...one bite at a time.
Goal setting is incredibly important, not just for your health and fitness goals, but for all areas of your life.
These areas include (but are not limited to):
- Health
- Family
- Relationships
- Career
- Money
- Fun
Start off by getting a pen and several pieces of paper, and writing these six titles down, one per sheet.
If you can't do this now, do it later - but do it today!
Now spend at least 5 minutes on each page just writing down exactly what you want to achieve in this area of your life (you can spend as long as you like on this, but no less than 5 minutes per page). Aim for a minimum of 10 goals for each.
Be specific with this, a vague goal to "lose weight" leaves you with no real idea of where you want to be, where as a specific goal like "to be a healthy size 8 by July 1st" gives you a clearly defined target to work towards.
Also, try to avoid using negative language - If you focus on losing weight or getting out of debt for example, your focus is still on being overweight or being in debt; whereas if you focus on "being thin and healthy", your focus will be on thin and healthy. If your goal is financial freedom, then your focus is on abundance and wealth.
This has a very powerful subconscious effect on whether your goals come to fruition or not.
Next...
Now that you have your six (or more) lists, spend a few minutes fine-tuning them so they are as specific as you can make them.
The next step is to write down, next to each goal, an action plan. Write several steps that you will need to complete in order to make it happen.
If your goal is to fit back into your size 8 jeans, then your action plan may look something like this:
1. To fit into my size 8 jeans
- Join a gym
- Commit to exercise for 30-60 minutes at least 5 days per week
- Cut down on junk food and unhealthy snacks
- Eat 5-6 small, healthy meals per day
- Drink more water
- Cut down alcohol intake to a glass or two at the weekend (or none at all)
By the time you have done this for all of your goals, you may find that many of your goals require the same action steps; this then will show you which actions will have the biggest impact on your life.
You should now have a clearly defined set of goals, and a list of actions needed to make them happen.
Now that you have your goals list...
Review your list every day, without fail! Read it when you first wake up, and before you go to bed. Read it at every opportunity you get - the more you read it, the more you're concentrating on what you want (not what you don't want), and the more receptive you'll be to anything that will help move you in the right direction.
Finally...
The final step, and the most important step, is to take action! Commit to follow-up on at least one of these action steps every single day.
Without this action, you simply have a "wish list", and as powerful as positive thinking is, that isn't how it works!
You now have a guide telling you the exact steps you need to take in order to achieve each of your goals. Just stick to the plan and you can't fail, provided you're actually doing them.
No matter how big your goal seems right now, you can start moving towards it.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" - Lau-tzu
Without these small first steps, no goal will ever be achieved. But if you eat your elephant, one bite at a time, you will be moving steadily towards everything you've ever wanted.
Take action now! When you are finished reading this newsletter, do not get up until you have at least started your list and committed to finishing it before you go to sleep tonight.
Tomorrow you journey begins!
Mark Broadbent
Dip. PT, Dip. IIST, KCA
http://www.markonefitness.co.uk
Mark is a Personal Trainer working in the Kent area, specializing in posture and weight loss.
For more information visit http://www.markonefitness.co.uk
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