Rome Wasn't Built In Day

We’re a week into the new year, and I’m already disappointed that I haven’t accomplished all of my goals.

I know this is ridiculous, but it’s the feeling I get every year at this time, and I’m sure some of you do too. It’s important to remember that any goal you set for the year is going to take habit and discipline to reach. You’re probably not going to create that kind of discipline in just a few days (or you haven’t really challenged yourself).

Several years ago, I did the P34X home fitness program. That’s what you call it when you can only get through 34 days of P90X because you display every textbook symptom of overtraining you’ve ever heard of.

The first day is an impossibly difficult leg workout that I couldn’t fully complete the first time around. I was really frustrated, but I had to remind myself that if I could get through the whole workout without a problem, then I probably didn’t need to do the program in the first place. 

In other words, I embarked on this journey for a reason. I needn’t be upset that I wasn’t at my destination yet.

So what should you focus on? 

Even if your new preferred habits aren’t completely in place yet, have you identified what they need to be? Have you written them down somewhere you can see them and visualize how they fit into your new routine?

This first week, I’ve done a pretty good job of identifying what that small handful of tasks needs to look like when I wake up every morning. Next week, I’m going to try and sort them in a more consistent order. The following week, we’ll see what needs to be added, subtracted, or modified.

It’ll really be fun when I start traveling to do some of these sales kickoffs and client work. That tends to throw a fun wrench in things. Never a dull moment!

I think people tend to think they’re going to wake up in January and suddenly be the person they always wanted to be. As soon as they’re presented with the real work in front of them, they tend to remember why they’re not that person already.

Approach your goals this year with patient diligence. Focus on building momentum right now (it’s hard to get going from a standstill). In the next few weeks, you can start to get a sense of progress. In a few months, you’ll start to see tangible results.

But if you don’t have the right perspective out of the gate, you’ll sink before you get a chance to swim. Beginning with the end in mind also means appreciating what it’s going to take to get there.