Making change is a skill. A skill you can practice. And improve.
And if you want to make big changes, you have to take small, consistent daily actions.
In fact, your behaviors are the only things you can control.
So make those your goal.
Behaviors vs. outcomes
The world is pretty uncontrollable. Life happens.
- If you want to sell your house for a good price, you can renovate it and give it a fresh coat of paint. But you can’t control the real estate market.
- If you want to play a few rounds of golf, you can buy some pricey clubs and get decked out in your dapper-est duds. But you can’t control the weather.
Likewise:
You can’t make your body lose 20 pounds of fat, gain 20 pounds of muscle, heal from an injury, and/or improve your cholesterol numbers on command… or on a specific timeline.
In other words, you can’t control the outcome.
But you can control the behaviors that lead to the outcome you want.
Outcomes are WHAT you want. But outcomes don’t tell you what to do.
Behaviors are HOW you’ll get there. Behavior goals give you an action plan.
Set behavior goals
So instead of setting “outcome goals”, set “behavior goals”.
Here are a few examples showing the difference, just so you get the picture:
Outcome goals
- Run a 5K race in 20 minutes.
- Bench press 200 pounds.
- Eat better.
Behavior goals
- Run for 20 minutes three times per week for the next month, gradually increasing the duration and speed.
- Get coaching on bench press technique, and focus diligently on a targeted bench press training plan.
- Gradually incorporate my coach’s nutrition habits into your daily routine, one by one.
You get the idea.
Notice how all of the behavior goals are a commitment to do a specific set of actions or tasks that lead to the outcome you want.
Also, notice that:
- behavior goals are things you do consistently and regularly;
- behavior goals are small, manageable tasks that are within your control; and
- behavior goals are often things that you can do right now, today or in the near future.
Again: You can’t control the outcome.
But you can control the behaviors that, when done consistently, will move you in the right direction.