What Do Goal Stacking and The Notebook Have in Common?
Nothing really, except in my world. But goal stacking is real and might be the ticket to getting unstuck and accomplishing your goals.
I woke up this morning to a gorgeous just-before-sunrise sky. It was so amazing, I really should have dropped everything to get a picture.
However, making coffee trumped making an effort. So instead, you have an equally beautiful sunrise thanks to a stock photo.
After gazing at the sunrise a few moments, I went about my normal routine:
Make coffee (wondering on what planet this wouldn’t be #1 on a morning list)
Flip to the NBC Early Show on my phone (via YouTube TV)
Make smoothie bowl, get supplements in order, and mix up the green juice of the day. (I rotate between powders.)
Normally, the Early Show is just background noise as I navigate through my pre-caffeinated moments.
But today, something caught my attention. NBC was playing a clip from the new musical adaptation of The Notebook. The song was, “I Wanna Go Back” and the actors on stage reminded me of my dad’s writings, Letters to Louie.
In case you're new to this newsletter, Letters to Louie is a series of emails my dad wrote to his childhood friend Louie when they were both in their 80s. The letters contain stories of the past (dating back to the 1920’s when my dad was born) and reflections on present day happenings. They are honest, direct, and beautifully written observations of life’s events.
But you don’t need to have known my dad or Louie, or be part of the Greatest Generation to relate to the letters. The letters have a universal appeal and somehow always apply to current events or shared human feelings.
Each piece ignites a nostalgic feeling, not unlike the feeling I got when I listened to The Notebook’s “I Wanna Go Back” early this morning.
My goal has always been - and is - to turn Letters to Louie into a book.
It was my dad’s goal too, and before he died in 2020, we’d talked about it often.
Since his death, I’ve been moving towards making that goal happen. But I haven’t been all in - I’m pretty sure because doing so was a still a bit raw. Looking back on his life was amazing, but bittersweet.
Besides a monthly reading of the Letters on Hartford’s Community Access Channel, I’ve been spending most of my time growing my freelance writing career. Unfortunately, this has left Louie on the sidelines more than I’d like. (Sorry, Louie!)
But the reality is, not moving forward full force to finish this book is more painful than ignoring it. And today, while watching The Notebook, I came up with a plan to accomplish both goals… finish Letters to Louie and pursue my writing career.
I think my revelation could help you too.
The way I’m going to accomplish two very major goals is through goal stacking.
What on earth is goal stacking?