Hello, I am Coach Tony… Welcome to Operation Melt!
My name is Coach Tony, and I am a coach, author and project manager on a mission. I am working to build a world where no goal ever dies of loneliness.
I almost allowed one of my biggest life goals to die without ever being attempted for forty years. My goal almost died, not of failure but of loneliness. But, I took a risk and leveraged a simple, logical process that helped me wildly exceed my goal.
I transformed my life, and you can do the same with the help of Operation Melt.
Operation Melt provides engaging, practical content and hands-on coaching to inspire, motivate and equip project managers and other left-brained high-achievers to pursue and accomplish their biggest goals.
Ask Me Anything…
In Ask Coach Tony, you can put my Operation Melt coaching to the test by asking me questions about how to achieve your goals.
Because a question asked by one is often a question had by many, I am regularly sharing these answers via the Operation Melt blog.
Amuse Bouche
Before we get to today’s post, I offer you this light “amuse-bouche” to entertain your mind before we get down to business. Like any other amuse-bouche, you may hate my “dad joke,” but it is worth every penny you paid for it, right?
Do you wanna know the first rule of condescending club? You know what, it is kind of complex, and I don’t think you’d understand even if I explain it to you.
Ask Coach Tony: What’s The Biggest Obstacle?
Coach Tony: What is the biggest obstacle you have seen that holds people back from achieving their goals? Is there one step I can take to improve my chances of success?
I have coached A LOT of people! As a mentor, manager, leader, friend or formal coach, I have helped well over one hundred people accomplish their personal goals. While every person’s goals and situation are unique, some common themes have emerged from coaching hundreds of people. This question shines a bright light on one of those themes.
The biggest obstacle preventing success for many people is autopilot.
The Autopilot Life
If you are a long-time follower (or read my books), you will have heard about autopilot in the past. But, let me explain what I mean by “autopilot” by illustrating with a few examples.
Imagine you want to live a fit, healthy and active lifestyle but are significantly overweight and don’t know why. Do you have any idea how many calories you are consuming, burning or even how many steps you are taking on an average day? Do you know how much protein, fiber and carbohydrates you have consumed this week? You, like most people, probably do not.
This is because you spend your days eating and exercising without paying attention to the details of what you are doing. You are operating on autopilot.
Alternatively, suppose that you want to get out of debt, build wealth and live a financially comfortable lifestyle. Instead of seeing your debt decrease and bank balance increase, they are going in the opposite direction. Do you know your net income (the amount you earned versus spent) for the previous month? Again, probably not. You may just be moving through life spending without considering how it impacts your goal.
This same autopilot approach may be alive and well in your career too. You want to move up the ladder, but you come in and just do your job and nothing more.
All three of these examples illustrate how living your life on autopilot is holding you back from achieving what you really want in life. But, you have a choice, and there is another way to tackle your goals.
A Better Choice
The one-word solution to the autopilot problem is “discipline.” As I explained in Discipline Not Default, success is not an accident; it requires work, and you actively choose to succeed. This is where disciplined behaviors are needed.
Disciplined behaviors mean pausing to consider what behaviors, choices, or actions are needed from you at that moment. This means choosing behaviors aligned with your goals and values, not just operating out of habit or doing what is easy. Disciplined behaviors are usually small choices repeated over and over that lead to big results.
Choosing a disciplined approach to success, especially in the areas I described above, is a four-step process:
- Find your baseline
- Set a goal
- Track your progress
- Celebrate success
If you have been operating on autopilot in any area of your life, you probably don’t have an accurate estimate of your current performance (eating, exercise, spending, saving, etc.). So the first step to breaking free from autopilot is to measure your current behaviors. This means it is time to audit yourself.
To audit yourself, you simply need to write down and keep track of your behaviors associated with the area where you want to be disciplined. You can do this with a notebook or an app. What matters is that it is easy to use and that you are thorough and accurate in your tracking. This may sound onerous, but it gets easier the more you do it.
Hint: if you aren't sure what area of your life to focus on first, try using the Wheel of Life to help you focus. Visit the Resources section of Operation Melt for a free template.
After you review the data you tracked and know your current behaviors, it is time to set a SMART goal. Use the process I defined in the Goal Success Quick Start Guide to determine where you are going. Then use your data to identify the few small behavior changes to help you achieve your new goal.
With a SMART goal and targeted behavior changes identified, you are ready to start making progress towards your new goal. But how will you know if you are on track? Spoiler alert: your data tracking isn’t done yet. What happens when you track your performance with your behavior changes and the status of your overall goal? Usually, you stay the course and can make minor corrections to prevent yourself from getting side-tracked.
Important: this progress tracking is not, and should not, be a forever addition to your life. You will only be tracking until your goal is achieved and your new habits are automatic. See my previous post, Measurement Trap: Tracking Progress is Great Until It Isn’t, to learn more about the dangers of over-tracking your performance.
The final step in the process is an often overlooked but essential: celebrate! You will have lots of wins as you move from autopilot to a disciplined approach to your goals. If you don’t pause to celebrate every one of these successes, the process will get tedious, and you are less likely to achieve your goal. You are making massive progress and accomplishing big things; be your own cheerleader and remind yourself of those wins!
Working with a coach can help you navigate this process and keep you from skipping the celebration. As your coach, I start every session with the celebration of wins, and I will consistently be your biggest cheerleader.
Once you break free from autopilot, you will avoid the biggest obstacle to achieving your goals. By mastering this, you will be unstoppable, and the life of your dreams is just around the corner.
Are you ready to switch off your autopilot?
Ask Me Anything!
Do you have a question you would like to submit for a future Ask Coach Tony post?
- Do you want to know more about me?
- Do you want to know more about my weight loss journey?
- Do you want to know more about my books or my creative process?
- Do you have a question about how to achieve your goals?
- Do you want to know more about coaching?
Whatever your question, I am here to help. Ask Me Anything!
If you want to have a deeper conversation and get more one-on-one help, click here to learn more about my Operation Melt coaching services.
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