3 Simple Tools for Achieving Your Goals (GYST Theory)

You may be surprised to learn that you've had them on you all along.

Last week I introduced you to the What/Why Method for setting goals. It’s one of my favorites from the NFG oeuvre, in part because it works on the principle of “The Power of Negative Thinking,” which is something I should also probably introduce you to soon.

Hm. Maybe next week.

Today I want to talk about GYST (Get Your Shit Together) Theory.

This is a sweet little system I came up with to help people get—and keep—their shit together, and it’s powered by three simple tools that you probably have on you right this very minute, or at least in close proximity:

Your keys, phone, and wallet.

These are the everyday items that literally and figuratively represent you having your life under control. And for anyone who has trouble with the “literal” part, well, I am forced to begin with some real talk:

I’m sorry, but there is no excuse not to keep track of your house keys. They are the KEYS to your HOUSE. Knowing where they are should be a priority on par with remembering to get dressed before leaving your house. If you’ve ever waited for a locksmith wearing nothing but a hand towel and a nervous smile, you know what I’m talking about.

Same with your phone. Unless you took a hot tub time machine back to 1993, you almost certainly have a cellular device that controls the vast majority of your life: calendars, contacts, emails, and that infernal Facebook messenger app. I bet it was an expensive piece of equipment, too, so maybe be more careful with it than you would be with an old stick of gum? Only one of those things won’t cost you $500-$1000 if it falls out of your pocket in the back of a cab.

Then there’s your wallet. It contains not only cash, but your ATM, credit, and health insurance cards; driver’s license; maybe a work ID and gym membership; perhaps a spare condom. If you lose your wallet you will have to replace all of the shit in it, and somebody might get pregnant.

IT’S NOT WORTH IT. GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER.

Okay, now that that’s out of my system, the good news is: if you can manage to stay on top of those three little life management tools, you can use them to your everlasting advantage.

Together, they represent the three pillars of my GYST Theory:

• Strategy

• Focus

• Commitment

This is how you’ll accomplish those goals we set last week. You make a plan; you make time to follow through on your plan; and then…you follow through on your plan. I have a few other tricks to keep you in line throughout this process, but that’s the GYST—er, gist of it.

Whenever you feel overwhelmed, just remember, you already have the tools you need. (Or, you know, you should have them. Check your pockets.)

• Your KEYS form your STRATEGY—they unlock each step.

• Your PHONE allows you to FOCUS—make those calls, mark that calendar.

• Your WALLET represents COMMITMENT—this is when you put your real or metaphorical money where your mouth is, to follow through on your plan.

With all this in mind, let’s take it back to a sample goal from last week: getting a new job. As I said, it’s a biggie, but the beauty of GYST Theory is that it can be applied to any goal, no matter the size or import.

To illustrate this point, today I present you with an excerpt straight outta Get Your Shit Together, the book.

(BTW, paid subscribers can expect to get more excerpts as the year goes on, so stick around if you like that kind of thing.)

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Ready, set, GOAL!

If you hate your job, then as per the What/Why Method, “get a new job” is the easiest goal in the world to set. Done and dusted.

Still, and as we all know, jobs themselves do not grow on trees. They don’t walk up to you in the street like a stray dog and beg to be taken home. You can’t get a job by swiping right all day on Tinder. (Though come to think of it, you can probably get a different kind of job…)

No, to get yourself a new gig, you’ll have to apply and interview, and before that you have to research places you might want to work or contact a headhunter, and before that you probably have to polish your résumé, and before that—WHOA, SETTLE DOWN THERE, KNIGHT, THIS IS ALL TOO MUCH FOR ME. I’M OVERWHELMED!

Yeah, I know. That’s why you need a strategy.

The keys to the kingdom

The best thing about a strategy is that it breaks your overarching goal down into small, manageable chunks. SMCs prevent overwhelm, enable focus, and give you many opportunities to accomplish one small part of a goal, which in turn makes you feel good about the progress you’re making and more likely to keep going.

I’m a big fan.

The second best thing about a strategy is that it can be individually tailored to YOU and YOUR GOAL.

For example, you know what your skill set is. You know how much time you have this weekend to work on your résumé. You know how many days, weeks, or months you can survive under the conditions of your current job.

All of this knowledge is like a big old ring of keys in your pocket or your purse or dangling from your belt like a medieval dungeon guard. Sexy.

So, which key unlocks which door?