3318: [Part 2] How to Set Goals You Will Actually Achieve by Steve Pavlina on Self Help & Discipline

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_00]: This is Optimal Living Daily, How to Set Goals You Will Actually Achieve, Part 2 by Steve

[00:00:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Pavlina of StevePavlina.com and I'm Justin Malik.

[00:00:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the old podcast, the OLD Podcast, Optimal Living Daily, where I read to you

[00:00:17] [SPEAKER_00]: like a big ongoing audiobook from many different authors though.

[00:00:21] [SPEAKER_00]: And today being a continuation from yesterday, so I'd recommend listening to yesterday's

[00:00:25] [SPEAKER_00]: episode first.

[00:00:26] [SPEAKER_00]: But if you're all caught up, let's get right to part 2 and continue optimizing your life.

[00:00:35] [SPEAKER_00]: How to Set Goals You Will Actually Achieve, Part 2 by Steve Pavlina of StevePavlina.com

[00:00:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Suppose you set a goal to start your own business.

[00:00:46] [SPEAKER_00]: You imagine some future point where you're enjoying being your own boss, doing what

[00:00:51] [SPEAKER_00]: you love, and making a great income.

[00:00:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Nothing wrong with that.

[00:00:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Then you think about how much work it will be, the risks you'll face, and other discouraging

[00:01:01] [SPEAKER_00]: thoughts.

[00:01:02] [SPEAKER_00]: You've left the present and are dwelling in the future, which is only an illusion.

[00:01:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Bring yourself back to the present and realize that none of these things have

[00:01:13] [SPEAKER_00]: happened, you're just making them up.

[00:01:16] [SPEAKER_00]: How silly it is to make up things you don't even want when your imagination

[00:01:20] [SPEAKER_00]: isn't accurate anyway.

[00:01:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Now try this.

[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Think about starting your own business and imagine how great it will be when everything

[00:01:29] [SPEAKER_00]: is running smoothly.

[00:01:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Now stay in the present and consider how this goal can improve the quality of your

[00:01:35] [SPEAKER_00]: life right now, not a year from now, not 5 years from now, not even tomorrow,

[00:01:41] [SPEAKER_00]: right now this very minute.

[00:01:44] [SPEAKER_00]: What does the goal of starting your own business do for you here and now?

[00:01:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Does it give you hope?

[00:01:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Does it inspire you?

[00:01:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Does it promise solutions to some current problems?

[00:01:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Allow those thoughts to churn through your consciousness for a while.

[00:02:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Consider how the goal of starting your own business improves your life right now.

[00:02:05] [SPEAKER_00]: And of course, if you can see no improvement, then drop the goal and consider a different one.

[00:02:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Think about some goals you might have set if not for the imaginary obstacles

[00:02:13] [SPEAKER_00]: you focused on.

[00:02:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Do you want to lose a certain amount of weight?

[00:02:17] [SPEAKER_00]: To enjoy a new relationship?

[00:02:19] [SPEAKER_00]: To enjoy a more fulfilling career?

[00:02:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Stop imagining doom and gloom on the path to get there and simply focus on how each goal

[00:02:26] [SPEAKER_00]: can improve your present reality.

[00:02:30] [SPEAKER_00]: What does the thought of physical fitness do for you right now?

[00:02:33] [SPEAKER_00]: What does the thought of finding your soulmate do for you?

[00:02:36] [SPEAKER_00]: What does the thought of a fulfilling career do for you?

[00:02:39] [SPEAKER_00]: As you think about how your goals improve your present reality, eventually you'll

[00:02:44] [SPEAKER_00]: feel motivated to take action.

[00:02:46] [SPEAKER_00]: At the same time, you'll begin attracting resources into your life that will help

[00:02:50] [SPEAKER_00]: you achieve your goals.

[00:02:52] [SPEAKER_00]: There's no need to force yourself.

[00:02:54] [SPEAKER_00]: You'll find yourself naturally drawn to take action as you keep bringing your focus

[00:02:58] [SPEAKER_00]: back to the present.

[00:03:00] [SPEAKER_00]: When you think about a goal in a way that motivates you right now, it's only natural

[00:03:04] [SPEAKER_00]: that you'll begin taking action congruent with that goal.

[00:03:08] [SPEAKER_00]: When you set goals that increase the quality of your present reality, then what does

[00:03:12] [SPEAKER_00]: it matter how long it takes to achieve the final outcome?

[00:03:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Whether it takes one week or five years is irrelevant.

[00:03:19] [SPEAKER_00]: The whole path is fun and enjoyable.

[00:03:23] [SPEAKER_00]: More importantly, you feel happy and fulfilled this very moment.

[00:03:27] [SPEAKER_00]: This drives you to take enjoyable action so you're productive too.

[00:03:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Whatever goal you set, you have the option of envisioning a path of sacrifice and suffering

[00:03:38] [SPEAKER_00]: by focusing on the illusion of the future, or you can allow the goal to inject your

[00:03:45] [SPEAKER_00]: new hope, enthusiasm and motivation.

[00:03:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Even though it seems like you're setting goals for the future, you're really setting

[00:03:53] [SPEAKER_00]: goals for the present.

[00:03:56] [SPEAKER_00]: The better you understand this, the more easily and enjoyably you'll achieve your

[00:04:00] [SPEAKER_00]: goals.

[00:04:01] [SPEAKER_00]: If you adopt this goal-setting mindset, you'll find yourself setting different kinds

[00:04:06] [SPEAKER_00]: of goals.

[00:04:07] [SPEAKER_00]: The size and scope of the goal will cease to matter.

[00:04:10] [SPEAKER_00]: The most important factor will be what effect the goal has on your present moment when you

[00:04:15] [SPEAKER_00]: think about it.

[00:04:17] [SPEAKER_00]: When you really grasp this concept, you'll begin to adopt a lifelong mission instead

[00:04:22] [SPEAKER_00]: of just a collection of disjointed goals and preferences.

[00:04:26] [SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't even matter if your mission can be achieved in your lifetime.

[00:04:29] [SPEAKER_00]: What matters is the effect it has on your present reality.

[00:04:33] [SPEAKER_00]: So you can feel free to adopt a really enormous mission, even one which may be

[00:04:40] [SPEAKER_00]: If the mission is so big that it disempowers you, dump it.

[00:04:46] [SPEAKER_00]: But if it really inspires you, go for it.

[00:04:50] [SPEAKER_00]: I recommend you abandon the concept of SMART goals.

[00:04:55] [SPEAKER_00]: SMART is S-specific, M-measurable, A-action oriented, R-realistic, T-time-bound.

[00:05:05] [SPEAKER_00]: There are many variations on this too.

[00:05:08] [SPEAKER_00]: This model sounds intelligent, but is based on an inaccurate understanding of time.

[00:05:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Instead of thinking of your goals as time-bound projects, consider each goal in light of its

[00:05:18] [SPEAKER_00]: effect on your present reality.

[00:05:21] [SPEAKER_00]: I know this is a very different way of thinking about goals, so it's only natural

[00:05:24] [SPEAKER_00]: that you may have some resistance to it if you're deeply ingrained in a time-bound

[00:05:29] [SPEAKER_00]: model of goal setting.

[00:05:31] [SPEAKER_00]: So ask yourself this.

[00:05:33] [SPEAKER_00]: How well is your current goal setting model working for you?

[00:05:36] [SPEAKER_00]: On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your performance at setting and achieving

[00:05:41] [SPEAKER_00]: meaningful goals?

[00:05:43] [SPEAKER_00]: I'd be surprised if you're higher than a 5.

[00:05:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Pushing yourself to get better isn't the solution.

[00:05:49] [SPEAKER_00]: The whole paradigm is broken to begin with.

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_00]: It's like trying to push a cart with square wheels.

[00:05:53] [SPEAKER_00]: You don't need to push harder.

[00:05:55] [SPEAKER_00]: You need a cart with round wheels.

[00:05:57] [SPEAKER_00]: The square wheeled cart looks really slick and from a certain perspective it seems

[00:06:02] [SPEAKER_00]: like it should work okay.

[00:06:03] [SPEAKER_00]: But reality itself is the ultimate judge.

[00:06:12] [SPEAKER_00]: You just listened to part 2 of the post titled,

[00:06:14] [SPEAKER_00]: How To Set Goals You Will Actually Achieve,

[00:06:17] [SPEAKER_00]: by Steve Pavlina of StevePavlina.com.

[00:06:20] [SPEAKER_00]: And I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:06:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Look around.

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[00:07:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you again to Steve.

[00:07:39] [SPEAKER_00]: I gave that example yesterday of saving for your future and how it might not

[00:07:43] [SPEAKER_00]: sound like it's beneficial in the present moment, but it really could be if we're

[00:07:48] [SPEAKER_00]: talking about the state of mind it's putting us in, which might be the most important

[00:07:52] [SPEAKER_00]: part of all.

[00:07:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Saving for the future and putting money away could make us feel more safe, proud, relaxed.

[00:07:59] [SPEAKER_00]: So many different positive emotions.

[00:08:02] [SPEAKER_00]: There's a good section in there where he talked about this enjoyment of the process.

[00:08:06] [SPEAKER_00]: He said, when you set goals that increase the quality of your present reality, then

[00:08:12] [SPEAKER_00]: what does it matter how long it takes to achieve the final outcome?

[00:08:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Whether it takes one week or five years is irrelevant.

[00:08:19] [SPEAKER_00]: The whole path is fun and enjoyable.

[00:08:22] [SPEAKER_00]: I think this can be huge because if you're anything like me, you might get caught up

[00:08:26] [SPEAKER_00]: in the end goal in some far-off future thinking about that instead of the benefits now, which

[00:08:33] [SPEAKER_00]: should help us pick ways of being or doing that are more enjoyable.

[00:08:38] [SPEAKER_00]: So as an example, going running does not sound fun to me.

[00:08:43] [SPEAKER_00]: It would be healthy for sure, but I would not look forward to it.

[00:08:47] [SPEAKER_00]: So what else can I do that pushes me towards a healthier lifestyle that I would

[00:08:50] [SPEAKER_00]: enjoy in the present moment?

[00:08:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Right now, I know it's Tai Chi, maybe even rowing and currently swing dancing lessons.

[00:09:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Those I do find enjoyable and give me benefit in the present moment so I look forward

[00:09:05] [SPEAKER_00]: to it, which then makes it much more likely for me to stick with it.

[00:09:10] [SPEAKER_00]: It's a great one to think about.

[00:09:11] [SPEAKER_00]: I hope it helps you on your journey.

[00:09:13] [SPEAKER_00]: And thank you for being here with me on this journey.

[00:09:15] [SPEAKER_00]: It means a lot.

[00:09:16] [SPEAKER_00]: If you know someone that might want to go on this journey with us together, please do share

[00:09:21] [SPEAKER_00]: the show with them.

[00:09:22] [SPEAKER_00]: That's a huge help.

[00:09:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Have a great rest of your day and night, and I'll see you tomorrow as usual where

[00:09:28] [SPEAKER_00]: your optimal life awaits.