Short Quote Explains Exactly How to Attack New Goals
Whether it’s the start of a new calendar year, the start of a new school year, or the start of a new season, setting new goals is always a good way to start on the right foot. Unquestionably, setting goals at the start of something new is fun. Imagining the possibilities of what the future could hold if you achieve your goals is flat out energizing.
However, that energy can quickly dissipate once you close the book on the goal setting phase and open the book on the goal pursuit phase. Specifically, if you pursue goals like a rabbit going 1000 miles an hour in the beginning you may not have the energy to sustain the effort to the finish line.
With this in mind, Jimmy Buffett has a famous quote that perfectly illustrates how you should instead pursue goals.
Go fast enough to get there, but slow enough to see. – Jimmy Buffett
Yes, pursuing goals require urgency. But not so much urgency that you burn yourself out before you get what you really want. It’s best to start off with a realistic plan that takes into account progression, patience, and productivity.
Progression:
If you are like most people, drastic routine changes are not sustainable. It’s just not possible to go from sedentary to running 5 miles a day for example. As a result, your goal pursuit plan should include a goal progression strategy that allows you to gradually advance forward.
Patience:
No matter how hard you work and how consistent you are with your plan, history shows that you can’t control the exact day you will reach your goals. So it’s always best to error on the side of trusting and staying persistent with the process over running out of patience. One day it will be your day, but you don’t control the date of one day. If you can stick with your plan, enjoy the process, and remain patient success will eventually come your way.
Productivity:
Productivity is the combination of progress and results. It’s about doing the right thing and doing that thing right. Without the combination of progress and results, you have nothing. As a result, if you can’t measure progress and results you really don’t know if you are being productive. With this purpose in mind, one of the most important things you can do as you start pursuing new goals is to define the means in which you will measure productivity.