Dr. King and The 8 Percent

Yes. Struggle with a “K”, because the crushing the goal struggle is real real.

So World Changers, how is it going? We are a whole two weeks into the new year. Have you got a grip on those goals yet? Have you thrown away any or are you on a hot streak? No matter where you are, you will achieve only what you believe is possible. There’s that word again…possibility. Do you ever really think about what is possible? Many times we hear the gatekeepers tell us to “be realistic”. As a matter of fact, Realistic is the “R” in S.M.A.R.T. goals. How are we supposed to know what is realistic? How does one “dream big” and “be realistic” at the same time?

In one of the platforms I use to keep myself on track we use the concepts of blockers and accelerators. That’s similar to how I have been teaching my clients for years to be mindful of uphill and downhill circumstances. As part of the Momentology Method?, I show you how to be (1) aware of the blockers and accelerators, (2) grateful for the tools you have to leverage them (3) adept at training your belief system and expectations.

According to research by the University of Scranton, eight percent of people who set goals achieve them. Eight. So a whopping 92% of people who set goals never see them to fruition. Why? What is stopping so many of us?

This is what I’ve learned: As you learn to love the journey you become the destination. Please reread that for clarity. I know we think our goals are the destination, but what the 8% understand is that WE are the destination.

As we approach the day many celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I started to think about the examples from his tumultuous life and times that I can apply here and now. Whether or not you are religious, you can certainly pull some themes to live by from how this preacher approached arguably one of the most harrowing goals there is – social justice. In these days and times, one can relate to having to think about not just personal aspirations, but where you fit and why it even matters in the highly adversarial and often contentious world we live and work in.

Now you may not yet have goals to alter the course of history, but truly do we really know the impact of our deeds? Surely in his time, Dr. King could not have known just how impactful his life would be in the times to come. He had only his present moment to make the most of what he had available to him. Therefore, he had to hold fast to principles that would serve him no matter how difficult the challenge or unrealistic the dream.

Clarity

Although Dr. King is certainly most notably known for his “I Have a Dream” speech, he was a prolific writer. As a Southern Baptist preacher, think of the tomes of sermons he had to prepare. Not to mention the many books and essays and lectures he wrote to make clear his position on eradication of poverty, civil rights, American position, power structure and the uplifting of humanity.

There had to be clarity of purpose, of mission, staying on brand when the world tried to silence him. We all have that ability. Write it down. Speak it aloud. Stand for something. Give life to your goals, give them purpose. Want to lose weight? Why? To fit into a dress for some occasion or to love what you see when you look in the mirror? A favorite saying of mine and Dr. Troy Amdahl is “where you are is just where you are, it is not who you are”.

Confidence

We must trust that all that we desire is possible. Not just for some, but for all.

It could not have been easy for Dr. King to carry the mantle that he was called to carry. He had big, scary, audacious goals. Peace. Unity. Equality. He had to believe that which must be done could be done, and that he could help people to see the possibilities. He started within but created a movement.

Self-reflection is hard but necessary. To achieve the goals we set for ourselves we have to acknowledge that change is hard and that we need help. The changes we make for ourselves impact others. Instead of being hard on ourselves for not being able to do everything on our own, learn to build your tribe, your people, your supporters. Don't be prescriptive in where that support comes from. Sometimes it will come from the most unlikely places.

Conviction

You have to start somewhere. Dr. King had humble beginnings as a preachers’ son, and could not have known how influential he would become. This is evidenced by a decline in his so-called public appeal, depicted in a Harris Poll a couple of years before his assassination. Nonetheless, he persevered. He was afraid at times and conscious of the inevitability of his demise. Nonetheless, he persevered.

So, what are we afraid of? Spouses, family members, friends’ opinions? The judgment of people we don’t know on social media? Why are we trying to be liked by those we barely tolerate? Don't let people who have never had what you want, tell you that you can't do what they've never done. Start. DO something, then do one more thing, then do a piece of a thing, but keep moving. Done is better than perfect.

Achieving goals seems hard. It can seem like a struggle. You, world changer, are up to the task. Someone is waiting on you to get out of your own way so that you can show them it’s possible. We shall overcome.

With Gratitude Always,