HOW DO I ACHIEVE MY GOALS?
HOW DO I BUILD BETTER HABITS THAT WILL MAKE ME GREAT?
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Ever wonder why it’s easy to make some things stick and seemingly impossible to achieve other goals? Maybe you always resolve to lose those 20 pounds, start working out and eating better, only to go back to your usual habits in a few weeks. Or perhaps you can never keep money under control and your debt continues to climb. Others might feel like they’re always a step behind, or are lacking in organization and not getting enough done because of it. So how do you start building better habits?
What are your goals? In order to achieve them, you’ll need a proactive approach and attach a emotional connection to them. Those pounds aren’t going to disappear on their own, that business is not going to start itself, and you’re not going to get a call with an offer for your dream job by just sitting and waiting. |
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be specific on what you want
This is the necessary first step where you gain clarity. The way to do this is to be clear about what you want. Why? Because the more clarity you have, the more specific you can be about the time, resources, and tools you need to accomplish the goal.
Do you feel uncertain about the best way to get focused? Try this as your first step towards building better habits: Think about something you’re really good at now. How did you become so successful? Chances are, there was a time that you were totally focused on that thing with a clear and compelling reason.
The way to achieve any goal starts with this step. The more clarity you have, the easier it will be to move towards. Know exactly what you’re going for and you’ll get there even faster. So get clear about what you really want. Why do you want it? Make the reason so compelling that inside you are so excited to move forward, because what you focus on is what you move towards. If you focus on what you don’t have, you’ll end up moving towards it – and that’s a step farther away from what you really want.
Let’s take the example of losing weight. Instead of saying “I want to lose weight,” get specific. How much? Why? What will you be able to do when you get to the weight you want? With a weak description, you might say something like, “I need to lose some weight. Why am I not losing weight?” If you keep focus on the fact that you’re not losing weight, you won’t. Sure, you’ll likely lose some weight just by chance, perhaps a pound or two back and forth.
Instead, what if you said something like “I am sick and tired of wearing my baggiest jeans. I’m tired of making excuses to myself. I want to wake up in the morning and feel like I’m 25 years old again. I want to feel strong. I want to feel fit. I want to feel pure energy and vitality. By losing 7 pounds, I know I will feel that way, because I’ve felt it before.” Here we’ve got a vision that’s clear, specific, and compelling. It’s exciting. With that kind of clarity you’ll find the ways to create better habits and make what you want happen.
Do you feel uncertain about the best way to get focused? Try this as your first step towards building better habits: Think about something you’re really good at now. How did you become so successful? Chances are, there was a time that you were totally focused on that thing with a clear and compelling reason.
The way to achieve any goal starts with this step. The more clarity you have, the easier it will be to move towards. Know exactly what you’re going for and you’ll get there even faster. So get clear about what you really want. Why do you want it? Make the reason so compelling that inside you are so excited to move forward, because what you focus on is what you move towards. If you focus on what you don’t have, you’ll end up moving towards it – and that’s a step farther away from what you really want.
Let’s take the example of losing weight. Instead of saying “I want to lose weight,” get specific. How much? Why? What will you be able to do when you get to the weight you want? With a weak description, you might say something like, “I need to lose some weight. Why am I not losing weight?” If you keep focus on the fact that you’re not losing weight, you won’t. Sure, you’ll likely lose some weight just by chance, perhaps a pound or two back and forth.
Instead, what if you said something like “I am sick and tired of wearing my baggiest jeans. I’m tired of making excuses to myself. I want to wake up in the morning and feel like I’m 25 years old again. I want to feel strong. I want to feel fit. I want to feel pure energy and vitality. By losing 7 pounds, I know I will feel that way, because I’ve felt it before.” Here we’ve got a vision that’s clear, specific, and compelling. It’s exciting. With that kind of clarity you’ll find the ways to create better habits and make what you want happen.
ALWAYS BE LEARNING
You’ve defined your goal and hopefully you are being specific to know exactly why and the reasoning behind your why is not something temporary. Now you need the most effective and efficient game plan to reach it. It’s time to create better habits, the habits you actually want. You need the best here: the best strategy, the best coach, the best tools, the best map. Think about your example of something you’re a master of already — chances are you had a teacher, a coach, or a mentor who helped you along the way.
My advice for streamlining this step? Find a role model, do some research, study. Look for someone who has mastered the area that you are striving to change. That’s someone who’s done it, not someone who talks a big game. They have the insights that others don’t. Then get a plan from them and make it fit what you are focused on accomplishing; it can save you years, even decades! Think about it: they know how to get from where you are to where you want to go. You’ve only got to bring the desire.
You can find plans in a variety of places: maybe you work best through books or audio, seminars or someone you know. For our weight loss example, hire a personal trainer or nutrition expert or reach out and talk to them to ask them some simple things they've done that’s proven to get their clients where they want to be. And if you try an approach and it’s not working, then change it. Get a new coach, try a different plan. Change your approach until you find something that works to get you towards your goal. Gain progress and you know that you’re heading towards better habits.
My advice for streamlining this step? Find a role model, do some research, study. Look for someone who has mastered the area that you are striving to change. That’s someone who’s done it, not someone who talks a big game. They have the insights that others don’t. Then get a plan from them and make it fit what you are focused on accomplishing; it can save you years, even decades! Think about it: they know how to get from where you are to where you want to go. You’ve only got to bring the desire.
You can find plans in a variety of places: maybe you work best through books or audio, seminars or someone you know. For our weight loss example, hire a personal trainer or nutrition expert or reach out and talk to them to ask them some simple things they've done that’s proven to get their clients where they want to be. And if you try an approach and it’s not working, then change it. Get a new coach, try a different plan. Change your approach until you find something that works to get you towards your goal. Gain progress and you know that you’re heading towards better habits.
take action and surround yourself with positive thinkers
Now comes the time to get yourself into action. You’re focused and have clarity, you’ve got your plan and your mentor. So what’s holding you back? For many of us, even when we have the right tools, there’s something inside holding us back. So you need to find what’s blocking you so that you can get into action.
These blocks often show themselves as internal conflicts, the bane of better habits. There are people who want lose weight – yet are still eating far too much sugar, which then prevents them from doing so. Or others who want to be worth a billion dollars before they’re 40, but they sleep until noon every day. These conflicts create stories that we tell ourselves, stories that keep us repeating the patterns of our past. But if you recognize the pattern and what’s behind it, you’ll be closer to understanding what you need to do to make lasting change in all areas of your life.
For example, if you aren’t working out, you may be telling yourself that you just don’t have time, you’re exhausted. You work long days and just want to relax and spend some time with your family when you get home. Instead of excuses, you need a better strategy to get rid of the conflict. Maybe your new strategy is that four days a week, you grab that stroller and go for a run or walk with your kids. Instead of giving up your family time or your workout, now your bonding experience with your kids is all about movement and exercise. What kind of imprint would that have on them?
Don’t buy into the lie that you don’t have time for something. You just need to re-strategize to create better habits. Again, in the areas you’ve mastered, you don’t experience inner conflict. That’s one of the signs of true mastery. So if you find yourself experiencing that inner conflict in connection to your goal? First, identify it. Then, squash it. Get aligned and you’ll find that there’s nothing more holding you back.
These blocks often show themselves as internal conflicts, the bane of better habits. There are people who want lose weight – yet are still eating far too much sugar, which then prevents them from doing so. Or others who want to be worth a billion dollars before they’re 40, but they sleep until noon every day. These conflicts create stories that we tell ourselves, stories that keep us repeating the patterns of our past. But if you recognize the pattern and what’s behind it, you’ll be closer to understanding what you need to do to make lasting change in all areas of your life.
For example, if you aren’t working out, you may be telling yourself that you just don’t have time, you’re exhausted. You work long days and just want to relax and spend some time with your family when you get home. Instead of excuses, you need a better strategy to get rid of the conflict. Maybe your new strategy is that four days a week, you grab that stroller and go for a run or walk with your kids. Instead of giving up your family time or your workout, now your bonding experience with your kids is all about movement and exercise. What kind of imprint would that have on them?
Don’t buy into the lie that you don’t have time for something. You just need to re-strategize to create better habits. Again, in the areas you’ve mastered, you don’t experience inner conflict. That’s one of the signs of true mastery. So if you find yourself experiencing that inner conflict in connection to your goal? First, identify it. Then, squash it. Get aligned and you’ll find that there’s nothing more holding you back.
IS IT TIME TO CREATE THE HABITS THAT STRETCHYOURSELF TO NEW LEVELS OF LIVING?
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