Reverse Engineer Your GoalsStart with the end and move backwards to the beginning. At Eat2Live2Love we are goal oriented, focused on the step by step process of getting you to your goals. But we like to do it backwards. The “Then” Mentality“Once I lose this weight, then I’ll be happy.” “After I get this promotion, then I’ll start saving money.” The “if this, then that” mentality has become a way of life, from our To Do List’s to the AI built into our phones. It’s simple, it helps us stay on track and “keeps us moving forward”. But if that’s true, then why the hell do none of us know what’s going on? We have our big shiny goals just staring us in the face, we know we wanna get there- but how? So we say to ourselves “Okay, Step 1., I need to do this and then Step 2. I need to do that.” and so on. All we can see is the end goal in the distance and 2 feet in front of us, but nothing in between and no road map. What if I told you to meet me on Mt. Fuku (ya that’s a real mountain), and told you to make a left out of the airport and a right at the stop sign? What would you say? “Uh, I kinda need the rest of the directions to get to the Fuku mountain in China.” Right? You’d want the rest of the directions, or at least a map. The “then” mentality is exactly like that. You know you need to get to your goal, but can’t see the path forward. Start At The Mountain & Go BackwardsInstead of starting at Step 1 and moving forward, let’s start at the Goal and move backwards. Let’s say I’m super stoked about going hiking to Mt. Fuku, but can’t afford it. The “then” mentality says, “I need to save up money and then….” But let’s use reverse engineering to get me there instead. Let’s start at the mountain and go backwards together to figure my fool proof way to get there. Step 10. Be at the top of Mt. Fuku Great. That was easy. Step 9. Hike up the mountain. Step 8. Find a Chinese/English Guide Do you see what we’re doing here? First, we are living in our dreams, not in our fears, by envisioning ourselves at our goal. Secondly, you are having to be creative by reversing your goal setting behaviors. Let’s keep going. Step 7. Take a Taxi from the airport to the city to find a guide. Step 6. Get a Taxi from the Airport. Step 5. Fly to China Step 4. Book tickets to China See where this is going? We are no longer dependent on our next two steps, but instead building a road map to our goals. Step 3. Win the lotto Step 2. Play the lotto Step 1. Decide to fund a my Fuku trip with the lottery. Now let’s read it forwards.Step 1. Decide to fund my Fuku trip with the lottery. Step 2. Play the lotto Step 3. Win the lotto Step 4. Book tickets to China Step 5. Fly to China Step 6. Get a Taxi from airport Step 7. Take Taxi to city to find a guide. Step 8. Find a Chinese/English guide Step 9. Hike up the mountain Step 10. Be at the top of Mt. Fuku Dream forward, Plan BackwardsReverse engineering your goals puts you in the power seat. It allows you to think about being at the top and how to get there, versus being at the bottom and having no idea what the next step is to the top. It forces you to see yourself succeeding, and imagining how you got there. That’s living in your dreams friends; and reverse engineering is how we make it into a reality. Challenge AcceptedToday, reverse engineer one small goal in your life. Start at the end, and work your way back to the beginning. You’ll be planning in the forward. You’ll lose the “then” mentality, and when put into practice- is a road map for your success; or a road map to Mt. Fuku- either way, you’ll get there.
1 Comment
Cindy Gidlof
11/20/2017 09:20:07 am
This is great. I never thought of starting at the end of a goal first.
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