The 3 Words I’d Recommend Thinking Daily for Unparalleled Individual Progress
It sets the stage for the next 12 months
I know what you are thinking.
Setting your goals popped into your head after reading the headline. After all, that is the most popular 3 words muttered by everyone in January.
But no. I am not telling you that.
Here’s why.
Too many of us set goals in January, and stick with the process in February, only to abandon our plans by March. That is unsurprising. The scary thing is… it happens year after year.
That means we continuously engage with activities that have a near 100% failure rate. I type near because I know a rare few will follow through.
It is time to embrace something that works.
Let me share what works with you if you are hunting for time-tested methods.
The 3 Words That Work for Me
Here they are.
What I want.
Really. That’s it.
I constantly ask myself what exactly I want. You may think this is ridiculously easy. Everyone knows what they want, right?
Yes.
And there is a but. A big one.
Do we consistently work to get what we want? Kids do. They keep chugging or pestering until they do.
Adults? We fail at this. Pretty miserably, too.
The reason? We get distracted by reality. You know, the hand we are dealt with.
Many people turn to goal setting to stay on course. However, words on an elaborate plan often appear cold and detached from that vivid picture in our minds.
We abandon our plans readily when we cannot imagine ourselves jumping through hoops set for ourselves. Ironic, I know.
We need better and simpler tools. For me, visualization closes this gap.
I take 15 minutes (maximum) each morning to visualize what a successful, better version of me looks like in my mind. Seeing is believing.
In my case, imagining is believing. The future is in our heads. We just need to pull our visualized future towards us, step by step, daily.
What I Want: Between Time & Income
I think about this a lot. I mean, A LOT.
Time is the only asset in this mortal world we cannot buy. I treasure it. After all, I will biologically expire one day. My time should be spent on things that matter.
Income is also high on my list. We suffer without it. I am not encouraging you to become a money-face. It is simple reality speak. You cannot get something without money.
This is a tug-o-war.
I want to unpeg my time from money. Many people are thinking about this when they say they have millionaire dreams. It is not about the pile of cash.
It is about having money without spending too much time acquiring it.
Thus, I visualize a future with the following.
- More financial assets — They pay year after year
- More digital assets — Same logic as above
- More high-ticket deals — Sell less with a higher contract value
I imagine how it would be when I logged into my online writing account, brokerage accounts, and Salesforce at the end of the year.
I will paint those strings on numbers in my visualization.
And then, I lock in that image and emotion.
A big smile spreading across my face is sufficient to push me further for that day. It works. Try it.
What I Want: Scaling My Career & Building My Own Thing
I believe in the idea of achievement. Therefore, I strive to do both.
But time stands in my way. That one hour spent on my day job cannot be used to build my own thing. Time cannot be cloned.
You see, the initial stages of the creator economy or working on my 1-Man consulting practice requires deep task engagement.
If you are a highly trained specialist in your day job — You have no additional disposable time. We can take the following as practical examples.
- Average working hours for an attorney — 10 to 12 hours (lower end of estimate)
- Average working hours for a surgeon — 12 to 13 hours (lower end of estimate)
- Average working hours for a technology consultant — 15 to 16 hours (estimate for a junior analyst)
And so, I need to be careful with my career choice.
That is the reason I choose the Pre-Sales track in technology consulting.
It is target-based, and I get to move around meeting people. Time is flexible. I can build my own thing during working hours.
To stay there, however, I must transform into a seasoned sales professional. Hitting my quarterly targets is key.
- I visualize myself negotiating and closing high-ticket contracts
- I think about follow-ups and deal pitches
- I imagine myself pitching to executives
And.
I visualize hitting all my targets at quarter-end. And then, I take that energy to start my day with enthusiasm.
It works.
I move faster.
You can, too.
Parting Keynotes
We must constantly ask ourselves what we want and anchor it in our minds.
If we do not — Others will anchor what they want into our minds.
I am not too sure about you, but I am not terribly excited to work and achieve other people’s goals. I am obsessed with mine. And progress makes me happy.
- And so, we start with clarity.
- Next, ask ourselves what we want.
- Finally, we move to visualize future reality.
Paint the picture of future success in our minds. How would we look in 3, 6, and 12 months?
Once we have that picture, lock it in. Seal that emotion too. And then, allow that euphoria to carry you through the day.
Also, working within our constraints is a healthier approach to spiraling ourselves forward.
All the best to you, dear reader!
As a content contributor, I write my observations from daily life and my business exposure. Because our life experience is the bedrock of our unique perspectives.
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