MEN'S MONTHLY REVIEW

Review ⇒ Realign ⇒ Reengage

FACT: what we measure and track improves.

And, by implication, what we ignore or passively pay attention to stagnates, and often diminishes.  

Every year is neatly broken into 12 monthly sprints. 12 “legs” of your one-year race.

Of course, this applies if we’re using a “race” metaphor, and if we’re thinking in terms of yearly and monthly timeframes. But let’s continue with these ideas.

By the end of THIS month, what race are you striving to win?

What finish line are you running towards? You may have multiple finish lines.

In my experience, too many men aren’t running towards much of anything, and if they are running, they’re running in circles. 

Worse, some are running in the wrong direction, away from their priorities and what they value most.

Most of them are doing the best they can. But they’ve gotten off track.

How do we get back ON track? 

How do we spring over the “high hurdles” of:

  • procrastination
  • endless wandering
  • disorganization
  • chronic lack of progress
  • painful frustration

. . . so that we can continuously improve, or at least hold steady, in those areas we’re prioritizing:

  • health and wellness
  • relationships
  • financial
  • learning
  • professional

And so forth.

There are 2 things that are helpful. One we’ve already mentioned–goals, and tightening those up. The other is having structure.

MEN NEED GOALS

nHere’s a short list of why you need meaningful goals:

  • FOCUS – we wander without a clear target.
  • BOLDNESS – we stretch ourselves beyond our limits.
  • MOTIVATION – we “lean into” achievement. 
  • RESILIENCE – we get back up and recover from set-backs much more quickly.
  • STRUCTURE – we have a destination, a path, and a game plan, which is cooperating with how our brain works best.
  • CLARITY – we always know where we’re headed and what our “mission” is.
  • “JUICE” – we find ourselves experiencing the reinforcement of hitting our smaller targets that keep pulling us towards our one big target.
  • TIME – life is short, and we need an efficient way of living out our highest values and priorities.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY – an effective goals methodology keeps us accountable and honest.
  • CHANGE – how do you think change happens, other than getting clarity on your target and then progressively moving towards it??  This is how we are WIRED!  Oh sure, we can “change by accident”, but that’s not reliable and consistent.

But here’s a DEEPER REASON: because we become stronger when we follow a course and stretch hard after something we value, and then accomplish it.  

We elevate ourselves in that particular area of life, but more importantly, we elevate ourselves as MEN, which has an ongoing ripple effect throughout our lives.  

And EVEN IF we’re making slow progress, or “worse”, we don’t achieve our goal the first time through, we still grow as men.  To endure the struggle and push against the resistance builds massive strength like nothing else.

Engaging in a goals process and seeing it through to the end is a crucial training ground for us to become better men.

A strong GOALS PRACTICE truly becomes a “way”, a discipline, that obviously results in you achieving what’s meaningful, but more importantly, forges your character and your spirit like few things can.

“The major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes you do to accomplish it.  This will always be far greater than what you get.”  – Jim Rohn

STRENGTH IN STRUCTURE

Having healthy structure is a true asset for anyone trying to progress, regardless of what area of life we’re talking about. 

The challenge is finding your unique “sweet spot,” where you have just the right amount of structure, in the right format, that works best for you.

My monthly review process has a basic level of structure that will keep you on track to pursue your highest priorities.

Oh sure, you can “wing it.” Hey, if that works for you, keep doing it.

For the rest of us, we recognize that the rhythms and boundaries of structure typically result in greater focus, speed, and efficiency.

THE GROUP

As I stated above, what we measure and track improves.

Our purpose is to measure and track by:

> reviewing the month to see if we’re on track with the S.M.A.R.T. goals we had set one month prior.

> setting new S.M.A.R.T. goals for the upcoming month.

> thinking through any adjustments that need to be made, either in the goals themselves, or in our strategy in meeting them. 

> reporting any wins from the month.

> reporting any challenges from the month, and any challenges we anticipate in the upcoming month.

> giving some “attaboys” to others in the group.

> zooming out regularly to keep the big picture in mind, and evaluating if our monthly goals are in alignment with our yearly goals.

> always keeping a strong action mindset, playing 100% offense.

FAQ

It meets during the last week of the month. The specific day and time will be given once you join.
As of right now, there is no cost for the group. If that ever changes, I'll let you know. I do have an upgrade membership option that does cost something, with some great features. You'll learn about that as we go. But at this basic level, there is no cost.
Yes. Currently, we meet by video conference, eg, Zoom or Google Meet.
Yes. Even though there is currently no charge at the basic level, it is a members-only group. You can sign up in the opt-in box at the bottom of this page.
Currently we have a hard-stop at 55 minutes. If we get done sooner, we end.
Yes, meeting monthly.
Yes you can. Then that will be your FIRST goal, coming up with a stretch goal.
We have a structured process with an agenda, that may change at times. As of now, members begin by sharing wins and challenges from the month, share their progress towards that month's goals(s), and then set their new goal(s) for the upcoming month. We may forecast possible barriers to specific goals, do things like barrier-management planning.
No problem! Every month I email every group member about the upcoming group meeting. You have to reply to that email in order for me to send you the login link. If I don't hear from you, I'll assume you're not interested in meeting that month, and I won't send the link. No hard feelings.
As of now, yes. As long as you agree to be on my email list, you'll keep receiving my emails, even if you're currently not attending. However, if you actually unsubscribe from my list, you'll have to re-subscribe if you want back on the list.

WHO AM I?

My name is Sean Patrick Cox, from the great city of Chicago.  For the past 4 decades I’ve been enjoying the privilege of partnering with people to assist them in living lives of deep purpose, strong passion, and high performance.

This hasn’t simply been a “hobby”, side gig, or some mid-career transition.  This has always been THE sole focus in my professional life, though it’s also played a huge part in my personal life as well, all the way back to my teen age years.

High performance, personal growth, the healing path, and “decoding greatness” are topics that consume me and fill my brain, and are the things I constantly read about, ponder, and consult with clients on everyday.

I don’t pretend to know everything, but I have much experience with a wide diversity of clientele, who I’ve been very honored to work with and learn from. 

I’ve learned a few things along the way, testing and re-testing different frameworks and protocols, and developing my own best practices and methodology that you can’t figure out simply by reading a book or two – it takes field testing, practice, repetition, experience, and a lot of work over many years.

Some of my personal interests are biblical theology, traditional karate and its modern application, physical training, reading, and good conversation…and going for a long walk.

SIGN UP!

If interested, I invite you to sign up. I’ll email you the details, so keep an eye out for that.

If you’re not seeing my sign-up box, it likely has to do with your settings. No problem, you can also sign up by going to me Contact page and send me a message, putting “Monthly Review” in the subject line. Here’s the link: https://www.seanpatrickcox.com/contact-me/

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