3 Critical Factors for Goal Achievement

Why we fail to accomplish goals that are extremely important to us

Why do we fail to accomplish goals - even when they’re extremely important to us?

After years of wrestling with this question, I’ve discovered 3 critical factors.

Before I begin working with you we must assess these factors, because they will reliably predict whether or not you will achieve your stated goal.

In honor of the New Year and the coming New Year’s resolutions, I sincerely hope this article finds you and serves you well.

Purpose & Faith

The first two factors are purpose and faith.

They exist on a continuum. An extremely powerful purpose can drive you to persevere even if there is only a drip of faith. Or, if you are certain you can accomplish something with ease, you only need an ounce of purpose (i.e. low hanging fruit).

Importantly, no matter how powerful the purpose if you are completely devoid of faith you will not invest yourself completely and you will likely fail.

Much can be written on these two factors.

However, when athletes contact me they typically have a purpose and an investment in coaching is proof of faith.

But the third factor is the lynchpin, and we must assess it thoroughly.

Alignment

The third factor is alignment.

I have seen many athletes with blazing purpose and unshakable faith in themselves, who keep smashing against a wall and failing to breakthrough.

Understand this: a 60 watt lightbulb can barely light a room. A single watt laser can carve metal. With alignment, focus, and concentration on a single target without obstruction, our potential is beyond what most can imagine.

You must make sure your goals, values, and priorities align. You must make sure your identity is aligned with your goal. Your environment, your relationships, your lifestyle, your training, and your diet must all align with your goal.

In short, your entire life must align with your goal, any conflict internal or external will sabotage your goal.

Values

Values are the first order of priority, and most of us are delusional when it comes to what we value most.

The truth of what you value most is chiefly told with how you spend your time and money.

Your words mean nothing. Your resources mean little. Your actions mean everything.

If we thoroughly assess how money flows to you and away from you, looking at your credit card and bank statements for example, we can tell what you value most. If we thoroughly assess how your spend your time, tracking every minute of every day of the week, we could tell what you value most.

The two most common excuses are “I don’t have money” and “I don’t have time”.

Not having money is a half truth used as an excuse. The reason you don’t have money for one thing is because you spend it on other things you value more.

Not having time is objectively false. We all have the exact same 24 hours in a day. Once again, not making time for one thing is due to making time for another thing you value more.

You might value health, but you value the freedom to eat and drink as you please more than following a structured diet, or you value sleeping in more than waking up early to prepare meals.

You might really want a strong, lean, attractive physique, but you value social eating and drinking more than sticking to a meal plan, you value staying up late more than ensuring adequate sleep, or you value scrolling through social media more than tracking food intake.

You can afford healthy food - you’d just rather afford eating out, video games, weed, your new car payment, and new shoes.

We could produce an infinite number of examples.

Now listen, this doesn’t make you a bad person. But the point is: be honest with yourself. If your actions don’t line up with your words, the fact is you’re either delusional or lying.

"You either like rock-cut abs more than donuts, or you like donuts more than having abs so cut that you can do the laundry on [them]. It's that simple. Don't complain by saying that you are not disciplined. Don't drown in an ocean of carbs to silence remorse. Simply admit that you prefer eating junk food [to] being strong and healthy." - Charles Poliquin, The Myth of Discipline

Summary

Before you waste time setting goals, make sure you are ready to do what it takes to accomplish them. The most common reason they fail is due to lack of alignment. When other areas of your life conflict with your goals, you will sabotage yourself one way or the other.

Honestly assessing what you value most - not what you say you value most - is the beginning of success, and will save you from the endless cycle of self-sabotage so many end up in.

- Daniel J. Furtado, CPT, LMT, Owner of Honor Strength