Unlocking Your Path to Success: 5-step Guide!
“unTom†yourself
Tom: I want to be an iOS coder, man! I mean, have you seen their life? It’s so cool! The way they sit on those fancy chairs, typing away like they’re creating magic. I want that!
Joyce (Tom’s girlfriend): Oh, really? You’re telling me this again? I remember you saying the same thing last year, but you never actually did anything about it.
Tom: Yeah, yeah, I know, but this time is different. I’ve grown wiser and more mature now. I will start from June 1st [Today is 7th May]
[Fast forward to June 1st, a Friday]
Tom: Woo-hoo! Finally, it’s Friday! We’re going to have an amazing evening tonight. Let’s order some sushi.
Joyce: Hold on a second. Today is June 1st, right?
Tom: Yup, you got it!
Joyce: And you were supposed to start learning iOS today?
Tom: Oh, right! I completely forgot. Let’s start tomorrow. Wait, no! Monday sounds like a fresh start. We can enjoy the weekend first.
I can completely relate to Tom’s struggles. But how did I manage to tame the Tom within me?
These things helped me:
- Analyse your hours!?Introspect
- Goal setting!?Ideal
- Identify what you are doing right!?Enhance
- Identify what you are doing wrong!?Eliminate
- Identify what you are not doing!?Add
Analyse your?hours!
The first step to unTom yourself is to gain a deep understanding of what you actually do with your time.
Grab a piece of paper, open Apple Notes, use Notion, or any spreadsheet software like Google Sheets, Excel, or Numbers. Start by jotting down exactly what you did in the past hour. Create bullet points of activities and estimate the time spent on each. Here’s an example:
Repeat this process for three days. By the end, you should have approximately 48 tables (16 tables per day * 3 days). Now, set aside one hour and structure the data in a format that is easy for you to read and understand.
Goal setting!
Let’s take Tom’s example and assume you have a goal of becoming an iOS developer.
The key point here is to understand the WHY behind your goal. In Tom’s case, he loves the lifestyle of a developer.
Knowing your WHY will help you stay on track, especially during challenging times on your journey to achieving your goal.
Write down this WHY and consider including a URL to an inspiring video you may have watched on YouTube. This WHY represents the moment when you made the decision to pursue your goal.
Break your goal down into smaller, achievable objectives. Ensure that all your goals are process-based rather than outcome-based.
For example, setting a goal of “learning Xcode in the next 3 months†is too vague and overwhelming. Instead, focus on goals like:
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- Do an iOS development course at least four times a week, dedicating one hour each time.
- Join iOS coding communities and actively engage in daily discussions to learn something new.
- Utilise Apple Playgrounds to build your coding logic for 30 minutes, four times a week.
And many more similar smaller goals can be established along the way.
Identify what you are doing?right!
Now, it’s time to match your goals with your current routine, which you have analysed before.
Sometimes, you may discover that you have been doing things unconsciously that are perfectly aligned with your goal. It’s like finding out that you’ve been subconsciously preparing for this all along, just like Tom using Apple Playground for a year and enjoying logic building. Now, Tom needs to keep doing this and take it a step further by examining the apps he uses, understanding their underlying logic, and checking if he has truly grasped it.
On the other hand, there may be cases where you realise that you haven’t been doing a single thing related to your goal. But don’t worry, because the next step is crucial for you!
Identify what you are doing?wrong!
In this step, it is crucial to identify all the irrelevant activities that you engage in.
I’m pretty sure there are time-wasting activities in your daily routine that don’t yield any positive results.
For example, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Candy Crush Saga, and various other things that tend to keep you busy these days.
Take each activity and eliminate it from your schedule. Now, this is where it gets tricky.
Don’t expect to transform into an unTommed version of yourself overnight. Each activity you eliminate will take time to adjust. Gradually reduce your screen time in a comfortable manner. It’s important to make the process smooth and manageable. Going “cold turkey†is not a recommended approach, as you may feel lost and eventually revert back to your old ways.
Note: Going cold turkey can work for a few individuals, but make sure to apply it to one activity at a time. Trying to go cold turkey on all activities simultaneously will likely result in failure.
Identify what you are not?doing!
Now, it’s time to incorporate those smaller goals into your routine.
The key here is to add activities one by one, rather than trying to do everything at once. Building an ideal routine from Monday morning will not magically transform your life overnight.
To make changes sustainable, break them down into manageable steps and gradually add them to your routine at the right intervals.
Create weekly streaks and keep track of your progress. The sense of accomplishment from maintaining streaks will help keep you motivated and on track.
And still it’s not motivating you- then you have your WHY!
Conclusion
On paper and in theory, everything seems easy and achievable. But let’s face it, the Tom within you will always come bouncing back, hitting you hard. It’s like trying to outrun a persistent cartoon character.
To prevent any Tom comebacks, try journaling. Every night, take a moment to write down all the good things you did that day. Even if it’s as simple as not tripping over your own feet or successfully resisting the urge to binge-watch your favourite show for the tenth time.
And here’s a friendly reminder:
Disclaimer — Please note that the name “Tom†and any resemblance to real individuals, living or fictional, is purely coincidental. The characteristics, actions, and traits attributed to the fictional character are entirely made up and should not be associated with any real person. So don’t go blaming that neighbour named Tom for all your procrastination tendencies!