Podcast Summary
Understanding your motivation is crucial for effective decision-making: Clearly defining your 'why' helps maintain commitment and make decisions aligned with values and priorities
Effective decision-making starts with understanding your motivation or "why." According to Craig Groeschel, a weak "why" can hinder your pursuit of a goal, while a strong one serves as the foundation for achieving it. For instance, someone aiming to get in better shape might lack motivation due to an unclear goal ("what") or a weak reason for wanting to reach it. In Groeschel's example, a person might want to look good for their wedding day, while another might focus on improving their health. By identifying and focusing on the "why," individuals can stay committed to their goals and make better decisions that align with their values and priorities.
Understanding your motivations is key to achieving your goals: Focusing on your 'why' (motivation) helps you stay committed to your 'what' (goal) even during challenges
Having a clear and compelling "why" is essential for achieving our goals. I learned this lesson from Bart, who asked me why I wanted to get in better shape and kept pressing until I was forced to examine my motivations deeply. The author also applied this concept to New Year's resolutions, explaining that desires can be weak and fleeting, while devotion to a strong why drives consistent action. Bart's questions helped me understand that if I wasn't clear on my what (my goal) and why (my motivation), I would never accomplish it. Additionally, the author pointed out that many New Year's resolutions fail because they are based on desires that lack depth and commitment. To achieve our goals, we need to start with why. Why did Daniel pray consistently? He was devoted to God. Why did Bart ask me why so many times? To help me understand my motivations and commit to my goals. By focusing on our why, we can stay committed to our what, even when the going gets tough.
Connecting with your 'why' for commitment success: Identifying your personal 'why' provides motivation and determination to stay committed, serves as foundation for goals, and helps navigate challenges with a resilient mindset.
Having a strong "why" is essential for consistency in making and keeping commitments. Relying solely on willpower can lead to failure as it wanes over time. Instead, identifying and connecting deeply with your personal "why" provides the motivation and determination to overcome obstacles and stay committed. Your "why" serves as the foundation for defining specific actions and goals, and helps you navigate through challenges and setbacks. It's important to remember that perfection is an unrealistic expectation and planning to fail can actually increase the likelihood of success. By acknowledging and preparing for potential mistakes, we can approach our commitments with a more realistic and resilient mindset.
Don't Strive for Perfection, Strive for Consistency: Striving for perfection can hinder progress, aim for consistency instead, understand setbacks are inevitable, and keep going despite missing days.
Striving for perfection can hinder us from starting and being consistent in our goals, whether it's praying, learning a new skill, or anything in between. Psychologists warn against an all or nothing mindset, which can lead to giving up entirely when we fail. Instead, we should aim for consistency, understanding that failure and setbacks are inevitable. Keeping things simple and short at first can help us get started and make showing up a success. If we miss a day, it's important not to miss two, as one day is an exception, but two or more is a pattern that can derail our progress. The illusion of perfection can prevent us from even starting, so it's essential to remember that we're not trying to be perfect, but to be consistent. As the saying goes, a black belt is a white belt who refused to give up. So, let's give ourselves permission to miss occasionally and keep going, focusing on consistency rather than perfection.
Embrace the process, not just the goal: Focusing on the process rather than the end result leads to greater joy and success in the long run.
Striving for perfection can lead to inconsistency, while maintaining consistency and focusing on the process is a more effective strategy for long-term success. The speaker shares his experience of getting injured and missing jiu jitsu practice for months, which initially felt like a failure. However, he realized that perfection is an illusion and that he had always planned on failing. Instead, he emphasized the importance of being consistent and falling in love with the process. He suggests that focusing too much on the goal can lead to frustration and inconsistency, as the results may take longer to achieve than expected. By focusing on the process, one can find joy and success in the daily efforts towards the goal, rather than solely focusing on the end result. The speaker encourages listeners to adopt this mindset and embrace the boredom of consistency, as it is a much better strategy for achieving long-term success than obsessing over results.
Consistency is a process, not an event: Show up every day, make progress, and remember everyone benefits when the leader gets better
Consistency is key to achieving your goals, whether it's in jujitsu or in leadership. It's not about the end result, but about showing up every day and making progress towards it. Falling in love with the goal and becoming frustrated when you don't achieve it can lead to quitting. Consistency is a process, not an event. A win is not just reaching the next belt or milestone, but the progress made each day. As the speaker mentioned, even a Brazilian jujitsu trained jogger was able to save his life by being consistent and showing up every day. The leader guide from the Think Ahead podcast is a valuable resource for those looking to improve their leadership skills and make consistent progress. Remember, everyone benefits when the leader gets better. So, show up every day, make progress, and don't forget to share this valuable information with others.
