For 2024 I'm redefining my goals not based on what I want to achieve, but based on what I want to be able to do.
You will notice here that Do is the keyword. And I'm specific about it because it's an action word.
In summary what I'm saying is I want to be a person who does in 2024. I want when you think of me the first thought that will come to your head is “talk and do.”
I like that version of myself: a man who does what he says. I respect that version of myself, and I like to think that others respect it as well.
I believe that doing is what will allow me to be.
What does it mean to be?
Think of it like this:
We are what we do, and what we do, we become.
I love you means nothing if I do not treat you well. I like to write means nothing if I am not consistently writing.
Another way to think about it is: a person who loves to work out will not need to tell you that they do, you’ll see the signs and you will know. That is what it means to be.
Anyway, here are some examples of how my goal setting system will work:
Instead of saying “I want to be fit this year”, my goal is now, I want to be able to do handstands comfortably by the end of the year or I want to be able to throw at least one stunt by the end of the year or I want to be able to bend backward and touch the floor by the end of the year.
All of these are things I currently can't do now, that I want to be able to do by the end of year.
Another example:
Instead of “I want to be financially free”, it is now: I want to have at least N500k in an emergency account at all times through the course of this year. Or, I want to be able to buy gifts for my friends and loved ones on special occasions like birthdays, weddings, parties and just for the fuck of it through the rest of this year and beyond. Or, I want to be able to go on dates at expensive restaurants and have an incredibly fun time without ever worrying about the costs.
Again, these are things I currently can't do, but want to be able to do.
And what's powerful about them is they're visionary action goals. I can see them in my mind, I can see how I will act on them.
I can see my friend happy when I get her a gift.
I can hear my mum's happiness when I send her small happiness
I can feel people going this guy is too hot for me when I'm walking comfortably on my hands.
So it's not just about getting rich, it's about what I want to do with the money.
But it's important not to forget that as you think of these action goals, you must now think of the steps you'll have to take to get there.
Someone gave a clear example one time that changed the way I thought about it. They said:
Imagine your favorite celebrity (Beyonce, Messi or Shallipopi) calls your phone right now and tells you to come meet them.
How would you feel?
Happy? Ecstatic? All of those good things. You’ve confirmed it’s not a prank, you're extremely psyched to meet them.
But do you just magically appear at the place where your celebrity tells you to meet?
Do you just magically appear in Argentina to hang out with Messi? No.
What you do is go to an airport, get on a plane to Argentina, and then you enter a cab to meet him wherever he is in the city before you can then hang out.
So think of your celebrity as the goal in your life.
And then the airplane as the vehicle that will take you towards that goal.
I'll also add that getting a vehicle is not always straightforward.
So you have to know your level before you begin your path towards your goal.
What do I mean?
So let’s think about the airplane example again.
If you're super rich, and you have a private jet, all you have to do is take a car to your private airstrip and fly out to meet Beyonce.
But if you're dirt poor... wait, dirt poor people don't have phones to be reading newsletters when they've not eaten.
Let me rephrase:
*Uses cough to clear throat*
If you're a little bit above dirt poor that you can afford a phone, money to subscribe to the internet and the time to be reading this, then you'll begin to ask yourself:
Do I have an international passport?
Do I have a visa?
Now where will I get plane tickets
You said the tickets are how much ??
Ah, mogbe ooooo
Now you have to get a job or borrow money (or frankly steal) to be able to pay for all your processes and tickets
Before you can finally get on the plane to meet your maker... sorry, celebrity.
That was an overly long and graphic example but the idea is simple.
If you're an overweight person trying to lose weight and be slim, it'll take you a much longer time to reach that goal when compared to someone who is just chubby.
Same thing if you have dietary or metabolic issues that make it difficult for you to lose weight, you'll have to undergo special programs compared to someone who can eat anything and lose it just as quickly.
The point of that sermon is simple: Everyone and their journey is different.
Stop comparing your progress to that of other people.
Figure out the distance between you and your goal, and the steps you need to get there…
Then start.
And focus on achieving one level at a time. Get your passport, then your visa (people can get both at once I hear, but that's not the point.) and your tickets and eventually you’ll meet Pluto King where he’s at.
The most important thing here is that you start. No one has made any progress by thinking about it. I should know.
There’s evidence of that for me this year.
Anyway,
You may have learned something today.
So go do it.
Or fuck off.
Las las, no be me go tell you wetin to do.
I'll talk to you when I have your time again.
Until then,
Stay easy,
Dave.
P.S. I wrote this early or mid 2022. I don’t know why I never posted it, and honestly I forgot about it. But I was feeling bad about not posting anything all year and thought this would be good for some people. I only did some light editing but most of it stayed the same.
A point of pride for me was re-reading this and seeing that I achieved some of these goals this year. Here’s to doing more come 2024. You will hear of it I’m sure. After all 2024 is my year of talk and do.
That first part is the definition of S in SMART goals
Make it "specific "
Works wonders ngl
You can also break them down in bits to enable execution.
If you'd love to talk more about it in detail, hit me up.
Planning and organization is kinda my thing
Didn't know there was a name for this but I did write down some of my goals for 2024 using this method. I'm just too lazy to go back and rewrite the others I didn't write in this format. Thanks for sharing