December 31st, 2024
All the regulars arrived at the gym.
It was exciting to see all of the individuals who had worked hard all year, still showing up on the last day of the year.
For some it was just another day following their routine.
Others just wanted it to be a day of fun movement.
And then there were those who were aiming to hit new personal records.
“Was that a PR?!” I asked one of the gentlemen who was part of the 5am crew.
He had build up to a 1-RM Squat, Bench and had finished with a #500+ Deadlift.
He grinned and nodded.
As he re-racked the weights I got curious. “How long did it take you to get there?”
He paused for a moment, then replied, “I set those goals back in 2020.”
That’s 4 years of work culminating on a New Years Eve.
Then I inquired, “What was the biggest challenge?”
“Consistency. And really learning how to perform the movements correctly…I had to start lifting strategically. “
I wanted to share this story because it aligned with the topic this week- having a clear vision and creating a strategy to get there.
This week Clarity Calls begin for my one-on-one clients. These are the private video sessions set aside to review their insights and goals, ensuring we have a clear path forward while identifying where to focus our energy.
During our call, we’ll develop a comprehensive plan that includes:
Quarterly Milestones: Key outcomes serving as checkpoints
Monthly Objectives: Specific actions aligned with our milestones
Weekly Focus: Practical steps bridging monthly goals and daily actions
Daily Actions: Small, consistent behaviors driving long-term success
This structured approach ensures continuous progress while developing their ability to navigate unexpected challenges.
The intention of creating a strategy based on their clear and articulated North Star is a key to success. When you build a strategy it needs to paint the picture of where you are now, where you want to be and what it will take to get there. Today I will share how that is done so you can create aligned action that will move you towards your goals.
The Starting Line :
Starting does not require an audience, or approval from anyone. All that is needed is your own interpretation, and guidelines that determine what that looks like. How you define “starting” is individualistic and personal. To give you some context, let’s take the theory of change which is the process of behavioral change. Achieving any goal requires us to transform by adopting new behaviors, habits and ways of thinking. This process involves 6 stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance. Each stage brings an us closer to making or sustaining behavioral changes.
The first two stages revolve around recognizing that there is problem, and accepting that change has to happen in order to achieve a goal. When it comes to defining what starting means to you, I want you to consider thinking about the latter stages:
Preparation stage : You start to develop a plan for change, gather information and make concrete steps towards taking action.
Action stage: You actively implement the change.
Maintenance stage: The new behavior is established and you work toward sustaining it. Starting can happen in any of those stages.
For example, starting can be as simple as having a conversation with someone to gather information and understand what you next steps to consider. Or, your interpretation involves you taking a specific action to learn a skillset to support a habit. Maybe it looks like reviewing your progress periodically to prevent relapse.
Regardless of how you choose to label what “starting” looks like, it requires you to be in motion. Be intentional with how you are spending your time when it comes to moving close to your vision. Yet before you can begin, you have to establish what success looks like to you.
The Finish Line:
Imagine that it’s been a year - what does success look like to you? Redefining how we answer this question is key to how we will show up.
This is beyond the physical thing you will have. You might be thinking: you’ve lost the weight, you gained 10 lb muscle and you look smoking. But it’s more than that. We know that achieving that vision will mean something about YOU.
I want you to think about the person you will be when you “arrive” in December 2025. Is it someone who is outspoken, independent, confident or seeks out challenges? Get clear on who you will embody. A fun tool to use is shifting your language you use when creating your goals. Consider identifying what there will be “more” or “less” of. Both of these reframe words can be used when crafting your vision.
“Less” doesn’t have to have a negative connotation or mean “lack of”. It can be used as a way to showcase abundance and control. For example, one of my clients Sara’s goals was to have less late nights which would mean being able to sleep more hours. In turn she would wake up feeling rested and go to the gym. With that context we were able to explore how a simple statement represented becoming a person who valued their health.
Using the word “more” can also be used to support values. An example would be another client, Sue, who wanted to be more energetic so she could play with her daughter. In her case, family was one of her values, which meant that she had to step into being someone who took care of her wellbeing.
Now you’ve established what the start is and what the finish line looks like for you. The next standard is what will determine if the actions you are taking are worth the risk/reward.
The Risk/Reward:
Consider what needs to happen to bridge the gap between your start line and your finish line. There will be many instances throughout your year where you will have make choices to support your goals. You will have to decide if an action is worth the risk/reward.
Here are the top 3 questions to keep in your toolbox when making decisions:
“If I don’t get this perfectly the way I think it’s going to go, what is my downside scenario? And will I be okay with it?”
“Will this set me back days/weeks/months? And am I okay with that?”
“How does saying yes/no to this support my vision?”
You never want to make a decision where you are risking too much, but if you can live with the downside scenario and still end up being better off, that’s a good call. Every decision you make is an opportunity to move closer to that vision.
Remember that only YOU get to choose what you are willing to tradeoff in order to get there. As well as, only YOU get to know when and if setting yourself back a few months because you decided to skip your program was worth it.
Getting clear on the what starting means to you, what success looks like and what you are willing to trade off will set you up in achieving goals. It’ll help you manage expectations and encourage you to take personal responsibility of your own journey.
-Milchu “Clarity Sherpa” Perez
