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.
Sara Sutton Fell, the founder of 1 Million for Work Flexibility, and CEO and founder of FlexJobs, shares tips on how to negotiate workplace flexibility. Workplace flexibility is not just an issue that impacts working women; working men are also eager for solutions that help them balance work and home, and a new survey […]
In this age of constant digital innovations and disruption with the future of events, the value of digital elements across the board has become evident. With continuous learning and development, digital activities have become ingrained in the fabric of humanity. However, it is vital, especially, in the age of information that brands and organisations lead […]
As businesses around the world adjust to the realities of Your Guide to Remote Selling in an Online World, sales and marketing, however, still need to bring in the leads, nurture the client’s relationships and close the deals. The workplace will never look the same again, and as businesses establish Remote Selling working practices, we […]
Do You Have Blinders On? | Confirmation Bias is a term we’ve heard a lot over the last few years as science has become a debate topic and you hear qualified experts providing completely opposite interpretations on the same topic. But what role does it play in your life if you aren’t doing studies and […]
The Character Ethic vs. The Personality Ethic – Why Character Trumps Personality As Stephen Covey writes in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, most of the success literature published in the United States for the first century and a half after 1776 focused on The Character Ethic as being the underlying foundation of how a person can live an influential, […]
I first met Julie Faupel during a week-long personal growth retreat and learnt how to get Closer to Your Customer. The retreat required a total digital detox and abstinence of any conversation related to career, work or business. Julie and I became fast friends and for me personally, the retreat experience was transformational. Fortunately, the […]
When I started in sales and Social Selling, I had to visit 8 clients physically, every single day. No jokes! In our wildest dreams we could not have imagined a tool like email, never mind social media and Building Relationships Online. Social media has created so many incredible opportunities for us, and it is about […]
To succeed, you have to Training Others to establish boundaries. But boundaries are only as good as your ability to communicate them. If people don’t know your boundaries, they become ineffective and are more likely to be discarded. Training other people on your boundaries requires learning how to say no. That doesn’t […]
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME
