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: 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?

Closing the Gap Between Your Big Rocks

Well, here we are again, another Monday.  The last Monday of September.  Can someone please tell me what the heck happened to the year?  I blinked and suddenly we are a mere few days away from October.

Well this month we've been discussing getting clear on what's important to you.  What are your "Big Rocks" (core values)?

The first week I asked you to first get clear on what's important to you.  So many of us pick up values on this journey called life that aren't even ours. Then we wonder why we feel so frustrated or dissatisfied with the direction, quality, or lack of fulfillment our life gives us. So the first part of getting clear on what it is important to you, was to generate a list of qualities or attributes that you admire or consider important.

The following week I asked you to put this list of 7 Big Rocks in order, from most to least important. The purpose was to give you a fuller sense of just how important certain Rocks are in comparison to others.  More importantly it gave you a clearer perspective of what really matters to you. I went on to ask you to personally define what each of these 7 Big Rocks means to you.  You did this by completing the sentence "Being successful at (insert Big Rock here) means . . . .".

So you've created a list, given each Big Rock a measurable definition, and then were asked to sincerely look over your list and ask yourself ""How does my life presently (including work, spiritual practice, family, relationships, health, etc) reflect my Big Rocks/core values?"

If you're like most people, including myself, you found that there is a bit of a gap between what you aspire to and what you're actually living day to day.

Which brings us to today's post. First off, it's not unusual for people to find that their Big Rocks aren't effectively represented in their daily lives.  That's not a problem.  Welcome to life, you know?  What you do about this is now the big key.  If you were to take a look at where you have the smallest sized gap between where you are at now and where you want to be, as defined by your sentence exercise, what 2 changes could you implement this week to help you get closer to that Big Rock?

I want to warn you! Do Not make big life changes in order to close the gap without professional help or at least one heck of a proven support group.

That being said, I would ask you to evaluate each of your Big Rocks and ask yourself the same question.  "What 2 realistic changes could I make in my life right now, that would put me one step closer to being in-line with the life I say I want?" 

Be clear, this is no easy fix.  What it is however is an almost full-proof way to help you stay on track with creating the life you want. Let's be honest, if you're going to push yourself day in and day out to be your best, wouldn't it be nice to be heading in a direction that inspires and motivates you.  Remember, it's all about making small changes and working a little each day, each week, each month.  We're talking about your life here, OK, be a little patient with the process.

I really do hope this process has been helpful for you. I would appreciate any feedback you have about your process, or any questions you may have.

Mid-Week Motivation: Getting In The Zone -- Challenges and Goals

Remember, if it was easy everyone would be having the experience. Here is another critical element necessary to having that Zone experience.  In addition, I answer a few questions from emails regarding some of the challenges that you may face when reaching for the Zone, the Flow, or that Peak Experience.

 Find out what it takes to have your experience. Check out the video below.

Kurt Elder of Energy FX Fitness Consultants discusses a 3rd critical element to getting in The Zone, as well as addresses challenges to that process. http://...

Organize Your Big Rocks

Hope you had a great weekend. 

If you'll remember last week I asked you to make a list of the values that are of significant importance to you.  I gave you a few examples as to how to come up with those core values or Big Rocks. How did that process go for you?  I'm sure you're aware that as we evolve, our Big Rocks change. The important thing is what are your Big Rocks now. Were you able to come up with 7 Big Rocks that fairly and accurately identify what is important to you? If you're still having trouble coming up with 7 Big Rocks, please send me an email so I can assist you. 

This week I want to talk about the importance of each of those Big Rocks.  Take your list of the 7 important Big Rocks and place them in their order of significance, most important to least important. One way of getting clear on how to place your Big Rocks in order is to ask yourself, "If I had to live without one of these values, which one would I give up, or do without". Now I realize that you've narrowed it down to 7 Big Rocks, how can you possibly live without one of the important 7, you're probably asking yourself. I'm going to ask you to push yourself to really get clear on which are the most important because that is the only way to get clear and assure your happiness and success.

The reason I've made such a big deal of putting your 7 Big Rocks in order of significance is because it's the framework from how I am going to ask you to organize and assess your life.  Often times we have goals, many times not even our own, and then really have no process or understanding of how to clarify if we're being productive.  Sure you get a paycheck and hopefully are able to pay your bills on-time and consistently, but are you happy and feeling fulfilled? Whether it's getting in The Zone, having a Peak Experience, or being in The Flow, you're only are able to achieve that experience when you are living consistently with the things that are most important to you.  That's why it's so important that you be clear on what your Big Rocks are and what order they go in -- for you.

Now here's the meat of today's post.  I want you to take each of 7 Big Rocks, core values, and place them in the following sentence "Being successful at (fill in Big Rock, core value) means  . . . . .".  What would success at this value look like to you? When completing the sentence exercise be sure to include what characteristics, feelings, behaviors, and achievements would accompany success at this value.

Whether it's in 2 weeks, 2 years, or much later, when looking back over your life, how will you know if you've been successful at certain core values, Big Rocks, if you don't have a way to define them.  This process serves as a sort of road map to assure your success and accountability.

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. . .