It’s that time of year where we build our plan for next year. We set bigger goals and build strategies to reach them. For those of us who are really intentional about it, we ask, “who must I become to achieve my dreams?”
This topic is top of mind for me as I build out my 2021 growth plan. The growth plan is where the rubber meets the road and you set milestones in your calendar for growth and development celebrations. There are a lot of ways in which you can accomplish this and for me, as I observe my goals, I ask:
- What books must I read to become the person who achieves these goals?
- What podcasts will help me grow into that person?
- Which people do I want to model my success and growth after?
People with Giant Shoulders
That last one really stood out to me this year and it just might be the change you need in your own playbook for an explosive year ahead.
Goals are targets, and if you followed my intentional goal setting series, you know we can make them crystal clear and reverse engineer their inevitable success. What’s even better than a clear goal? How about a real life person who is already doing it?
Goggins
One such person who came up for me this year was David Goggins. If you don’t know Goggins, do yourself a favor and watch this video. David Goggins embodies a mindset I want to emulate, embody, and enhance… in that order.
The best part, I don’t have to suffer through some of the hell David Goggins experienced and which he put himself through to become the man now know as the “Hardest Motherf*cker on Planet Earth.” I can instead listen, read about, and study David Goggins, where he came from, where he is now, and how he arrived. I can shave years off of the clock, if I’m willing to be as hard as he is.
One thing I admire about David Goggins, above most else, is his determination. He talks about his inner-voice who he’s just named “Goggins.” Goggins is that voice that will not let him quit. He describes hitting that governor, the point where our brain throttles us backward, to keep itself comfortable, and continuing to mash that accelerator until the brain finally realizes you’re not going to quit.
Idols so you don’t idle
Who will propel you forward in the next year? Will it be someone who is doing well in your field? Your sport? Family life? Whoever you pick, make sure they are the pinnacle of success, in your eyes. Do the things they do and do your best to think like they do. They already put in all of the hard work. You simply need to imitate what they are doing to reach their level.
Once you’ve successfully modeled your idol and achieved their level of success, you earn the right to apply creativity to make it your own and to take it to the next level. The fact that someone else has done it means it can be done better.
“Can’t be done”
Once upon a time, it was thought that the human body could not possibly run a mile in four minutes. In the 1940s, the closest anyone had ever gotten was 4:01. No one had done it and everyone doubted it. That was until 1954 when runner, Roger Bannister, achieved one mile in 3:59.4.
After Bannister set the new one mile record, a funny thing happened.. twenty-four more people ran one mile within four minutes in the year to follow. The point being: once someone has accomplished your own goal you can quickly reach their level by avoiding their pitfalls and focusing energy on the things which did work.
As you look ahead into your 2021, who will you become to do the things necessary, to achieve your goals? Who will help you get there faster?
