Would you like to achieve something great in this season of your life? I’m assuming you said “Yes” to this question. Maybe you want to be a better leader, parent, or see something change or improve in your life. If this is you…read on.
I’d like to share with you the #1 most effective way I have been able to achieve some of the greatest goals in my life. But first let me talk about the two pieces of your goal and why both are necessary.
Your goals need 2 pieces: COMMITMENT and COMMUNITY. The commitment piece is the personal dedication to act. The community piece is the people that know what you are doing.
Let me use a familiar example. Let’s say someone you know wants to get in better physical shape and vows to change their lifestyle by integrating regular exercise into their routine. To achieve this goal, they must decide to live this out both privately and publicly. They must be committed to personal sacrifice, and they must inform their community of support that provides accountability to their goals.
Think of the strengths that each piece brings:
- A goal without community is easy to give up on. People add accountability.
When you tell others it forces you to hang in there when it gets tough.
- A goal without commitment is easy to only talk about. Personal sacrifice adds action.
When you commit to something it moves beyond lip service to actually doing something.
HOW TO EMPOWER YOUR COMMUNITY TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOAL
The biggest mistake we make in regards to community is choosing the wrong community to trust with their goal. Some people tell others about a goal and that person doesn’t love them enough to hold them accountable. Some people tell others who struggle with the same challenges, and therefore they have no ground on which to spur their friend on towards making progress. Some people tell the world on social media; where there is much less accountability because they aren’t around the people they announced it to online enough for them to know if the daily commitment exists to follow through.
I have to admit, I sometimes cringe when I see people broadcast some grand declaration of lifestyle change only to revert back to their former ways later into the future. I feel uncomfortable knowing their failure because I don’t know them well enough personally to feel I deserve to be trusted with knowing their goals. I have been this person. I have achieved this failure before. It’s embarrassing and stunts future goal setting.
WHEN TO EMPOWER YOUR COMMUNITY TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOAL
My experience with goals is to know not just who to trust but when to trust them. In 2015 my goal was to run my first marathon. I began the year telling only my family. These people see me every day and will know if I’m out running. Once I got some traction, I told some close friends, but still kept this goal close to my chest. I included community that I trusted and knew that them knowing would help me and bring accountability. From there, I finally decided to “tell the world” on social media, but only as a way for healthy motivation once I knew I had momentum in my corner.
THE #1 MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOAL
There is one way that towers above all others in my life where I have achieved my goals, some that I never thought possible. And here’s how you do it:
YOU COMBINE your COMMITMENT with your COMMUNITY.
Studies show that shared goals have a much higher success rate.
If you choose a goal that others around you desire and can commit to, then you have a solid foundation from which to achieve your mutual goal. When I chose to run my marathon, I invited one of my daughters to join me in achieving my first major step, finishing a 25k (15.5 mile) run. Without her, I couldn’t have accomplished my overall goal of running a marathon. Our shared commitment along with our community combined to give us strength to go beyond what we could have achieved separately.
Most of my life I’ve been a consummate failure on New Year’s resolutions. This made me cynical of the entire concept, and I gave up on them. (And myself in a sense. Know anyone like this?) In the last 6 years, I have been 5 for 6 for yearlong New Year’s resolutions. What changed my trajectory and track record? Six years ago I began to only make my vows with my family who joined in my pledge, and IT WORKED! When I combined my COMMITMENT with my COMMUNITY, everything changed.
Do you want to achieve something incredible in your life?
Do you want to be
…more spiritually devoted?
…more physically active?
…less judgmental?
…less fearful?
Look around you, and see whom else you can walk with in the journey. Ask God to provide a community to your commitment. Give yourself to Him and His ways, and He will provide all you need to satisfy your holy passions.
We’re only a few days removed from January 1st. For some of us, we are only a few days into a accomplishing a new goal, or attempting to set new lifestyle patterns. But if you aren’t doing that sort of thing this year, it’s not too late! I hope for you that 2016 is the greatest year of your life and you accomplish your greatest achievements ever!
Jeff Eckart, CEO
Never The Same
© 2016, Never The Same