How to Become Goal-Oriented Now
Don’t lie… You want to learn how to become goal-oriented now.
Now I’m not gonna front and be like one of those Internet gurus that tells you the key to success is believing in yourself. I’ll throw in an article here and there but for the most part…
THAT’S ON YOU!!
There isn’t some step by step method that everyone could follow and reach the top of the mountain. If that were the case, Everest would be pretty crowded. You gotta figure out your own path. But I do believe that certain habits and behaviors are key to establishing a rock solid foundation to build upon. Over time, I will explain those to the best of my ability. This article is about one of those habits. This habit will help you on how to become goal-oriented now.
Whenever you have a problem you are trying to solve, a decision to make, or goal you are trying to accomplish… what is the first thing everyone says to do?
WRITE IT DOWN
Writing stuff down is very powerful. In fact, it one of the major differences makers when you are trying to succeed. When you write out what you want, there is a greater level of accountability versus just saying or thinking what you want. This is 100% true for your goals. Now I don’t want to talk about long-term goals in this article because:
You can’t accomplish your long term goals without first mastering the art of accomplishing your short term goals.
Simple. Straight to the point. This applies to everything.
Money: You can’t make $1 Billion without mastering the art of making $1 Million… You can’t make $1 Million without mastering the art of making $1000… You can’t make $1000 without knowing how to make that first c note… And you can’t make a $100 without’ knowing how to make that first buck.
Bodybuilding/Fitness: You can’t become Mr. Olympia without first becoming a top pro… you can’t become a top pro without becoming a top amateur… you can’t become a top amateur without physically knowing yourself… you can never physically know yourself without picking up that first weight.
Dating/Relationships (For the fellas): You can never become good with women (socializing with them and eventually dating them) without first becoming good at socializing with other dudes. You can’t get good at socializing with your fellow brothers without first being comfortable with yourself. *** I like this topic a lot actually because there is so much ridiculous stuff being parroted on the Internet. A lot of guys (especially the young, up and coming generation) are VERY LOST. They’re confused. They don’t know who to listen to and they don’t know what works. It also doesn’t help that the general level of social savviness has gone down considerably since the 1970’s/1980’s. Don’t worry… I promise I will write up SEVERAL FREE articles that will have everything you need to know. Again, very simple.
Bottom line: Get your short game handled first to become goal-oriented.
Getting back to the original topic of discussion, the way you master your short-term goals is by writing out a list of your most important things to do every day. You make this list the night before you go to bed. You must do it every day until it becomes so ingrained in you that it becomes second nature. For example: I started the habit of making a daily list of all the important stuff I wanted to get done (daily goals) back in March 2013. I have done it every day since then. This habit is so ingrained into my lifestyle that:
I DO IT NO MATTER WHAT
I knew this was true when I went with my girlfriend to her Alumni Homecoming Weekend at her college this past fall. I barely drink but that Saturday night I got absolutely hammered… we both did. I woke up the next morning feeling like crap, not really knowing what happened the night before. One thing I found immediately was a list. I had actually made a list of important shtuff I had to do the next day. It was scribbled onto a hotel notepad in blue sharpie and was barely legible… but it was a list. See what I’m talking about? That habit is here to stay.
Experience the Benefits
I can honestly say that since March 2013, writing out a simple list of my daily tasks has made me a much better planner and certainly a more precise executer. It has also made me much more focused because for every day, my priority is accomplishing those 6 things on my list. Nothing else really matters. Once I get everything crossed off on my list, I can chill. Most importantly, this is a building block. A building block that you can rely upon to build success over time. From my own experience, this once simple habit has gotten me much more focused on developing and working toward my long term goals.
Make a to-do-list… quick trick to become goal-oriented now.
14 Comments
Trust me guys this one little habit will make all the difference in the long run.
I wanted to do that thing with writing a list with goals for a day. Just never did. I guess that is what makes the difference between achieving on a daily basis and getting nowhere with your dreams/plans/goals.
Of course you got to have some sort of long-term goal(s). Basically I think that this thing with lists of stuff to do for the day is supposed to help you keep your focus on the long-term commitment you make.
I’m going to do this thing starting tonight. It will take some practice though, because I lack self-discipline like lots of us. Going to change that.
p.s. forgive me my writing mistakes, English is my second language and I hardly had any practice with speaking or writing in it (:
Thanks man. Yea making lists is very powerful. Especially if you do it old school and write it on a piece of paper and carry it in your pocket and cross stuff off.
Hey Sonny,
I appreciate this article. Thanks for writing it.
Just wondering – do always put exactly 6 items on your list? Do you think the number matters?
Thanks!
I like to keep it at 6… don’t wanna have too much shit on there.
You want a manageable amount. A number that you have a decent chance of completing.
Thanks for the article. Habits are powerful.
I like the focus on goal setting here. For myself , there was this treacherous desire to “do what I love”. I always told myself if I truly did “what I love”, I’d be “zen” and I would always be happy. The danger of that mindset is that there is no clear goal. I somehow always did “what I love”.
However, every time I achieved something, this was because I was FOCUSSED on a goal. That sometimes meant to do what I DID NOT love. I wanted to work in a big research lab – that meant I had to bust my balls in subjects at school I did not really like – to get an overall good enough grade average. Or then later on, the desire to really get laid forced me to not just have some charming conversation at a bar that goes nowhere, but to actually escalate physically on a chick that was down and make it happen.
I think once you have reached your goals in life, then you can really “do what you love”. But you will not work hard enough if you don’t have a clear destination.
Yes when you have a concrete goal… Naturally, you are more driven to achieve it.
ex. The hardest I ever prep/work out is when I have a set date of being somewhere on vacation such as those Vegas pool parties
[…] long term goals will take time to […]
Hey Sonny,
Do you know anything about getting taller, if HGH works or anything similar? I just turned 21 a little less than a month ago, and when I measure myself in the morning I’m between 5’8 3/4 – 5’9. I’m pretty insecure about it so i’ll wear elevator shoes to get up to 5’11 or 6 foot. Do you think it’s possible to grow anymore naturally / worth it to do those stretching programs, or would that lengthening surgery be the only option?
Depends. How old are you?
Just turned 21 on July 23rd.
You could still have some time left to grow… it’s different for everyone.
I would try hanging from a pull-up bar every day in the morning…. I did that from ages 14-16 and I think it helped me grow.
[…] all recognize the importance of setting goals, especially with the New Year upon us. Goals give us direction and a sense of purpose that directly […]
[…] For some reason, lists do it for me. […]