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Goal Setting to Improve your life: Strategies, Effort, Optimize, Tinker.

Strategy

US Fighter Pilot terrified of flying. Find out what happened next!

This number one US fighter pilot is terrified of flying but dreamed of flying an F-16!

(Psst, that’s the same plane you see in Top Gun: Maverick…)

Keeping A Level Head When Anxiety Is Sky-High (SEL Story 001)

Lt. Col. Rob ‘Waldo’ Waldman has dedicated his life to flying. He is a highly-decorated fighter pilot with over 65 combat missions. He’s also the author of the New York Best Seller Never Fly Solo. Oh, and did I say he’s also an ex-aerophobe? “What’s that?” I hear you ask. You’ll hardly believe it, but it’s someone who fears flying.

Seems pretty unbelievable, right? But trust me, it’s a real-life journey worth strapping in for. The story begins with Waldman as a young boy looking up to his father. His dad was part of the naval airforce and worked as a mechanic at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Waldman would go with his father to work, taking in the surroundings with awe. He remembers his dad coming home after 16-hour shifts. His dad would have cuts on his hands and smelled like jet oil.

“I loved that smell,” he says. He was fascinated on his first airport trip with his father. The rumble of the engines and birds flying above captivated him. His dad sat him in the cockpit of one of the jets. At that moment, the dream was decided. He would grow up to fly planes.

There was only one issue! Waldman was afraid of heights.

But still, firmly, he decided his passion was more significant than his fear. So, in his first year of college, he applied to the Air Force Academy. And thus came his first run-in with anxiety over his long career. A 33-feet high diving board stood in the way of Waldman and graduation. Either he jumped, or he failed. One by one, Waldman watched his classmates leap from the board, 35lbs pack in tow, into the waters below. He was afraid, but there was no way a 33-foot board would stop him from achieving his dreams. So he leaped last, but he jumped, and that’s all that matters.

Due to his bravery, Waldman gained access to pilot training. But unfortunately, there were only a few slots. He missed out on the chance to be a fighter pilot. So, not one to be deterred, Waldman made the wise choice to become an instructor pilot. Still, in the back of his mind, he would always hope that he’d get to fly his beloved F-16 one day.

So far, so good. Waldman had conquered his fear of heights and would spend his days teaching pilots. But the next challenge was around the corner. Tragedy struck when Waldman went scuba diving with his friends. Fresh into the water, Waldman already felt out of his depth. He lost control of the situation. He began to flail. Next, he recalls his mask separating from his face. Waldman breathed in a lungful of burning salt water. Panic set in.

He would later note, “No combat mission could come close to that day.” Even though he swam to the top and was physically fine, the mental scars had been etched.

The next time Waldman took to the air, it was a bleak day. He began to panic as he flew. Even though he was thousands of feet in the air, he felt the same way as when he was hundreds of feet underwater. And it was then that he realized he had claustrophobia. However, this fear wouldn’t be overcome by a leap. Instead, it grew.

He would say, “Words can’t describe the passion I had for flying jets, living my dream, but words also can’t describe some of the fears and doubts I faced every time I strapped into that jet to fly.” As his fear grew bigger than his passion, Waldman knew the answer: keep flying and focus on others. So instead of looking inward, he turned his focus outward. His secret weapon was to become focused on his students. He would help them spread their wings and become the best pilots they could be.

With the wind in his wings, Waldman kept flying. And, despite struggling with occasional claustrophobia, he was ranked number one pilot. Finally, he could choose the jet of his dreams. And, in his own words, “He didn’t want to take the easy way out.” He proudly picked the plane of his dreams. He advised everyone to “choose your F-16 every day; that’s what’s going to get you your wings.”

These days, Waldman works as a public speaker. He shares his inspiration with others. His story has inspired hundreds to take control of their fear and reach their potential.

Primary Source

Watch the video:

I became maniacally focused on them – how can I teach them, how can I instruct them and serve them and help them live their dream…

Lt. Col. Waldo Waldman
Source: GoalCast (YouTube video at 8 min 35 sec)

Teaching Resource

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If you would like a handout to use with your students, including discussion questions, answer key, and reading strategy guide (Making Connections), please get the resource.

Change the World in 2021: Work Backwards (SEOT Tip #17)

Apple is currently worth over $1.3 trillion. But, there was a time when the company was almost bankrupt.

Steve Jobs cofounded Apple back in 1976 but was kicked out by the board of directors in 1985.

When he returned in 1997, he turned everything around. Under his direction, Apple would release the iPod, iPhone, and iPad and change the world.

What was the secret to his success?

In 1997, Steve Jobs himself said,

“You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology. You can’t start with the technology and try to figure out where you’re gonna try to sell it.”

STEVE JOBS
SOURCE: 1997 WorldWide Developer Conference

And, working backwards from the customer experience has made all the difference.

SEOT is an acronym to help us get the most out of life. The S stands for Strategy.

(It’s explained more in the goal setting slideshow)

Watch SEOT YouTube Video #17:

SEOT Step to Success #17 is to WORK BACKWARDS

We often use this strategy when we’re figuring out what time we need to leave for work.

  • I have to be at a meeting for 9 AM.
  • I’ll need about 15 minutes to settle in and put away my things when I get there, so I have to arrive by 8:45 AM.
  • It takes about 10 minutes to walk to the building from the bus stop, so I have to get off the bus around 8:35.
  • There’s a bus that can drop me off at 8:33 so I’ll grab that bus.
  • The online city travel planner says that it will take me 2 busses and a train to get to work, and that I need to grab the first bus at the stop by my house at 6:45 am
  • So, I’ll have to leave my home around 6:35 to give me a little bit of room incase the bus is early.
  • Which means I should probably set my alarm to wake me up at 6 so I can grab a quick breakfast

Think about your goal.

  • What is the end result that you want? 
  • What will you need to do to get there?
  • Ask yourself if doing that action will actually get you to the end result. (If not, you need to brainstorm another action that will actually get you to your end goal.)
  • Keep working backwards until you get to where you currently are.

The key when you’re working backwards is to ask yourself whether the action you think of will actually get you to the end result?

Consider this scenario:

A class has been given a challenge to make the world a better place.

The students decide their end result will be to donate money to a specific clause.

The teacher asks what they could do to fundraise.

Often times, students will start to suggest creating posters and putting them up in the school hallways because that’s what students are familiar with.  But, will that engage students to donate?

Work backwards.

If the end goal is to donate money, then you need to have people donate money. How do you get people interested and care enough about an issue to donate?

That’s the step you need to figure out and then keep working backwards from there.

Look at the step before your end result and ask yourself if that action will actually produce the end result you want, or did you simply put what you were already doing and say that was backwards planning?

Steve Jobs solved Apple’s problems by working backwards and he had huge success with this strategy. Imagine what you could do by working backwards as well!

Good luck!

(Hey, teachers! Check out this growth mindset lesson package or this 2021 New Year’s Resolution lesson plan!)

Bonus video clip:

Here’s the video where Steve Jobs answers a tough question at the 1997 Worldwide Developer Conference and gives his quote about working backwards.

Steve Jobs Insult Response

Goal Motivation 2021 – STEP 013 Visualize Success

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. If that’s true, then is a video worth a thousand pictures?

Playing a video in your mind’s eye is a powerful way to help you achieve your goals. Olympic athletes and sports champions know a thing or two about the power of imagery.

Emily Cook is a three time Olympian and a six time National Champion in Aerial Skiing. (Here’s a video of what she does.)

She goes beyond simple visualizing and imagines everything she has to do to do her jump in vivid detail using all of her senses.

She goes through the motions from a first-person perspective – from stepping up to the gate, to hearing the crowds, feeling the wind on her neck. She feels her body and her muscles go through every movement of her aerial stunts before she even does it.

At the Sochi Olympics, the starting areas were full of elite athletes going through the motions. Emily talked with a reporter about the process: “it’s ridiculous”, she said.

“We’re all up there flapping our arms… It looks insane, but it works.”

Emily Cook, US Freestyle Ski Team
Source: NYTimes

SEOT is an acronym to help us get the most out of life. The S stands for strategies.

(It’s explained more in the goal setting slideshow)

SEOT YouTube Video #13:

SEOT Step to Success #13 is to VISUALIZE SUCCESS

By the time you reach the Olympics, you know exactly what you need to do to land the perfect jump. You’ve been competing for a while so, you can visualize every aspect of the actions you need to take.

But, in goal setting, we may not know which strategies and actions we need to do to get to the top of the mountain of success. There are lots of ways up the mountain – and we may not have discovered which strategies work best for us, yet.

But, no matter where we are in our journey, we can visualize what it will look like when we achieve our goal. And the more specific we can get about our goal, the better our chances of figuring out strategies to get our goal.

A lot of people say they want more money. A lot of students say they want better marks. A lot of us want to be happier and healthier.

But, what does that actually mean to you?

  • What will it look like if you are making more money?
  • What will it feel like if you’re getting better marks?
  • What will it sound like if you’re happier?
  • What will it taste like if you are healthier?

Take a moment right now to think about what you’re working towards. Spend a few moments imagining with  all of your senses exactly what success might look like for you.

Be in that moment. Make the image crystal clear. What sounds can you hear? What can you feel – both physically on the outside, and emotionally on the inside? What can you taste? What does success smell like?

The more clear we can get about what we are after, the easier it will be to find strategies that get us there.

Good luck!

(Hey, teachers! Check out this growth mindset lesson package or this 2021 New Year’s Resolution lesson plan!)

Bonus video clip:

Source: NYTIMES, 2014 – Olympians use imagery as mental training

Why People Fail Goals in 2021: 009 Ask Why

In 2009, Simon Sinek gave a speech about a pattern he noticed about great leaders and how they inspire action. That TED talk has gone on to be viewed over 53 million times.

Most people and businesses explain what they do, how it’s better or different and why you should buy in to their idea. Why you should care.

Apparently, great leaders do the opposite. They start with Why.

  • Why they do what they do. Why they care.
  • Great leaders talk about their purpose, their beliefs, their cause, their dreams.

They talk about their “Why”. Then, they talk about how they do it, and finally, what to do.

Millions of people make New Year’s resolutions. But not everyone stops to ask why.

Not everyone has a really good reason why they need to achieve their goal. So, if you’re struggling to keep going with your ambitions, you probably need to tap into a bigger why.

SEOT is an acronym to help us get the most out of life. The S stands for Strategies.

(It’s explained more in the goal setting slideshow)

SEOT Step to Success #9 is to ASK WHY

Think about the last time someone told you do something.

Now, think about the last time you did something because you wanted to.

Chances are, you worked harder and found a way to succeed when it was something you personally cared about.

Asking why takes a little soul searching. It’s easy to start, but it’s hard to dig deep. But, the more personal you get, the more powerful your reason will be.

Think about what you want out of life. Think about your goal. Why do you want this goal? Do you want to become smarter? Richer? Stronger? Healthier? Happier?

Now ask yourself why you want that.

  • Why do you want better grades?
  • Why do you want more money?
  • Why do you want a loving relationship?
  • Why do you want to be less stressed?

What’s happened in your past that makes you want this?

What view of the world do you have that makes you want this goal?

No matter what the answer is, keep on asking why. And then take that answer, and ask yourself why you want that, and why you want that… You get the idea.

Eventually, you’ll probably get stuck in a loop. That might be the time to take a break until your mind can unlock a different answer.

The goal here is to see if we can get to a really personal reason why this matters to you.

What does this have to do with strategies? Well, if you can figure out a big enough reason why you need to achieve your goal, then when things get tough, you’ll probably be willing to put in the work and figure out something else to try to keep going.

Why? Because you need to.

Your “why” is so important to you that you’ll find a way to keep going.

So, ask yourself why you want this goal, and keep asking why.

Good luck!

(Hey, are you a teacher? Check out this growth mindset lesson package or this 2021 New Year’s Resolution lesson plan!)

How to Reach your Goals in 2021: 005 Stop Digging Holes

There’s this saying, “if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.”

It basically means, if you don’t like the situation you’re in, stop doing the things that got you there in the first place. 

That goes well with this other quote about insanity:

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”

Often misattributed to albert einstein

Either way, if you want something different, you’re going to have to try something new.

Of course, that’s easier said than done!

When it comes to life, it’s not always obvious which things are helping us and what’s just getting in the way. We may not want to stop the habits we’re used to. Change is hard.

At some point, we want to get out of the hole and get more out of life.

  • Maybe we make a New Year’s resolution.
  • Maybe we hit a major milestone in our life.
  • Maybe we’ve had a major life event.
  • Or maybe, we’ve just had enough!

SEOT is an acronym to help us get out of the hole. The S stands for strategies.

(Psst, teachers – check out this 2021 New Year’s Resolution lesson plan!)

SEOT Step to Success #5 is to STOP DIGGING HOLES

A strategy is something we do to get a result.

The thing is, I don’t know what strategy you should be doing to get the goal you’re after. I just know that not everything works for everyone all the time. So, if something isn’t getting you the results you want, it might be time to switch strategies.

If you want more money in your pocket, you have two options:

  • make more money or
  • spend less money.

I know, that seems like really obvious common sense, so let’s delve a little deeper here and try to think of ways to spend less money:

Maybe you switch to a cash only diet.

  • Every month, you take out the cash you need for different expenses and put it into envelopes.
  • As the month goes on, you can physically see how much cash you have left to spend.
  • If you want to spend more in one envelope, you need to make up for it with cash from a different envelope – or you can’t get that item.
  • It’s a trick to help you stop overspending and stick to a budget.

Make conscious choices about when you buy your food

  • Or, you could only go grocery shopping when you’re not hungry.
  • Chances are, you won’t want to buy (and eat) everything in sight.
  • In fact, if you can leave the kid at home, you might end up with less impulse items in your shopping cart.

Cancel automatic subscriptions that you don’t really use.

  • We often get sucked in with free trials.
  • But, if you don’t really use the service, it’s time to say goodbye or switch to a cheaper plan.
  • You can always sign up again if you feel like you can’t live without that service.

Take a moment right now to think about your goals.

  • What are you doing to work towards the results you want?
  • What are 3 things you could try to do differently that might also help you to achieve your goal?
  • (You don’t have to come up with these strategies by yourself. Who or what could coach you and help you discover strategies to achieve your specific goal?)

Try a different strategy and see what happens.

Good luck and don’t forget to check out our Goal Setting Slideshow!

Just Start (SEOT Step to Success 001)

Hi everyone! Happy New Year!

Whether you’re setting a New Year’s resolution or you’re just finding this video sometime later in the year and you’re trying to achieve a goal – it doesn’t matter.

At some point, we all want more of life.

Sometimes, the hardest part of achieving your goals is just starting.

(Psst, if you’re a teacher, check out this free New Year’s Resolutions Worksheet)

We talk about wanting more success in life

  • being in a great relationship
  • making more money
  • looking great and getting fit, or
  • just being happy…

And, sometimes all we do is talk, or wish, or dream, or we set New Year’s resolutions (that we forget about) and we just keep doing the same things.

SEOT is about helping you to achieve your goals.

So, SEOT Step to Success #1 is to JUST START.

Sometimes, we set a goal but we overthink, or we over-analyse, or we’re just afraid that we won’t be a huge success, so it’s better not to try.

And, there are so many reasons not to try:

  • People might laugh at us.
  • People might think it’s a dumb idea.
  • People might say this will never work…

And, they might be right and we tell ourselves that we don’t have what it takes or there’s other people who can do this better so why even try? It just won’t work.

And, that might be true right now, but at some point even the best were just beginners. And, that’s us right now. We’re at the start of our journey. We’re just starting a New Year’s resolution or new life goal – whatever it is…

So, no matter what your goal is, right now, just start. Don’t worry about what happens next.

Just start and we’ll figure it out later.

If you’re jumping into the pool, the water might be cold but at some point you just need to jump and then you’ll figure it out. And, who knows? The water might not be so bad!

Or, you might get out of the water and think, “I’m never doing that again!” but you learn from that experience.

Don’t forget to check out our Goal Setting Slideshow!

People didn’t always use Post-It® Notes

THE OBSTACLE: Not everyone loved this brand new sticky note invention – Should they continue working on this project, or move on to something else?

You can have the greatest product in the world, but if people don’t buy it, that’s a problem. So, how do you overcome this obstacle?

Take 3M for example.

According to their website, the story goes that in 1968, Dr Spencer Silver tried to invent a super-strong adhesive. Instead, he accidentally created a glue that didn’t really stick things together.

Dr. Spence Silver, a 3M scientist, is busily researching adhesives in the laboratory. In the process, he discovers something peculiar: an adhesive that sticks lightly to surfaces but does not tightly bond to them.

SOURCE: 3M website

One day, another scientist at 3M, Art Fry wanted a bookmark that didn’t fall out. He dreams of something that was only a little bit sticky and the rest is history.

This story is often given as an example of a life-changing accidental invention.

It’s important to note that there is some controversy over the credit for the invention of the sticky note.

In 1997, inventor Alan Amron sued 3M claiming he was the true inventor of the sticky product:

Amron said his idea in 1973 came about with chewing gum. He was looking for a way to stick a note on his refrigerator for his wife and used gum, providing inspiration for the adhesive he would use on his Press-on Memo. That year he took the sticky notes to a New York trade show and met briefly with two 3M executives, Amron said, but nothing came of the meeting.

Source: LA Times

Regardless of the source of invention, in 1978, 3M found that test markets showed that people had mixed reactions to the Post-It® Notes. People weren’t sure if this was something they wanted to use.

(Crazy, right? Today, sticky notes are everywhere.)

What would you do?

You have this cool product that you’ve created. You see a lot of value. You want people to use it. But, when you asked a few people what they thought, some people like it, and some people don’t.

Do you continue on with the product, or do you scrap it and go with something else?

3M thought that success depended on people actually trying the sticky notes to see for themselves how useful it could be.

So, they go to Boise, Idaho and put in an enormous amount of effort to see what happens when office people actually try their sticky notes.

It’s now known as the Boise Blitz. 3M simply flooded the office supply industry with samples, and then afterwards, asked consumers what they thought. It turns out to be a huge hit!

“An astonishing 90 percent of consumers who try the product say they’ll buy it!”

SOURCE: 3M website (archived)

So, the 3M managers decide to take this product, polish it up and sell it.

In 1980, Post-It® Notes are launched in the US and they’re a hit!

A Growth Mindset Example of Strategies, Effort, Optimization, and Tinkering

I don’t know if the people behind the Boise Blitz sampling effort had a growth mindset or not.

But, I do know that we can look at what happened in this story to realize that if we do certain things, we can overcome obstacles.

Perseverance means to not give up, and one way to not give up is to realize that there are always obstacles in life, and there are things we can do to help us overcome them.

Teacher Pro Tip: Use the following free Google Slideshow to give this example of perseverance by using strategies. Here is the FULL SIZE Slideshow Link

3M’s Post-It® Notes are a great example of how we can use strategies, effort, optimizing and tinkering to overcome obstacles.

Strategies

We see a little bit of tinkering with the story of the sticky note / post it note invention.

  • Dr Silver was trying to make a super strong glue. One of his attempts failed and resulted in a super weak temporary adhesive.
  • Amron was trying to find a way to stick a note on the fridge for his wife. He tried gum which might not work, but maybe something initeresting would come out of it.

Most of the things we try when we tinker don’t actually work. But sometimes, you can make interesting discoveries along the way.

Effort

We see some effort in this story. The marketing team at 3M decided to give free samples out to the office supplies industry in Boise, Idaho.

  • A little bit of effort might have been going to a couple of people and giving them some free samples.
  • A lot of effort is when you do a blitz and give out a ridiculous amount of free samples, “saturating the office supply industry with samples.” Source: 3M website.

Optimizing happens when you keep track of how things are going, come up with theories about why you’re getting the results you’re getting, and then try to improve your results.

Optimization

We see some optimization in this story.

  • In 1978, the marketing team at 3M showed their Post-It® Notes idea to some test markets.
  • The people in the test markets gave mixed signals. Some people loved it. Others, not so much.
  • They figured out that they needed to get people to use the product and once people experienced its awesomeness, they would want to buy more.

Strategies

I like to use this story of the Boise Blitz as an example of using strategies to overcome obstacles

  • In 1978, the team at 3M had a problem. People weren’t loving this new “Post-It® Notes” product that they were developing.
  • I imagine people shaking their heads. It’s an awesome innovative idea. Why aren’t these people loving it?
  • Someone probably realized the underlying reason why people in the test markets had mixed reviews was probably because some people could see its usefulness in day-to-day life, but not everyone.
  • So, rather than just asking groups of people if they think they would buy this new sticky-note product, they changed strategies.
  • They had to get the Post-It® Notes into the hands of office people, get them to use it, and then ask them if they would buy the product.
What strategies do you use to overcome obstacles? In 1978, 3M finds that people have mixed reactions to Post-It Notes

Pick and Choose Your Battles

Look at the big picture and the situation in general. Is this issue really worth your time and energy?

  • If it is, then choose to be assertive because this issue matters to you.
    • You could try to take a problem-solving approach to this tough conversation.
    • Being assertive means recognizing the other person’s point of view and coming up with a solution that doesn’t compromise your limits
    • Try to see the other person as a friend – you’re trying to get a win:win solution, not a win:lose.
  • But if this isn’t a big deal, then don’t make it a big deal.
    • You could agree to disagree. It’s okay to have a different point of view. It doesn’t mean that the other person is wrong. They just have a different perspective.

How do you use this Communication Strategy?