goal setting

The Power of Perseverance: How These Great People Overcame Adversity to Achieve Success

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We all face challenges in life, but what sets great people apart is their ability to push through adversity and come out stronger. In this post, we’ll explore the inspiring stories of Alexander the Great, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Nelson Mandela, and sports legends like Michael Jordan and Drew Brees, who overcame obstacles and achieved greatness.

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great was a Greek king and military commander who conquered much of the known world in the 4th century BC. Despite the challenges he faced, Alexander remained a fearless and determined leader who was able to inspire his troops and overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some of the challenges he faced include:

  • His father was assassinated when he was 20 years old.
  • His army had to endure extreme temperatures, dangerous wildlife, and difficult terrain as they made their way across vast distances.
  • His conquests took him through harsh and unforgiving environments, including deserts, mountains, and swamps.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt was the 32nd President of the United States and is widely regarded as one of the greatest American presidents in history. He led the United States through some of its greatest challenges, including the Great Depression and World War II. Throughout his presidency he launched Social Security which was a safety net for older folks, a work program that put millions of people back to work and the FDIC which helped protect people from bank failures. Despite his achievements, Roosevelt faced significant challenges throughout his life, including:

  • Contracting polio at the age of 39, which left him paralyzed from the waist down.
  • Facing skepticism from many Americans who believed he couldn’t effectively lead the country from a wheelchair.

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison as a political prisoner fighting against apartheid in South Africa. He endured brutal imprisonment and isolation, confined to a tiny cell and forced to do hard labor in the blazing sun. Raised in a regime that removed black people from their homes in mixed-race neighborhoods and resettled them in townships on the outskirts of cities, he fought tirelessly to end apartheid and bring about reconciliation and unity in South Africa. 

Sports Legends

There are tireless examples of people in sports who overcame adversity. Michael Jordan didn’t make his high school team and went on to lead the Bulls to six rings and lead the conversation as the greatest of all time. Drew Brees tore his shoulder in San Diego and it was thought he’d never play football again. He went on to win a Super Bowl and was one of the greatest quarterbacks of this generation. Muhammad Ali lost 3.5 years of boxing because he refused to fight in Vietnam. Mario Lemieux came back and led his team to the Stanley Cup after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

No matter what obstacles you’re facing, remember that you have the power to overcome them. Take inspiration from these great people and never give up on your dreams.

Life Skills that Should be taught in school – Financial Management

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“To be or not to be, that is the question.” How about to be broke or not be broke? I’ve never in my life had to go back to the lessons of Shakespeare when making an important decision, but you bet your bottom dollar that I’ve had to know the basics of finance to live!

Financial management includes skills such as budgeting, saving, investing, and managing debt. I’m going to try and keep all of this fairly high level and we can deep dive each of these skills in a separate post. For now, let’s get tot he basics of Financial management skill that should be taught to children in schools.

  1. This is how you create your budget
    1. Know your income: Start by figuring out how much money you have coming in each month.  ALL OF IT.  
    2. Identify your fixed expenses: Monthly bills that don’t vary, such as rent or mortgage payments, car payments, and insurance premiums.
    3. Identify your variable expenses: Bills that can change from month to month, such as groceries, utilities, and entertainment (Watch this one closely).
    4. Track your spending: For a few weeks and then a few months, keep track of all the money you spend, ALL OF THE MONEY. This will help you see where your money is going and identify areas where you may be able to cut back (I’m looking at you fancy dinners & club nights!).
    5. Create a budget: Use the information you gathered to create a budget that outlines your income and expenses. Make sure to allocate enough money to cover your fixed expenses and to set aside money for savings.
      1. Set fun money aside in your budget.  Live your life, just don’t sacrifice your future!  Call it, My Fun Money.
    6. Stick to your budget: Once you have created a budget, try to stick to it as closely as possible. This requires discipline..
    7. Review your budget regularly: If it ain’t tracked, it doesn’t matter. 
  2. Saving – The process of setting aside a portion of your income for the future, rather than spending it all
    1. Open a checking and savings account with a bank that will also give you a free brokerage account
      1. From your budget, pay yourself.  Seriously, you always need to save a portion of your income for your future self.  Sacrifice other shit to do this if necessary.  I personally like to have my cash needs in checking, emergency reserves in savings or short term TBills (see brokerage account) and then all else in my brokerage account.
    2. Set financial goals: Identify what you want to save for, such as an emergency fund, a down payment on a house, a trip, a lifestyle, a car or retirement. Money, like everything else, requires a plan.
    3. Automate your savings: Set up automatic transfers from your checking account to a savings account & brokerage.  Stop yourself from forgetting.
    4. Cut expenses: Look for ways to reduce your expenses, such as by negotiating bills or shopping around for the best prices.
      1. It’s OK to negotiate, it’s money in your pocket or theirs.  
    5. Increase your income: Consider ways to increase your income, such as by asking for a raise at work or starting a side hustle.
      1. Know your worth and don’t be afraid to get more.
    6. Save your windfalls: When you receive unexpected money, such as a bonus or a tax refund, put it into savings rather than spending it.
    7. Avoid debt: Debt can be a major drain on your finances, so try to avoid taking on unnecessary debt whenever possible.  (See Below, not always bad)
  3. Investing – The act of putting money into financial assets or other resources with the expectation of earning a profit or growing your money in the future.  Before doing this, there’s a few things you need to know.  This is a VERY basic outline, we’ll deep dive these lessons in future posts.
    1. Risk Tolerance – Investing comes with the potential to lose.  You’ll hear it said, high risk, high return.  The flip side of this is high risk, lose it all!
      1. A very famous investor, Warren Buffet once said, “there are two rules to investing.  First, never lose money.  Second, never forget rule one!”
      2. How much risk are you willing to take?
    2. Choose your investments (Building your porfolio):   There are many different types of investments, including stocks, bonds, real estate, and small businesses.
      1. Stocks are bets on a company’s future success.
        1. There are two primary ways you can make money on this investment.
          1. Fellow investors believe this company will continue to do better and they’ll buy the stock, thus, increasing demand and lowering the supply available.  This will push the price up.
          2. The company you invest in pays back parts of it’s profits to shareholders (people who own the stock) in terms of a dividend and you can accumulate dividend payments over time.
        2. There are two primary ways to invest in stocks
          1. Bet on individual company’s
            1. If you believe a company is going to be successful in the future ie you see a bunch of your friends buying a certain company’s product – you can buy shares in that company
          2. Buy a bunch of stocks through index funds or mutual funds (ask your mother Jameson!)
            1. My recommended philosophy is buy the indexes.  The S&P 500 is a basket of 500 American stocks.  You are betting on the success of US Business.  As of January 2023, I think it’s still a good long term, set it and forget it bet!
        3. The Risk: You could lose your money if the value of the stock goes down.  If the company goes bankrupt, you could lose your total investment in that company.
      2. Bonds – Lending money to companies or governments
        1. Just like when you give put your money in a bank and gain interest, you can lend money to companies or governments for a set interest rate.
        2. Just like stocks, there are two primary ways to invest in bonds.
          1. Buy direct:  You can buy bonds from the government direct or you can buy company bonds through a brokerage account.  
          2. Through a basket of bonds through Exchange Traded Funds or managed Mutual Funds.
            1. This spreads your risk so you aren’t at the mercy of one company or government.
        3. The Risk: A company or government could “default” on their debt and you lose the money you lent to them
      3. Real Estate – Investing in real estate involves the purchase, ownership, management, or sale of real estate property for the purpose of generating a profit.  (I’m purposely keeping this simple for the blog post here!)
        1. There are several types of real estate investments, including residential properties (such as single-family homes and apartments), commercial properties (such as office buildings and retail spaces), and raw land. Each type of investment has its own set of risks and potential returns.
        2. There are 2 common ways to invest in real estate when you are getting started
          1. Buy a property and rent that property out for a dollar amount higher than your monthly expense to own and maintain
          2. Buy a property that you think could sell for more than you are buying it for, especially if you make improvements to the property.
        3. The Risk: You could be stuck holding onto and paying into a property that isn’t making money and losing you money
  4. Debt Management
    1. It’s inevitable that you are going to accumulate debt at some point in your life.  This could be student loans, car loans, mortgage, credit cards, etc… Here’s a few steps to manage that debt and hopefully, pay it off!
      1. Make a list of your debts: Gather all of your bills and statements and make a list of your debts, including who you owe, interest rates, and minimum monthly payment for each debt.
      2. Prioritize your debts: Consider which debts are most important to pay off first. For example, you may want to focus on high-interest debts or debts with late fees first.
      3. Create a budget: A budget can help you understand your income and expenses and identify areas where you may be able to cut back on spending. Use your budget to allocate funds towards paying off your debts.  Of course, remember savings, pay yourself first!
      4. Make more than the minimum payment: Pay more than the minimum payment on your debts each month, if possible, pay it all off! This can help you pay off your debts more quickly and save on interest.

Mastering the art of Self Control

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Self control makes life easier. Once you have mastered self control, you have the power to take command of your emotions, mental processes, and behaviors. A strengthening ability empowers one to move forward to a brighter future. 

If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me.  Self reliance makes things easier.. When it comes to developing self control, you will need to find inner strength, visualize yourself in the scene, and affirm that you can accomplish your goals. Most people would agree that self control can be hard.  I was a young man in Los Angeles once, I get it, it’s tough! 

It still stands, if we keep pushing, hustle will be rewarded. We must continue to consider all aspects of our life. We all must strive to expand our skills and abilities. Self-development is the starting point of building self control. It is a continuous process. 

We must set goals in order to achieve a higher state of awareness. 

Attaining success is hard.  You have to be willing to do what others are not.  It’s easier to party instead of hustle.  It’s easier to not do than do.  It’s easier to sit back and wait for the right time.  However, the right time is always now.

The key to developing the inner you, is to make consistent decisions and keeping your goals in sight. See it and believe it, you can point your mind in the right direction of finding that inner self. That inner self is your plane ticket. 

You have inner strengths. Sit down and visualize your inner strengths. Take some more time to put your visualization in perspective, so that you can use this power to help you work through self-development. Move to use affirmations to assist your visualization with pushing your toward reaching the ultimate goal and on through self-development.  Don’t let up.  Control yourself and control your life!

Keys to Coping:  7 Technique to help with Stress Management

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        Tell me if this has happened to you? You’re sitting with your hands tightly gripped to the steering wheel, your stress level rising by the second.  You have exactly five minutes before you have to get to daycare, and there’s an accident creating traffic.  After you pick up your child (who may or may not have kept you up all night), you’ll have to go to the supermarket, rush home for dinner, bathe baby, put him or her to bed and then you have the rest of your life you have to manage!

          Life can be highly stressful.  The good news is that there are techniques you can use in order to bring your stress level under control.  Following is 6 ways to avoid both situational and general life stress:

  1. Rehearsing. 
    • Let’s say you are preparing for a job interview.  You can role play, with your spouse, roommate or friend playing the part of the interviewer and you as the interviewee.  In this way, you can practice your answers to likely questions.  Knowing what to expect in advance can help you to control your stress level in the actual moment.
  2. Empathetic Framing:
    • Let’s suppose you have had a disagreement with your co-worker.  You’re worried that you will never be able to enjoy camaraderie with your co-worker again.  Now, you’re freaked out that you’ve burned a bridge.  You’ll be much better off if you see the disagreement as a challenge you must simply work your way through.  Look at the debate as a discussion between two intelligent people.  Try your best to see the other person’s perspective.  In this way, you’ll be engaging in problem-solving rather than complaining, and your stress may be reduced because of it. 
  3. Anger Management: 
    • It is often not a particular situation, but your reaction to it, that causes your stress level to climb.  I remember Rage Against the Machine once claimed, “Anger is a gift”. I must disagree! Don’t let your anger control you. You have a choice to be angry or not, choose not. Anger is a choice. Your reaction to circumstance is a choice. Our ability to navigate this is what separates us from animals. Choose the way of solution vs anger and your stress will fall away like pounds after an Insanity workout!
  4. Try your best to curtail negative thinking:
    • Whenever a negative thought comes to mind, think the exact opposite positive version of that thought and stick with it.  Or if all your thinking is negative, just try to stop thinking. I’ll literally tell myself, stop thinking, stop thinking.  The idea here is to put an end to negative thinking—to, in effect, put it on the shelf so that you don’t have to worry about it.  You’ll be surprised how relaxed you feel, once you stop engaging in negative thinking. 
  5. Remember you are a 1 of 1:
    • Self-esteem matters.  Being hard on yourself can produce a great deal of stress.  Once you recognize that you are a person worthy of love, you will be better able to cope with the stressors that come your way. 
  6. Exercise:
    • It’s a proven fact that individuals who exercise have better outlooks on life. Go watch Legally Blonde if you need a reminder!
  7. Set and accomplish goals for yourself.  
    1. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to knit.  Now is your golden opportunity.  Or maybe you’d like to run a marathon by the end of the year (this is one I did and changed my life).  The important thing is to set goals, to commit to them and go out and achieve them.  Once you reach your goal, you will likely feel on top of the world.  As you make progress toward your goal, you could find your stress level subsiding.    

        Stress relief is an on-going process.  You can’t expect to reduce your stress-level permanently in one day.  But, by taking the steps listed above, you might find yourself better able to deal with stress on a daily basis.  Remember that you may not be in complete control of what happens to you on any given day, but you can control your reaction to it.  By focusing on the positive, putting an end to negative thinking, and setting goals for yourself, you should find your stress level declining.  With less stress to worry about, you’ll find that life is more enjoyable.  Even that daily commute to the day care center might become more tolerable.  

Don’t Skip Leg Day – Doing the Hard Shit that Matters (and 12 hard things you can start doing now)

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I hate leg day.  It’s my least favorite workout of the week.  Squats suck, lunges suck, any workout with an eastern european country’s name attached to it, (I’m looking at you Bulgaria) suck.  

All of that said, no other day promotes body symmetry, fat loss, functional movement, joint health, body composition and muscle conditioning better than leg day.  Skipping leg day means you are going to miss all of these benefits.  If you are going to work out and take care of your body, why would you half ass it?  It makes no sense, you can’t skip leg day!

I like to think of things that are easily avoidable, but detrimental if avoided, as leg day items.  What am I skipping or not doing or doing that is an act of avoidance that I should be doing and confronting head on?

What are a few tough things in life that are like leg day?  What are the necessary tasks that must be done to help you make the most out of your life?  What are often the hard things to do that if not done, will create imbalance, mental and physical deterioration and  lead to a life lived without meaning?  I’ve listed 12 below and have added the why in a list below this list (I know, totally Meta!)

  1. End toxic relationships (this could be a friend, a significant other, a job or a supervisor)
  2. Learn a new skill
  3. Question the assumptions (especially your own and those within your own echochamber)
  4. Saving instead of Spending and investing those savings for gratification delayed
  5. Watching what you eat and not regularly overindulging 
  6. Reading (or listening if that’s your jam)
  7. Learning how to communicate to other individuals, groups and crowds
  8. Making new friends as an adult
  9. Meditating and being present
  10. Volunteering, Serving or Contributing to a cause
  11. Creating something new and publish, launch or display it for the world to see
  12. Be Constantly honest, to yourself and others

What are you going to get out of doing all of the things above?  Let’s take a look and see.

  1. End toxic relationships (this could be a friend, a significant other, a job or a supervisor)
    • Toxic relationships are relationships that have more negative benefits than positive benefits.  They’re the relationships that if you were to look in from the outside, you’d ask, why is that person in this relationship?  
    • If you are a nice person, these can be especially hard to get out of because you don’t want to offend.  WHO CARES!  GET OUT!
    • Stop calling this person, stop answering this person’s calls or texts and get out.  If this is going to affect other relationships, get out of them as well.  We have 80 – 100 years on this planet and there are BILLIONS of people you can associate with.  Get out of your fear bubble and find people who will bring you up, not down.  They’re out there.
  2. Learning New Skills
    • First, there is scientific evidence that learning new skills consistently throughout your life decreases your risk of dementia later in life.  
    • The more skills you have, the more people are going to want to be around you because you’re an interesting person who knows how to do shit.
    • The more skills you have, the more opportunities you will be presented in life
  3. Questioning Assumptions (Especially your own)
    • Here are examples of common assumptions folks once believed
      1. The Earth is flat
      2. The Earth is the center of the universe
      3. Humans will never figure out flight
      4. Humans catch warts from licking toads
      5. Thomas Crapper invented the toilet (I was bummed this wasn’t true)
  4. Saving instead of Spending and investing the savings
    • You will never get rich by earning and spending, you need to create your own avenue to compound your dollars
      1. Buy stocks that pay dividends
      2. Buy businesses that produce cash flow
      3. Buy homes and rent them out
  5. Watching what you eat and not overindulging
    • If you don’t want diabetes, congestive heart failure or other diseases that are caused by being overweight, don’t overindulge.  Abs are made in the kitchen, brah!
  6. Reading
    • It’s been said that the average CEO reads upwards of 60 books a year and the average worker reads one.  
      1. I don’t know if the above statement is true, but I’ll stand by the fact that reading and constantly inputting information in your mind that is designed to educate will get your further
  7. Learning how to communicate
    • Unless you are an individually brilliant performer that is once in a generation at whatever skill you do, you are going to need to communicate at some point!  Warren Buffet once said the greatest investment he ever made was in a Dale Carnegie public speaking course.  
    • To get what you want in this life, you are going to have to communicate well with others.  If you don’t do this naturally, it’s a skill that can be learned, no matter how painfully shy you may be.
  8. Making new friends as an adult
    • Your network is your net worth.  Don’t be stuck.  Making friends as an adult can be hard.  It’s easier to stay in your shell.  It’s easier not to risk rejection. It’s also incredibly rewarding to surround yourself with people who help you become the best version of you, always!  
    • Talk to people, invite folks into your life that you admire and take the risk.  Personally, all of my best friends have been made as an adult!
  9. Meditating and being present
    • Researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center claim meditating can change the structure and function of the brain through relaxation, which can: Reduce stress, anxiety, depression, increase focus, learning concentration, improve memory and attention span.
  10. Volunteer, Serve or Contributing to a cause
    • There are myriad benefits to paying it forward in life.  However, none more so than the sense of self that is built from it.  When you live life to serve a purpose greater than yourself, it brings the rest of your being up with it.  
    • Studies have also stated that service can help increase self-confidence and life satisfaction, combats depression and even helps you stay physically healthy.
  11. Create
    • Creativity has a compounding effect.  When you create once, you’ll create again and again.  You’ll find that if you create in your spare time, you’ll be more creative in your work, with your family and you’ll get bored less often!  
    • You can also parlay your creativity into additional income streams.  You could create a business, publish a story or find new friends through new interests.
  12. Be Constantly honest, to yourself and others
    • There are few benefits to lying.  In fact, it’s advice that goes as far back as the 10 commandments, rules followed by the 3 Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.  
    • Many of the most successful investors and business people today practice “radical transparency” which is extreme honesty.  It’s a practice that continues to create successful people and is still to this day, is hard to follow!

Now go do some hard shit and remember, don’t skip leg day!

Brainstorming Goals to Achieve (95 Ideas)

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Are you trying to set some goals for your next day, week, month, year or for life?!  

Here are a few ideas to kickstart your brainstorm. Now you don’t have an excuse for not having ideas, go do one!

  1. Write your first blog post
  2. Run a race you’ve never run before
  3. Read a book you’ve never read or read a certain number of books 
  4. Call a different friend you’ve not spoken to in sometime once a month
  5. Buy something you’ve always wanted (big or small)
  6. Paint your first painting
  7. Build a piece of furniture or craft 
  8. Design something from scratch and create it
  9. Start a side hustle 
  10. Write an inspirational note to someone once a week
  11. Master a new language in the next year 
  12. Become a thought leader in your industry – start writing now
  13. Get promoted to an executive role at your company or at another company
  14. Start another stream of income
  15. Take an international trip somewhere you’ve never been
  16. Take a domestic trip somewhere you’ve never been
  17. Set a financial goal above your line today and outline how to achieve it
  18. Write a blog, magazine article, short story or go full novel
  19. Take a road trip in a car, RV or motorcycle
  20. Volunteer
  21. Get six-pack abs or meet a fitness goal 
  22. Achieve zero debt or set and achieve a financial goal
  23. Invest in the stock market, crypto or real estate
  24. Drive or better yet, buy or lease your dream car 
  25. See one of the Seven Wonders of the World 
  26. Plan for your retirement w/ milestones along the way.  
  27. Figure out mini retirements you could take and take one
  28. Graduate from college or earn a certificate of achievement 
  29. Learn and set a meditation practice
  30. Donate to a charity annually
  31. Climb a mountain 
  32. Learn how to surf, skateboard or snowboard
  33. Learn and potentially, master a musical instrument 
  34. Go rock climbing and conquer your fear of heights (maybe a self reflection)
  35. Live in a foreign country 
  36. Drink enough water everyday 
  37. Give up on junk food, alcohol or another vice for a year
  38. Paint a picture on a canvas with paints and keep it
  39. Take a ballroom dancing class
  40. Compose a song on the instrument you learned
  41. Create and maintain a fitness regime
  42. Get paid doing that you’re passionate about 
  43. Learn how to cook the food you love
  44. Call your parents, siblings and an old friend once a week
  45. Create multiple income sources 
  46. Keep a journal
  47. Go deep sea fishing
  48. Buy your first house 
  49. Build or buy your dream house 
  50. Go skydiving 
  51. Go hang gliding
  52. Ride in a hot air balloon 
  53. Snorkel in the ocean 
  54. Climb on a glacier 
  55. Go whitewater rafting 
  56. See your favorite team play at their stadium 
  57. Fo to a game in every stadium of your favorite sport
  58. Go to the Olympics 
  59. Get a hole-in-one while golfing 
  60. Golf 18 holes under par or par or under 80, 90 or 100!
  61. Run a six-minute, seven-minute or eight-minute mile 
  62. Appear on or create a podcast 
  63. Read two books every month or 25 books a year
  64. Consciously create your legacy
  65. Trace your ancestry and visit your country(ies) of origin 
  66. Try a different diet for a month – Vegan, Paleo, Bullet Proof, Slow Carb
  67. See your favorite musicians in concert 
  68. Create a family tradition 
  69. Start a business 
  70. Celebrate your relationship anniversaries 
  71. Meet a person you admire 
  72. Practice gratitude everyday 
  73. See the ball drop in person on New Year’s Eve when it’s safe to do so 
  74. Adopt and care for your dream pet 
  75. Witness the Northern Lights 
  76. Watch a volcano erupt (from a safe distance!)
  77. Go to Mardi Gras 
  78. Develop a good credit score 
  79. Learn a martial art
  80. Always say “yes” to trying new, positive things 
  81. Learn yoga 
  82. Expand your vocabulary 
  83. Participate in a recreational sports league 
  84. Grow a thriving garden 
  85. Go on a electronics-free camping trip 
  86. Write a movie script or TV episode 
  87. Become a venture capitalist 
  88. Sponsor a child in need 
  89. Pay off your student loans sooner than later 
  90. Improve your drawing skills or try to draw something
  91. Give up TV for a week a month or a year
  92. Spend a full day at the spa 
  93. Go on a solo vacation
  94. Throw someone a surprise party 
  95. Learn how to knit or sew

15 Easy Steps to Achieve Your Goals and Achieve Success

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If you want to accomplish anything in this life with meaning, you have to have goals.  Athletes are going for championships, fortune 500 companies are trying to raise their stock prices and You Inc needs to rise it’s own stock!  In order for you to be your best grown up self it’s important not only to set goals, but to know how to do it.  These 15 steps are a pretty good guide.

  1.  Define your goals clearly in writing.  Writing down your goals increases the likelihood of achieving your chosen goals by a very large percent.    It increases your sense of commitment, clarifies required steps in the achievement process, and helps you remember important details.  Also, there is a lot of research and documentation about this working!

2)   Identify and focus on the benefits to you as well as others of achieving your goals.  Why are you doing this?  Is it for personal gain (btw, that’s 100% ok, don’t be afraid to be selfish)?  Is it for your family, vacations, your dog?!  Know why you’re doing what you’re doing and that’ll be a contributor to your motivation.  

3) Define the purpose of your goals. Link your goals to a practical, specific purpose.  To boost your own motivation, base your goals on inspiration, not just on simple logic.

4) Identify your supportive forces.  Examples of supportive forces include mentors, books, your social network, skilled coaches or mentors , and podcasts.  Surround yourself with a support system.  You can get brought down or built up, go with the build!  Your network will become your net worth.

5)   Develop an action plan, set deadlines and act.  Establish sub goals. Divide each main goal into logical progressive steps.  Set deadlines for completing each step, and complete the steps on time.       

6) Establish priorities.  Take action in order of priority.  Do this as a list.  Seriously, Humans love lists.  Why do you think we love buzzfeed so much?!?!

7) Make a public commitment. Post your goals on social media so you’re accountable for your goals and actions.  When I wanted to run my first marathon, I posted my intention on Facebook and you bet your bottom dollar I did it!

8) Be realistic about limitations.  Do not set a short term goal to get a job requiring long term actions.  Goals should be measurable, they should push your limits, but they should ultimately be achievable.

9) Use positive self talk and affirmation statements.  Do this each and every day. As often as humanly possible. Do them compulsively and make it like prayer, make your self talk like religion and believe it!  Write down your statements and post them prominently in your bedroom, on your fridge and so that you can see them in the mirror in your car.

10) Use positive visualization.  This is real.  There are a lot of elements of sports psychology that could be argued, but visualization is something no one argues about!

11) Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice new skills regularly.  Get additional information, training, coaching and feedback on your progress.  Read books, listen to podcasts and ask questions.  GROW!

12) Evaluate and revise goals as necessary.  Evaluate your ongoing progress. Be fluid and have an open mind.  Also most importantly remember to be patient.  This is the hardest part.  We want it now!

13) Persevere. Stay the course until you succeed, Colonel Sanders didn’t form KFC until he was 62!

14) Reward Yourself as you accomplish milestones.  If you make a dollar amount that you are reaching for, buy something awesome!  If you are on a diet, give yourself cheat days.  If you are working out, give yourself an off day.  

15) Record progress on your goals.  As simplistic as it seems, al long series of check marks on a calendar or a wall chart may actually, motivate you by providing a vital sense of accomplishment. Do not let missing an occasional daily goal deter you, however. Keep focusing on your ultimate chosen goals.

Ultimately, goal setting is the business plan for the Grown Up You!  You want to be the best version of you and you need to have some goals to succeed.  It’s how we’ve put the content together for this site, we had a goal to put it together and started creating and executing!  Nothing happens without work and purpose.  Now go get it grown up!