Quick note before we jump in. The Optimistic Outlook book is now available on Amazon. It brings together the best posts from the last year of this newsletter. If you or someone close to you enjoys short inspirational stories, it makes a perfect Christmas gift.
A Goal is Not Enough
Winners and losers often have the exact same goals. Think about it.
NFL teams with similar talent and coaching start the season with the same objective. Win the championship.
Olympic athletes step onto the same stage chasing the same prize. Gold.
High school wrestlers step into the ring with one objective. Win the match.
In all three cases, one wins and one loses. So while having a clear goal and vision for success matters, the goal itself is not the difference maker. Luck is not the only separator, either.
The real difference is the collection of habits executed day after day on the way there. That is why I love this quote from James Clear:
“Every action you take is a vote for who you want to become.”
Clear is right. A goal points you in a direction, and it fuels your motivation. Habits and actions determine whether you ever arrive.
Set the goal. Make it meaningful and challenging. But once it is written down, shift your attention immediately to your actions by asking yourself a simple question.
“Are the habits I practice today positive votes for who I want to become and what I want to achieve?”
If the answer is yes, stay patient and consistent.
If the answer is no, you have two honest options.
Adjust your expectations, or change your actions.
If you do neither, disappointment is not a surprise. It is a certainty waiting just over the horizon.
Goals create direction. Habits determine outcomes.
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Use Your Gifts,
John Eades
Creator, The Leadership Lens & The Optimistic Outlook