The first 28 years of my life I never set any goals.

The first 28 years of my life I never set any goals.

I thought I could achieve something by just going with the flow.

I thought everything would work out if I could meet the expectations.

I was getting by with this mindset.

I graduated and got a job.

But I wasn't fully accepting that I was in control of my life's direction.

I realized poor health and cheap dopamine are the enemies of self improvement.

Modern society is filled with distractions engineered to steal your attention.

Our minds are constantly filled with ideas about what actually matters.

Will your future self be happy about your current choices?

If you’re not clear about your goals, goals will be assigned to you.

Your social environment will tell you what you want.

Teachers, parents, and friends think they know what’s good for you.

Don’t get me wrong, these people are essential for early growth.

But humans are wired to want control over their life’s direction.

When people get to choose what they work on they’re happier and more motivated.

Most people are un-consciously pursuing goals that are of someone else’s design.

It almost sounds too simple when I say it but…

Clarity on what you want from life is the key to both feeling and good and being successful.

Starting a business of my own has made a huge difference for me.

I now have a personal project that helps me filter which activities are worth my time.

I have specific goals I’m was working towards based off my vision for the future.

Goals to grow my business and improve my fitness:

I did a 100 lb row 5 months out of a sling (see last week's newsletter).

I set a goal to reach 3,000 followers on X by the end of the year and as of today I have 4,500 followers (Thank you for the support).

I set a goal to dunk a basketball for the first time. I haven’t achieved this one yet but the video is coming soon…

Success happens after you've failed enough times.

Learn from failure and celebrate the process.

A big challenge for me has been how can I stay present and see improvement?

Constantly thinking about the future sounds like a recipe for anxiety.

I thought to myself:

“How do the Zen master’s deal with this paradox?”

The Buddhist have a concept called Bhavacakra translating to “the wheel of life” a cyclical existence.

Bhavacakra- "worldly existence, becoming, birth, being, production, origin".

The idea is that you can develop the self while being complete.

The buddhists describe an existence of constant change while being rooted in who you are at this moment. Focus on the process of becoming who you want to be today instead of on the future when you have achieved your goals.

Set achievable short term goals and unbelievable long term goals.

Set short term goals for taking action (consistency is key)

What are the specific steps I need to take to achieve my vision for the future?

Make long term goals so you know where you’re going.

Are you chasing the dreams that society programmed into you?

Or have you taken the time to figure out what you want from life.

With all that being said, remember to enjoy the self improvement journey.

You lack nothing, your goals will not complete you.

That’s all for this week, I hope you enjoyed.

Your good friend,

Tyler Van Acker

PS

My request from you this week is to set at least one new goal.

Something that you’ve been wanting to get started on but haven’t found the time.

Be consistent, don’t get frustrated by the process, and make sure the goal aligns with you truly want to be.