Without These Three Things, Goal setting is worthless!

Did you ever set a goal and not achieve it? Do you know why you didn’t achieve it?

There are a number of reasons why that might of happened, but the three main reasons are:

1. Your goal is not aligned with your vision and highest values.

2. You don’t actually have a clear vision for your life.

3. You underestimated how long it would take to achieve the goal and gave up too soon!

I have had some lofty goals and achieved them and I have also had some average goals that I have not achieved and when I have scrutinized those which I have achieved and those which I have not, it has virtually always come down to the three above reasons.

I know people who don’t give any thought to goal setting but seem to achieve a great deal in their life and I know others who are always writing down their goals, but achieving very little, and in my experience it comes down to clarity of vision and aligning values with that vision.

Goals are simply mile stones along the journey of life, something that can keep us on track and give us something to strive for. 

The people that keep going no matter how many times they don’t reach their goal is the ones that have a clear and compelling vision that is in alignment with their values. They knit their whole identity with that vision until their life and vision become one!

So to be clear, Know your vision, Know your values, and know who you are before attempting to set any goals. Goals are markers along the way and not the end result. You being ‘You’ is the end result! 😉

Todays power question: “What are the three most important things in my life?” (Your answers will reveal your values)

Todays power statement: “I value myself enough to get crystal clear on my life vision!” (Taking the time to get clarity on your life vision will save you much struggle and disappointment.)

Part 6 “Leg Break” (Continued from yesterday)

My new troop sergeant was as fearsome as his reputation and he did give ‘back-troopers’ hell, but for me my time in Hunter Troop was well spent and I had become a super recruit of sorts. I was by far the fittest in the troop and broke the term record for the assault course, which meant that I was faster than about 500 other recruits and officers that year.

I had always volunteered to play enemy for the officers in training while I was in Hunter Troop and my field and soldiering skills were at a level which couldn’t be faulted.

I was able to help other recruits that were struggling and many of them turned to me for guidance. This was all noticed by my new sergeant and training team, so I ended up receiving a physical training award at the end of commando training and I was given the choice of commando units to be posted to and my choice of roles.

A few years later I reflected on that time and was able to see what a blessing breaking my leg was. If I had carried on with my original troop, I would have been sent to guard nuclear submarines in Scotland for two years. But instead I got to do arctic training, Jungle training, live operations in Africa and sail to America and all around the caribbean for months having the most incredible and varied experiences.

You see, whatever set back you have in life, you can turn it into a set up for something even better. I can look back at every supposed terrible thing that has happened to me and I can see how it has actually blessed my life in some way. 

What if I had stayed in my victim mentality after breaking my leg? It would have been a good excuse to give up on commando training! Or if I hadn’t used the time in Hunter Troop to my advantage? I wouldn’t have been able to meet the demands of my new troop sergeant and back-trooped again or sent to Scotland to guard submarines!

Strangely enough, part of my vision when joining the Royal Marines was to become fully arctic and jungle trained, and many never get to do both. I was fortunate enough to do all this only 12 months out of commando training. 

You see, it is not the hand we get dealt in life that dictates our life, but it is how we choose to play that hand that counts!

I want to thank you for following this little story line and I hope that you can take the many metaphors and apply them to your life. Every detail of this story is completely true and I have more to come, so see you again tomorrow! 🙂

With appreciation,

Matthew Armstrong 

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