This article is part of a series reflecting on personal growth from two distinct perspectives.

My name is Chris Compton, a 59-year-old American residing in Atlanta, GA. I am sharing 20 enlightening self-improvement insights in this piece:

The author, Kingsley Asuamah, a 36-year-old Nigerian living in Ireland, tackles similar themes. This collaboration allows you to witness how individuals from different backgrounds, ages, and experiences interpret the journey of self-improvement.

“Setting Goals and Tracking Progress Motivates You”

This assertion holds true, provided you approach it correctly.

Establishing goals is fundamental to accomplishing tasks. Reflect on it: what can you achieve without a goal? Upon waking, you decide what to do based on set objectives. These daily targets often manifest as to-do lists. Even without writing them down, you mentally outline your day. You may adjust or abandon these plans, but without a defined direction, you may struggle to get out of bed.

At its core, a goal represents a pathway. Whether heading to the restroom or launching a political campaign, the aim is to reach your target. The striking resemblance between these scenarios is for you to ponder.

If you resist goal-setting—saying, “I prefer to go with the flow”—you may risk stagnation. Without goals to enhance your circumstances, expand your knowledge, or refine your abilities, you may find yourself stuck in low-effort routines, wasting time as it slips away.

> “If you don’t make the time to work on creating the life that you want, you’re going to spend a lot of time dealing with a life you don’t want.” — Kevin Ngo

The Motivating Nature of Long-Term Goals

Most people don’t consciously consider their short-term objectives, such as having lunch or visiting the restroom. While we frequently set, monitor, and achieve these minor goals, they often occur subconsciously. Personally, I’ve never listed “go to the bathroom” on any to-do list.

Long-term goals, however, are significant. They symbolize our aspirations for the future, and one universal trait of humanity is our fixation on what lies ahead. We establish these objectives for various reasons:

• Defines Success: A specific long-term goal enables us to articulate the precise outcome that signals our success, allowing us to communicate our intentions clearly to others.
• Establishes a Direction: With a clear goal, we understand our tasks. If our defined success lies to the West, there’s no reason to head East. Every new day offers a chance to take steps towards that objective.
• Focuses Attention: Life can be chaotic, often leading to lost hours in distraction. Goals act as antidotes to distraction. A clear objective helps refocus our efforts away from mindless scrolling back to productive activities.
• Organizing Tool: Like the thesis of a well-crafted paragraph, goals help structure our endeavors. By visualizing the end result, we can break tasks into manageable segments, each contributing to our overarching mission. We can ask ourselves, “What’s next?” and find clarity in our goals.

When we define a long-term goal, we commit to ourselves and signal our intentions to the universe: “I am undertaking this significant endeavor!” We take on both a personal project and an accountability partner. It becomes impossible to say, “I have nothing to do.” There’s always something to pursue.

Setting the Wrong Goals Can Be Demotivating

Not every goal is equally motivating. For a goal to inspire action, it must offer a positive outcome, be attainable, present a challenge, and align with our personal values. Moreover, the timeframe for achievement should seem reasonable.

Things to avoid when formulating goals include:

• Overly Ambitious Goals: Setting unattainable targets can derail your ambitions before you start. A six-year-old aiming to walk across Europe may quit before leaving her street. Conversely, if she focuses on reaching her friend's house nearby, she will succeed.
• Vague Goals: Goals should clarify tasks. A fuzzy aim like “improve social skills” lacks direction, making it hard to know how to proceed or recognize success. Ambiguity can lead to frustration and abandonment of the goal.
• Conflicting Goals: Our personal narratives shape our identities. Goals that contradict our self-perception become unappealing, leading us to avoid pursuing them.
• Too Easy Goals: Easy tasks don’t feel like goals; they’re daily chores. Adding mundane activities to your goal list can dilute its significance.
• Irrelevant Goals: Your goals must resonate with you. A compelling reason behind your objectives is crucial for sustained motivation. If the effort outweighs the perceived benefits, commitment wanes.
• Endless Goals: Goals should have a defined endpoint. For instance, “maintain healthy eating” lacks a conclusion. You might make dietary improvements but never feel a sense of achievement, which can lead to disillusionment.

> “If you’re bored with life — you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things — you don’t have enough goals.” — Lou Holtz

Practices for Setting and Achieving Motivating Goals

We’ve explored the rationale behind goal-setting, its motivational power, and pitfalls to avoid. But how can we effectively establish goals that lead to desired outcomes?

• Begin with the end in mind: Visualize your success. How have you transformed? What steps did you take? Which habits did you adopt or discard?
• Define Success: Create a clear, measurable statement. If your aim is weight loss, specify your target weight. If you're saving money, establish a concrete amount. Set a deadline.
• Think Small: While your goals should be ambitious, your steps should be manageable. Instead of aiming to read an entire book at once, commit to reading one page at a time until it becomes a habit.
• Keep Score: Embrace a competitive spirit. Treat your goals like a game. Display them prominently and celebrate your progress.
• Share Your Goals: Many people keep their aspirations private out of fear of failure. However, to enact significant change, you must embrace your new identity. Sharing your goals with others can help solidify your commitment.

Nothing is Impossible

> “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” — Audrey Hepburn

I’ve spent nearly sixty years evolving from a newborn reliant on hospital care to an overweight, heavy-drinking real estate broker. In less than a year, I quit drinking, shed 60 pounds, and became a writer. Soon, I will embark on a bicycle journey from Miami to Seattle.

If I can achieve this transformation at my age, what can you accomplish? Set your goals, devise your plans, share them, and transform your life.

The most crucial step in achieving anything is committing and taking action. Why not start today?

I look forward to encountering the renewed you on this journey.

Chris Compton www.twainingwheels.com 03–29–2024