Where Achieving Your Goals Begins

I haven’t always been someone to push daily habits. In fact, I don’t always like sticking to daily habits now. And yet, I cannot deny the massive change setting and following daily habits has made in my life.

Not even 10 months ago I was the guy who had “good habits”, who was focused on my goals and, and who swore writing anything down with a pen on paper was pointless. I mean, it’s 2022. We do have this thing called the cloud where we can keep our notes.

And then I tried it. I got a pen and I started writing down on paper.

I started writing down, physically writing down, what I wanted. The goals I set for myself (the things I wanted to accomplish that day, that week, that month), my to-do list for the day, my daily habits, along with many other things. I started to write down the things I was committed to and I made it a daily habit. Now, this process and commitment didn’t just begin over night. This decision didn’t simply come out of thin air. It took hard work to identify what I wanted and how I was going to achieve what I wanted. And once I was able to map out a plan, it’s taken continual work each day to assess where I’m at, write down where I want to go, and figure out what it’ll take for me to get there. And from there, every day has been rinse and repeat.

I think this is exactly what we all need to begin to make the changes we want in our life.

So let’s start there. Make a list, yes with pen and paper, of what you want. Doesn’t have to be eloquently thought out or perfectly organized. Just a simple list of what you want. Be honest. And for this next week, keep writing out that list. Every day.

What are your daily habits?

I reference the guy I was 10 months ago earlier not to say “boy, that guy was an idiot”, but to remind you that growth isn’t linear. It’s not that who I was 10 months ago was a lie or was wrong but that what I was doing at the time helped me to get to where I am now. Through asking myself daily, “What do I want?” and putting in the work to get there, I’ve found more clarity in my goals. With clarity comes evolution. Maybe I’ll “never” achieve certain goals but I don’t see it that way. If I “never” achieve certain goals it’s because along the way they evolved into something else. Something more true to who I am. That’s how I see it.

Daily means daily. No matter the time of day. Whether it’s the first thing in the morning like I plan on or the day has gotten away from me and it’s not until right before I go to bed, I’m writing down what I want.