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Self Assessment

One thing that is extremely difficult to do is take a good, honest look in the mirror. Being introspective is often avoided because it is uncomfortable if done correctly. How many of you willingly want to confront your shortcomings and weaknesses, analyze them and find ways to grow in spite of these hardships? It can be challenging to not only admit that we aren’t perfect, but actively seek out the issues holding us back.

If the goal is to grow and succeed, this is a critical piece of the process. Without regular introspection and self-analysis it becomes impossible to know where we should focus our efforts for growth. If your car is going in the wrong direction and no one checks the GPS, by the time you realize you’ve made a mistake you could be many miles off course. Calibrating frequently is beneficial in this instance; it will help you determine what adjustments you need to make before things get worse.

I believe that introspection is best done on a monthly basis, with a longer session done at the end of each year (or even each quarter). Take a look at your current goals; assess the previous month in terms of those goals. How close are you to your assigned timelines? Do you think your regular actions are driving progress in the right direction? Are these goals even things you actually want anymore? Furthermore, what is adding positivity to your life, and what is adding negativity?

These questions serve as a starting point for an in-depth internal analysis. The more frequently you reflect, the earlier you will catch things that are going off the rails. It’s hard to know, in the moment, if you are moving in the right direction. It’s much easier to take a big-picture view at regular intervals and fix what needs to be fixed.

If, after doing this analysis, you realize that your actions have not been in line with your goals, simply adjust those goals or habits to better reflect your true desires. You may also realize that you’ve been lagging in certain areas where you should be putting more effort. It’s common to be holding ourselves back from making tangible progress because we can’t put in the consistent effort required. It isn’t the big days that matter, it’s the consistency across a long period of time that makes us more likely to succeed.

The most important thing is to be honest with yourself. If you’ve been putting in your best effort and have fallen short, just recalibrate and keep pushing. If you’ve been lagging, maybe those goals aren’t things you want enough to put in the work. Maybe you let yourself slip and just need a reminder to get back on track. Maybe you've been selling yourself short and need to get back into gear. Either way, this realization won’t happen without some deep reflection. While setting goals and creating habits is critically important, periodic assessments to determine whether we need a swift kick in the ass or need to adjust our priorities can be even more important for long-term success.

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Daily Gratitude

One other practice that has helped me immensely is a daily reflection of gratitude. I want to share this one this week as it has impacted my life in a huge way. Days where I feel down or "off" can be immediately turned around when I realize just how much in my life I should be thankful for.

I recommend doing this practice once in the morning and once before bed. In the morning, write down one single thing you are grateful for that day. It can be simple, but aim to be as specific as possible. Additionally, write down your sole focus for that day. Pick one thing you want to do, one area that you want to dominate. Maybe it's to kick ass on a test or an interview; maybe it's to make three people smile. Whatever it is, write down your target for the day.

When nighttime rolls around, look back at your journaling from earlier. Determine whether you accomplished your major target for the day and, if not, write down what you could have done better. Additionally, write down the biggest win from the day. This doesn't have to be related to the major target, but reflecting on big wins is equally important.

Find some version of this practice that works for you. You want it to be simple enough that you can do it regularly, but effective enough that it makes you think. Practicing gratitude regularly solved many of my mental and emotional problems. I hope it serves you well also!

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Hit List

Some interesting things I encountered this week:

What I'm reading: "Haters" by Paul Graham

Paul Graham is an incredibly successful entrepreneur who is best known for co-founding Y Combinator. As silly as the concept of "haters" can be, it's helpful to understand that trying to accomplish anything big will inevitably bring people to the table who want to see you fail. Learning to shrug this off is critical for success.

What I'm also reading: $100m Offers by Alex Hormozi

Hormozi is a gym guru who built a fitness empire and is now the de-facto sales expert behind many solopreneurs in the modern, digital age. This book is a fantastic summary of how to build a compelling offer, which is a helpful skill regardless of what you do. At the end of the day, we are all in the business of sales.

A reminder - my new goal setting templates: The Lean List Goal Setting Template​

This goal-setting system was born out of a desire to help my clients who were struggling to put words into action. It went through many iterations until it arrived at the version you will see here. I tried to make these templates affordable, but you can get them for FREE if you refer 5 friends using your personalized link below.

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Until next time, my friends!