Moving from Goal Setting to Goal Pursuit – Three Rules of Thumb
Goal setting is fun. Setting goals at the start of a new year, new season, or new anything 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.
Pursuing a difficult goal is like running through an obstacle course designed by Evel Knievel. It’s both exhilarating and frightening at the same time.
From my experience, success is dependent on starting off with a realistic plan that takes into account three rules of thumb: progression, patience, and productivity.
Progression:
If you are like most people, drastic routine changes are not sustainable. For example, it’s just not possible to go from sedentary to running 5 miles a day. 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.
Therefore, 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.