How to plan and achieve goals for the year

People are fundamentally different from animals

Evolution

Animals are a direct product of the environment. They react to external circumstances and adapt to them, thus changing over time. The process of their evolution is slow and random.

Humanity is an indirect product of the environment. Although it is the means by which people have adapted and changed, our personal choices largely determine the environment. This is the fundamental difference between humans and animals.

We make decisions about the direction and strength of personal evolution by intelligently constructing the environment around us.

You are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. You are what you do. Your life is measurable: it is directly proportional to the importance of the problem you are trying to solve. So choose wisely.

Adaptation

Psychological research shows that fear of anticipation is almost always perceived worse than actual experience.

It always amuses me when people say things like, “You have three foster children and were you able to get your Ph. D.? I could never do that. " Or: "I can never survive the death of a loved one." The fact is, they can. If their loved ones died or if they had to do something difficult (we all face difficulties), they would find new strength, solve problems and surprise themselves. Of course, life sometimes brings suffering. But we go through them, become stronger and, hopefully, smarter than we were before.

I recently met a woman who has 17 children, eight of her own and nine adopted. She brings them up with her husband. You may find this strange. But if you want, you can handle it just as well. By the way, their family is thriving, not just surviving.

No matter what difficulty we face, we can adapt to everything.

We can take much more than we think. So when it comes to goal setting, we are deliberately preparing for something daunting.

Although most people look for the path of least resistance and thus become accustomed to ease and indolence, you should look for trials and difficulties. To give an example, trees that begin to grow in windy, demanding circumstances are forced to take root as deep as possible and therefore become invulnerable to the environment.

Call to action

Don't avoid problems. Seek and meet them. You will grow more as a person if you solve more problems.

You can reach your goals in 3 months

Use tenfold thinking

J. K. Rowling planned seven years at Hogwarts before writing the first chapter on Harry Potter. As a result, the story of Harry Potter has become the most read book of all time.

Prior to the creation of the first Star Wars in 1970, George Lucas had at least six films planned and therefore started with Episode 4 rather than Episode 1. As a result, almost 40 years later, the whole world goes crazy when new Star Wars is released. This would not have been possible if Lucas had not had such a well-thought-out and ambitious plan.

So let's look at your goals for the year. Rather, they reflect timid thinking and an uncreative approach to planning. Without a doubt, your goals are not very difficult and you can handle them. But remember, you can endure much more than you think. You can adapt to everything.

For example, let's say you set yourself a goal to make $ 50,000 in a year. Take it higher, change the goal to $ 500,000.

When you multiply all of your goals by 10, you have to start achieving them in unconventional, innovative ways. The traditional approach does not work with tenfold thinking.

But in order to achieve what was planned, it will be necessary not only to expand the boundaries of thinking. The effort must also change. Just like their abilities, people underestimate the time and effort it takes to get things done. That is why they are often late for dates and do not finish the work they have begun.

Instead of expecting perfect conditions, expect the worst. Instead of underestimating how much time and effort it will take, overestimate these things. Make even more effort to achieve your goal than you think is necessary.

If you’re going to think 10 times wider, you’ll have to put in 10 times more effort. Effortlessly, it doesn't matter how big your dream is. But, when your behavior meets (and even exceeds) your expectations, dreams will quickly become a reality.

Call to action

Pick your main goal for the year and plan to reach it by April 1st. It turns out that you have 2 months ahead of you instead of 12. Are you ready to show courage and creativity?

Bet on everything

People are afraid of commitment. We would rather leave the choice open. We'd rather make a few investments to reduce the risk.

But if you want to achieve more, then you need to put everything on one option. It's actually much easier and less risky to focus on one thing rather than a few things. And yes, failure is possible.

Once you understand what you want, commit yourself to overwhelming obligations. Go for broke. When you do this, you will understand the true meaning of the confidence that can only come from within.

Once you realize that the feeling of security is purely an inner feeling, and not something that is outside yourself (like regular income or health insurance), you will see yourself in a new light. Your faith in yourself and your abilities will increase significantly. The obstacles that once held you back will be the vehicle for moving forward. Your inner state will correspond to your inner desires. True security is spiritual, not material.

Call to action

How you tune into the game is many times more important than how you play. To win, make bold promises before you start, make commitments - then you will inevitably have to play at the highest level.

Move on, state your goals publicly. Promise more, then get to work.

Your skills are always more important than your desires

The renowned psychologist Anders Eriksson coined the term “thoughtful preparation”. His research was made famous by Malcolm Gladwell, who is famous for his 10,000-hour rule.

As history shows, people with innate abilities rarely get into the world elite. Rather, it includes those who devote most of their time to their craft. For example, most of the world's best violinists played 10,000 hours of violin before they turned 20.

You can master anything, and you will enjoy it more and more as you improve in it.

If you spend three hours, seven days a week, focusing on a specific task, you will accumulate 10,000 hours in 10 years. If you spend four hours, five days a week, you will accumulate 10,000 hours in 10 years.

If you are smartly preparing for what you do at work, then you can only work 3-4 hours a day. But your activity must be focused and productive.

Prioritization and execution

What kind of business, after the completion of which all others seem easy or completely unnecessary? What are you willing to practice consciously for 3-4 hours a day?

Simplification

To prioritize 3-4 hours during which you will hone your craft, you must simplify your life. Without a doubt, you need to get rid of activities, behaviors, relationships that pull you back.

It is difficult to get rid of all secondary things. Just yesterday, I sent a letter to a professor to warn him that I would no longer be able to participate in joint research projects this year. While I really enjoy working with this particular professor, projects distract me from my top priorities - my family, blog, and personal development.

It can be a little scary to cancel projects, break off commitments, or end unhealthy relationships. But the moment you do this, you will feel incredible relief. You are free! Free from the shackles of inner experiences.

Call to action

Simplify your life as much as possible. We all only have 24 hours a day. How you spend this time depends on your priorities.

If you can't prioritize 3-4 hours a day, then you don't deserve to be a top-notch expert at what you do. Make a plan for daily practice if you want to become a pro. Follow it.

Your strength lies in the ability to go beyond the banal

A person is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to leave alone. Henry David Thoreau American writer, thinker, naturalist

I recently spent Christmas in Omaha with my wife's in-laws. I have always been inspired by their lives and characters.

My father-in-law is a very smart and successful person. He is one of those people who can do whatever comes into their heads. He never gives up and always figures out how to do what he is trying to do.

But what strikes me the most is his complete disregard for what is valuable to most people. Despite the fact that he is a millionaire, he and his wife live in a small apartment. He does not wear fancy clothes and does not drive expensive cars. He doesn't care about looks. He doesn't care what impression he makes on other people.

But it's hard to meet a more hardworking and more sincere person. He lives happily by his beliefs, spends time with his family, and works hard every day.

Call to action

Free yourself from the need to acquire more and more items. Keeping what you have is always better than wasting. Relieve yourself of worrying about what people might think of you.

Important rituals and habits for personal development

We develop by repeating something over and over. According to one psychological study, it takes 66 days to form a new habit. Following good new habits will help you reach your full potential.

Learn every day

Ordinary people want lightness and fun. Extraordinary people are looking for difficulties and new knowledge.

Real learning is a complex process, which is not only the accumulation of knowledge. There is a difference between knowledge and understanding. You don't really know something until you try it out empirically, until you can just explain and do it. I can read all books about building a computer. But until I build the computer myself, I don't really know this. Theory and life experience are two completely different things.

So don't just learn from books. Put what you've learned from the books into practice and do real things. Make mistakes. Gain experience.

Keep a diary

If you don't write diaries, you have a lot to lose. There are many benefits to this activity. And it doesn't require serious effort. In fact, it is recommended that you do this for 5-10 minutes a day.

And there is no right or wrong way to keep a diary. You can use it to record important events that have occurred. Or to write down your goals and attitudes. Or use for interesting ideas and inspiration. Or just dump negative emotions into it.

What is useful to write in a diary:

Write 15 times every day about the goal you want to achieve. And write down goals and attitudes in the present tense (for example, "I am married to the girl of my dreams. I am married to the girl of my dreams. I am married to the girl of my dreams").
Write down your other goals and to-do lists. I usually write down my weekly, monthly, and yearly goals at least once a week. Repetition instills these goals into my subconscious and allows me to find new opportunities that I could have missed without a diary.
Write about important events that you don't want to forget.
Write about existential issues (principles, God, the universe, and life in general).
Write about the most important people in your life (wife, children, parents, mentors).

Exercise

If you want to be healthy, happy, and productive, make it a habit to exercise regularly.

Exercise reduces the likelihood of depression, anxiety and stress. They also influence career success. If you don't take care of your body, other aspects of your life will suffer.

Conclusion: build a life, not just a career

One muscle overly developed can hinder overall health and strength. You've probably seen the guys from the audience with huge arms or broad shoulders and chicken legs.

Focusing on just one area of your life is like going to the gym and working the same muscle over and over again, ignoring all other aspects of your body.

When planning your year, think about more than just being successful at work. Plan relationships and all important aspects of your life, such as travel, experience, goals, spirituality, personal development - in general, everything that interests you.

Many of my goals for this year have nothing to do with work.