Most people fail at self-improvement.
Not because they don’t want it.
But because they’re set up to fail from the start.
Welcome to Project Manage Your Life (PMYL), the system that helps you treat your goals like projects and actually finish what you start.
This blog is where we keep the PMYL journey alive, sharing insights, success strategies, and personal stories to help you take control of your goals and your life. Today, I am bringing you a new PMYL Pro Tip.
Think of it as your behind-the-scenes coaching boost… straight from the trenches of real goal-setting.
Let’s go crush some goals together!
Ready for a dad joke?
Consider this a lighthearted amuse-bouche for your brain before we get serious. Sure, it might be groan-worthy—but hey, at least you’re getting your money’s worth, right? 😆
What do you call the ghost of a chicken? A POULTRYGEIST.
There Is An “After”
Happy September. This is going to be a big month for Operation Melt.
This month’s blog series is built around one life-changing truth:
There is an after… and it’s yours to create.
Have you ever caught yourself thinking,
“I’m not happy. I want more… but I don’t know if I can or should take the plunge”?
If so, this month is for you.
Each post is designed to show you that there’s always an “after.”
You’re allowed to imagine it. You’re allowed to want it.
And you’re allowed to take the first step, even if you’re not sure how it ends.
The future is yours to build.
So the real question is: will you take the first step or stay stuck where you are?
Your Goals Are Probably Going to Fail. Here’s Why.
You’ve set goals before.
You were motivated. You had a plan. Maybe you even made real progress.
And then it faded.
You didn’t fail because you’re lazy or uncommitted.
You didn’t quit because you don’t care.
It’s not your fault.
There’s a missing piece in most self-improvement systems.
And without it, even the best intentions fall apart.
If you’ve ever found yourself saying, “dammit, I failed again,” or “goals don’t work for me,” or “self-improvement is total bullshit,” I have some good news for you today.
E+R=O… Until It Doesn’t
My readers are likely aware of my belief in the R-Factor, E+R=O. I have referenced it in many of my prior blogs and even discussed it as a part of my AI interview in my inaugural Bonus Mile post.
This system was created by Tim Kight and the team at Focus 3 and was featured in the book Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Program by Urban Meyer. The premise of the R-Factor is that you can’t control the events in your life (the E) but you do have control of your response to those events (the R). Together, the events and your response produce the outcomes (the O) in your life.
I learned about the full R-Factor system in a leadership training event with Tim Kight (yes, the creator himself) in a leadership training class in a prior job. The full leadership team was trained on the system, we had guided practice and rolled out the system across our large organization.
It went great, and people were living the system.
Until they weren’t.
The R-Factor went from a promising tool to improve our company culture and results to the flavor of the week leadership strategy. And it didn’t take long. A couple of weeks after finishing the full rollout, almost nobody was talking about E+R=O or Above the Line behavior.
The system, one that I believe in and has worked in many other settings, had failed.
Clearly, there is something wrong beyond the system itself.
Motivation is Not a Strategy!
My E+R=O story is repeated millions of times each year across various systems… good systems! Here’s the vicious cycle that many of us get stuck in.
- Read the book or attend the class
- Learn the system
- Start applying the system
- Abandon the system and slip back to old patterns
I can explain this cycle in one word: Motivation.
It takes the average person about 21 days to build a new habit.
When was the last time you stayed motivated about anything for 21 days? It’s almost impossible to do. Motivation is a limited resource and fades quickly.
The secret to succeeding with habit change is not motivation; it’s accountability.
Unfortunately, most goal-setting books don’t come with accountability. So the system fails.
This isn’t the experience I want for Project Manage Your Life (PMYL) … I don’t want you stuck in the motivation trap.
PMYL is Getting Better
Earlier this year, I launched Project Manage Your Life as a 3-part system:
- Project Manage Your Life: a quick-read book that teaches you the system.
- Project Manage Your Life Workbook: a workbook with the step-by-step tools and worksheets I use with all my coaching clients.
- Project Manage Your Life Coaching: 1-on-1 coaching to help you apply the PMYL system and reach your finish line.
These tools are proven, powerful, and I stand behind them. However, the reality is that not everybody is ready or able to jump into 1-on-1 coaching. This leaves a blind spot… how to provide accountability support for the DIYers during the 21-day habit change window.
Today, the PMYL system includes some accountability processes (that’s part of the goal of sprinting to success), but you still need to rely a little on your own motivation if you’re following the system without coaching. If this motivation fades, despite the best of intentions, you may find yourself saying “PMYL is bullshit!”
I don’t want that.
I’m fixing that today.
The Missing Piece: The PMYL Starter Kit
If you have ever said, “I love the XYZ goal-setting system… I just couldn’t stick with it,” this is for you.
Today, I’m launching the missing piece of the Project Manage Your Life system: the accountability layer.
The PMYL Starter Kit bundles three powerful tools to help you get started and start building momentum in your journey:
- 📘 The Project Manage Your Life eBook: A quick-read guide to the full system
- 🧰 The Interactive Workbook (PDF): The same tools I use with my coaching clients
- 📬 A One-Month Email Mini Course: Built-in accountability to keep you moving through the critical 21-day habit window
This is more than a starter kit.
It’s a momentum-builder.
It’s a bridge between dreaming and doing.
And you don’t have to do it alone.
Whether you’re testing the waters or not ready for 1:1 coaching just yet, the Starter Kit gives you the structure, clarity, and support to turn your next goal into your next win.
👉 Ready to finally finish what you start?
Grab the Starter Kit now (Etsy Digital Download)
Not quite ready to jump into the starter kit? You can get a little taste test by downloading the Project Manage Your Life eBook for free.
Don’t Sleep on Coaching!
A system is powerful, but even with digital accountability, sometimes it isn’t enough. You also need structure, support, and someone who will call you on your excuses (with love, of course).
That’s where I come in.
As a certified Master Life Coach, I help high-achievers like you get clear on your goals, build a custom plan, and follow through without burning out.
Are you ready to break out of the momentum trap and get accountable for your goals?
✨ I believe in you; let me help YOU believe in you. ✨
Meet Coach Tony
Tony Weaver is a master life coach, technologist, consultant, writer, and founder of Operation Melt.
He helps project managers and other left-brained high-achievers pursue their biggest goals.
Through free resources, personalized coaching, and his proven Project Manage Your Life system, Tony empowers clients to move their dreams from “someday” to success… one step at a time.
Learn more about Project Manage Your Life, the system my clients and I use to crush our goals, at OperationMelt.com/PMYL/
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Meet Coach Tony