3 Way to Sabotage Your Goals For The Year

Wow, here we are at the end of February.  It's almost time to turn the page again.

 How are you doing on your goals? 

 Are you finding it harder and harder to keep those original commitments that seemed so easy to do in January?

It's interesting because you're not the only one.  Every year right around the second week of January there is a HUGE increase in activity at the gym.  I mean a serious increase in new members committing to making a change -- whether it's the typical lose a few unwanted pounds, or those looking to get out of pain. 

But guess what?

If you're like most people, right about now is when they begin to abandon their commitments and begin to lose traction.  Simply put, they start to give up or make excuses. And right now I am noticing a HUGE decrease in those new members that started out with such energy and commitment.

Let's be honest, it's WAY TOO EARLY to throw in the towel. 

You started with good intentions, you made some solid efforts. But for some reason are still not seeing the progress you would like, and quite honestly -- deserve.  Not seeing results has a lot to do with how you set up and go after your goals. 

To be blunt about it, it's the difference between success or giving up.

I figured if you were like some of my clients, you could use a little pick me up and perspective overhaul.

Well here is a little piece I came across that I thought was right on target.  It's written for big business, but when I read it through and listened to some of my clients, I realized it was right on target for all of us. 

 Check it out and let me know what you think. 

3 Ways To Blow Your Goals For The Year

You've got to think of this way.  If you were traveling to work or taking any journey and for some reason a certain freeway or street was blocked, you would just make an adjustment in your plan and continue forward. You wouldn't just quit. Your goals were worth making and they are worth following through!

Mid-Week Motivation: Yes, You CAN!

I have to be honest with you, I cannot think of one person I know that does not have a boatload of things to do each day.  It doesn't matter whether they are self-employed, or work a typical 9-5 job.  It doesn't seem to matter what gender the person is or how much they make a year, we all seem to be working at maximum capacity to get through each and every week.

Like you, my clients and friends have work responsibilities, family responsibilities, and personal projects that pretty much take up their complete day from start to finish. 

But I will let you in on a little secret.  Some people have a tendency to get all of their stuff done consistently, while making progress to their long term goal.  While others seem to be caught up in a rut of complaints and constantly feeling overwhelmed.

Want to know the secrets of the people that get it all done?  Check out the link below:

Shortcuts_to_Getting_It_All_Done.doc


Now understand, just because they are called shortcuts doesn't mean you do a poor job just to get it over with.  No, shortcuts in case refers to effectively and efficiently using the time you have to do the most important things first and making sure they are done to the best of your ability. 

Which of course leads me to the next item I would like to share with you.  When you go on a trip do you just jump on the freeway or interstate and kind of guess which way to go while in route to your destination?  Or when you get on a plane heading out of town, do you think the pilot has any idea where he's going before he gets into the air?  I think we can all agree that in each case there is indeed a plan, an itinerary. 

But for some reason when it comes to getting the day to day items done in our lives we seem to just wing it.  Then we find ourselves frustrated at the lack of progress or when we don't attain the goal we had set. 

There is no success without a plan. 

Anything that is of importance to you is worth taking a moment to make a plan.  Sure it may change along the way as you get more information or as life happens.  But in either case, a plan is the best possible way to achieve any goal you set.

YOU_CANNOT_FAIL_WITH_A_PLAN.doc

No matter how well thought out your plan, life will happen.  If you were traveling on the freeway and have to take a detour, you would have to make an adjustment to your plan to continue towards your goal.  If there are strong headwinds, a pilot may have to make adjustments to his flight plan.  A plan serves as a guide to keep you on track.  Life will happen, you can count on it, but don't let life get in the way of your progress.  You may need to take a step back, pause, make the necessary modifications and then proceed.

Now Go Out and Get It Done!

Is It Just Me, Or Do You . . . . ?

Is it just me, or do you sometimes find yourself putting things off that you know good and well you should be doing? 

Like me, are you sometimes guilty of telling yourself, ". . .  but when I get to  . . . I'll do things a different way"?  Whatever that new found knowledge is.

You know what I realized? 

That's a fantasy and a game I play on myself that holds me back from getting to be my absolute best.

Writting down your goals is necessary.  It's what keeps you on track and helps you move forward. Don't believe me check this out.

TEN_MYTHS_and_REALITIES_of_GOAL_SETTING.doc

And this one really hit me between the eyes.

Ending_The_When-Then_Game.doc


So now that you know . . . . . . . .

Go Out and Get It Done!

Mid-Week Motivation: More Tips, Tricks, and Motivation

How many of you out there actually have dreams and goals you'd like to accomplish this year?  How many of you out there have a pretty clear idea of what type of life you would like to be living?

Way too often we find ourselves frustrated with our present situation and when asked, have a laundry list of reasons as to why this is the case.  Believe me, I've been down that road, in that cave, and talked that talk.  It serves no purpose in helping you get from where you are, to where you want to be.  Heck, sometimes I even fooled myself into thinking that if I told my "story" to enough people and got them to agree with how hard my circumstances were then somehow that made it alright. 

You know what?

Having a bunch of other people agree with my "story" really didn't really help me feel all that much better.  Somewhere deep inside of me I knew that I had more I could create, achieve, and share.

But then I ran across this amazing piece that hit me square between the eyes and really put things in perspective.  I trust it will do the same for you.

Reasons_or_Results.doc

Water is wet.  Not a news flash right?  But you would be surprised how many people completely get this idea, but then do things in their daily routines that completely undermine the very goals they say they want to achieve.  If you don't plan your meals you will not have consistent results in your weight loss efforts.  If you do not roll and stretch (or get a massage) on a regular basis, you are setting yourself up for an injury.  It's not a question of if, but when.  If you don't get 6-8 hours of sleep more often than not, it's just a matter of time before you feel run down and are fighting a cold or other illness.  These all seem pretty straight forward, but so many people skip some or all of these basic rules and act surprised when they don't see their body transforming, get injured, or spend just as much time with a cold or flu as they do healthy. 

There are rules to the game of success no matter what you've chosen to be successful at.

Guess what?

I also found a helpful little reminder of the rules (think guides) to being an at peace, productive, and focused person.  If you're serious about making any change in your life, and doing it successfully; Check out the quick ten points on this one.

THE_RULES_FOR_BEING_HUMAN.doc

Sure this week I could have given you another video and spoke of things that you and I both know you need to be doing in order for you to Go Out and Get It Done, but even better to give you some things you can read, print out, and re-read when you find yourself getting off track.

So Get on Track and Stay on Track!

Mid-Week Motivation: Are You Chasing Dreams or Goals?

Let's keep it simple as we are on our last week of the year.  An absolutely excellent time to kind of prime the pumps for the coming year. 

After you've taken the time to blow off some steam and have a wonderful New Year's celebration, also take some time to review you last year.  Did all go as planned?  Probably not, when does it?  But more importantly did you achieve the important items that you had on your list? If you did, could you accomplish even more this year?  If you didn't achieve the points that were important to you, take a moment and ask yourself why not.

Whether you did outstanding last year or didn't quite make the mark you had set, it's a new year now.  And it's time to set new goals to achieve. Take a moment to decide what you plan on achieving this year. 

Then check out the video below so you know which you should be following, Dreams or Goals, if you plan on being successful. 

Is it going to be a roll of the dice again this year to see how things happen to you, or are you going to create your future this year?

How To Find Your Big Rocks

I really believe many people operate on auto-pilot more often then they even realize.  When you actually ask a person why they do such and such (a certain exercise, or have certain nutritional ideas) I get this looonnggg pause of silence, as though I've asked the question in Latin. Then the person usually goes on to quote some article or person who told them this perspective.  But when I ask them what do they think, they look bewildered.

The above is a great example of the goal of today's blog post -- to help you understand why you do what you do. Too many of us are operating on autopilot; dissatisfied with the results, but not really participating in the creation of the goal or process.

If you're serious about making any sort of transformation in your life, whether it's to lose weight, get out of pain, make more money, save more money, or just have a more satisfying life overall, you have to be clear on what your Big Rocks are.  If I may take it one step further, if you're reaching for a Peak Experience, Being in the Flow or Being in the Zone, you have to first be very clear on what your values are, what drives you, what moves you, what you're really committed to doing. Basically what values are you sincerely motivated by, and are they your values or one's you've just picked up along the way?

Believe it or not, I have found more than one or two people who practice fitness by default. They do it just because someone told them it's important, their partner does it, etc., not because they are sincerely motivated by the idea or the benefits it yields.  The problem with this orientation to health, fitness, and wellness is that it comes from a place outside of you. And trust me when I tell you that when an idea you follow is not yours, it is short-lived and usually has merger if any positive results.

You have to see the value of a certain idea if you're going to commit to doing it and see positive results. As we all know, even when we are doing things we like, it's difficult to commit to doing them day in and day out if we don't feel some sort of passion and commitment to doing them.  Because let's be honest, committing to something is not always convenient. And unless you're passionate about a certain value or idea, you'll just stop doing it when the going gets uncomfortable.

So. . .

Take out a piece of paper and write down a list of 7 things that are important to you. Don't judge them, just write them down. If you find yourself having a little trouble, perhaps think of people you respect and admire and write down characteristics of each of these individuals. Do you notice any items on the list being repeated? That's a clue that those items may be core values that you yourself aspire to have or already contain.  You could also write down things you've heard others say about you, both the positive and the negative. Sometimes other people see us more clearly than we see ourselves.  It may even be helpful to start off by writing what is most important to you in life. After you've written the 7 items are important to you, then ask yourself why is each value important to me, what does having 'that' mean.

This is a good starting point for getting to your core values. It is a way of fleshing out what values you live your life by and why.   And if you feel like sharing, then post your list and your observations on my blog.

Next week I'll share with you what to do with this list of core values and how to use it to your advantage in achieving all of your goals!

Until next week. . . .

The Mason Jar -- What Are Your Big Rocks?

I realize this has gone around numerous times, but it is an outstanding jumping off point for what I want to share with you for the month of September, to help get you on track and keep you there.

The Mason Jar Parable

A philosophy professor stood before his class at the end of the year with a table full of somewhat odd items.  He began class by filling up a very large, empty mason jar with rocks from a sack on the table.  As he topped off the jar, with some rocks spilling over the side, he then asked the students if the jar was full.  They all answered that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of small pebbles and poured them into the jar, shaking it lightly to allow the pebbles to meander into the open spaces between the rocks. He asked again if the jar was full.  They again agreed it was, but some, sensing he wasn't quite done, said "Well, not really."

The professor then picked up canister of sand and poured it into the jar until all the openings between the rocks and pebbles had been filled.  "Now you could say it's full", said the professor. "And I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.  The big rocks are the important things: your family, your spiritual practice, your partner, your health, your friends, your children - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still seem full."

The pebbles are the other things that matter, such as your job, your home, your car.  The sand is everything else.  The small stuff."

"Now think of this: If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks.  The same goes for your life.  If you spend all your time, space and energy on the smaller stuff, you will never have room for the things that should truly matter to you."

"So be attentive to the things that are crucial to your happiness.  Play with your children and spend time with them.  Don't neglect your health.  Take your partner out dining and dancing.  Be there for your friends."

"There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, run errands, and fix the disposal.  Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter.  Set your priorities.  The rest is just sand."

The students were speechless and all agreed it was a great year-end lesson.

But suddenly one student asked about the bottle of beer still on the table.  "Ah," the professor smiled and poured a bottle of beer into the jar.  It went in just fine, being soaked up through the sand, and truly made the jar full. "It's here to drive home the point there's always time for a cold beer with friends."

Some of you may be asking what the heck this has to do with health, fitness and wellness. Well, how many of you out there have clearly defined, written down goals with a time line?  How many of you out there are clear on what your "Big Rocks" are? Check back with me in a week and I'll show you how to guarantee your success by getting clear on your Big Rocks and goal setting.

See you next week for more on this. . .