Gio Della Journey to Productivity and Personal Growth

At GoalsWon we provide daily accountability to some exceptional founders, and today the spotlight is on our client Giovanni Della.

Can you introduce yourself and what you’ve been working on lately?

Hi, my name’s Giovanni, from Milan. I work in the electrical industry and as a side hustle run Giodella.com, my blog where I focus on topics such as productivity and personal growth.

Lately, I've using my SEO knowledge to work on website consulting, and copywriting, which I found are my biggest passions!

Managing all these tasks and still make time for friends and family (but above all to my two cats!) is a constant challenge, and many times I felt on the verge of giving up everything because of how overwhelmed I felt.

My biggest motivation though is to look at this as a chance to not only learn new things but also help people in situations like mine. The goal is to reach the end of the day tired, but most of all, satisfied.

What your typical day looked, like before you started making changes? Was there any turning point that made you seek a different path?

I've always been active but not as productive or efficient. Many think being sporty means being efficient in daily life, but my routine (work, training, then relaxing with Netflix or video games) showed otherwise. Despite loving my job, I craved more: to improve, learn new skills, and dedicate time to my passions.

I used to reach the end of the day and ask myself "How is it possible that I did so few things?”. That led me to initially give up on freelancing and starting a blog (a project I abandoned in 2021 due to inconsistency).

However, a lingering desire for a personal challenge and the success of others inspired me to myself why some succeed while others don't, which helped me realize that perseverance and mindset are crucial for achieving your goals and happiness.

You mentioned not feeling like you had enough time (which is something I’m sure a lot of us can relate to). How did you go from feeling stuck and unproductive at work to working for so many different places, volunteering, spending time with loved ones, and still workout daily on top of that?

I decided that this situation wasn't making me happy so did a life audit where I wrote down my goals and what made me happy.

This involved meticulously tracking how I spent each day for a week, similar to how one might track dietary habits using an app, which often reveals surprising truths about our perceptions versus reality.

To my surprise, I found myself spending over 2 hours daily on social media and more than 3 hours at work on tasks that could be delegated. Weekends were too lazy around on the sofa recovering from the previous night.

This revelation made it clear that time was not the issue, the difference was choosing to be among those who choose to work for their dreams or the ones who choose not to change their lives.

For anyone reading this who might be feeling stuck like you did, what small steps would you suggest they take today to start turning things around?

Focus on just two things: set precise and achievable goals and get help from an expert who can guide you.

Setting an overly ambitious goal is the best way to give up before you even start.

When I started working on my side hustle, I didn't tell myself, "I want my blog to be famous in less than a year", instead, I set a goal of working on my blog for at least two hours a day, and wrote a list of daily tasks, which was much more effective.

We need to set SMART goals, otherwise, we will lose motivation after a while and find ourselves back at the starting point.

To make everything more effective, the help of a coach is essential.

I mean, when we have the flu, we go to the doctor, right?

It's the same principle: a person who has already traveled our path can offer valuable advice and help us achieve our goals much more easily.

What did you find in our accountability coaching that really made a difference for you?

Being able to talk to a real person who understands you and has followed a personal growth path similar to yours is fundamental.

What struck me the most was never feeling judged. I admit feeling embarrassed when I couldn't achieve the day's goals, but my coach was always there to support me and give valuable advice.

My goal was to quit smoking and reduce digital distractions, and together we found effective solutions that helped me a lot.

Not to mention that being accountable to someone is a game-changer; you've shared your goals with someone, and this motivates you to stay on track and resist the temptation to revert to your old habits. The most important thing is not to make the mistake of lying to your coach; in Goalswon, I always found understanding and someone ready to motivate me, no matter how the day had gone. Accept your weaknesses; each of us has them, but the secret is to work to improve them!

Reflecting on your journey so far, what are you most proud of? Looking ahead, what's the next big goal or challenge you're setting for yourself?

I'm proud that I didn't spend my days daydreaming like many do; instead, I chose to push myself everyday to achieve my goals.

Until a year ago, I was moody, and even minor setbacks would trigger a small voice in my head saying, "I'm not feeling good today, I'll do it tomorrow."

Now, I understand my responsibilities and the importance of completing my tasks, regardless of my mood, I know that by doing so, I will end each day satisfied and happy, because it was another step toward my goals.

My next objective is to leave my 9-5 job and focus on what is currently a side hustle, so I can have more freedom to pursue my interests and spend time with loved ones.

It's ambitious, but I'm confident that with commitment and dedication, I will achieve this goal!

Imagine one of the cats from your shelter could blog about their day. What do you think would be their top advice for living a good life, and how could humans apply it to productivity?

Hahah that’s a good question!

But you get the point; animals that have suffered are living proof that everyone can change their approach to life if they want.

Anyone who has lived a life with negative events knows that the key is to get up and continue on your way; these experiences make us more aware and resilient.

I believe the secret to a happy life is focusing on what truly makes us happy; let's stop living a life imposed by others or social media.

To improve our productivity, we should focus on a few, specific goals and work towards them every day, without being swayed by the opinions of others.

If a cat doesn't want to do something, you can be sure that it will never do it; having this mindset and not being influenced by temptations or people around us is definitely a goal to achieve.