While we’re on hiatus preparing for a new season of Rethink the Way You Sell, we wanted to bring you some content from Jeff you probably haven’t heard before. Jeff produced a premium podcast called Deeper Thought from 2020-2022 and you’re about to hear one of those episodes. Enjoy!

This is an enhanced audio version of the Deeper Thought article "The one question about goals you're not asking yourself." by Vince Fowler, including an interview with the author.

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Whether you set New Years Resolutions or not, I believe everyone - knowingly or unknowingly - looks at January with a renewed sense of awareness, optimism, and an intent to improve.

While I believe goals are essential regardless of the time of year, I'm less interested in your goal and more interested in this...

What are you willing to suffer for?

A goal is cheap to set. It's usually made from a place of comfort... which is why, when the discomfort in pursuing a goal reveals itself, when things really start to hurt, most people quit.

Set goals. Sure. But then look at each goal and ask yourself;

How much suffering is associated with achieving this goal?

Which of these goals am I actually willing to suffer for?

In 2004, I wanted to learn to play the guitar... like Brian Adams, and play for my friends around a campfire while they requested song after song.

After 16 years, my guitar largely sat dusty in the corner of one room or another. All I could show for my effort was *Mary had a little lamb*.

Why? Because I wasn't willing to suffer through the sore fingers, cramped wrists, and repetitive practice. I sold it this year to someone who is now making amazing music with it.

In 2010, I wanted to become a business coach. Not just any business coach... a professional, proficient, and sought after business coach. I barely graduated high school, spent 7 years of my life in the infantry vs university, and have little to no background in business.

The journey began; certifications, books upon books, courses upon courses, rejection upon rejection, late nights, early mornings, self-doubt, uncertainly, and a lot of critical feedback that I didn't always enjoy hearing.

Additionally, my industry is unregulated, while I’m okay with that it means anyone can say they're a coach, with or without certification. And regardless of credentials and certification, skepticism of efficacy and effectiveness of coaching among many business owners and CEO's remains high.

All this to say, I see a lot of people who proclaim they want to play guitar, or become a coach, or [insert aspiration here], who in the end, quit!

And let's be clear. Quitting and failure aren't the same things. I fail all the time. I fail to check my calendar and accidentally over commit. I fail to use reminders and miss a follow-up. I sometimes fail to prepare enough and stumble through a presentation.

I take my lumps, make notes, learn my lessons, and get back at it the next day.

Quitting? That's different. Quitting, in many ways, is the same thing as saying, "I'm no longer willing to suffer for this."

And hey, there's no shame in quitting. That's not what I'm saying. I didn't fail at guitar - I quit guitar. I simply wasn't willing to suffer.

As we begin heading into Christmas break, when you reflect on what you want to see in 2021, before it's 2021, ask yourself this one question;

"What am I willing to suffer for?"

...because if you do, when your suffering has meaning, I believe you will realize a lot more progress, accomplish a whole lot more, and make a greater impact in not only your own life but that of others.

Thoughts?

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