Goal setting and execution - a perspective from a life coach

It is that time of the year when we make (or often break) new year resolutions. I've made multiple resolutions in the past without a strong focus on the systems to support it and have failed. With clearer observation now, I’m able to work toward my goals consistently throughout the year, without waiting for a magical reset at New Year.

Since I love hiking, let me start with my 2013 trip to Nepal. I completed the Annapurna Circuit in 19 days (~200Kms, ~16,000 ft of elevation gain) - here's how I planned for it:

1. Goal : Complete the circuit in 18-22 days

   
   

2. Checkpoints:

   • Start

   • End of grass meadows & start of Alpine

   • 3-day acclimatization at 10,000 ft

   • Thorung La Pass (~17,500 ft)

   • Rest after the pass

   • Finish

   
   

3. Daily goals: Hike until the next village ~7-15 kms away

I created a plan, monitored myself during the hike, pivoted when necessary, revisited the goal during checkpoints and completed the hike successfully.

Sahil Bloom (author of The 5 types of Wealth) talks about the importance of:

• Having the right systems (in my case, the monitoring and tweaking each day was part of my system - I never forced myself to do X kms in a day)

  
  

  • Staying flexible - Sahil talks about creating three execution pathways rather than a single rigid target. As an example, I've linked his pathways to the goal of staying fit during the year:

    • A - Ideal, most ambitious (say, you want to do 1hr of exercise on a perfect day)

    • B - Nominal (say, 30-mins per day - this is your best and realistic case)

    • C - Minimum viable (say, 10-mins per day - the least you can do when you feel bad)

  • Never miss two days in a row - this is also the advice given by James Clear in Atomic Habits. Life happens - but, get back on track immediately

    
    

• Revisiting goals during checkpoints

  • Is the goal still important for me (More on this in my next blog "Why asking Why matters")

  • Are my daily systems working - and are they aligned with my goals

  • Do NOT use checkpoints for judgment - rather use them as reflection points

Want to create an execution plan for your New Year resolution? My calendar is here.

Athma

coach@athma.ca

Life coach, Toronto, Canada