#1797 You Journaling (DAILY!)?

In our last +1, we spent time with Steve Siebold and explored THE #1 “mental toughness secret” (of 177!) “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.

Sorry if that hurts your feelings. 😆 🤗

(Hah.)

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 the +1 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 8, but you’re really at a 2!” line is one of HIS favorites and has become part of his personal leadership philosophy. 🫡)

Today I want to flip to Mental Toughness Secret #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: “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 percent of Americans have clearly defined written goals, and less than 1 percent can identify their primary goal and objective in life. …”

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 then 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 this +1!), the average American gives up on their New Year’s Resolutions THIRTY-TWO DAYS into the New Year. That’s February 1st.

Oops.

Sonja Lyubomirsky 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, Sonja 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 ten to twenty minutes per day, in which we write down our hopes and dreams for the future (e.g., ‘In ten years, I will be married and a homeowner”), visualize them coming true, and describe how we might get there and what that would feel like. This exercise—even when engaged in as briefly as two minutes—makes people happier and even healthier.”

NOTE!!!

When someone of Sonja’s caliber (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!!!

Which is why one of my Heroic Work Targets is “I Crush My 3-Minute+ Strategic Vision Journaling.” I’ve hit that Target 701 times. Our community has hit the “Journal” target 332,900 times so far.

That’s Today’s +1…

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!