When setting goals, it’s important to remember that you can’t let anybody else do your pushups for you.
If you don’t invest the time and effort, if you don’t take 45 minutes out of your day to get your workouts in, then you really can’t be upset that you’re not losing weight or that you don’t feel great. Don’t be upset because you didn’t put in the time, you didn’t put in the work, and you didn’t make the investment.
But the more important thing is that you CAN. You CAN put in the work, you CAN get the results, and you CAN achieve your goals.
And after you realize that, the rest is really just putting it all into place.
Once upon a time, there was a study conducted at Yale University. What they found was that only 3 percent of the graduating class had written down their goals, predetermined and predefined. After about 20 years, they checked back in with the entire class, and found that the 3 percent that had actually taken the time to write down their goals had accomplished more financially than the remaining 97 percent who did not.
And based on a similar study by the Dominican University in California, you’re a whopping 42 percent more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down. There are countless studies that showed similar results, and if you’re still not convinced, you can learn more about the science behind writing things down by reading this blog by Forbes.
So… the next thing you need to do when you’re ready to achieve your goals? Write them down. It’ll provide you with a concrete destination to work towards every day, help you stay on track, and set the stage for what’s to come.
You’ll also want to dig deep and discover the “why” and “how” behind the goal.
Taking an example I gave in this week’s episode of Tuesday with Terry, you know that something I wanted to do when I was trying to build a life for myself was to make sure I was spending enough time with my daughter. Sure, I did, but why? What was the real reason behind that desire?
It’s that I wanted to watch her grow up. I wanted to be a good father, make sure she had a strong figure in her life to turn to in times of need, be a role model, make sure she felt loved, teach her how to ride a bike… all those wonderful, wonderful things fatherhood brings.
It’s not just that I wanted to be around — I wanted to be involved.
So ask yourself: Why do you want to achieve this goal? What benefits will it bring into your life? How are you going to achieve it? What are you going to do to keep yourself on track? Identify what motivates you and use it as fuel to help get yourself through to the other end.
Let’s say your goal is to be more fit and healthy. You want to achieve this because you want to live a long life, and maybe you want to feel a little more confident when you look in the mirror. You know the benefits of regular exercise include improved heart health, a faster metabolism, reduced stress levels, better sleep, and more.
You’ll achieve this goal by starting with small workouts and ramping it up from there. I don’t know what that looks like for you, but even 10 or 20 minutes a day is a great place to begin. The biggest thing here is that you’ll want to make sure you take the time to identify when and where you’re going to take action to achieve your goals. Maybe it’s three times a week, maybe it’s only once. It doesn’t matter as long as you’re carving out the time and keeping yourself in check.
Because if you put in the work, if you put in the effort, and if you keep up with that consistency, the reward will come.
When people think of success, they think of themselves standing on top of the mountain — not the fact that they slipped on a couple rocks and had to stop to catch their breath a few times while they made the climb.
Success is not just the destination — it’s every step you take to move yourself forward along your path.
And maybe your path will be full of missteps, or adversity, or disappointment. But isn’t it more disappointing to have made it that far and then turn around?
Don’t turn around on your goals.
When you’re putting in the effort, there will be many times where you’ll be doing something day after day, week after week. You see this in exercise programs, in training and developing people, and building a business. There might be times when weeks and months go by, and you don’t see a change at all.
During these times, remind yourself of the why, and keep pushing forward. Because eventually, when you feel like you’re walking through the mud or trekking uphill, all of a sudden, things will become easier and easier. Something will click, and you’ll have some success. And that success will lead to other success.
And pretty soon, you’ll be up on the top of that mountain — maybe a little bruised and tired — but you’ll be looking down on all you’ve accomplished, proud that you made the climb.
If there’s any takeaway you should bring with you, just know this: You can do it. You can win the gold, climb the mountain, get the job, make your dreams a reality. You can do it, and you’re the only one who can do it for you.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. For more advice on how to get your mind, your business, and your life in shape, don’t forget to tune into my podcast every Tuesday.