looking at running philosophically. Two of his books are: “This Running Life,” and “Running and Being.”

If we are present and disciplined in whatever we want to achieve, and combine that with a philosophical, humor-through-pain perspective, it makes the achieving easier.

John
Lianna
Dec 11 08, 10:55 am PST

17
> If something is important enough to us, we will find the time,
> regardless of how busy we are.

Here’s how I deal with the “I don’t have time” issue: Everytime you say to yourself, “I don’t have time”, substitute this phrase with the truth: “I didn’t make time”.

Telling myself that I don’t have time is an excuse; Acknowledging that I didn’t make time gets to the root of the problem.
Arvind

Dec 11 08, 12:59 pm PST

18
Hi Tina,

Great blog, again. :) Good use of the “jogging” example to drive home the point. Holds true to all other things we want to achieve too.

Take care
aK
Giyen

Dec 11 08, 1:25 pm PST

19
I was totally feeling unmotivated today, but after reading this post I got dressed, got out of the house and went to the coffee shop to start working.

Thanks for the kick in the butt!

Giyen
Fubiz

Dec 11 08, 1:47 pm PST

20
Thanks for the sharing!
Molly @ Stratejoy

Dec 11 08, 3:40 pm PST

21
Tina,

What a great reminder of some of Tony Robbin’s tools. I dove into a few of his books when I was in Thailand, but haven’t “freshened up my skills” in quite a while. Your post was the perfect kick in the butt to remind me that I need to pull some OPA on a few goals that have been marinating a little too long!

I think this was on your personal blog, but I’ve been using Now Do This (it currently says- stop lurking, write comments!) and wanted to thank you for the introduction. What a simple, yet effective way to keep us on track!

Do you have “Go running” as one of your daily goals? :)

@kare– I totally agree about keeping the final picture as vivid as possible! I’m big on the moving toward motivation and having the reward bright in my mind is key.

Peace,

Molly
Scott

Dec 11 08, 4:41 pm PST

22
Great thoughts Tina. Perfect with the new year coming up!

-Scott
jenny
Dec 11 08, 5:06 pm PST

23
HI,

This approach is unlikely to work.

Why?

Forced efforts fail over the long term. It substitutes ‘achieving a goal’ for ‘living a life’. The general rule: If you have to force yourself to do it — reconsider why you are doing this at all.

Learn to do things which lead to happiness - they last, plus, you get to laugh a lot.

Lots of love,

-J-
Anthony C.
Dec 11 08, 5:24 pm PST

24
Thanks for a good one! These motivational articles work wonders for me, and a new always seems to pop up when I need it most.

I really MUST improve my digital painting to the (traditional medium) look I’m shooting for. I don’t feel like I’m getting much further with each Digital painting I do, but one step at a time MUST do it. :-)
Kamil
Dec 11 08, 5:38 pm PST

25
Excellent article Tina! Thank you very much.
Stewart
Dec 11 08, 7:04 pm PST

26
Thank you! I’m now writing a plan to improve my life because I don’t like the direction it’s been going recently. Your words have given me motivation to do what I want, finally.
J.D. Meier

Dec 11 08, 7:09 pm PST

27
Sometimes it just takes the perfect kick-in-the-arse event to make things happen. Where there’s a will there’s a way.
John Woods
Dec 11 08, 7:40 pm PST

28
Simple is good, no doubt.

Jess
www.online-privacy.se.tc
Albert

Dec 11 08, 8:03 pm PST

29
This was a really good article. I think you should write an article about how excuses are holding us back, because I have a friend who makes a crapload of excuses and its just stupid. I’ve broke it to him before saying it’s not that, it’s you, but he won’t listen. Perhaps you can help him and others like him out
ntopics

Dec 11 08, 8:06 pm PST

30
You have some good advise. I will work on
the principles you have written here.

thanks from tony
Rosabel

Dec 11 08, 8:18 pm PST

31
It’s all up to us to reach our goals. How much we really want it happens..that motivates us in achieving the goal set no matter what obstacles in front of us!
Brian
Dec 12 08, 6:10 am PST

32
I found that an effective way for me to get into shape was to have my computer calendar remind me every 3 hours to do situps. This way I had a constant reminder to keep pushing me. If I skipped a couple of times I wouldn’t forget the next day because my computer would keep my habit going.
Blog Media Publishing

Dec 12 08, 8:40 am PST

33
Seriously, this article has motivated to take action on one long time goal of mine. To wake up at 5 AM, pray and go for a 2 miles walk.

Thank You Tina

Al
Kehinde

Dec 12 08, 10:52 am PST

34
Thank you for this incisive, insightful and rewarding article. Many of us have fallen for this ‘dude’ called procrastination. I have excuses for not doing things that will be of immense benefit and add value to my life. I believe many will move out their complacency in order to enjoy life to the full and live peacefully. More of this, please
john
Dec 12 08, 1:21 pm PST

35
Thanks for this article - I really needed to read something like this today.
GoalGuru.com

Dec 12 08, 1:43 pm PST

36
Sometimes a graduated implementation strategy works, especially for something you’re not accustomed to doing.

For example, for working out, if your ultimate Goal is to work out 5 times a week, begin with a Goal of 1 day this week, 2 days next week, 3 days the next week, 4 days the next week, then 5 and then simply maintain.

What happens for most people is they surpass their expectations. There is so little pressure with this approach. They start with 1 day and instead of feeling like “oh this is so hard” they actually achieve more than they set out to do because they realized how easy it is.

It works for those who are easily overwhelmed. You begin with a low minimum and gradually increase your frequency until you achieve it, then you maintain.

You have the same outcome in your mind, but you allowed yourself the time to work the new habit into your schedule which is half of the battle.

Live Your Dreams,

Jill Koenig
Matthew Welsh

Dec 12 08, 2:11 pm PST

37
Sometimes it helps to set execution goals such as everyday I am going to do “x” rather than just focus on achieving the end result.
Naf
Dec 12 08, 2:27 pm PST

38
A few things:

1) A few people have commented that skipping sleep is a great way to achieve your goals. First off, skipping sleep will make your waking hours much less productive. You’ll get more done by sleeping well and working efficiently during the time you’re awake. Second, skipping sleep is as bad for your health (or worse) as not exercising. So, it would be really counterproductive to skip sleep in order to be able to attain your goal of exercising more.

2) When it comes to exercise, or most anything, I’ve found that whatever the activity is, it doesn’t “stick” unless I enjoy it. Using words like “must” instead of “should” only make it worse. Life is short — don’t punish yourself for not achieving overachiever status.
woody
Dec 12 08, 4:21 pm PST

39
1) Turn ‘should’ into ‘must’.
2) The language we use carries with it energy.

yep, you’re right in the second sentence..
I dare to challenge you on the first one.
We “must” do a lot of things nowadays.

We must:
be in time for work,
be back at home in time,
take care off the kids,
eat healthy,
get excercise,
etc., etc., etc., the list is endless!

If your list of “must” do things gets too long you realize that you’re not perfect and that it is just impossible to do all those things you “must” do.

conclusion: you are are a loozer/failure…
no stamina, to weak. you name it all the negative labels apply to you.

solution:
i’m not getting out of bed anymore,
i’ll start using or worse abusing drugs
(alcohol, soft drugs, hard drugs, or whatever.. for some it’s food (obesity)

why? because: i can’t do what I “must” do and therefore i “must” be a loozer, weakling etc. etc.

Q: What’s the use of failing everyday?

So maybe you should just realize that you are not “golden boy” or batman or superman…?

maybe you should rethink your values, aims, goals and what it is that matters to you in (your) life?

maybe you should prioritize?

maybe you should be very happy with what you do achieve? and not nag yourself with the stuff you don’t achieve?

I fully agree with Naf:
“Using words like “must” instead of “should” only make it worse. Life is short — don’t punish yourself for not achieving overachiever status.”

It’s late where i live (after midnight) i had a great meal, nice glass of wine so if i’m not to coherent …. sorry. I’m just trying to point out that this solution may work for you now, at this time and period in your life, but it is not THE CURE for ALL and EACH. ANY TIME ANY PLACE, ANYWHERE….

Considering the fact that you didn’t leave the house for 7 days:
“My low point came a few weeks ago, when I realized that I hadn’t been outside for seven days straight (Eeeek!). I felt groggy, my body was aching, my energy level was low and I felt a slip in my grip on clarity.”

Plz don’t be discouraged by my questions.. if you feel better now, go on with your running or whatever it is that makes you feel better (without hurting anyone else! i don’t need to explain this bit do i?) but realize that you are on a “dangerous” path…. it’s called life and hell yes it’s/can be tricky, tough, exhausting, etc., etc.

off topic food for thought: LIVE=EVIL spelled backwards
meaning “imho” try to be a force for “good”, don’t be to egocentric, there are millions of ppl out there worse of than you, help them; you are guaranteed to feel better afterward and you are really achieving something worthwhile.

well i better quit while i’m ahead (am i? and is that my goal?)

Nice topic starter… let’s continue the discussion who knows something good may come out of it; for you and me and everybody ;-)
Arswino

Dec 13 08, 6:01 am PST

40
Tina, actually it is an awesome article, but I have a question.
You are seeking mental clarity and physical energy, why you choose to do a triathlon if you couldn’t enjoy? You can choose another activity that you love to achieve your purposes.
I think to achieve purposes by doing something that we love is better than doing something that we couldn’t enjoy.
Tina Su

Dec 13 08, 10:10 am PST

41
@Arswino

To answer your question:

I realized that exercise is something that I needed to do to gain mental clarity and physical health (a personal observation for myself). And since I didn’t like running, I wanted to take up running as a challenge for myself, and at the same time get the exercise I needed.

I am a swimmer and can bike (I am from Beijing after all). So, I thought that a triathlon might be a fun target. Again, selected randomly. I do enjoy it. It’s just a matter of getting up everyday and forming a habit of actually doing it.

And yes, you are right. Doing something we love is easier and better than doing something we couldn’t enjoy.

Warmly,
Tina
Mark Fleming

Dec 13 08, 2:36 pm PST

42
Fantastic article, well worth taking the time to read. For me, I find I never actually get around to starting a new project until I stop all the thinking, and just take the first step, no matter how small.
chester

Dec 14 08, 10:08 am PST

43
We can achieve whatever goal that we want to if we channel our energy properly.
Derek

Dec 14 08, 4:31 pm PST

44
I love when people use the excuse “I didn’t have enough time.” Or even better yet, “I can’t find the time.” It makes me laugh because, no one can really “find” time. You always have 24 hours in a day and it doesn’t change. You just need to use it wisely.
Alice

Dec 15 08, 2:19 am PST

45
Great thoughts Tina. Perfect with the new year coming up!!!
Jay Schryer

Dec 15 08, 7:09 am PST

46
This is a really great post! I especially liked the part about changing your questions. So many of the challenges we face in life are the result of our own skewed perceptions. Sometimes, if we take the time to just change our point of view or thinking patterns, the answers fall into place.

As for myself, I often find that achieving success is just a question of wanting it bad enough. Are you prepared to do whatever it takes to be successful? The key to answering that question truthfully lies in knowing the details of “whatever it takes”. Once you know the costs involved in any new endeavor, you can make an informed choice about whether you are willing to pay them or not.
George

Dec 15 08, 4:58 pm PST

47
Dreaming about a goal and taking effort and pain for achieving it are two different things. Many people spent time for planning, but they don’t do anything for achieving it. Great Article for anybody who wants to achieve what they dream.
heyzsu
Dec 15 08, 7:09 pm PST

48
thank you so much for this useful words.
everyone can and must find time to do something important if they focus on it.
Ross

Dec 16 08, 1:11 am PST

49
Hi Tina… I really like the concept of OPA, I’ve heard it before but not for some time…

Also, the “tips to overcome potential pitfalls” section has some really solid ideas, well written…

Thanks for being inspiring!

-Ross
sharmila

Dec 16 08, 5:43 am PST

50
thanks for being inspiring
lokki

Dec 17 08, 5:42 am PST

51
Great thoughts Tina. Perfect with the new year coming up!!!
Teddy

Dec 17 08, 8:02 am PST

52
We can achieve whatever goal that we want to if we channel our energy properly…
Stephanie Russell

Dec 17 08, 3:23 pm PST

53
The goal was a should and not a must. “I should go jogging”,

If you’re telling yourself that you should do something then you definitely need to reword your goal or change it all together.

“Should” goals are typically things that we know on some level would be good to do, and that may be true, but we don’t really want to. Until you create a goal that you are really excited to achieve you won’t exert the energy needed to get started. The more fun a goal is to achieve the more likely you are to accomplish it.

Great post and congratulations on getting started with your running program!
Kris

Dec 17 08, 7:30 pm PST

54
Sometimes the best method for starting a new habit is to not overthink it. Just start small.
Be happy with a small start.
Do it again a little more the next day.
Just keep doing it each day.
A little more each day.
If you fall off one day or 10 days just start again.
Don’t make it have to be a big continuous chain.
Start small.
Sometimes low intensity with regards to goal achievement can work better than high intensity.
Start small
Go slow
Enjoy it.
You’ll get there.
Mama Marlaine

Dec 18 08, 1:36 pm PST

55
Small steps are indeed key. As George Burns said, showing up is 90% of everything. Making work out wear (hubbie’s boxers and a baggy t-shirt) the first clothing I put on in the morning and then climbing on the elyptical machine before I am awake enough to know what I am doing (or talk myself out of it) works for me. Happy New Year 2009! Hugs Mama Marlaine Parenting 2.0 wwwlifeskillsreportcard.com
Erik

Dec 20 08, 9:58 am PST

56
thanks Tina, I’ve been inspired from it..
MsKwats
Dec 25 08, 7:48 pm PST

57
Great piece! This is me! I used to come up with several reason not to get up and exercise or go for a walk in the park. Now I inspire myself to do by rewarding myself at the end with something like clothing or nice cold drink afterwards. Also having a buddy is great support for the both of you. You two can inspire each other to do things together.
MsKwats
Jillian Reading

Dec 25 08, 10:41 pm PST

58
This is a great post! Working as an academic advisor (and frequently to students in academic distress), I found this article to be incredibly informative. It gave me motivation to pursue my own goals that have been put on the backburner and make them happen. I also am hopeful to use your post (and Tony Robbins!) as the basis for a workshop on this topic.

Keep up the great work!
xtrashots

Dec 26 08, 10:52 am PST

59
Hi,

A well written and formatted article. You bound me to read whole article.Very much useful for those people who thinks they can’t achieve anything.
Thanks for such a nice thought.
Dr. SHilpa Ramadurai
Dec 29 08, 12:29 am PST

60
It is a favourite belief of mine that no student ever attains very eminent success by simply doing what is required of him; it is amount and excellence of what is over and above the required, that determines the greatness of ultiamte distinction.

But how to achieve this? What should we learn from the world around us? It is clear that you can accomplish anything if you are passioante about that.

Use your passion to your advantage - especially for your learning and skill-building. Recently when I was in Chennai and have come across an innovative program called Smarten Your English through Cricket. I found it extremely interesting and a sure dose for skill-building in cricket crazy South Asians. Basic to advanced level English is explained through cricket! I felt it is cost-effective and look foolish here in California. It costs only just 30 dollar equivalent in Chennai for a one-year customised program!
Bob

Dec 29 08, 9:21 am PST

61
One of the problems is the “snake oil salesman” selling instant gratification. “Take these magic pills and you will lose weight without doing anything else”. People really believe that the things they want in life should happen like this and it leaves them feeling unsatisfied when they don’t. Things that are worth having are worth working hard for.
Adopt a School

Dec 31 08, 5:48 am PST

62
Great information for all of us, and great timing with the new year. We need more of this in our classrooms. Thanks for caring and sharing. With your permission I’d like to syndicate this on www.adoptaschooltalk.com

Bob Winstead
adopt a school
Liara Covert

Jan 06 09, 12:57 pm PST

63
I love how you invite readers of this blog to become more aware of their own behaviour. Many people will say they desire to do something and not realize their own thinking holds them back. It is a simple gesture to learn to shift your mindset and discipline your mind. Each person can realize they have untapped, inner resources.
Arun
Jan 06 09, 7:52 pm PST

64
Hi Tina, great post, it really inspired me. I liked the change your question part. Every one needs to think positive.

Cheers,
Arun
Ignacio

Jan 13 09, 10:40 am PST

65
Hi Tina, always a pleasure to read you :-)

Everybody knows how difficult is to start making something new, specially exercise ;-) so i just wanna add a couple of thing to your great post:
1. Take little steps each time. It’s difficult to go from 0 to 10, so you might find easier to make some light exercise while watching TV, cooking or just cleaning the house. That way you’ll get started without making a big effort. The next steps would be very easy.
2. Prizes. Sometimes you need incentives to make something. If you use prizes you’ll have the incentive to do it. Jog for an hour will give you a 20 minutes of TV, etc.

Good luck with your exercises and don’t use the rain as a excuse. It’s wonderful to walk under the rain (we have 35°C/95 F here :-( ).
See you!
Peter Bent

Feb 02 09, 4:21 am PST

66
I have never thought that our language bears energy with it. Thanks for the idea on changing the questions. Now my questions sound much better: from pessimistic ones they turned into the ones with a touch of optimism.
TeeB
Feb 08 09, 6:46 pm PST

67
So inspiring. I just stumbled on this site and its one of my top bookmarks now.
Mark S

Mar 21 09, 8:24 am PDT

68
My biggest problem is feeling so overwhelmed before I’ll even begin. The mountain in front of me seems so daunting that I won’t even try to tackle it. I can give up before I begin. “How can I possible do it.”

Breaking up into smaller tasks and saying, “I’m just going to do an hour of it, and then I promise myself that I can do this other fun thing for a short while,” is sometimes enough.
Niro Thambipillay

Apr 08 09, 3:10 am PDT

69
Hi Tina, my name is Niro and it’s the first time I’ve visited your site and I love your material. This article is brilliant. Ironically, I’ve recently set myself a goal of doing a triathlon as well - in April 2010. And everything you mentioned comes up for me to - especially when it’s cold and wet outside and I’d rather sleep in than get up and go for a run. When that happens, or whenever I find myself not taking the actions I know I should, I do one of the following:
1. Stop, take a break and visualise just how great it will feel when I achieve my goal.
2. Look at the consequences of not taking this action and consistently avoiding doing what I know I need to.
3. Examine my reasons for setting this as a goal in the first place. As you say, it comes down to language. Was this goal a “must” or a “should” because in life we always achieve our “musts”. For many of us though unfortunately, our goals are “shoulds” and “nice to haves”.

Normally any of these 3 things will work for me. A 4th thing I also do to keep my on track and in charge of my own life is I make an external commitment to friends or family. I tell them that I’m going to do it and then I know I must, like I’ve said I’m doing a triathlon in April 2010. I’ve told so many people that I absolutely must see it through.

Oh, and a fifth thing I do is I try and a support group around me, like a running buddy, a gym partner or a coach. That extra support really helps me achieve my goals. With these 5 pillars of success in place, I’ve seen a huge improvement in my results.

Thanks again Tina for the awesome post and I look forward to reading your posts regularly.

Cheers, Niro
Jason S
Jun 26 09, 8:44 pm PDT

70
I realize this is sort of an old post but I came across it on Digg and thought I should share a website I just discovered called www.mysomeday.com.

According to them, its a site designed to help people achieve all those goals/dreams they want to get to ’someday’. I registered and was able to both build and borrow step-by-step Plans for achievement, track my progress, set deadlines, and find others that have similar ’somedays’.

Its a fantastic site and its given me a lot of momentum. I highly recommend checking it out.
Jack A
Jun 27 09, 7:36 pm PDT

71
Love the article. Please keep writing and sharing your advice.

I thought I’d mention a website that I just came across that I’m using to help me achieve a bunch of goals that I have. Its called www.mysomeday.com and I’m finding that its a great tool to keep track of and actually build or borrow step-by-step Plans for achievement. I read about it in an article recently written by Darrell Etherington in webworkerdaily.com.

I highly recommend this site for anyone wanting to actually put together a Plan to stay focused on achievement.

My Best, Jack
James
Jul 10 09, 1:27 am PDT

72
Thanks for the wonderful eye-opening article. You may or may not believe me but I’m probably the worst procrastinator (sometimes I think I have Adult ADD) –I bookmarked this article couple of months ago hoping that I could read it to help me kick this bad habit.
I’m going to start strength training again for 30 days straight starting tomorrow. Thanks!
Anthony C.
Dec 09 09, 3:44 pm PST

73
Being in another unmotivational rut, I decided to find this article again instead of searching for new ones (you know things are bad when trying to play a videogame and enjoy yourself is a task-given your fear of the joy being killed by criticism…my newest issue)

I must say I’ve made great progress with animation thanks to techniques on this list. I think it’s about time I make goal lists again-not keeping track is as bad as not getting credit for a research paper.
Suko Tahari
Dec 09 09, 7:28 pm PST

74
Anthony C.

Goal lists are a good start but in my experience you need to do more than that. I had a bunch of resolutions that I made in 2009 but I didn’t seem to make much progress. I came across this article and then read Jason S.’s post about www.mysomeday.com.

I have to say, the site is making a big difference, at least for me. In addition to listing my goals, I’ve actually put together plans with the actual steps to achieve those goals. The process of thinking about and writing down actionable steps has really helped me to get focused and make progress. And now, I can literally see that progress in the progress meter that shows on each of my goals. Sort of cool.

Hope this helps and good luck with getting out of your rut!

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