Brian Johnson (Heroic +1 #1797) presents Mental Toughness Secret #60: the world-class are obsessed with goals. He contrasts average performers—who set goals infrequently—with champions who review and embed goals daily, quoting Steve Sebold (cornerstone: mental clarity; pros review/reset goals even daily). He cites statistics (only ~3% of Americans have clearly defined written goals; <1% can identify their primary life goal) and a New Year’s resolution finding that people abandon resolutions after about 32 days. Brian then cites Sonja Lyubomirsky’s research recommending regular journaling of hopes/dreams (10–20 minutes daily; even 2 minutes helps) and shares his own target (3+ minute strategic vision journaling) which he has hit 701 times and his community has reached 332,900 journal hits. The episode closes with an invitation to adopt daily journaling.
Questions this video answers
June 22, 2024
Only 3% of Americans
Less than 1%
32 days (about February 1st)
10–20 minutes per day (but as little as 2 minutes can help)
Chapters
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to Another Heroic one. In our last plus one, we spent some time with Steve Sebold and explored the number one mental toughness secret of 177 of them of the world class. As you may recall, I encouraged us all to be honest with ourselves as I playfully yet sternly challenged you to consider the fact that you think you're at an 8, but you're really at a 2. I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings. Then we revisited an idea from one of my friends who happens to be an elite military officer who likes to say our new heroic phone number is 212-451-2000. And we added that plus one to our phone number to make sure that heat is turned up moment to moment to moment as we close the gap and activate our heroic potential all day, every day. Fun fact. Another one of my new military officer friends tells me that the whole you think you're at an eight, but you're really at a two line is one of his favorites and has become part of his personal leadership philosophy. Today I want to flip to mental toughness secret number 60. I want to chat about the fact that the world class are obsessed with their goals. Let's get straight to work. Steve tells us, and I quote, average performers set up their goals on New Year's Eve and don't look at them again until the next New Year's Eve. The world class is in a constant goal setting mode. Champions are goal setting machines. They know the cornerstone of all achievement is mental clarity. Professional performers are evolving so rapidly they usually find it necessary to review and sometimes reset their goals on a daily basis. One of the secrets of their success is this daily exposure to their goals. Only 3% of Americans have clearly defined written goals and less than 1% can identify their primary goal and objective in life. According to Siv. And he continues by saying, as average performers begin to forget what their goals are because of lack of exposure to them, the pros are embedding their goals deep into their subconscious minds daily. Their minds are like guided missiles, always adjusting and correcting to maintain accuracy toward the target. Champions have a singleness of purpose most people will never take the time to discover. And this thought process allows them to climb higher every day. Now, when I read that line about most average people setting their goals on New Year's Eve and forgetting them until the following New Year's Eve, I thought of that study that was once done on New Year's Eve resolutions. According to those researchers that we talk about in a Plus one I link in here. The average American gives up on their New Year's resolutions 32 days into the new year. That's February 1st. Oops. Sonia Lybomirski tells us that there's a better way. Rather than set goals and then forget them, we'd be much better off spending a few minutes every day reminding ourselves of that hoped for future. In fact, in the Myths of Happiness, Sonia tells us that journaling for as little as two minutes can change your life. Here's how she puts it. Whether our optimism is big or little, many of us waver in our expectations of the future. Fortunately, numerous research tested activities have been shown to boost positive thinking. The most robust strategy involves keeping a journal regularly for 10 to 20 minutes per day in which we write down our hopes and dreams for the future. For example, in 10 years I will be married and a homeowner. Visualize them coming true and describe how we might get there and what would that feel like? This exercise, even when engaged in as briefly as two minutes, makes people happier and even healthier. End quote. Note all caps three exclamation points. When someone of Sonya's caliber, and she is one of the most respected well being scientists in the world says something like the most robust strategy, I sit up a little taller and pay a little more attention and then do what she says we should do. All caps again. Which is why one of my heroic work targets is I crush my three minute plus strategic vision journaling. I've hit that target 701 times and our community has hit the journal target 332,900 times so far. And that's today's plus one. How about you? Are you following the lead of one of the world's best scientists who tells us that this is one of the most robust strategies to boost our well being? If not, turn up the heat and get on that.
