How To Overcome The Microwave Mentality By Setting Goals

The Path of Least Resistance

As a combat engineer in the U.S. Army, we specialized in explosive breaching. One of the goals of the frontman during a breach is to choose the path of least resistance. This meant to take the track with the fewest obstacles when entering a room.

There is a reason for this. Breaching is extremely dangerous. As the frontman, you should choose the direction with the fewest obstacles because you want to ensure a successful entry into a room. Keep in mind, your success means your survival and the survival of the men coming into the room after you.

In the same fashion, following the path of least resistance can be a good rule to apply to your life.

How to Apply it to Your Life

Following the path of least resistance means finding what comes effortlessly to you. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
• What sets your soul on fire?
• What excites you?
• If you could do something all day, what would that be?

Take a look at how you answered the above questions. One or more of these answers may be what you're most passionate about.

For example, starting around the age of 9 years old, I loved playing basketball. Why? Because I was athletic, and the game came naturally to me. When I was alone or with the team, basketball practice didn't feel like work because I enjoyed every minute of it. As a result, I was one of the better players throughout my high school years.

Think about that. Because I enjoyed the sport so much, doing the necessary work to get better was easy and enjoyable.

Do What You Love

The path of least resistance is the thing you love to do most. When you love it, it doesn't feel like work, and you'll be more likely to overcome the obstacles that come along with becoming great at it.

Now go out and do what you were put on this planet to do. If you are unsure of what that is, become passionate about finding your passion.

Make taking the path of least resistance an essential rule in your life, and you won't regret it.

Living In a Microwave Society

We want it all, and we want it now. This is why the concepts of delayed gratification and goal setting are thought of as foreign ideas. According to research, less than 3% of people write down their goals. And, fewer than 1% review and rewrite their goals daily.

Many people in today's world have short attention spans. As a result, they lack the amount of grit necessary to chase after goals for a prolonged period.

Investments take time to mature, businesses take time to grow, people take time to change, and goals take time to accomplish. Keep in mind, it takes 20 years to become an overnight success.

The problem for most seems to be planning a goal that takes longer than a few days or weeks to accomplish.

Incremental Success & How It Works

Progress, just like success, happens in increments. But what is incremental success?

Let's say you decide you need to lose 40 pounds to get back in good shape. You may initially think you will lose 20 pounds one month and an additional 20 pounds the next month. Although it's not impossible, it's unlikely.

If you look at the research, you'll find the average person loses 2 pounds per week with a proper diet and exercise routine. Meaning, you can expect to lose weight at increments of 8 pounds per month, and over 5 months, you will achieve your goal of losing 40 pounds.

Here is the problem. Due to a lack of patience, most people don't create realistic, incremental goals that can be accomplished over the long term. Instead, goals are looked at as things to be had now. The excuse for not trying then becomes if I can't have it now, why bother?

Unrealistic Goals

92% of people never achieve their goals. The claim is most people set goals that are too hard. Our goals are not too hard. We're just thinking about them unrealistically.

Create a goal, then set a realistic timeline. Do you want to be a millionaire? Good! Set a goal to make 83,334 dollars a month or 19,231 dollars a week for the next year. Why go after the whole $1 million at one time?

Some of you looked at those numbers and said, "that's unrealistic too." Maybe one year isn't enough. How about in 2-3 years?

Break your goals down into bite-sized pieces. When you eat a candy bar, do you shove the whole thing in your mouth, or do you take small manageable bites until the bar is gone? Hopefully, your answer was the latter of the two.

If I can do 50 push-ups and my goal is 100, my weekly goal should be to increase that number by 2 every week. In 50 weeks or less, I'll be able to do 100. That is an incremental success!

Stop feeling sorry for yourself because you didn't accomplish your goal in one month or one year. Goals are supposed to stretch you beyond your current capabilities.

Create the goal, break it down, and get better every day, week, month, and year until it's a reality. 

And remember, don't ever quit. Adjust your aim and try again. That's how you win! Greatness awaits.

What is a goal that you struggled with in the past? How can you use incremental success to achieve it? Comment below.