Learn Less, Remember More

Many of us are energized to set new goals and resolutions during this time of the year.  I love beginnings and endings, but I don’t love the middle. One of my biggest challenges in this work of self-growth and development has been identifying practices that help me be and feel as committed when I’m in the middle of a project and goal, as I was in the beginning.

Working intimately with more folks than I ever imagined, I can confidently report that I’m far from the only person with this problem.  Through the years, I’ve learned one primary mind shift and practice that has been revolutionary in helping me stay invested in my goals, with patience and sustained excitement.  I learned this from Professional Coach, Steve Chandler, who in a conversation about new year resolutions said, “Drop the how to create your year with intention and focus, and remember to create your year with intention and focus - it’s a remembering every day!”

Often advice lies on the surface of our lives.  Whether it’s information from a book, blog, podcast, or advice from a friend or mentor, we connect with it in the moment it’s disseminated, but somehow, it doesn’t land inside of our days and selves.  We know more in our head, but not in our days.  Sadly, our default is to blame ourselves for this, and think others have more willpower, discipline, or intelligence than we do.  What I’ve come to learn as true couldn’t be further from this very human assumption we are prone to.  The reason information is not life-changing is because it’s not insight.  An insight, what Oprah calls an “Aha moment”, is literally a sight from within.  When we hear or see something, and we make a connection that is deeply personal and uniquely relevant to us, it’s an insight!  During the process of information transforming to insight, our ability to take action “in real life” increases exponentially.  I believe this skill alone, is the most valuable core competency of the best Professional Coaches.

Insight - not information - is the non-negotiable starting point for taking new actions.  Insight is the true and authentic partner in our journey of deeply understanding our “why”.  Once we understand our why, the “how to” takes a minute and a half.  Afterall, we’ve been gathering information, seemingly for a lifetime, on how to do almost anything that matters to us.  I’m willing to bet any amount of money that you already know what steps you need to take to achieve a certain goal.  Of course, hiring an expert on the subject will fast-track the process and have us respecting our time, but in truth, with a bit of effort, each one of us can figure out how to do most things.

Once we access an authentic insight about why our goal matters uniquely to us and identify what’s held us back - once we’ve created a clear plan of action and a system to move forward - then every single day, our only commitment is to remembering.

I can easily give you 5 methods I use to help myself remember, but it will be more powerful - and shift you from information to insight - if you take time to make the list yourself.  Doing this work in the beginning of the journey to achieving your 2021 goals will make the middle part so much more effortless, and increase the chances of achieving the outcome you desire.

Once you make your list, feel free to email it to me, and I’d be happy to provide you with helpful pointers and feedback.  I want you to make 2021 the year of saying “yes to a new way of creating your best life”.