So You Have Goals for 2017. Now What?

I hope you have goals for the coming year or at least are working at identifying them. I have three. Not thirteen, not thirty…three. How many do you have?

Whether you have one, three, five or more goals for 2017, there is one thing that you need to do to give yourself the best chance of accomplishing them.

Stop focusing on your goals!

That’s right. If you want to accomplish a significant goal this year, stop focusing on it. Simply writing something down on a piece of paper isn’t going to change a thing. Six months from now you’ll still be overweight, in debt, and in a bad relationship. I’m sorry to sound so pessimistic, but it’s true…someone has to say it.

Actually others have. Nick Saban, coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide is famous for saying, “It’s the discipline of the process.” when asked about the success of his program.

It’s the discipline of the process!

Monday night was the College Football National Championship game, Alabama vs Clemson. A rematch of last years championship. This year Clemson came out on top. It was a great game and even though Alabama lost, Saban’s comments still ring true.

The Crimson Tide football program is successful because of processes in place; the routines and the systems they practice every day. Sure even before the season started back in September every player on the team wanted to win another championship. But their focus as a team is always the day to day habits and routines that they believe will give them the best chance to reach the goal.

You can’t control every outcome but you can control the process. 

Sometimes there are outside forces that can influence outcomes. In football, teams deal with injuries, weather and of course the other team. But daily routines are basically ours to make and to follow.

Our lives are made up of daily habits and choices.

Think about it. From sunrise to bedtime your life is a series of choices. You might as well be intentional about them. It’s been said that our future is made up of our daily habits. How you look and feel next year will be a reflection of what you do today, tomorrow and so on. How much money you have saved will be as a result of your regular spending and saving habits now.

You have more control than you think

If your life is a collection of daily habits, then you get to choose what they will be. You have control. You can choose to make changes. This may take away any excuses you want to hang on to, but the good news is positive changes are within your reach.

A clear process with consistent habits give you the best chance for success

Have you ever been part of a team that worked on a project where the outcome was okay but the process stunk? You know, like it was disorganized, or constantly changing or one or two individuals made it almost unbearable to work with them? I have. Most of us have at some point I suppose.

But even if the goal was reached, the event went off or the project was completed on time, you’ll never know how much better the outcome could have been. That’s because a clear plan, with regular habits will set you up for success.

Do the math

When I was in private practice, I met with a lot of struggling couples. They usually wanted to give me a history lesson on why their marriage was bad. But instead, I would simply ask them to tell me what the previous day looked like. I’d have them walk me through it, moment by moment, hour by hour. More times than not, it became clear that their daily habits were sabotaging their relationship.

I never did well in math, but I know this much. Either your current process will move you closer to your goals or they will move you farther away. Does your current process equal a better chance of achieving your goals this year or not?

What do you think? Agree or disagree? I’d love to hear from you.

Q. Where are your current daily habits taking you? 

Q. Are you confident that your current process will help you reach your goals? Why or why not? 

Q. What is one change that you need to make, starting today? 

Feeling stuck? Not sure what to do next? Your life not where you want it to be? Life coaching can help. Contact me to arrange a free 30-minute discovery call. Lets talk.