One of my favorite quotes from the Star Wars series of movies is from the great Jedi Master Yoda. In his effort to instill a mindset of grit, determination, and resiliency within his apprentice Luke Skywalker, Yoda exhorts and challenges young Luke with this epic quote:

When we try to do things, we are not fully committing to a process that yields the result that we desire. We give a half-hearted effort that often produces an outcome that we will definitely regret. When Yoda was saying, “There is no try!” he was basically telling Luke that you are either going to do it or not do it – a simple concept, but one that we need to understand and act on if we are going to not just set goals but truly achieve them this year and beyond! I want to be more than just a goal setter; I want to be a goal achiever! I want to become the best version of myself every day and leverage my God-given gifts, talents, and platform for His glory.

As you celebrate what you accomplished last year and lament the things you did not do, here are 3 tips to be and do more in this new year and beyond and become a true goal achiever:

• Be Present – Don’t live or dwell in the past! It’s easy to become complacent with accomplishments. While we definitely need to celebrate achievements and reward ourselves and our teams for the journey of peak performance, we should not just rest on the results of days gone by and believe that our best days are behind us. We need to build on the past and keep striving for and expecting greater things in terms of goals and growth. Also, we need to be present in the current moment and act on things that are within our control, influence things and people if we can, and flush the rest!
• Leverage Regret in a Positive Way – Don’t allow regret to chain you to something you can never change. We often lament the things we did not accomplish. Also, regret can be very painful, especially when the opportunity passes us by and can never be reclaimed! You have to remember that you cannot change the past, but you can learn from it to direct your path in a positive way in the future. Regrets can be leveraged in a positive way if you learn from what you should have done in a given moment, and execute a wiser strategy in the present and future moments. This process requires reflection and redirection, which should serve as a catalyst for course correction in your life.
• Stop Trying, and Start Doing -If you have a massive goal your are trying to achieve, just break it down into actionable and manageable steps and do the next thing to advance the ball toward your goal. Crush today’s workout. Eat a healthy meal. Prepare for your presentation or client meeting. Meet with a mentor. Focus on being the best version of yourself every day, and do the next right thing!

While the word “try” can be a positive word in some contexts, it is often associated with something that you cannot do. It is hard to demonstrate trying. You either do something, or you don’t do it. Take a moment and consider the moments you have before you in this year and the goals you have set. Develop a mindset and habits that will allow you to crush your goals! A final key question to consider is:

What can I do today or in this current moment that will advance the ball toward accomplishing my vision of tomorrow?

If we stay focused on the present, we can and will experience the rewards of tomorrow, especially in terms of appreciation, gratefulness, and fulfillment for a life well-lived!

Don’t just make a resolution or set a goal. Go out and do it…and start with today!