What to Do When You Quit on Your Process Before You Reach Your Goal
Everybody has done it. Embark on a process to achieve a goal that requires getting up 1 hour earlier than normal. Let’s call it 5 am.
For some, the first morning after they create this plan when the alarm goes off at 5 am they quit right then and there. Sleep wins.
For others, maybe they make it a week or even a month but eventually something happens that breaks the habit one morning. Then, that one morning of hitting the snooze button turns into two mornings, then three, then a week, then forever.
Ultimately, whether you are the first type of person or the second, the mistake is the same. You did the right thing by beginning with the end in mind, but you did the wrong thing by starting with the end instead of starting with a progression.
This is a common mistake, so don’t beat yourself up when this happens. Instead, focus on the process of changing your behavior instead of the process you need to achieve your goal. Behavior change doesn’t happen overnight, so you can’t expect to wake up 1 hour earlier overnight.
Therefore, I recommend starting with these 3 steps to begin the process of changing your behavior to reach a goal.
3 Steps to Starting on the Path to Behavior Change
- Start with the minimum viable change (MVC). A MVC is something that only slightly pushes you out of your comfort zone. Something like waking up 10 or 15 minutes earlier than normal. Whatever it is, make sure it’s measurable, easy to start right away, and the difficulty can be incrementally increased.
- Get someone to agree to be your accountability partner. Let them in on the details of the behaviors you need to change. Explain your MVC and how that MVC is measured. Then empower them with the access into your life to hold you accountable for keeping the promises you make.
- Develop and then execute a plan for the progression of your MVC. For example, if you start by waking up 10 minutes early, increase this to 20 minutes after 30 days or 60 days. Then, figure out a plan for how you will then keep adding additional 10-minute increments over time. If the ultimate goal is working your way up to waking up at 5 am, then your plan may be to do it by adding 10-minute increments every 30 days over 6 months. In addition, figure out what other MVCs you layer on top once you get the wheel of your first MVC spinning effortlessly. Don’t make these decisions on the fly, plan them out with your accountability partner, and then let your partner hold you accountable to this plan.
As you can see the pattern is simple. If you want something that requires a behavior change, you must make a plan to start small then incrementally change. As a result, you must focus less on what the end behavior looks like and more on the process of changing your behavior slowly but surely.
If you want help with this process, contact me here to find out how I can help.