By: Taylor Empey, Nationally Certified Fitness Trainer and Nutrition Specialist
ISSA – CFT, SFN, SET, SSN, and Elite Trainer Level I
Determine What You Truly Want
In order to accomplish any goal, big or small, you must clearly define what it is and what it is not. What is the goal, what does it look like, how does it make you feel?; and so forth. You must also determine a specific and definite time frame to accomplish the goal. Make a deadline, or you run a severe risk of procrastination and never accomplishing your goal. You should, however, give yourself an appropriately reasonable amount of time to accomplish the goal while still making sure that the time frame is short enough to inspire a sense of urgency within you.
The last thing to remember here is that you need to clearly identify what is holding you back from reaching your goal. Let’s be honest, you’ve failed up to this point because something held you back. You need to identify what that was, eliminate its effect on you, and begin moving forward.
Begin With The End In Mind
You need to clearly define your end game. This is not the goal itself, but the results, affects, outcome, and ripple effect that has taken place in your life after your goal has been met. Who are you now as a person? What did this goal deliver into your life? What have you become? What is your level of happiness now? Was the goal ultimately worth it?
After you come to a positive conclusion and you picture the end in great detail, it’s time to work backwards and set specific milestones to accomplish on smaller time frames so you see incremental progress, have a sense of reward, and use the Law of Averages to ensure that you reach your goal.
The Law of Averages states: Future events are likely to balance any past deviation from a presumed average. What this means is that if you average out your annual goal, for example, into monthly, weekly, and daily milestones, and you actually hit those milestones, you will establish an average performance very close to reflecting your projected outcome. This is key in accomplishing goals; without it, the effectiveness of goal-setting decreases severely.
Establish Your Priorities To Overcome Interference
This is often referred to as your “Why Power.” This should be a written statement, mission statement, or mantra that you recite to yourself daily. It is the reason you’ve chosen to undergo your endeavors, why you’re pursuing your goals, why you’re taking the high road. It’s what keeps you going even when it seems futile and foolish to continue.
Your Why Power must be so powerful that it can withstand the onslaught of any interference that will most definitely come during your journey. You need to ask yourself, “What am I willing to sacrifice now for what I will attain later?” Interference can come in the form of temptation, presumed reward, short term satisfaction, guilt, shame, opinion, other people, criticism, skepticism, doubt, disbelief, etc. The list goes on and on.
Make sure you understand it is a simple concept of Pain vs. Pleasure. You are undergoing temporary pain for long term pleasure, or the short term pleasures of interference don’t outweighs the consequences and ultimate long term pain that they cause down the road. Remember that anything actually worth having requires effort. Anything that comes easy never lasts and is often forgotten.
Maintain Positive Thinking Power
Maintaining a positive mindset is one of the most essential and effective principles and tools we can use in personal development and goal achievement. It causes you to look at all the good any situation has caused you which immediately brings positive significance and reenergizes you to keep moving forward despite any interference or negativity that comes your way.
Remember that, if you have got haters, then you’re doing something right. If this form of interference comes, be glad and rejoice because what it means is that you are showing others that you are strong enough to pursue your dreams and strive for a better life when they are too cowardly to do so themselves. You’re making that very clear to them. That is why people try to tear you down. Most people don’t actually get excited about harming other people; those individuals are known as sociopaths. Most people are just ashamed because you showed them that they are capable of accomplishing the same feats, but don’t possess the self-discipline to do so. However, let this happen because you may just inspire someone!
Just remember that most people give up before they even start! Do NOT end up like one of these people who lack so much confidence they don’t even TRY! This leads perfectly into the last step of effective goal setting.
Immediately Take Action
Don’t hesitate for one second! Not tomorrow, not after lunch or work! NOW! The second you’re done reading this paragraph, go out and take 1-3 steps towards making that goal happen right now. Don’t procrastinate, begin the process, and build momentum. If you can manage to take action immediately, you’ve done what 75% of people fail to do time and time again. Go out there and start living the life you’ve always wanted right now!
