Most people assume they’re stuck because their goal is wrong.
But your destination is rarely the real problem.
The real issue shows up much earlier.
Hi, I’m Coach Tony. This is a Project Manage Your Life (PMYL) Pro Tip. It’s one of the tools I use to help people set better goals, stay consistent, and actually finish what they start.
Ready for a dad joke?
Before we dive in, here's a groan-worthy dad joke as a little palate cleanser. I promise it will be worth every penny you paid for it. 😂
A raisin a peanut and an oat sit down and order a drink.
The bartender says, "What do you think this is… a granola bar?"
Feeling Stuck? The Problem Isn’t Your Destination.
We’ve all heard the old saying, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will lead you there.” Right?
It’s a cautionary idiom that means that you need to know your destination if you want any chance of reaching it. Otherwise, you are more likely to follow the wrong path.
There’s a lot of truth in that, and it’s a good reminder of why goals matter.
But knowing where you are going is only half the story.
Imagine plugging an address into your GPS and asking it to give you directions. No matter the app, the GPS will need one more piece of information before it can get you to your destination.
Your GPS needs to know your starting location.
There are three critical details for any journey.
Where are you going?
Where are you starting?
How are you going to get there?
You need to know these same details for any goal journey in your life.
Get Your As-Is in Gear
In any complex project in corporate America, one of the earliest tasks is called as-is process mapping.
This is where someone sits down with key stakeholders and walks through how things actually work today. This is usually done with a visual process diagram that gets built over time by the people who do the work.
It’s important to take a step back and map the as-is process objectively because most people don’t really know how they do things today. Their actions have become habits, so they stop consciously thinking about them.
I often joke that people don’t know their as-is from a hole in the ground.
Truth be told, we are all in this same boat.
Our habits happen on autopilot, not intentional decision-making.
My Journey: First Things First
That same approach is exactly what I used when I decided to change my own life.
I first explained my as-is process mapping approach in my book, Operation Melt: How I Used Life-Changing Project Management to Lose Over 100 Pounds in Under a Year.
When I started my weight loss journey, there were many questions I couldn’t answer about my habits.
How many calories was I consuming?
How many was I burning?
What unhealthy habits were holding me back?
My solution was to conduct an as-is process mapping of my own life.
For a week, I intentionally observed and tracked my habits. I logged everything I was doing without making an immediate change to those behaviors.
The result was a clear picture of where I was starting, which made the rest of the journey far easier.
Try This at Home
Do you have a goal or something you want to accomplish?
Ask yourself why you haven’t already accomplished it.
Want to lose twenty pounds? Why aren’t you losing weight today?
Want to be a millionaire? Where is your money going today and why aren’t you saving?
Feel like you’re too busy? Where is your time going today?
Ask the question, then act like a detective.
Objectively observe your daily habits and behaviors.
No judgment. No fixing yet. Just data.
Once you have that picture, you can start looking for the gaps between where you are and where you want to be. These gaps are the things you need to address if you want to reach your goal. They are your turn-by-turn guidance.
P.S., if you don’t already have a goal you are pursuing, I’ve got your back. Grab my Project Manage Your Life Starter Kit and let me walk you through creating a rock-solid goal, step by step.
Are You Too Busy For Your Goals?
This Project Manage Your Life Pro Tip is one of the most overlooked unlocks for your goals.
So be honest. Are you too busy to try it?
If your life is feeling a little too busy these days, I have a time machine for you.
Join my next Goal Crusher Coffee Chat.
None of Your Busyness
A time machine for people who feel “too busy”.
I’ll introduce you to the simple steps that help my clients (and me) reclaim their days.
Then we will have an informal roundtable to answer this question:
What’s one step you can take to find 30 minutes to work on something that matters to you every day?
If you dream of banishing “I’m too busy” from your vocabulary, this is for you.
Click below to save your spot for this free event.
💥 Are you looking for turn-by-turn guidance to reach your goals? Before you can ask for directions, you need two things: a clear destination and an honest understanding of where you’re starting. Borrowing a simple project management technique can help you know your as-is from a hole in the ground.
You’re here for a reason. Let’s take the next step.
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/
Meet Coach Tony