Author: Sterling Hawkins
I mean, isn’t that the nature of goals to begin with? What’s missing between you and your goals might be walking the walk of your goals — not just talking the talk. Or rather, running the run of your goals. I’ll tell you what I mean. Goals are easy to think of but harder to achieve, aren’t […]
I mean, isn’t that the nature of goals to begin with? What’s missing between you and your goals might be walking the walk of your goals — not just talking the talk. Or rather, running the run of your goals. I’ll tell you what I mean.
Goals are easy to think of but harder to achieve, aren’t they?
I was reading The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by Mark Comer and he quotes American engineer W. Edwards Deming in saying that “Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets”. When Deming said it, I think he was talking about business processes, engineering and manufacturing… but it also applies to us in general. The system of your day to day life is giving you exactly the results you have right now.
Comer gives the example of waking up every morning in downtown Portland to see his hyper-fit neighbors going out for a run. I don’t live in Portland, but we’ve all seen those people out exercising that look like they belong in a Nike commercial. At first glance, it might seem like something to aspire to… but we have to look deeper into the life system that’s producing that as a result.
Sure, in Comer’s case they’re out running first thing in the morning. But, what you maybe don’t see are the things they’re surrendering to be able to do it that well (and look that good, too!). Giving up late dinners, evenings watching Netflix or both for an early bedtime. Giving up that glass of wine or beer with friends, or dessert for another piece of celery or steamed broccoli. May be foregoing relaxation time to get out there and run consistently on a schedule! As Comer so eloquently puts it: “I want the life, but I’m not willing to adopt the lifestyle behind it”. Said another way, that’s not actually a goal he truly wants to achieve.
Putting Pen to Paper
It’s easy to put your goals on a sheet of paper. It’s easy to fantasize about all the things you want to change with your health, relationships or business. The real work is stepping back to understand the system or “lifestyle” that’s necessary to achieve that. What are the actions you need to take and just as important, what are the actions you need to surrender to actually make it happen? Only then can you start walking the walk that your goal requires of you to achieve the result.
I’d invite you to share in the #NoMatterWhat Community this week what you’re surrendering to in order to realize the goals you have on deck for yourselves. It’s the connective tissue between the results you have now and the results you want to get. When you understand what that goal actually requires of you, you can take more meaningful steps towards it.
As Comer notes, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. But that’s exactly what many of us do. We’re motivated to hire a consultant, read a new book, listen to a podcast to create breakout results… but when the motivation fades, we go back to the same process that left us where we were to begin with. Instead, walk the walk. Run the run. And make sure your processes, systems and lifestyle are a match for what you want to achieve.
Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Twitter
The articles, video and images embedded on these pages are from various speakers and talent.
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
Don’t you just love when prospects ask you that question? – What Makes You Different? If you recognize the question as the true trap that it is, and you know how to deal with it, then you love it. If you don’t treat that question as the trap that it is, you’re toast. For […]
How Joey Evans Went From Paraplegic To Dakar and In October 2007, a devastating off-road bike accident left Joey Evans paralysed from the chest down. Ten years later, he achieved his dream of finishing the 2017 Dakar Rally on a motorbike. This is the story of the power of grit, determination, and following crazy, audacious […]
To risk or not to Risk – could I cope with 12 pairs of gloves? The quandary: There’s a question on many female’s hearts and minds this week as the 29th looms ahead about whether to really pop THE question. It might also be on everyone’s hearts and minds wondering if they might be the […]
THE STRUGGLE OF ALL SALESPEOPLE, UNDERSTANDING THE MONEY VALUE Here’s what you should know about salespeople, and really people in general. They don’t struggle with time management, they struggle with self-management. You can’t manage time, time ticks whether we want to or not. Here’s why we struggle with self-management In the absence of a clearly […]
I may sound arrogant but since everything turned upside down in early 2020 I’ve learnt so much more about who and what I am and WHY I’M BETTER THAN YOU, so I’ve decided to be more honest with myself, as well as with those around me. Everything has changed, there’s no doubt about that, and […]
How to Craft Powerful Stories that Can Drive Culture Change There is an old adage that says: If you want to learn about a culture, listen to the stories. If you want to change a culture, change the stories. I had a first-hand experience with this very early on in my career. The MD […]
I once saw a cartoon meme that really caught my attention. A Father was chatting to his son. He was explaining the difference between being interested in success at school versus being committed to success at school. So Are You a Chicken, or a Pig? “Take your breakfast as an example, my boy,” the Father […]
Life has a such a unique way of giving us what we need (soul food) rather than what we want. Stop another dark night of the soul. I have just come out of what can only be described as another dark soul of the night. Unable to see further than my fear and feeling […]
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME
