I thought to myself "wow, that guy is pretty good at achieving what he wants, I wonder what factors contribute to it?" After more thought, I was reminded of a concept I first learned in Talent is Overrated known as the 10,000 hour rule. Great artists, athletes, musicians, actors are all beneficiaries of this rule. Basically, by putting in an equivalent of 10,000 or more hours of deliberate practice, they become masters in their craft. What if goal achievement is something that can be improved on, by hours of practice, just like any other skill?
I watch a show called Master Chef. The contestants on this reality TV show must show their skills in the kitchen by creating delicious dishes based on the directions from the judges. Let's say, for instance, the participants are tasked with preparing the perfect 7 layer chocolate cake. You can instantly tell, by the looks of their faces, who has been practicing their baking skills and who have not. And, for the most part, those who have invested hours of practice in the art of baking usually fare better than those who haven't. I want you to think of goal achievement in the same way.
When you write down that you want to achieve various outcomes by a certain time, one factor in how likely you are to achieve this is how skilled you are at achieving goals in general. The guy on Youtube who reached his goal of earning over $40,000k a month has a video that he recorded two years ago with a goal of earning $8,000 a month. And I bet before that he goals was to earn $5,000 a month (he mentions struggling financially and being deeply in debt at one point in his life). He makes as much as he does because he's a master at goal achievement. So, how did he become that way and how can we be better at achieving what we want?
DO IT DAILY
One thing that all
PRACTICE SUPPORTING ACTIONS
When you hear stories of how great artists and athletes practice, pay attention to the "supporting actions" they take that elevate their craft. For instance, I heard that Matthew Knowles made the young ladies of Destiny's Child run while singing to support their vocal strength and endurance. Tiger Woods was said to be one of the few golfers who lifted weights to help improve his golf game. In the same way, we must practice supporting actions like visualization & mediation, reading inspiring motivational books, attending seminars, etc. These actions help support your mindset so that goal achievement becomes easier.
EAT, LIVE & BREATHE YOUR GOALS
People who master a skill invest hours upon hours doing what they love. This helps them reach that magical 10,000 hours more quickly. Take a look at your day, how much of it is dedicated towards achieving your desires. I know we all have jobs, families, and other responsibilities. Because of this, we have to be extra crafty in finding time to dedicate to our goals. Do you have to wake up a little earlier or sleep a little later? Do you have a long commute to work that you can use to listen to audiobooks? What about your lunch breaks? What are you focusing on when you're washing dishes or taking a shower? My point is that you have to find time to think about, focus on, and take action on your goals. The time is there, you have to identify and leverage. The minutes add up let's allocate them towards become skilled goal achieves.
My thinking has shifted to seeing this whole "goal achievement" thing as something that can easily be learned and replicated. This is why some are seem to attract what they want so easily. They've been doing deliberately for years.