Run 36 times. This was one of my objectives for the second quarter. (April to June)
But I went through a challenging period with my family.
As sometimes happens, life challenges us with several difficulties simultaneously.
So I arrived at the end of May with a counter of just ten outings. 🙁
I had to run almost every day in June to succeed…
What gave me the courage to do it?
The objective.
There are two opposing camps on this subject.
Goals versus habits.
Some swear by one or the other.
I think we need two or even three elements…
The 3 hats for successful projects…
Focus only on habit:
It’s depriving ourselves of the magic of dreams.
Imagine you’ve made it (I describe the vision they’ve told me about). What do you hear, see, and feel?
When my customers answer this question, their faces light up, and they smile. Their energy changes in an instant.
Focus only on the goal:
It’s like depriving ourselves of the magic of the process. Compound effort.
When I started saving and investing at 23, financial independence seemed impossible. But the magic of habit (saving and investing), plus compound interest, did the rest.
Financial independence. I’m retiring from corporate life at the age of 46.
Progress or results?
It’s not so important that I end June with 36/32/30 jogging sessions.
The goal gave me the courage to go out more often.
It helped me develop a new habit. Run every day instead of 3 times a week. (Will I keep it on Q3🙂? )
Measuring myself against my starting point (not my result) gives me energy. It encourages me to create my next challenge for the third quarter.
It’s the power of gains as opposed to gaps.
5 ideas to make the most of your three hats…
1/ Why we do it?
I run for :
- Feeling good
- Maintaining my health
- Increasing my chances of living longer
- Developing my creativity. I thought of this text while running 🙂
- Being able to rollerblade, ice skate, or ski with my children
- Be attractive to my wife.
- Being able to play with my grandchildren (I hope to have some one day)
- Having the energy to do what I love. Writing and coaching.
- Sleep better at night…
I have more than one reason to get out of bed at 5.30 a.m. and put on my sneakers…
Take the time to write down why your goal is important to you.
I completely missed my last marathon, and yet I’m not that disappointed. Here’s why.
2/ Start small
I’m a relatively experienced runner. I could have set myself a target of 10 km a day…
But I like the idea of starting small. It allows us to last and get started even when we don’t feel like it.
I do (currently) 60 push-ups a day. But my promise, when I started in January, was to do one a day.
Appetite comes with eating.
And when I’m not hungry, I keep my identity as a guy who does push-ups. Even if it’s just one.
3/ When we fall, we start again
There are always good reasons for not doing it.
Let’s not worry about that. The main thing is to get back on track.
The longer we wait, the harder it gets.
4/ Dedicate a few lines to the subject in your diary.
I’m testing an app that lets me count my daily calories.
And guess what?
They have a built-in journal…
Why?
Because when we write, we make things our own. We observe and find out what works and what doesn’t.
PS: I’ve always said that I’ll never go on a diet where I count my calories. I let myself be influenced(see Principle 9). And I don’t regret it.
After two weeks, I’m seeing results in my weight, and it’s helping me solve a bad habit I can’t seem to kick. Eat fast.
5/ At the end, always review your progress
It’s tempting to fall for it again.
I’ve made all these efforts and haven’t achieved my goal.
Put on your “Mr. Progress” hat.
What I’ve gained since I started. I managed to :
- Run 10 times this quarter.
- Staying calm with my children 80% of the day.
- Listening attentively and letting my interlocutors get to the point 70% of the time…
With this hat on, we’re constantly making progress, and it encourages us to persevere.
Excellence takes time, and we have to work at it.
Conclusion
I prefer and/and than or/or in this case.
Habit helps me improve my process.
The goal makes me dream and gives me courage.
Progress drives me to persevere.
Combine the three and increase your chances of succeeding in all your projects.
Thank you
Dror
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The third quarter starts on July 1. What are your objectives?
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