Uh-oh… Take a look at this:
It’s the completion rate of new year’s resolutions.
What do you notice?
Right.
People don’t stick with their resolutions.
But it gets worse.
According to another survey…
Only 9.2% of people feel they were successful in achieving their resolution last year.
It’s not shocking.
But it’s a depressingly low number!
It’s not just about new year’s “resolutions,” either. It’s about any kind of goal or aspiration. And – given the statistics – one thing is clear:
If you want to reach your big goals this year…
But how?
It’s a challenge, for sure.
Especially if you have BIG goals…
Because big goals TAKE TIME.
Meaning, you need to stick with it, not just for a week. Not just for a month. You need to stick with it for a year – or more.
Heck, I built my audience for Social Triggers for more than a year before I sold anything. And now, I just started a daily vlog. I make a fun and helpful video – EVERY DAY. You can subscribe here. People called me crazy…
Because when things take time, that’s when it gets extra tough to stay focused. So, it’s no surprise many people lose track of the goal they initially set out to reach.
So how do you stay on track?
Well, I believe there’s one thing you need to have.
First, I want to share a quick story:
They Called Him Crazy When He Said “NO!” But Look at Him Now…
Marc Forster had BIG goals, too.
Specifically, he wanted to be a movie director.
And today, Marc Forster IS a successful movie director:
He’s made films like “Monster’s Ball”, “World War Z,” and “James Bond: Quantum of Solace.”
But back in the early 2000s…
Everyone thought he was CRAZY.
Why?
Because Forster turned down $500,000 to make a movie… when he was completely b-r-o-k-e.
It does sound crazy 😬
At the time, all he had was credentials. The year before, he’d won the Grand Prize at the Sundance Film Festival…
But again, he had NO MONEY.
So why in the world would he turn down an offer for a cool half-million?! Just imagine you’re a filmmaker…
Making movies is what you love. Most people would consider themselves LUCKY to get an offer like that!
And yet he turned it down…
Because for Forster, success wasn’t just about the money.
He said:
What I’m passionate about is telling stories which mean something to me.
In other words, when he turned down that offer, he simply didn’t believe the script was any good.
It wasn’t a story he wanted to tell.
He didn’t want to put his reputation on the line with a bad script.
But hold on a second…
Isn’t that insanely stubborn and dumb?
I mean…
It turned out well for Marc Forster. But turning down hundreds of thousands of dollars sounds pretty stupid!
“HE JUST GOT LUCKY.”
And maybe you’re right…
Who knows what would have happened if he DID make that movie?
He might be even MORE successful now. No one knows.
But that’s not the point.
I believe there’s an important lesson to take from his story. Especially if you’re ambitious and ready to make this year your biggest year yet.
I’ll explain.
Are You “Going in Circles?”
Bear with me for a moment…
There’s a concept in making films called “Going In Circles.”
It’s when the characters are lost, for example in the woods or some kind of a maze. So they’re trying to find their way out… But they end up back where they started.
For example here’s a “Going in Circles” scene from The Blair Witch Project:
In the movies, it’s usually a real moment of despair.
But what’s funny is…
This actually happens.
Scientists from the Max-Planck-Campus in Tübingen, Germany tested the “Going In Circles” theory.
Specifically, in one experiment, they had people walk in the desert. Then the researchers tracked their paths using GPS.
What did they find?
People were able to keep their path when the sun or moon was visible. But without the visual cue in the distance, people actually walked in circles.
Now here’s what’s so fascinating:
People walk in circles when they’re lost.
Literally.
But “going in circles” is also a perfect metaphor. It illustrates what it takes to reach your big goals.
So, even if you’re not lost in an actual jungle…
You may very well FEEL like you’ve been going in circles in your business.
Can you relate?
You Don’t Need Goals and Resolutions. You Need a Vision!
This is why I believe you don’t need a new year’s resolution.
Instead…
You need a new year’s VISION: a long-term goal in the distance that keeps you on track every single day.
Having a vision explains WHY I was able to build Social Triggers for a year without revenue.
Having a vision explains WHY someone like Marc Forster would turn down a half-million dollar offer.
He knew what he wanted to do – and what he didn’t want to do. And that particular script, which he thought was bad, just didn’t fit in.
So, just like you need a cue in the distance if you want to walk in a straight line…
…you need a long-term vision if you want to reach your big goals.
Or as Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO, puts it:
Be stubborn on the vision and strategy and flexible on the details and tactics.
You can think of it as a “Goal Compass:”
A fixture in the distance that will guide you. Without it, you may end up “going in circles…” and never reach your goals.
Okay but…
How Will “Having a Vision” Actually Help You Reach Your Goals?
Very simple.
You see, we often get caught up in so many “opportunities” that we lose focus. And that’s absolutely DEADLY for getting anywhere in life…
..but when you have a vision, you’ll know how to tell the REAL opportunities from all the distractions.
How?
Whenever you’re facing a decision in your business or life you can ask yourself this one question:
“Will this hinder or further my vision?”
This works for any kind of long-term goal.
For example…
Let’s say you want to get fit.
“Will eating this cheeseburger help me get fit?”
If the answer is “No”…
You already know what to do.
The beautiful thing is:
Once you’re clear on your vision, making decisions – big or small – gets a whole lot easier. And with each decision you make in this way, you’ll be one step closer to achieving your big goals.
The best part?
If you stick to it and follow your vision, one day you’ll wake up and realize: “Hey, I made it!”
So remember…
It’s a long way to go when you don’t know where you’re going. But when you have a vision, everything else falls into place.
Now here’s my question for you:
What is YOUR vision?
Leave a comment now!
“Will this hinder or further my vision?”
This line reminds me of the one from Any Given Sunday, “It’s a game of inches”. All too often people are looking for some major hack or trick when in reality, accomplishing your goals is all the little choices we make moment to moment.
FYI, another study shows only 8% of people actually accomplish their NYE resolutions.