Goal setting is the most underestimated tool in achieving a weight-loss goal or any goal for that matter. It’s what drives our search and inspirers our reasoning when making crucial decisions that dictate weather we progress or not. It sparks consistently correct decisions, which is the essence of success. A thorough vision and good preparation of where you want to go will make or break what ever it is you yearn for.
1- Know the result you want, clarity is power.
The first step of the journey should always begin knowing exactly where your going to end up. There is no better way than to get physical with this. Simply keeping your aspirations hidden in your mind is dramatically effecting exactly how much action you will take.
This is because we have on average 40 000 to 60 000 thoughts travel through our head a day.
Out of that, our goal (which really does mean a lot to us) gets pushed back in favor of random un-controllable impulse thoughts. Thus we must stimulate and remind ourselves of the important things.
There are many great ways to do this.
At the end of the day we need to be reminded by something written, visual or verbal. Psychology confirms this, as people with written goals tend to achieve plus or minus 10 % of their goal over a year. Don’t let your dream fade away into a mere thought in the back of your mind.
2- Find your fuel for the fire
To find the fuel needed to keep the fire burning you have to know exactly why you are doing it. We all have goals, some of us want to make a million dollars, find peace, get in shape etc. But why?? You need to know. Because as soon as you come up with a goal, then the obstacles start to arise. You have to overcome them and to do that, you have to have reasons. Reasons come first and answers come second. If you don’t have enough emotional juice then you are never going to know what it really takes.
To spark the flame within ask yourself two things:
Where are you right now?
And were do you want to be?
Make your answer so compelling that when you get out of bed in the morning nothing is going to stop you transform this area of your life. Say it to your self, feel the feelings that you desire. If its security you want then for that moment let your body feel secure as you in vision you new self. If its respect you crave then see yourself accepting the recognition and acceptance you would have earned once your goals are met. That’s how you find the emotional juice and it’s the emotional juice that will make your will strong. Michael Jordon did this before he played every game. He set aside 10 minutes of dreamtime where he would imagine the greatness before he went out and made it reality. It will make the future so compelling that you will do everything necessary to make it happen.
3- Make a master Plan and measure.
You must create a massive action plan because the first and second plan may not work. Then you need a third plan and so on. So if you make your goal a “must” and not “should” it will not matter how many plans you need to come up with, you will find a way to make it happen. For me this is what makes the difference between being good to being great.
To get started create a plan and break it into 3 parts and within those parts set goals or milestones and also list the things you need to do to ensure you met those targets.
Short-term goal: weekly or fortnightly target.
Eg:
Goal: loose 1% body fat, loose 1kg, add 5 kgs to your squat etc.
Action: Go carbohydrate free for 6 out of 7 days, Train 4 days a week etc
Mid term goal: 12 week block
Eg:
Goal: loose 12 kgs, drop 10% body fat, perform 12 chin-ups etc
Action: Have a 12 week training program written that gets harder and more challenging every session, each week make nutritional improvements. By the end of the 12 weeks your actions are reflective of your new self.
Long-term goal: 6 months.
Eg:
Goal: have total control over weight, Ultimate goal achieved and entering maintenance stage, be ready to compete in a competition or challenge.
Action: The action required here comes down to repeating the previous 2 steps only raising the bar upon the next weekly/ 12 week block.
Mapping out your goals and boosting them with a plan like this will quickly paint a clear pathway or a road map of how you are going to get there.
From here it is a must that you assess and if your not assessing you are purely guessing. As the great Einstein clearly points out the definition of and idiot is trying the same thing every time and expecting a different result. With that said have a measuring tool for all 3 parts of your roadmap to success. That way if you’re not on track you are aware of it. Then you can change you approach so that you are moving forward, the last thing we want is stagnation. Also if you are hitting targets its highly stimulating and generates momentum. Momentum without question is extreemly powerful and can lead to results even greater than you imagined.
So to sum up,
And lastly create the roadmap of how you are going to get there and assess along the way.
Good luck…