Are you choosing to live a happy, fulfilled life?
That’s right, studies have proven that ninety percent of the factors that make the difference between a happy life and an unhappy life are factors within your control. One life hack proven to help unlock your best life is setting, pursuing, and achieving goals.
Yes, you can choose a happy life, but don’t take my word for it! Here’s an example of how other people – people just like you – are choosing to achieve happiness through their goals.
Are you ready for a dad joke?
I offer you this "dad joke" as a light "amuse-bouche" to entertain your mind before we get serious. My dad joke may be groan-worthy, but it's worth every penny you paid for it, right?
There are eleven types of people in the world: those that understand Roman numerals and those that don't.
From Diagnosis To Victory: Patti’s Journey To Beating Cancer And Crushing Goals (Interview)
Welcome to this week’s Interview with a Goal-Crusher. In these interviews, I sit down with someone accomplishing big things by setting and achieving their goals to learn their secrets. Then I share those secrets with you. It’s like free mentoring from someone already on the road to success. Who doesn’t want that?!
“You have cancer.”
Few phrases are more frightening and devastating than receiving this diagnosis. While I am fortunate not to have first-hand experience with this diagnosis, I know many who have. When they were informed of their condition, they immediately feared the worst and imagined a tragic outcome.
Upon receipt of a cancer diagnosis, many people only want to survive the disease and put it behind them. On the other hand, some will use their experience as a call to action to help others navigate similar journeys.
This is what Patti did after she defeated her cancer diagnosis. She fought a hard battle, was victorious, and then joined the board of Komen to find a cure and beat cancer for good. I am honored to share her story in today’s Interview with a Goal-Crusher.
On a personal note, I met Patti sixteen years ago when we worked together. During our respective tenures with that employer, we went through many emotionally challenging and rewarding experiences together, which led to an unshakable friendship. Since that time, Patti and I have both left that employer and have discovered increased happiness by doing so and by pursuing our respective passions. Often, things that appear to be adversity happening to us are actually gifts working for us.
I could share countless tales of Patti’s goal-crushing spirit and accomplishments (being a super mom, telling truth to power, helping others through change). Today’s story of fortifying her resolve through her cancer survival is far and away the most unmistakable illustration of her inspirational character.
Please introduce yourself and tell my readers about you and what you do.
Patti Gilligan, I’m a five-year breast cancer survivor, wife to Matt, mom to Caroline and Brady and a change leader. I recently became the Columbus Board Chair for Komen.
What motivated you to use your cancer battle to help others? What was your vision? Can you share some/all of your story?
My army motivated me to share what I was going through. So many people cheered me on through cancer and wanted updates. I started documenting online.
Until I had cancer, I had no appreciation for what it was truly about. I’ve taught and developed adults my whole career, so this was an opportunity to teach people something personal.
People really wanted to help, but most didn’t know how (neither did I).
People also have no idea how cancer impacts your entire life, and beating it doesn’t mean that it’s ever really over (more about that later).
I was a very healthy and active 45-year-old. I have always been a runner, and as a family, we eat healthy (a fact that angered my kids). In their eyes, there was no way I should get cancer.
But why not me? Cancer doesn’t discriminate.
I’d had a normal mammogram 5 months earlier, but I wasn’t feeling like myself. I had switched birth control pills and had put on weight I couldn’t lose. A huge shoutout to my OB/GYN, who saw me in the office, did a breast exam and found nothing but told me to get another mammogram just to be sure.
It was odd when the tech had me do an ultrasound immediately, but then I knew lots of women have those too. I got scared when she spent so much time taking pics during the ultrasound. I knew then and started crying.
It was a Friday at 4:00, and the radiologist told me he was 99% sure it was 3 cancerous tumors. He didn’t want me to guess all weekend until I could get a biopsy and confirm it.
Being a runner and a country girl, I’ve always been mentally tough and stubborn. Quitting isn’t an option, so I knew that Friday, I would do whatever I needed to do.
What was the first step you took to get started with your goal?
First, my husband and I started reading anything we could to learn about treatments and options.
I reached out to friends to find doctors and started putting together my team. Just as I’ve done in my career, I surrounded myself with the best for me: doctors, therapists, acupuncture, chemo sitters, etc. I don’t like to “need” anyone, but this wasn’t a fight I could have done alone.
We have the best neighbors and friends who did so much for us (I now have a list of suggestions I send when someone is diagnosed). One friend put an empty cooler on our front porch, so I didn’t have to answer the door when people dropped off food or flowers.
Another friend (and fellow survivor) gave me a small notebook for my purse. I used it to keep track of all my conversations with medical professionals (you never know when they will call) and questions.
I also found a picture of Matt and me in our favorite place, and we booked a trip there to celebrate after chemo. I took that picture with me to every treatment and kept it on my phone. Whenever I felt crappy, I would remind myself of the reward when I finished.
What were your biggest challenges in achieving your goals? How did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge for me was not being in control.
I thought I would be done in six months and was frustrated because of my own ignorance that there were times I couldn’t get treatment (chemo or radiation) due to my numbers, skin burns, etc. I got through it by reminding myself the end goal was to live and be around for my family.
Being a super social person, we started planning a party for when I was done. I need goals to keep me going regardless of what I’m trying to achieve, so we counted down the days as a family until I would be done.
I focused on what I could control. I exercised every day. It may have only been a mile on the elliptical, but I knew exercise would help me process the chemo. I stopped doing large group activities so I wouldn’t be exposed to germs – getting sick would delay treatments.
I kept working and was grateful for a VERY supportive company and boss who provided flexibility. This was before COVID, and I vividly remember running a strategy session in NYC from my couch in Ohio. I wanted to keep working and stay busy, so I wasn’t thinking about cancer 24×7.
What goal success tips and techniques have worked well for you that you would like to share with my readers?
1. Have the right team.
2. Be flexible. “Adapt and overcome” is a Gilligan family motto. We have all said a lot in the last six years.
3. Discipline – be relentless
4. Start with a vision and know your “why.”
What is one big goal you are pursuing now?
My goal is to get back to running a 5k (and lifting weights as I was before). I’m recovering from ANOTHER reconstructive surgery. I’ve had nearly 10 breast surgeries.
I never would’ve guessed I would still be dealing with cancer effects now.
How can people learn more about you?
You can Follow me on LinkedIn (click here to see Patti’s profile).
Patti is a survivor.
Patti is a leader.
Patti is a friend.
Patti is an inspiration.
And Patti is a goal-crusher through and through.
Most importantly, she is alive, and I don’t even want to imagine a different ending to her story!
Let’s double-click on some of the many ways Patti’s journey illustrated my Project Manage Your Life approach to goal-crushing.
- Set SMART Goals: Patti knew her goal (defeat cancer)… she knew her why… and she had a timeline (though it evolved due to factors out of her control). She also committed to additional supporting goals to help keep her motivated and focused on the future.
- Build a plan that works for you: throughout Patti’s story, she shared examples of how she built her plan around how she was wired. Plus, she shared her journey to help give others ideas for developing their own plan if needed.
- Measure progress every day: progress measurement is difficult with a goal like defeating cancer, but Patti found a way. For example, she created a countdown of her remaining days of treatment.
- Expect and plan ahead for problems: Patti knew cancer wasn’t going to go away quietly, and there would be problems along the way. Patti managed these by taking preventative steps (like taking an inspirational photo with her into treatments) and maintaining the “adapt and overcome” mindset when problems happened.
- Don’t go it alone: Patti built her team of experts and supporters to help her reach her goal.
- Enjoy the journey: you may think there is no way to enjoy a journey like Patti’s, but I can tell you that Patti finds a way to enjoy every day of her life. You’ll discover this when you grab a drink with her or see some of her patented dance moves (ask her about the Patchen Pump).
I appreciate that Patti allowed me to share her story with my Operation Melt readers. She is a total rockstar, survivor and inspiration whose story deserves to be told. Patti inspires me daily, and I am honored to call her my friend. Plus, she is one hell of a goal-crusher, am I right?
If Patti can use Project Manage Your Life techniques in a fight for her life against cancer, imagine what you can accomplish with these same strategies. Do you need help refining your goals and building your plan to Project Manage Your Life? I am a certified master life coach and would be honored to help you keep your goals from dying of loneliness.
I believe in you; let me help YOU believe in you!
Meet Coach Tony
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.
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