Practical Personal Development Strategies - Maikel Michiels/Self Mastery & Discipline/The Secret to Achieving Your Goals WITHOUT Discipline!

The Secret to Achieving Your Goals WITHOUT Discipline!

Friday, January 03, 2025

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Summary:

Struggling with your discipline, willpower and motivation? What if there was a simpler way to achieve your goals? One that didn't require those things? Turns out, there is! In this article you'll learn one simple habit that will help you change your habits and daily actions, almost automatically.

Full Article:

What if I told you there’s a simple way to achieve more of your goals starting today? And no, it doesn’t involve staring at motivational posters, adopting a Spartan code, or magically doubling your willpower. Intrigued? Great, because you’re about to discover a game-changing concept that helps you get more done without relying on sheer discipline.

Hi, I’m Maikel, and I know what it’s like to struggle with discipline, confidence, and making progress. I used to be, in my own words, “the biggest loser” I’d ever met. But over time, I managed to turn things around. And now, I’m sharing the lessons that actually work.

​This post is your blueprint to smashing your goals without tearing your hair out or feeling like you’ve got to become a productivity ninja overnight.

Sound good?

Video:

Want more guidance and actionable strategies to help you in achieving your goals? Subscribe to my YouTube channel.


The #1 Rule to Know:

Here it is, plain and simple:

What gets measured gets improved.

Yep, it’s not a new concept—it’s been floating around forever. But it’s also ridiculously effective.

Why?

Because measurement creates awareness, and awareness leads to change.

​Still unconvinced? Let's dig into a fascinating experiment.

Losing Weight Without Going on a Diet?

In this experiment participants were divided into two groups.

Group A was given a specific diet plan to follow.

Group B, on the other hand, wasn’t given any rules. Instead, they were just asked to track their caloric intake every day.

Which group did better?

If you guessed Group B, you’re spot on.

It might sound weird at first, but here's why it works:

Measurement creates accountability. If you write down your calories and you're under your target, you feel proud about the achievement. When you ate twice as much, having to write that down is going to feel painful. And that alone drives behavior change. 

The measurement is also the intervention that changes our behavior, almost automatically.

​But this doesn’t just work for weight loss. It works for anything—your goals, your finances, your screen time… you name it.

Why This Method Works

Here’s the psychology behind it:

​We humans are wired to avoid pain and seek pleasure. When you measure your progress:

  • Pleasure: You'll feel great when you hit or exceed your targets (hello dopamine boost!)
  • Pain: Admitting (in black and white) that you fell short feels bad. Your mind isn't a fan of this.

It’s like giving yourself a built-in reward system without needing a boss cracking the whip or a cheerleader hyping you up. You create the intrinsic reward system simply by holding yourself accountable.

​Here's how I used this:

I started measuring how much content I post on social platforms like Twitter and Instagram every single day. I started writing this down on my whiteboard daily (paper works too by the way). For me, this helped create visibility into my daily actions and habits.

There wasn't a way to fool myself into thinking I was doing better than I was.

The scoreboard doesn't lie!

Applying This to Your Life

Think about your own goals for a second. Want to save more money? Break free of endless screen scrolling? Exercise more? The process is the same. Tracking your behaviour creates awareness, drives accountability, and reinforces the actions you need.

​Here are a couple of examples:

  • Screen time: I had a painful encounter with this a few years ago. I was getting a lot of my goals done, but I was still wasting 1-3 hours every day on my phone. 
  • Finances: When things don't go well financially, you might have the desire to become an ostrich. To put your head in the sand and not look at it. However, checking your balance and purchases daily is what will help you taking control.
  • Weight loss: Track those calories. No more running away from the reality of your diet. Although, running might be just what you need if that's your goal.
  • Exercise: Have you gone to the gym today? What exercises did you do? How much weight? Have you done any other exercise? 

You get the point.

​The more clearly you can track your daily actions, the more awareness you'll get. You won't be able to trick yourself anymore. And you tap into the 2 powerful ways to change your own behavior: pain and pleasure. 

my Simple Tracking System:

If you're just dipping your toes into the world of self-improvement, this one’s for you.

Every night before bed, write down three must-do tasks for the next day. These aren’t tasks your friends, family, or boss expects from you. They’re things that align with your goals, dream life, and personal ambitions.

​For example:

  • Exercise for at least 30 minutes
  • Spend less than 1 hour on distracting apps
  • Do 2 hours of deep work on my passion project

The key here? Keep it simple. Start small. And be consistent. Completing those three tasks every day will help you achieve more in a week than most people do in a month. The reason is that this method helps you create laser focus on what is important. 

To put this into action, simply:

Start your day with writing down your 3 goals for the day. Or you could also do this the night before.

End your day with an evaluation of your actions. Have you done all 3? If not, why not?
​​

The Intermediate Tracking system

Want to take it to the next level? Try this:

​I have create a self-evaluation sheet that goes into way more detail. In addition to the 3 daily tasks, these sheets also track various other things and give you room for increasing your self awareness.

​It includes:

  • Writing down your 3 daily goals
  • Checking if you actually completed them
  • Reflections on why you did or did not achieve your goals
  • A scorecard (1-10) for all crucial areas of life
  • Prompts to think about why you rated a given number
  • Reflections and feedback to improve on each area 

As you can see, this is a way more robust way of tracking your daily actions. It is a powerful tool because of this. However, complexity can be the enemy! A simple system that you follow is better than a better system that you don't. 

Use whatever system works for you, and if you want to get my self evaluation forms, click the link below:

Click here to grab the sheets + free training!

Bonus: Supercharge Your progress with accountability

If you really want to multiply your results, this hack is a game-changer:

Find an accountability buddy or group.

​Here’s why it works. Humans are social creatures. We crave acceptance and fear judgment—a psychological need, not just a want. If I put you on an island where everyone is in fantastic shape, you'll work out more often so that you can fit in.

Your circle is the most surefire way to change your behavior.

Here are some places to find your accountability partner(s):

  • Your social circle: Oldschool, I know! Are there any people in your circle that want to grow?
  • Clubs and communities: Look for existing groups you can join to find likeminded people.
  • Online: Check relevant subreddits, Facebook groups, Discord communities and so on.
  • Paid: Hiring a personal trainer (or the equivalent for your goal) is an option if you can afford it

Check in with each other regularly. Share your goals, track progress, and celebrate wins together. It’s that simple—and so, so effective.

Remember: What gets measured gets improved! Start keeping score so that you'll no longer be able to fool yourself!

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Hi, I Am Maikel

Your down to earth mentor for growth!

With over 10 years in personal development, I've learned what does and does not work. This blog teaches you the lessons you need to become your BEST self!

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