The answer is habits. Consistent habits allow us to achieve our goals. Aristotle knew this when he said: We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. The following 8 lessons will allow you to achieve your goals:
REDUCE FRICTION
Choose goals, and habits, that align with your life. Make it as simple as possible to form habits.
PRIME YOUR ENVIRONMENT
If you want to write, set up a writing area. If you want to work out, set up a home gym. Setting up our environment to facilitate our desired habits will mean we are more likely to follow through.
DISCIPLINE > MOTIVATION
Motivation fades. Discipline remains. Develop discipline over time. When you’re consistent, you build your discipline muscles day in and day out. Keep building
REWARD YOURSELF
Setup an external reward system. Have a cheat meal on Sunday when you’ve run each day this week. When you’ve read a book each day, watch a movie on the weekend.
When we reward the behavior, we’re more likely to maintain a commitment to the behavior.
USE WHEN -+ THEN HACK
Tie the work to a specific activity or time.
For example:
when I am done brushing my teeth, I will floss.
when I wake up, I will take the dog for a walk.
TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
Create a journal. Publish results online. The more public your tracking, the more likely you’ll succeed. When we add the element of public accountability, we increase our likelihood of persisting.
START SMALL
Do not try to achieve your goals in one step. Make the first steps as small as possible.
For example:
Walk two miles
Read five pages of a book
Exercise for fifteen minutes
Often, we will do more than we set out to do, which is the goal.
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