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.
Siphiwe Moyo’s new book, called “Your Next Move” hits the shelves this week. Career Strategies to Survive and Thrive During Covid-19 and Beyond. As we all think about our responses to COVID-19, we have to try both offence and defence career strategies to survive. In other words, you need to try and hold on to […]
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 […]
Guide to Making Decisions can be daunting (just choosing a type of peanut butter in the grocery store can be a mammoth task), yet if we are to move forward in life and business we need to make decisions, and we need to make good ones if we are to navigate this chaotic world properly. In […]
You can turn an unpredictable world into predictable results. It comes down to the practices we have in our businesses and with those around us. Even though we might not be able to predict the exact timing of a breakthrough, the practices create the conditions necessary to have a breakthrough, even making that breakthrough inevitable […]
This season is all about being thankful, even when you have nothing to Using Thankfulness as a Core Value. If your current situation doesn’t reflect the ideal person and/or life you want, it may be difficult to stay positive. However, when you look at everything you do have, as opposed to what you don’t have, […]
What many people don’t realize is that they can actually Make Your Own Luck, by changing their beliefs about themselves and what will happen in their lives. This sounds absurd, but it makes a lot of sense once you understand the logic behind it all. People tend to think that luck is something that is out […]
Worrying is psychologically debilitating and The Opposite of Worrying Planning Recently, I helped a client eliminate the worrying component in his narrative which was causing serious procrastination. This is not unusual, and here are some thoughts for those who find themselves trapped in this wheel of hell. I understand worry intimately. I know those who […]
We are all ordinary and can ACHIEVE THE EXTRAORDINARY. Every single one of us is an ordinary person who has a set of talents, opportunities, challenges and experiences to work with. Whether we turbocharge those into greatness or lie on the couch is usually entirely up to us. But to start with, we are all […]
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME
