Leading Edge: Make Growth the Goal in 2019
Leading Edge: Make Growth the Goal in 2019
Ready or not, 2019 is fully upon us. Hopefully, you are ready.
With this time of year comes a lot of talk of “resolutions” and “goals”. The most common three resolutions can be summed up here:
Be healthy
Increase wealth
Find fulfillment
According to U.S. News & World Report, 80% of New Year’s Resolutions fail by February 1st. So, by the time you are reading this blog you are either a member of the 80% Club, or the 20% Club if you made a New Year’s resolution this year.
Why is this?
While each person has their own individual and unique reason/s, I believe the biggest reason people fail at their goals is because they are not fully ready to change.
Why? Because change means we must commit to a process – a growth process.
William Murray said, “Concerning all acts of initiative and creation there is one elementary truth — that the moment one definitely commits oneself then divine providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred and which no man could have dreamed would have come their way.”
In essence we must be “all in”. It is difficult to associate our commitment with our emotions and still stay the course. Typically, many of our personal goals will begin to fade when we succumb to the perpetual pull to remain average. Even the most successful people we know experience the temptation to quit growing when there is adversity, but they find the discipline to conquer it. No one is immune. I have learned when we grow we catapult ourselves with integrity towards our goals.
Don’t get me wrong. Whether it be a healthier lifestyle, or to achieve a life on your own individual terms, goal setting is a constant for all who truly desire to hit the mark. But let’s be honest – to simply make a goal is never enough to accomplish and achieve the goal.
In 2017, I joined the John Maxwell Team. It was truly one of the single best decisions I have ever made. Having been impacted by John Maxwell as a teenager and experiencing the benefits of his teachings and books throughout the years, I wanted to take my growth and my potential to another level.
In that community I have learned that the ultimate factor to setting goals, and making them work, is the excitement and the awareness that is birthed inside of us. It is this sensation that gets me out of bed early every day and makes me stay up a little later than I normally would. This driving force fuels my desire to work harder on myself tomorrow than I did today. It’s the feeling that makes me say “no” to some things now to be able to say “yes” to a whole lot more later.
The Law of the Rubber Band states, “Growth stops when we lose the tension between where we are and where we could be.” By focusing on intentional growth, I possess the awareness to make my goals more believable, achievable, measurable and set realistic timeframes with integrity.
When I was in my late twenties, I trained for a 5K race. My goal was to run the 3.1 miles in under 20 minutes. I trained and made the sacrifices necessary to barely break my 20-minute goal. However, I didn’t run a single race for 10 years after that. Why? I refused to stretch myself. I quit growing in my running. I focused on a single destination instead of the success the process of consistent growth would bring me.
This past Christmas I was able to do something I haven’t done in 22 years. I was able to spend it with my Dad. It was extra special because my wife and two daughters shared this powerful moment with me. As I stumbled down the stairs Christmas morning, this time as an adult, I watched my Dad sip his Christmas coffee. I was reminded of how fast it is to move from the high hopes of childhood to the acceptance of aged memories. It was in that moment that I looked at my daughters and remembered that according to John Maxwell, growth is the only guarantee that tomorrow will be better. Growth, not goals.
If you’ve set new goals for yourself in 2019, challenge yourself to incorporate daily growth into those goals. Be prepared, however, every level of growth will require a new level of change. Nevertheless, making growth the goal in 2019 paves the way for us to assume the ranks of the 80% Club. And better yet, we will be on the receiving end of the benefits necessary to prepare us for new levels of growth in 2020.
BIO:
Jason Stoughton is a National Account Executive at BG Multifamily and an Executive Director on The John Maxwell Team.
Coming from a background in relationship sales, Jason is known for his servant’s heart and for truly adding value to others. Jason holds a Theology degree and is a certified consultant in the DISC Model of Human Behavior.
With over 20 years of sales, leadership and team building experience, Jason is passionately equipped to provide staffing to the property management industry and bringing value to you or your organization as a speaker or trainer.
Jason’s favorite quote is, “Growth’s highest reward is not what you get from it – it’s what you become through it.” You can learn more about Jason at BGMultifamily.com and ChampionsCompass.com.