Goals vs. Habits

Plus December raffle winners announced!

I’m Brandon Wilson. I am constantly working toward improving my mind, body, and spirit using various ancient techniques and cutting-edge biohacking tools and devices. I want to be healthy, but not at the expense of being happy. This simple idea is what it means to be wellthy.

First time reading? Let’s get you in the club.

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Did you set any New Year’s resolutions for 2024? Many people do, and according to Forbes Health, here are the top resolutions people are making for this year.

Source: Forbes Health

I was not surprised by the top categories. Improving fitness and losing weight are two of my focus areas this year, but I don’t set New Year’s resolutions. The stats are not good for sticking with these resolutions.

Source: Forbes Health

“We often fail in achieving and keeping New Year’s resolutions because they focus on a specific outcome (e.g., a precise body weight),” says Dr. Sabrina Romanoff, Psy.D., a Harvard-trained clinical psychologist and Forbes Health Advisory member. She explains that when individuals focus on a particular outcome, it can be challenging to persevere in their efforts if results are not immediately apparent. “Goals take time, and many folks become discouraged and eventually relent before attaining the goal.”

Think of how often you’ve set a goal and didn’t achieve it. Many people struggle with achieving goals even if they use the S.M.A.R.T. method for goal-setting (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timeline). After having my own struggles with goals, I decided to move away from traditional goal-setting and focus more on habits. I saw a recent tweet by Mr. Atomic Habits himself, James Clear, that further clarifies the idea.

I’m not saying don’t set goals; I’m recommending a focus on the habits that will help you achieve your goals. Habits are the driving force behind achievement. I believe in improving a little each day. As James Altucher points out, a 1% daily improvement leads to double the performance in 72 days.

“We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.” —John Dryden

In the Blast from the Past section at the end of this newsletter, I linked to my best tips for building habits. I would also recommend the following books if you’d like practical and science-based advice about building and maintaining habits. Note: These are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Atomic Habits by James Clear Hardcover Kindle Audiobook

Tiny Habits by B.J. Fogg, Ph.D. Paperback Kindle Audiobook

High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard Paperback Kindle Audiobook

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg Paperback Kindle Audiobook