Start With Why > State of Being > Goals > Identify Obstacles > Diagnose > Design Solution > Execute > Reflect & Repeat
Start With Why: These are your Values. Your burning truths that you will do no matter what. It should scream so loudly that you can’t help but do it. Always start with Why.
State of Being: Happiness? Satisfaction? Self-Actualization? Knowing your Values and Aptitudes are aligned? Sense of Meaning? Flow? Whatever your desired State of Being is, remember it must stem from the Why and the Doing - NOT the destination.
Goals: These aren’t destinations. They are merely milestones along your journey that indicate you are on the right path. They are outcomes of your inputs. We tend to think of goals as the treasure at the end of a long, grueling journey. This is wrong. The treasure is the journey, it is the struggle, but we still need to move toward something.
Identify Obstacles: What are the obstacles blocking your path? What is hindering you from
making progress on your path to achieve your goals? Are they Physical? Mental? Financial? Circumstance? Maybe you don’t know what you don’t know. Identify them so you can…
Diagnose: You wouldn’t take medicine from a doctor without first getting examined and diagnosed. Then you also shouldn’t prescribe a solution to your obstacles without fully understanding them. You may already be taking the wrong medication for your ailments. Take the time to fully understand your obstacles.
Design a Solution: It doesn’t have to be perfect but you have to have a plan. Leverage other people’s plans as there is always someone smarter than you that had the same problem and designed a solution that worked. Most likely they wrote a book about it. Wouldn’t it be smarter/easier/wiser to apply a plan that is proven to work? You can always tweak it for your own situation.
Execute: Start with tasks. Identify the next step and do that. Your solution may look daunting so don’t focus on trying to get everything done. Just the next step. Just the next task. Make it simple. Review your progress periodically to ensure you are still on track, but focus should only be on the next step.
Reflect & Repeat: Don’t stop. Keep iterating and going. Ideally, your Values, State of Being, Goals, and Tasks all align to create Flow. Optimize for Flow and enjoy the process.
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