A strategy is a defined number of steps to help you obtain a breakthrough moment. And it is essential to note that the strategy that may have worked for someone else may not work for you.
Dr. Maxwell Maltz was a cosmetic surgeon who, in the 1960s, wrote the book Psycho-cybernetics and claimed it took patients about 21 days to become accustomed to altered body parts.
This statement was later taken to mean that it took people 21 days to create a new habit; however, further studies suggest that the time spans between 18 to 254 days and not merely 21 days.
Too often, we get discouraged when, after days and weeks of attempting to break a bad habit or create a new one, it seems to have not produced anything tangible. Remember, some changes are tangible, and others are not.
Furthermore, assuming that because it took someone you know (or read about) 21 days to accomplish something, you will also achieve it in the same amount of time is ludicrous! If I am correct in my strategy definition, we must understand that the number of required steps for you will be distinct to someone else; and vice-versa.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines routines as "a usual or fixed way of doing things." The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as "a regular course of procedure." And according to the Oxford Dictionary, it is "the normal order and way in which you regularly do things."
Remember that strategy is a defined number of steps to help you obtain your breakthrough moment. It did not take you 21 days to get where you are now, so stop assuming it will take 21 days to get where you wish to be. Instead, establish a strategy based on where you are, not where you'd like to be or where you perceive your neighbor to be. By doing so, you'll have a much more favorable outcome.
I’m Miguel, and the above is just my opinion. Are you looking for more content like this? Here’s a complete list of articles and information for a free 30 Minute strategy session. Here's what I’m doing now and what I don’t do. I’d love it if you listened to my podcast, Strategy Rewind.
