“If you shoot for the stars, you’ll at least hit the moon.”
Want to reach your goals for next month? Here’s the best way to do it….
Let’s say you want to lose 4lbs next month. Instead of putting together a workout routine where you’ll lose 4lbs, put together a workout routine where you’ll burn enough calories to lose 8lbs; instead of working out 1 hour a day, workout 2 hours a day.
If this sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it is!
Often the reason we don’t hit our goals is because we don’t realize the amount of work required to reach that level of success. By doubling your effort you’re much more likely to reach your goals.
Why is this? Because it typically takes twice as much work as you think to accomplish a goal.
Twice as Much
It takes twice as much work as you think to successfully lose weight, twice as much work as you think to successfully run a business, twice as much work as you think to become a good parent, or have a great marriage. TWICE AS MUCH!
What’s the point? It’s going to take more work than you initially estimated, so plan for it…
An Example
When I was a freshman in college, I didn’t know how to do well academically. However, I knew that it would require a lot of work to get the 4.0 that I wanted. I initially thought that I should dedicate two hours a day to studying in order to get straight A’s (two hours a day represented much more studying than I ever did in high school).
So did I study for two hours a day? No…
I didn’t know what to expect! Knowing that I wouldn’t have a second chance, and knowing that I had to get it right the first time, I doubled my efforts. I studied for four hours a day Monday through Friday, and I finished with all A’s. Did I sometimes over study, probably so…but I reached my goal. Was it hard? It certainly was, but it was worth it.
Even right now, my “4.0 Plaque” that I received from LSU is on my desk as a reminder to always give double the effort.
It’s Going to Get Hectic
If you’re going to accomplish anything worth achieving, it’s going to be a challenge.
Things should be hectic on the path to success. Like I always say, you know that you’re on the path to success when things are getting a little “chaotic.” If everything is moving along smoothly, you’re just not doing enough! The path to success isn’t like a leisurely joy ride; it’s more like a NASCAR race.
In closing, you must craft a plan that allows you to give double the effort. If you do, you will at least double your chances of succeeding.
That’s all for now, be sure to double your efforts today.
Photo by Nicholas T
Great article….I’m going to put this into practice today…..!
Hi nice post. Congratulations on getting straight A’s through college. Thanks for sharing that; it must have been hard to do. I think most people have a hard time just doing the required amount needed to achieve success, and when they hear the word “double” some may faint.
But you are right. It might not be double, but it does take extra effort to get what you want. Any successful person, from Donald Trump to Bill Gates, put in more hours than anybody else in their field to get where they want. Your post is a reminder of doing more than it is required. Thank you.
@Tristan Lee,
Very well said!…..as far as straight A’s through college…my apologies for being unclear…I referring to my Freshman year…..
@Tristan Lee,
Very well said! …as far as straight A’s through college, my apologies if I was unclear….I was referencing my freshman year….
I couldn’t agree with you more there! It is so very true!! It always takes double if not triple the effort to get the desired results…Especially if you are a perfectionist like me! =)
Thank you for the reminder! =)
@Leyla,
You’re right…I used “double” as a metaphor in some regards…I’m sure there are many cases where you need to do triple or more than that…thanks for commenting…
I think this is great advice, I work for a University and students often ask me how much they need to study to get into their program of choice. They often want to know what the minimum is so that they can hit that and then cruise. That’s not really a great attitude to take when it comes to the rest of your life so I always encourage them to do as well as they possibly can regardless of the entry requirements. If you aim high you might fall short but if you aim low you’re unlikely to overshoot.
@Julian,
Hey Julian, thanks for adding to the conversation….very well said!…and thanks for following me on twitter… :)
This is true. When I go extra hard in pursuing a goal, I do extremely well. When I give a half effort I’m disappointed with the results.
Most people don’t realize how difficult it is to actually to achieve most goals and to change their lives. The amount of raw effort needed is often far more than most people put in. This post is actually quite profound if you think about it, looks like it’s time to double my efforts across the board.
It also reminds me of that other saying “if you want success double or triple your failure”
@Faramarz – Anxious Candy,
Good point…I love that quote….
Hi,
That is a nice post. From my own personal experience I feel that one way to attain success is to set high goals. Some people feel that it is not good to have very high expectations but it has always worked for me so I strongly support the idea of dreaming big and putting 200 % effort to get to the 100% target. And it is true that the road to success is not a smooth highway but a road full of twists and turns and occasional roadblocks.
I really like the concept of preparing yourself up for double the effort right off the bat. Usually it isn’t the work required per se that disappoints us, it’s the fact that the effort required didn’t match up with our initial expectations–which were based on…. nothing, essentially, just our imagination of how it should be.
Instead, if we prepare our minds for a huge effort, then the reality of the situation is based on a serious overestimation of the likely effort required. It’s a really elegant concept!
And then of course there is nothing more motivating than blasting right through a goal as if it were some kind of a little stepping stone. Thanks for another great idea.
Dan
Casual Kitchen
“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
This material does seem to be fitting. Our set plan is usually a bit low for what we want to get as a result. Adding a little extra to our expectation of ourselves should be enough to cover any overhead we didn’t plan for.
Deadlines are also underrated in this fashion. You don’t realize what kind of energy you have in you until you set a deadline of some sort.
Hi Mr Self Development – thanks achieving all we would like to achieve is going to be hard work – dedicated and persistent effort.
The thing people need to realise and often don’t .. is we are all different, and therefore our studying needs will be different. Some people will be able to ‘cruise’ – but they’re probably inherently bright; others will need to work out for themselves what the best way forward is (not what others do); do they know the right way of studying? have they worked out how to concentrate.
Some people won’t achieve as such as ‘kids’ .. I didn’t – but I’m obviously not stupid ..and now have qualifications – however I prefer the entrepreneurial route – some people are late developers. Now-a-days – perhaps a choice has been taken away .. ie there aren’t any jobs, so young people can’t experience the work place before deciding perhaps on their ‘work’ life ahead.
Thanks – it always takes more .. that’s why we need to go the extra mile ..
Thank you and I love the double rainbow ..
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
@Hilary,
Hello Hilary….thanks for this comment…because it brings up a very good point….however, before I go into that good point…let me say that this article is not about “studying more to make better grades”…this article is about recognizing that success takes a lot of work…more work than you may think….
The “great” point that you remind me of is….success is not about overworking in an area that you’re not passionate about…it’s about overworking in an area that you’re excited about…it’s about leveraging your strengths and your talents…
Thanks for the comment….
Hi there “Mr. SD”! I think you’ve put your finger on something a lot of people seeking “instant success” may not want to hear. Namely, achieving gaols is AT LEAST twice as tough as we thought it would be. Heaps of time, effort and failiing (but learning from mistakes) are needed. Here’s something I’d like to share with your listeners though. If we learn how to discover our Passion (Bliss, real dreams etc.) all that hard work won’t get any easier. But with every difficult, twice-longer than expected, painful lesson learned, we’re inching forward towards our dreams. That’s why folks following their Passion call Life a “fulfilling challenge”. On the other hand, people who never know their Bliss say something a wee bit different about all this tough work. Something like….”Life’s a female dog…..and then you die”. (Excuse the terminology….but I didn’t want to spam you). I have to agree with you a million percent then. Be prepared times two or four or four hundred. Best wishes. John Duffield
@John Duffield,
Hey John,
Thanks for the comments…..!
Great post. Its about putting yourself to real work. Work hard and dream big
Dear Self,
You said great things, but oethers are not so good: The path to Success doesn’t need a lot of effort, it might be full of joy. It is up to you if you want to enjoy the journey or not.
When you are pursuing what you really love, you will enjoy anything that you are doing to get it.
I invite you to see some of my thoughts at Read-y.com and let me know what you think.
Keep the good work!
Best regards
@Boris,
The path to success is full of both joy and effort. One does not cancel out the other one, and if you think you can succeed without effort you are just uninformed…
Mr. Self Development,
I am not going to try to change your perception.
There are several ways to reach the peak of the mountain and your way is totally valid.
I wish you Success.
Best regards,
Boris