Awareness Before Strategy

Shaan Puri shares his framework for achieving goals, emphasizing that awareness must come before strategy or motivation.

Core Concept

• Most achievements require taking consistent action
• Before action can happen, you need strategy and motivation
• But before strategy/motivation, you need awareness
• Lack of progress often stems from not having focused attention on the goal

How Awareness Drives Action

• Your brain's "laser beam" of focus needs to be consistently pointed at the goal
• Regular awareness creates conditions for taking aligned actions
• Without awareness, people get distracted by random tasks
• Must bring awareness to the situation "early and often"

Real World Examples

1. Startup Metrics

• Drew giant "0" on whiteboard showing paying customers
• Looked at it every day to maintain awareness
• Forced confrontation with current reality
• Helped focus actions on changing that number

2. Diet/Fitness (My Body Tutor Example)

• Daily check-ins create awareness of eating habits
• Morning calls force planning of daily food choices
• Taking pictures/logging meals brings awareness to choices
• Without awareness, default is "eating whatever comes up"

Key Principles

• Awareness must be:
  • Regular and consistent
  • Early in the process
  • Measurable when possible
  • Connected to specific goals
• Success follows when awareness leads to:
  • Better planning
  • Intentional choices
  • Aligned actions
  • Consistent focus

The framework suggests that before trying to change behavior or achieve goals, first establish consistent awareness of the current situation and desired outcome.