New Year, Same You: How To Get Tactical With Your Bad Self

As you ring in the new year (AKA: 2020-B) you may be thinking about setting goals, making resolutions, forming good habits, and eliminating bad ones. But as the clock strikes midnight you might get flooded with all the times you had tried and failed in years past. So, you’ll do nothing. What’s the point?

Personally, I’m really not one to use the new year as a landmark for change. That’s just me. I say if you’re going to change, change. You ought not wait for the calendar. Positive change and self improvement should be a daily act, regardless of date, time, month, or year.

Mere Willpower

I am no expert, believe me, but I can point you to someone who is. James Clear, author of the New York Times bestselling book Atomic Habits, is the guy you want to follow. I have referenced him before because that book was such a game-changer for me. His whole premise is that tiny changes over time have big results. He also debunks the myth that all we need is mere willpower. Willpower alone won’t cut it. What we need are systems.

Clear said, “If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” (Atomic Habits, pg. 27)

Goals vs. Systems

Goals are the results we want (lose weight, quit smoking, etc.) while systems are the processes that we put in place that will lead us to our goals. The systems are the key. Instead of using the scale to measure our progress of losing weight (the goal) we should focus on what we are putting in our fridge and stop missing our workouts (the system). If we focus on our system then the scale will take care of itself.

For example, if I don’t want to miss a workout then I need to create a system that gets me into the gym. It could be as simple as setting my alarm on repeat, laying out my workout clothes the night before, and putting my gym bag and sneakers by the front door. I create an environment (a system) that drives me to my goal (not missing a workout).

I Wish

That’s not to say that goals are useless. Goals are a worthy endeavor if laid out properly. But to actually be a goal, they must meet five criteria. Goals must:

1. Be specific
2. Be measurable
3. Have a time limit
4. Be your own
5. Be in writing

If you can’t meet those criteria, then what your setting out to do is not a goal, it’s a wish. I don’t know about you, but I’ve blown out a lot of birthday candles and none of my wishes have come true. (Apparently, becoming Batman does not meet those criteria).

Wheel of Life

As you start to think about your goals, don’t just think about one or two things you are bad at or need to improve on. There are seven key areas in our lives that we ought to set goals for and then put systems in place to drive us toward achieving those goals. Zig Ziglar called those seven key areas the Wheel of Life, and they include:

1. Family – Strengthen your family
2. Spiritual – Grow spiritually
3. Financial – Be a better steward of your resources
4. Social – Foster your personal and professional relationships
5. Physical – Improve your health and fitness
6. Intellectual – Grow your brain
7. Career – Further your career and hone your craft

 

We must see ourselves as a whole, not as parts of a whole. Ziglar called it the Wheel of Life because each area carries an equal amount of importance for our life to roll smoothly. If one area is underdeveloped, then the wheel won’t roll well and we’ll be flopping around through life just like a flat tire on a car. Not very tactical.

Calendar Shmalendar

Regardless of what the calendar says, it’s always a good time to better yourself. If you’ve had failures in the past like I have, don’t let that stop you from starting again.  With better information you can change your approach and focus on your system instead of on the goal.

Listen, I barely scratched the surface and there is so much more to be said on this topic. But you can learn a ton and get practical steps that you can take today by simply picking up a copy of Atomic Habits. It’s a super easy read with lots of actionable stuff. You can also download our free Tactical Goal Tracker here to help get you started.

Now, get after it!
____________________________

• Are you properly setting goals?
• Do you have systems in place to reach those goals?
• Do you use the calendar as a reason to procrastinate?
• What is stopping you from starting?

____________________________

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