A Rare and Easy Way to Reach Goals
Here’s a barely used trick that works a like a charm
I’m not a fan of all those targeted ads that sell you mind-blowing courses to ensure you meet your goals. I tap away immediately and wonder what on earth I liked on Instagram that day to mess up my algorithm.
I went to spin class once. My Ex convinced me to go together with her cousin, who was training to be an instructor. Her cousin was a no show, and it was a strange and somewhat entertaining experience. If you don’t know what a spin call is — it’s basically 45 minutes of agony accompanied by a 21-year-old yelling inspirational life advice, set to the soundtrack of said 21-year-old’s Spotify playlist.
The front row of human beings has superpowers. They’ve been spinning the most and have absolutely no shame. They probably also have a lot of shit to work through. Spin classes work brilliantly for some, and to be honest, I would very much like a peloton, so I am a massive hypocrite.
I like to exercise; I just wasn’t a fan of being yelled at. I was not too fond of the peer pressure element. I didn’t want to be held accountable to others.
I wanted to hold myself accountable.
“You are your best listener” is something we throw around a lot at Team Sound Off. It might take a little while to become comfortable holding yourself accountable, but it’s worth it for the end game.
Sounding off is a little like keeping an audio journal. Here’s how it works for me. Before I fall asleep, I open the app, sound off about my day and see where it takes me. I instantly feel the benefit of getting things out of my mind and tricking my brain into processing everything that’s lingering in there.
The instant benefits didn’t surprise me. I knew about the proven perks of journaling from my research online and from my step-sister Elly. What did surprise me were the long term benefits.
It’s hard to believe your own made-up excuses.
Go figure. After ten days straight of poorly explaining to myself why I didn’t go for a run that day… I went for a run. Some people are very good at believing their own BS, so this might not work as well for psychopaths. But for me, it did the trick. I went for that run.
You can’t help but recognise the benefits.
Taking time for yourself each day to pause and reflect works wonders. You can’t help but note and recognise how going for that run felt. By thinking this out loud, you’re increasing your chances of going for another run, and more importantly, you’re giving yourself the credit you deserve for running in the first place.
I figured out my goals.
I’d never really thought critically about whether my goals were my own, or goals put upon me by others. Do I want to do this, really? What’s important to me? By when? What made me want to do this? Sounding off fools you into answering these questions. You start to figure out your goals effortlessly, and by processing and fully appreciating why they’re important to you — you increase your chances of meeting them.
We’re building a voice journal app, follow us: co-founders Elly, Paavan, & Rory post on the Sound Off publication every week.
