Hey Weekly Growers! 👋

Time is running out to sign up for the Evolving Student Course! I have never been as excited for a project as I am for this one. This course will set a foundation for making 2024 the best year yet. From goal setting and habit tracking, to optimizing our time management and organization, we’re going to come out different people at the end of this challenge! Registration for cohort 1 closes on December 31st at 11:59 pm (just 4 days away)! All registrations after this deadline will automatically be placed on the waiting list for Cohort 2. Always feel free to reach out with questions!

PERSONAL GROWTH

It’s Goal Setting Season!

It's that time again—gym memberships are up, headspace usage is at an all time high, and the air is humming with the anticipation of a fresh start. New Year’s resolutions usually only last a couple of months, but I’ve found a few evidence-based goal setting practices that will keep us on track all year long!

From Wishful Thinking to Actionable Plans: Forget vague aspirations like "get healthy" or "be more organized." These lack the specificity and structure needed to guide your actions. Instead, embrace the SMART framework:

• Specific: Define your goals with laser focus. Instead of "get healthy," aim for "run a 5K in 6 months" or "cook 3 plant-based meals per week."

• Measurable: Track your progress! How will you know you're on the right track? Quantify your goals with numbers, dates, or milestones.

• Attainable: Set ambitious yet realistic goals. Pushing yourself is great, but setting yourself up for failure isn't. Consider your resources, time constraints, and current abilities.

• Relevant: Choose goals that align with your values and aspirations. What truly matters to you? Aligning your goals with your deeper motivations fuels intrinsic drive.

• Time-bound: Give your goals a deadline! A 5K without a target date is just a casual jog. Set specific timelines to create a sense of urgency and focus.

Beyond SMART: Supercharge Your Success

SMART is a fantastic foundation, but let's add some rocket fuel to your goals:

• Focus on progress, not perfection: Celebrate small wins! Every step forward, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is a victory.

• Embrace process over outcome: Fixating on the end result can be demotivating. Focus on enjoying the journey of learning, growing, and mastering new skills.

• Build a support system: Surround yourself with positive, encouraging people who believe in you and your goals.

• Track and reflect: Regularly monitor your progress and adjust your goals as needed. Reflection helps you identify roadblocks and celebrate successes.

Remember:

• There's no one-size-fits-all approach. Experiment and find what works best for you.

• Be kind to yourself. Setbacks happen, and that's okay! Learn from them and keep moving forward.

• Celebrate your achievements! Acknowledge your progress and reward yourself for reaching milestones.

Bonus Tip: Break down large goals into smaller, actionable steps. This makes them less overwhelming and keeps you motivated. Think of climbing a mountain: you wouldn't try to summit in one giant leap, would you? Take it one step at a time, and before you know it, you'll be at the top, admiring the view.

Let's make this New Year the best one yet and turn our aspirations into actionable systems, fueled by evidence-based practices. Cheers to a year of growth, success, and most importantly, enjoying the journey!

Check out these awesome resources for more goal-setting and habit-forming inspiration:

• Atomic Habits by James Clear: Discover the small, incremental changes that lead to big results.

• Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg: Learn how to build positive habits that stick.

• The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg: Understand the science of habit formation and use it to your advantage.

And let’s do better than Forbes thinks we will!

WEEKLY CHALLENGE

My challenge this week is to spend some time goal setting for the New Year using the principles described above.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

LESSONS FROM WHAT I’M READING

We’re still reading Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins and it’s getting crazy…

Challenge 3: Get Used to Discomfort

At this part in the story, Goggins stopped his training to become a pararescueman in the Air Force shortly after discovering that he had Sickle Cell Trait (a less severe version of Sickle Cell Disease where he carries one sickle cell gene and one normal gene). After stopping his training, he went on to gain significant weight, reaching 300 pounds. But after seeing an ad about the Navy SEALs, he decided to apply. He was told that he would need to get his weight below 191 pounds in 3 months. He then went on an exercise binge, and if he felt like he skimped on any workouts, he would will himself to do the entire workout over again. Absolutely insane… but it worked.

Now I don’t think losing over 100 pounds in 3 months through sheer will and discipline is something we all should necessarily strive for (or even are capable of achieving). But I do think Goggins brings up an incredibly valuable point that we all can benefit from, especially in light of the New Year. This is to become comfortable being uncomfortable. That is essentially developing the discipline to do things that we don’t want to do. Goggins argues that building your tolerance for discomfort will prevent it from ever holding you back. Here is a practice we can do to build our discipline muscle:

1. Write down the things that make you uncomfortable or that you dislike doing. Or, consider writing down things you aren’t doing but should be.

2. Pick one and try doing it. Then, do it regularly.

3. Encourage yourself to do something every day that you don’t like. Once something gets easier, make it more challenging.

Just like anything else, we have to work to improve our willpower. We can’t expect to achieve any of our New Year’s resolutions without discipline. So the first step is bulking up your willpower muscles.

PRESENTED BY SHORTFORM

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Whenever I revisit a book, I always use Shortform. Much of the above lessons came from this incredible tool. They make the world’s best guides to non-fiction books. They’re like book summaries on steroids. You can either read the entire book guide or just their 1-page summaries. If you’re wanting to revisit books you’ve already read to remember key ideas you may have forgotten, or want to preview a book before buying, I am sure you will fall in love with Shortform. Check them out for free now and get 20% off your subscription using the link below!

My Latest Video

If you haven’t already, check out my latest video on what the final year of medical school really looks like!

MY CURRENT FAVS

🎙 Podcast: Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal

• Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal isn't your typical productivity podcast. Hosted by Dr. Ali Abdaal, a YouTube sensation and productivity guru, it delves into the minds of successful entrepreneurs, creators, and high-performers. Through in-depth conversations, Ali uncovers their philosophies, strategies, and tools for achieving joy and fulfillment in work and life. Forget dry tips and tricks; expect a refreshing blend of scientific insights, practical advice, and Ali's signature blend of humor and optimism. Whether you're seeking career guidance, creative inspiration, or simply a blueprint for a happier life, Deep Dive is your ticket to unlocking your full potential.

📖 Book: Mindset

• Carol Dweck's "Mindset" unveils the revolutionary power of our beliefs about ourselves. It reveals two mindsets: fixed, where abilities are seen as static, and growth, where they're believed to be malleable. Through research and inspiring examples, Dweck shows how embracing a growth mindset fosters resilience, motivation, and ultimately, success. From classrooms to boardrooms, she provides actionable strategies to cultivate this empowering perspective, paving the way for limitless personal and professional growth.

👨‍💻 Study Tool: Anki

• Anki is a tool that utilizes spaces repetition and active recall, the two evidence-based study approaches, to help you master whatever it is that you’re learning. It’s really just a flash card tool, but man does it work! They say the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, but the second best time is right now. That’s how I feel about Anki. I wish I would have been using this throughout both my formal and personal education up to this point. Learning would have been a whole lot easier. But I’m just glad I use it now! Here’s a video where I talk about how to use tool if you’re interested!

🛍 Amazon Store

• Basically everything I own in my home. These things work for me! Hopefully they’ll work for you too!

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