Build with Leila Hormozi: Episode 232 – What To Do When You Set and MISS Your Goals

Podcast Information:

• Title: Build with Leila Hormozi
• Host: Leila Hormozi
• Episode: What To Do When You Set and MISS Your Goals | Ep 232
• Release Date: January 24, 2025
• Description: In this episode, Leila Hormozi delves into the challenges of setting and missing goals, sharing her personal experiences and a structured approach to achieving desired outcomes by focusing on actionable inputs rather than uncontrollable outputs.

1. Introduction: The Frustration of Missed Goals

Leila Hormozi opens the episode by empathizing with listeners who have experienced the disheartening cycle of setting goals and repeatedly missing them. She shares her personal struggles:

"It took me five years of failing before I actually lost £100. It took me two and a half years of barely making rent before I actually made it in business." [00:00]

This sets the stage for a deep dive into her transformative approach to goal achievement.

2. Shifting Focus: Inputs Over Outputs

Defining Inputs and Outputs

Leila defines the core concepts essential to her methodology:

• Inputs: Actions, behaviors, and processes within one's control that contribute to larger goals. Examples include exercising regularly, eating healthy, and studying consistently.

• Outputs: Results or outcomes influenced by various factors, many of which are beyond personal control. Examples include weight loss numbers, sales quotas, or passing exams.

"Focusing on outputs is like standing in a garden, staring at the flowers and willing them to grow. When you focus on inputs, it's watering the soil, pulling the weeds, making sure they get sunlight." [12:45]

Personal Realization

Leila recounts her early career fixation on outputs, which led to constant feelings of failure and anxiety when goals weren't met. The pivotal moment came when she recognized that she was concentrating on factors beyond her control instead of actionable inputs.

"I was focusing on the fact that I had failed. It wasn't until I realized that I was focusing on the wrong things." [05:30]

3. The Two-Step Process to Achieve Goals

Leila presents a streamlined two-step process to ensure goal achievement by prioritizing inputs.

Step 1: Focus on Inputs

1. Define Actionable Steps:

   • Replace broad goals with specific, manageable actions.
   • Example: Instead of "get fit," commit to "walk 10,000 steps a day" or "go to the gym three times a week."

2. Track Your Inputs:

   • Utilize tools like habit trackers or checklists to monitor daily actions.
   • Leila used MyFitnessPal and her phone's step tracker to maintain consistency.
   • Quote: "I use my fitness pal... I just tracked in there every day what I ate." [18:10]

3. Detach from Immediate Results:

   • Understand that results take time and are influenced by factors outside your control.
   • Example: Investing for long-term growth rather than expecting immediate returns.

4. Reflect and Adjust:

   • Regularly assess the effectiveness of your inputs and make necessary adjustments.
   • If a particular action isn't yielding results, tweak it to better align with your goals.

Step 2: The A4 Method

Leila introduces the A4 Method—a comprehensive framework integrating four pillars based on self-awareness to support goal achievement.

4. The A4 Method: Building a Cohesive Strategy

A – Awareness

• Definition: Recognizing and understanding one's behaviors, habits, and patterns.
• Application: Track actions and results to gather data about personal performance.
• Personal Insight: Leila shares a moment of overwhelm that led her to track her own behaviors, realizing her need for control was stifling her team's autonomy.

"Becoming aware that I was the problem and what the problem was was the first step towards fixing it." [25:00]

B – Affiliations

• Definition: The influence of one's social environment on goal achievement.
• Application: Surround yourself with supportive, ambitious individuals who encourage your goals.
• Personal Example: Leila moved out of a non-supportive living situation to foster a more conducive environment for her success.

"Do you have people or environments that make it harder to hit your goals, not easier?" [27:15]

C – Aptitude

• Definition: Acquiring the necessary skills, knowledge, and abilities to overcome challenges.
• Application: Invest time in learning and practicing new skills relevant to your goals.
• Example: If your goal is public speaking, take classes, practice regularly, and seek feedback.

"Most people really want to hit their goals, but really wanting to hit your goals doesn't equate to hitting your goals. You have to have aptitude, AKA skills." [30:40]

D – Autonomy

• Definition: Taking ownership of your choices and actions.
• Application: Make decisions based on personal values and goals, fostering self-reliance and accountability.
• Personal Insight: Emphasizes that true control over inputs leads to better outcomes without relying on external validation.

"Autonomy means that you are in control of these things. And if you're not able to accomplish those inputs, it's because either you have unrealistic expectations or you don't have a skill." [35:25]

5. Pro Tips for Effective Goal Achievement

Leila offers actionable tips to enhance the effectiveness of focusing on inputs:

1. Use Leading Indicators:

   • Focus on actions that predict success rather than outcomes that measure failure.
   • Business Example: Track qualified prospects instead of revenue collected.
   • Fitness Example: Monitor adherence to a meal plan instead of daily weight loss.

2. Automate Inputs:

   • Implement tools and systems to make tracking and executing inputs effortless.
   • Leila automated meal logging and step tracking to maintain consistency without constant effort.

"Your future self is built by today's actions, not today's ideas." [40:50]

6. Embracing the Process of Success

Leila emphasizes that success is a cumulative process of small, consistent actions rather than a singular event. She illustrates this with her personal journey of losing weight through incremental goals.

"Success is not a singular act, but a process. It is not one thing you do. It is a thousand little things you do that add up." [48:20]

7. Final Reflections and Encouragement

Leila concludes by urging listeners to introspect on their goals and apply the input-focused framework. She assures that this shift significantly increases the likelihood of achieving desired outcomes.

"I promise you, if you focus on that for the new year, you will have a 10 times more likely chance of hitting your goals than if you focus on the goal itself." [52:10]

Key Takeaways:

• Focus on Inputs: Concentrate on controllable actions rather than uncontrollable outcomes to reduce anxiety and increase consistency.

• Implement the A4 Method: Cultivate awareness, curate supportive affiliations, develop necessary skills (aptitude), and take ownership (autonomy) to create a robust strategy for goal achievement.

• Adopt Pro Tips: Utilize leading indicators and automate inputs to streamline efforts and maintain focus.

• Embrace the Process: Recognize that success stems from numerous small actions accumulated over time, fostering a sustainable path to achieving goals.

Notable Quotes:

• "Focusing on outputs is like standing in a garden, staring at the flowers and willing them to grow." [12:45]

• "Your future self is built by today's actions, not today's ideas." [40:50]

• "Success is not a singular act, but a process. It is not one thing you do. It is a thousand little things you do that add up." [48:20]

• "I promise you, if you focus on that for the new year, you will have a 10 times more likely chance of hitting your goals than if you focus on the goal itself." [52:10]

Conclusion: In Episode 232 of "Build with Leila Hormozi," Leila provides a transformative approach to goal setting by advocating for a focus on inputs over outputs. Through personal anecdotes, structured frameworks like the A4 Method, and practical pro tips, she equips listeners with the tools to achieve their goals by emphasizing controllable actions, self-awareness, supportive environments, skill development, and personal accountability. This holistic approach not only mitigates the frustration of unmet goals but also fosters a sustainable and empowering path to personal and professional success.