The great philosopher Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” And Andrew Carnegie said, “If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.”
What goals have you made for this year?
Maybe you’ve decided that you want to become more physically fit and lose weight. Or perhaps, you want to start pursuing your passion and become an entrepreneur. Maybe you want to face your fear of heights and go skydiving!
Think about that goal for a second. How are you going to get there? What steps are you going to take to achieve what you’ve set out to do? Maybe you’re not really sure where to begin — you just know where you want to end up.
The secret to achieving your goals is changing your habits — the little things you do every day. For example, if you want to lose weight and get in shape, you could begin your day with a walk instead of scrolling through your phone. This may seem like a small change, but if you stick to it, you’ll see changes both physically and mentally.
Today, I’m thrilled to have Rich Roll back on The School of Greatness because he is the perfect person to explain what it takes to achieve our goals and sustain transformation. We will also discuss how to break free from perfectionism, create a new identity that aligns with your values, and gain confidence. Let’s get started!
Who Is Rich Roll?
At age 40, after years of struggling with drugs, alcohol, and unhealthy living, Rich committed to only eating plants and using his body for purposeful action. Today, he is a vegan, ultra-endurance athlete, full-time wellness & plant-based nutrition advocate, husband, father of four, and inspiration of courageous and healthy living to people worldwide.
Rich battled alcohol addiction from the age of 17 to 31. When he finally went to a treatment center, he spent 100 days there, instead of the typical 28 days. But it changed his life, and he never returned to his previous bad habits. When he got out of the treatment center, he pursued a career most people would consider ideal and made a great living. The problem was, it wasn’t the life he wanted, and it physically took a toll on him.
After having a brush with death in his late 30s, Rich pivoted his life to be in alignment with his values. That’s what set him on the path to becoming a successful athlete, motivational speaker, podcast host, and all-around incredible human being — exactly what he’s doing today.
I think you’re going to be blown away by Rich’s simple yet effective approach to life. While he’s accomplished a lot, he’s truly down-to-earth, easy to talk to, and incredibly understanding. If you want to make 2021 the year you don’t give up, then this is the message you’ve been looking for!
Why You Need to Pick the Right Goal if You Want to Change
I truly believe that people who are living a good life have the biggest struggle changing because things are already going well. When life is good, everything is okay, and things feel comfortable, so putting in the effort to get to the next level is uncomfortable. But living comfortably isn’t how we achieve a life of greatness. We achieve greatness by continually improving ourselves. And, as Rich said, improving ourselves takes work.
“The truth is, a lot of people don’t appreciate the fact that doing anything exceptional requires a lot of work. … And so there’s a level of conviction and commitment to self that’s required that I think you develop over time. … But if you don’t appreciate that doing something hard is going to test you and is going to compel you to get out of your comfort zone, then you’re going to struggle [getting to an exceptional life].” – Rich Roll
In other words, if you’re not prepared for the road to greatness to include some struggle, you’re probably not going to stick to your goals. Another reason most people don’t stick to their goals is that they set the wrong goal. The right goal for you doesn’t need just to meet the S.M.A.R.T. — specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound — criteria. A good goal also needs to mean something to you — it needs to be linked to where you want to go in life and the kind of person you want to be.
Rich said he helps people identify the quality and staying-power of their goals with these questions:
“If somebody comes to me and says, ‘I want to do an Ironman, or run a marathon’ … my first question is, ‘Why? What is it that you’re trying to learn? How is that process going to lead to your growth?’ If they can answer that question and there’s clarity around why [it’s] important to them, … then that’s great. But if they’re like, ‘It sounds cool.’ … That [goal is not] going to have staying power.” – Rich Roll
In other words, if it’s inconvenient or you want to sleep extra long, you’re not going to take action on a goal with little to no staying-power. However, when you choose a goal that aligns with your values, you have more motivation to keep working toward your goals even when you want to sleep in or it’s inconvenient. A good goal has staying-power!
And the bonus to all this is increased self-confidence and the feeling of being fulfilled. According to Rich, people feel most fulfilled when they have accomplished a hard thing, stepped out of their comfort zone, and stayed with their goals until they achieved them.
“Anybody who has done hard things in their life knows that you feel most alive when you have the courage to step outside of your comfort zone, test yourself, and put yourself in an uncomfortable situation where you’re going to have to rise to the occasion. Those heightened moments are when you feel most fulfilled, most purposeful, and most connected to yourself.” – Rich Roll
I believe you can have all the outer fulfillment in the world, but you’re selling yourself a false version of satisfaction until you create inner fulfillment. And, like Rich said, inner fulfillment usually comes through routinely overcoming a challenge and saying, “Okay, I’m building confidence by doing something hard.” In my personal experience and observation of others, the more consistently we choose to overcome challenges, the happier we are.
Before you move to the next section of this post, take a minute to review the goals you set for 2021 and ask yourself, “Why did I set this goal? Where is it getting me?” Make sure your goal aligns with your values, and if it doesn’t, set a goal that does.
You were created for a life of greatness, but that doesn’t mean it will be handed to you. You’re going to have to go get it — one step out of your comfort zone at a time!
