Start with the end in mind

You must have come across emails recently offering to help you with your goal setting. Otherwise, you’re not into email, or you’re not reading on the internet.

But you’re reading my insight today, so the chances are that you receive more emails inspiring you to accomplish what you want to achieve.

In the hypothetical case that I’m the only email list you have subscribed to, I’m truly honored. And I would like to invite you to write a testimonial for me immediately.

Back to goal setting

Bear with me. This won’t be a dry email about how to set goals effectively. There’s an interesting reference later in my message.

Most goal-setting emails are boring.

Over the years, I haven’t seen the content changing much.

Obviously, we have the pandemic’s impact this year, so there’s a lot of reference to making 2021 a better year.

Best year ever

I’m sure you have seen that sentence somewhere.

Popular these days is also the reference to habit formation. All sorts of people have found the golden egg in helping people with their habits.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a believer as well.

Habits are a powerful tool to get things done. And there are some habits I’d like to change myself.

For example.

I’m now committed to start every day of the week with exercise.

I know exercise helps me kick-start my day, it makes me feel good about myself, and it helps me physically. Of course.

I’ve decided that I will not allow my brain anymore to figure out whether today is the day I will exercise. And then let myself off the hook and commit that I will exercise tomorrow.

I know these games my brain likes to play

Of course, I may miss a day now and then. I’m not a saint, I like to have a glass of wine, and sometimes I’m late in bed.

But.

Missing one day can happen. Twice is a pattern.

Just don’t let it happen twice, and I’m fine.

So far, so good. I won’t be a fitness tourist.

Habits are being hyped. And I just helped the hype.

Everything that gets hyped makes me nervous. It’s who I am. When everyone jumps on the train, I’d like to get off.

My best advice to plan your year?

The best way to plan your year is to start with the end in mind.

Where would you like to be by the end of the year?

Write that down first.

And then work your way back to how you will get there, what you should be doing, and perhaps even more important, what you will stop doing?

And remember.

Less is more

Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many goals. Make choices.

To start your journey to your best year ever (don’t hate me), you may leverage the website of FutureMe.org.

That’s the reference I mentioned earlier.

On their website, you can write a letter to yourself and describe what you would like the end of the year (or in three or five years) to look like for yourself.

Once you’ve submitted the letter, you get an immediate confirmation, and then by the end of the year, they send you the letter again.

I think it’s a brilliant alternative to boring goal setting.

Write yourself a letter

Write yourself a letter; make it fun, ambitious, realistic, focused, and whatever you need more.

Then execute what you write down, and look forward to receiving your letter back by the end of the year.

Just do it.

And do more of what makes you happy.

Erikjan

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