Let me ask you a question. What do you really want to achieve this year? Have you given it some thought? I bet you may have…. around 1 January, am I right? How did you compare this last year with what you set out to do at the start of the year?
Here’s some interesting data from the Statistic Brain Research Institute which reports that approximately 45% of people make New Year’s resolutions. Last year, losing weight was the number 1 ranked resolution of most people, with “staying fit and healthy” ranked 5th. Yet only 8% of people are successful in achieving their resolution. They also report that you are 10 times more likely to attain your goals if you explicitly make resolutions to achieve them.
So, I challenge you. What’s going to be different for YOU this year because the stats show that about 1 in 2 of you reading this will make a resolution, only 8% will achieve your goal. So, where are you? We are now almost half-way through 2017. What are you doing to move your life forward? How are you growing this year?
Let me give you the key to making this year different and more fulfilling than any other in your life. It starts with your “WHY”. What’s your purpose in life and why is that important to you? You can arbitrarily go out and set a bunch of goals that sound like they would be great to achieve, but unless you ask yourself WHY these things are important to you, they are unlikely to be achieved. Significant goals should challenge you and be greatly celebrated when they’re achieved. That means it’s going to be tough to achieve them. There’s going to be set backs. There’s going to be failures. There’s going to be times when you think giving up and just settling for mediocrity is so much easier. BUT if you are very clear as to WHY these goals are important to you, you will shift heaven and earth to keep pushing until you get there!
Let me give you an example. I’m going to give you a task at the end of this article, but I’m going to use my own personal health and fitness goals for illustrative purposes. It’s critical that you articulate you goal in a way that resonates so much emotion to you that there is NO WAY that you won’t achieve it!
My health and fitness goal last year read:
“By 31 October 2016 I will have reached my strength, exercise, body composition and nutrition targets providing me with a body that is looks good naked, has an enormous amount of strength, energy, vitality and health. I will achieve a bench press of 100kg, leg press of 250kg, deadlift of 160kg, body weight of 68kg and body fat of 15% (as measured by BodPod). I will take 6 actions daily to achieve this: 1. My daily hour of power, 2. 95% compliance with my nutrition plan, 3. 3 – 5 resistance sessions p/wk, 4. 3 – 4 cardio sessions p/wk, 5. Monthly deep tissue massages, 6. Minimum of 6 hrs sleep per night.”
Can you see the power of what I’ve written? The detail, the specificity and the ability to measure progress. To make my outcomes even more compelling, I’ve found key images that inspire me and printed all this on to A4 paper, laminated them and they are stuck above my computer and on my ensuite mirror. I have 9 different goals and have done this same process with each of them.
Ok, so that all sounds like a bit more work than just coming up with a goal to get in shape, doesn’t it? But do you think I’m likely to be an achiever due to the steps I’ve gone through? Damn straight!
Let’s talk about how I went now that this date has passed. I achieved a 270kg leg press (goal: 250kg), bench press I achieved 95kg (goal: 100kg) and I achieved a deadlift of 182.5kg (goal: 160kg). My body fat was 14.2% against my goal of 15%. The work I had done in creating the outcomes I wanted created laser like focus in my workouts and nutrition. I would have never gotten close to any of these goals if I hadn’t committed to raising my standards!
So, what makes what I’ve done different to what most people DON’T do?
I dug deep, decided and made a commitment to myself to raise my standards. You see, this isn’t a process I go through once per year. I’m doing it all year round! I’m holding myself to a higher standard to achieve things for myself that are important to me. My highest values in my life are health and fitness. Without these I don’t feel right, I don’t think right and I don’t have the energy, vitality and love to bring to my children, loved ones and clients. My goal of helping millions of people around the world lead healthier lives through the work I do provides me with my WHY to push through the toughness of achieving my health and fitness goals. Make sense? It’s very powerful and I run workshops to help people clearly articulate the goals they want to fulfil their lives with more joy and happiness.
So, it’s time. Step up. Raise your standards and commit to the following exercise; write down 3 goals for each category below, for the next 12 months, and identify WHY they MUST be achieved;
- Health and fitness
- Personal Development
- Material things / experiences you want to have
- Financial
- Family
- Spiritual
This exercise can change your life. Go ahead and get started right now!