- Figure out where you want to be. We do this by establishing specific, definite goals with deadlines for their attainment. We’ve all heard the phrase, “If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there?” By specifically determining what you want to look like and what you want to accomplish in the coming months you increase your likelihood of success. However, this is not the end of the process. You must work backwards from your deadline and conclude what you must to do this month, this week, and especially today to reach your long-term goals. Use daily goals like stepping stones en route to your long-term goals. The more specific the better. Clarity creates clear vision.
- Create a strong enough “why.” In order to be successful in losing body fat you need to establish why you MUST achieve success. This goes deeper than decision making and action. It is the real reason, the absolute “why” you are going for it and sticking with it. “I want to lose weight” is a rationale. “I want to lose 40 pounds of body fat so that I don’t die at an early age like my father and so that my children have a positive role model for their lives” is a reason with a powerful “why.”
- Develop your sense of self-awareness. In order to achieve success and satisfaction in any endeavor a noteworthy first step is to improve ones self-awareness, regardless of the skill, goal or endeavor wanted. The requirement to better understand yourself and how you tend to act, respond, think, and feel in response to various stimuli will enable you to enhance or improve yourself and your eventual performance and outcome. Make every effort to become more fully aware of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally so that adjustments in your attitude and approach to situations can be anticipated and adapted readily.
- Be kind to yourself. As our minds progress throughout our day, it is estimated that we think roughly 70,000 thoughts. Of those, it is predicted that almost 75% of them are negative in nature. Taking responsibility and control over our “self-talk” enables us direct the path in which our conscious minds lead our powerful sub-conscious mind. Negative self-talk and “limiting belief systems” do us no justice and lead us to nowhere. Talk to yourself in an encouraging, uplifting manner in every situation. How would you talk to your best friend? That’s how you should talk to yourself.
- The power of “Now.” Plan for the future, but be here now. Life happens one moment at a time, so work toward your goals on what you can do now. It is quite easy to become embroiled in the past, to relive past mistakes. The land of “shoulda, woulda, coulda” does not exist, except in our minds. It’s a place I do not recommend visiting. There is no changing the past; learn the lessons from it and move on. It is also easy to be distracted by what might be. “If I lose this weight; what if I cannot reach my goal; will they accept me?” There is no crystal ball for predicting the future. What you can control is your attitude and actions right now. Your thoughts, attitude, behavior and actions are what you have control and authority over right now. Therefore, point your physical and mental energy in that direction.
- Practice the “as if” principle. If you expect to be 20 pounds leaner then begin to act as if you are there already. How differently will you walk when you reach your goal? How will you talk? Breathe? How will you dress? If you expect to reach your fat loss goal then acting “as if” creates an expectant attitude and gives your subconscious mind a pattern of behavior to follow. If you expect to train in the gym with focus and intensity, you need to practice with focus and intensity while there. If you are going to expect yourself to overcome obstacles to your progress, practice overcoming obstacles. If you are going to expect yourself to deal with mistakes in reaching for your goals, use practice to figure out how to physically and mentally deal with mistakes. I’m sure you follow the thought pattern. Therefore, train the mind and body as they both work in unity as you strive to attain your goals.
- Never cease the learning process. Frequently evaluate and learn from your experiences on a regular basis. It can be after each meal, training session, end of the day or week. It doesn’t really matter as long as you are consistent as well as persistent. The goal here is to identify what you are doing well and then continuing to do it. Learn from strong performances, not so strong performances and from bad performances and then apply these lessons to future endeavors.
- Be aware of the price of your goals. Setting goals properly is relatively simple compared to measuring the cost of their attainment. Everything has a price tag; whether it is measured in time, money, a change in relationships, behavior or lifestyle. Weighing the cost of attaining a particular goal is crucial to following through to the end the necessary steps to its achievement. What is the cost of your goal? Honestly answer that question and you can decide before you embark on the journey to reach it whether the cost is too high, if another goal is in order or if you need to re-evaluate the importance of the goal.
- You must be willing to pay the price. Having a goal and daring to reach for it are commendable in and of themselves. But they are not enough to obtain one. In order to do that, this rule walks side by side with the previously mentioned rule. Knowing the price of a goal, and being one of the few willing to pay for it are two distinctly different matters. I believe it is why most books are never completely read, many marriages never succeed, contracts are broken and goals are not reached. Daily, sometimes hourly, consistent action taken toward the obtainment of the goal is what will see you through to its fruition. This mentality is akin to renting a home verses buying a home; the only way to build equity and receive a return on your investment is to pay the price to the end. Vince Lombardi’s goal was to build the best team in the NFL. He did so several times with a lifetime coaching record of 105 wins and just 35 losses. He put it this way, “You’ve got to pay the price.”
- Have fun. I don’t really need to elaborate on this one, do I?
God bless,
Steve
