How to accomplish any goal (The Three Questions)

August 07, 2025

“Decide what you stand for. And then stand for it, all the time.” — Clayton Christensen

Why it works

Clayton Christensen (pictured) was a Harvard Business School professor and one of the most influential business thinkers of our time. He was best known for his theory of Disruptive Innovation: the idea that new entrants often succeed not by competing head-on with incumbents, but by starting small in overlooked markets and gradually moving upmarket to unseat established players. 

Yet Christensen’s foray into personal growth may have left an even deeper legacy. His book How Will You Measure Your Life? grew out of a lecture he gave at Harvard Business School shortly after winning his first battle with cancer — the illness that would ultimately take his life at age 67. The lecture quickly went viral among students, and the book went on to inspire readers around the world. In it, Christensen shares a powerful idea: the same strategic principles that help great companies succeed can also guide you in building a life of meaning, integrity, and purpose.

At the core of his philosophy is a simple truth: life is all about trade‑offs. Time, energy, and attention are limited. And if we don’t allocate them consciously, they’ll be consumed by urgency, habit, and other people’s priorities. Three lessons stand out from Christensen’s work. First, you can accomplish anything in life, but not everything at once. Second, meaningful goals always come at a price. And third, you must be clear about whether you are truly willing to pay that price. Inspired by Christensen, we use a simple three‑question method in our coaching to help clients bring clarity, honesty, and commitment to the goals that matter most to them.

How to do it

Question 1: What exactly do I want?
As I explained in last month’s post, the three core domains of life are wealth, health and relationships. Most people drift through their days with vague aspirations. Common examples include “I want to be financially independent,” “I want to be in great shape,” or “I want to spend more time with my family.” 

Now here’s the problem: these aren’t goals. They are wishes. Unfortunately, wishes rarely produce meaningful results. But goals do. Here are some examples: 

Wealth:
Wish: “I want to be financially independent.”
Goal: “By the end of this year, I’ll save €25,000 and invest it in index funds.” 

Health:
Wish: “I want to be in great shape.”
Goal: “By Christmas, I’ll have lost 10 pounds and be able to run 6 miles without stopping.” 

Relationships:
Wish: “I want to spend more time with my family.”
Goal: “By December 31st, I’ll reduce my workweek to 45 hours.” 

As a first step, write down at least one meaningful goal for each of the three life domains to achieve by the end of this year. Here’s what that looks like for me: 

My wealth goals:

  • Deliver the best manuscript of my debut book Ultraproductive that I’m capable of

  • Double the size of my coaching business 

My health goals:

  • Get plenty of quality sleep (with 90 minutes of both deep and REM sleep) on 80% of nights

  • Bench press my own body weight for three sets of eight

My relationship goals:

  • Spend 4+ hours of undivided attention daily with my wife and kids

  • Have at least one meaningful conversation a month with each of my five closest friends

Question 2: What’s the price of getting there?
Once you’ve written down your goals, take an honest look and think about the actual price of accomplishing them. Here are some useful prompts: 

  • How much time, energy, and attention will this take?

  • What will I need to do each day and week? 

  • What will I have to say no to, or sacrifice?

As you answer, pay special attention to trade-offs. Christensen believed that ignoring them (or making them unconsciously) is what derails most people. Every yes to one thing is a no to a thousand other things. Here’s what this means for my 2025 goals: 

My wealth goals:
To deliver my book while doubling my business, I dedicate my two most productive morning hours to writing. Afternoons are reserved for becoming a better coach and refining sales and marketing systems. To make time for this, I’m saying no (for now) to most speaking and sponsorship opportunities. 

My health goals:
To get 90 minutes of both deep and REM sleep most nights and bench press my body weight, I prioritize sleep hygiene, a protein‑rich and clean diet (with no more than two cheat meals per week), and six weekly workouts. That means saying no to late‑night phone use, alcohol except on special occasions (two drinks max), and energy‑draining foods.

My relationship goals:
To spend 4+ hours of undivided attention daily with my wife and kids and stay connected to close friends, I work 9–6 on weekdays and rarely on weekends. I’ve also cut out social media for entertainment, click‑driven news, and solo Netflix or movies (watching with my wife is fine).

When weighing a goal, don’t just consider the price of pursuing it. Also, consider the price of not pursuing it. That price often shows up as regret. So ask yourself: Ten years from now, will I regret not giving this a real shot?

Question 3: Am I really willing to pay that price?
Once you’re clear on the price of pursuing each goal, decide whether you want to pay it.

  • If your goal is to create more wealth, are you really willing to earn more and spend less?

  • If your goal is to be in great shape, are you really willing to eat well, exercise regularly, and prioritize sleep? 

  • If your goal is to spend more time with family and friends, are you really willing to free up time and eliminate distractions?

If your answer is yes, act immediately. Start with the smallest meaningful step today. Turn big goals into daily habits and review your progress weekly. Momentum compounds. 

If your answer is no, that’s fine, too. Goals not acted on weigh us down. The discipline to release them creates more freedom and less anxiety than chasing them half‑heartedly. 

Remember: you can accomplish anything, but not everything. You can have it all in life, just not all at once. 

To bring that idea home, let me tell you about two coaching clients I worked with through the Three Questions: 

The first client, a senior executive at a world‑leading tech company, dreamed of writing a book. When we worked through the Three Questions, he realized the true price: early mornings or late nights writing, weekends sacrificed, building an audience to land a publisher, or creating an elaborate launch plan for self-publishing. Faced with those trade‑offs, he decided to park the idea and focus on higher‑priority goals in his professional and personal life. 

The second client, a bestselling author and communications expert, wanted to grow his audience on LinkedIn to grow his reach and business. When we worked through the questions, he recognized the price: producing multiple high‑quality posts every week and engaging actively with his audience. He chose to pay it. Once he doubled down, he quadrupled his followers, boosted conversions, and hit record book sales.

It’s not about chasing more. It’s about choosing better — and following through. 

After working with hundreds of executives, entrepreneurs and leaders, one lesson stands out for me: 

The most fulfilled people don’t try to do everything. They focus on the right things, and they do them with clarity and consistency. 

They know what they want. They have a system for making decisions that reflects it. And they move forward, one intentional step at a time. 

My question to you:
How much freedom and peace of mind would you gain by doubling down on what you really want? 

My challenge for you:
Ask yourself these Three Questions. Write down your answers. 

Then choose one action to take for each domain. 

Not someday, but today. 

Until next month,
Christian 

PS:
Are you struggling to focus on the important work being busy with urgent stuff? Are you feeling tired throughout the day despite sleeping for 7 or 8 hours at night? Are you having trouble dealing with high stress at work and "switching off" at home?

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1 more way I can help you

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