How One Quote led to my first Life Vision Document and changed the way I achieved goals.
It’s almost three years since I failed my New Years’ resolutions again (and again) after going steady for more than three months at that time. All preparation worked well, I already ran a lot of miles, went to the gym multiple times a week, and didn’t drink a glass of Coke for a couple of months.
Then again, some of you will definitely recognize this, something happened. An event occurred that put me off track for a couple of days, days became weeks and then I quit, again. I failed my New Years’ resolutions another time and because of that I felt like a failure and lost motivation. While I’m writing this, I can’t even recall what actually happened at that very moment that made me quit eventually. That’s when I learned that events that are insignificant in the long run could be disastrous for change in the short term.
“Some events that are insignificant in the long run could be disastrous for change in the short run”
A little later in November 2016, a New Year was around the corner and it got me thinking again about my dreams, my goals, and what I wanted to achieve next year, I picked up reading some books about it and that’s where it hit me. In one of the first chapters I read this quote:
“Most people overestimate what they can do in a year but underestimate what they can do in a decade”
* I still don’t know if this quote is originally from Bill Gates or Tony Robbins however I read it in the “Awaken The Giant Within” by Tony Robbins.
At that very moment, I realized that I was too narrowly focused on the short term, forcing too much into a day and I didn’t give the mind and body time to adapt. I started with too many goals, difficult habits and so much daily habits that it didn’t even fit in the 18 hours I was awake. Because hey, we still need sleep, right?
With this insight, I started a new journey. It became a continuous experiment with tiny, atomic habits, growing habits, and learning about environmental triggers. I also wrote a document that has changed the way I look at change. It starts like this:
“In 2027 this is how my life looks like… “
.. (now that would be in 2030)
Below that first sentence, I wrote my long term goals. Prioritized the list and I asked myself the question: “What is the first and smallest action I can take today to work towards this goal, that I can keep doing for at least 10 days.”
That’s how it started for me. This is where it could begin for you;
Where do you want to be in 2030?
Please let me know and send your story to @bemorehabits on Twitter or Instagram.
