Can you think back to a time in your life when there was something you really wanted?
Maybe it was a degree you were working on, maybe it was a promotion, or maybe it was just that you wanted to lose weight. And as we go through life, sometimes we have doubts that we can accomplish anything at all.
But the best way to win a race? Start running. It’s not making sure you have the right workout gear or are taking the right supplements. It’s just putting one foot after the other.
The best way to accomplish anything is always just to start trying, even in the face of doubt.
And sure, accomplishment is an incredible feeling — but if we aren’t fulfilled by the actions we need to take to get there, then it becomes less satisfying once we do. It’s important to focus on the final destination, but if we try to sprint the whole way there, we’ll miss out on all the beautiful sights along the way, all the friends we could have made, and make it to the finish line an exhausted, sweaty, irritated mess, promising to never run a marathon again.
So… how do we stay fulfilled throughout our daily lives? And how can we be more effective in achieving our goals?
In my opinion, there’s three main things you can do to help you out.
If you want to accomplish anything, the first thing you need to do is find a way to become energetic about whatever steps you have to take afterwards.
I say this all the time, but if you double your energy, you’ll double your enthusiasm, your sales, your production, and your accomplishments.
I know, I know — that’s easier said than done. Of course, there’s always things about our jobs we don’t like doing. But even if we don’t like doing them, we can be fulfilled by them, because they’ll get us one step closer to accomplishment.
What I usually do when my team has a low-energy moment is to get everyone up, get them out of their chairs, and get their blood pumping. We’ll usually do 10 air squats, 10 push-ups, 10 arm circles, and 10 sit-ups. Nothing crazy, but it’s more than enough. When you get that blood flowing, you get more oxygen to your brain, and you start thinking more clearly — and all of a sudden, that energy is there.
Whenever you’re feeling a little sluggish, take a 5-minute break and walk around outside, or do some stretches at your desk. Or maybe becoming energetic looks different for you. Maybe you start all your meetings off with an icebreaker, or ask your team to share their highs and lows of the week, or you take everyone out to lunch or an employee happy hour. Whatever the case, focus on bringing everyone together to get them excited, and bring some energy into their days.
It doesn’t matter what it is you’re trying to achieve. What matters is you absolutely have to be hungry — almost obsessed — with achieving it.
Think about a relationship you had in your life. Maybe it’s the first time you met your best friend or the first time you fell in love. Man, during those times, you would’ve done anything for that person. You’d have done anything to make it work, whether it was calling them every night before bed even when you were tired or taking them out to dinner after a long day at work. And you did those things because that person sparked a fire in you.
You cannot light a fire with a wet match. You cannot achieve your goals if you are not hungry.
Let’s say you want to lose weight. If you do, you’re likely thinking about it as much as possible. Every time you sit down for a meal, you need to think about whether or not you’re eating the right things. Every time you wake up in the morning, maybe you think about drinking a glass of lemon water to get your metabolism going. You get on the scales, you take pictures of your progress, you write notes to yourself to encourage yourself throughout the day.
Eating healthy, getting good workouts in, and tracking your progress might not always be fun, but it can fulfill you because you are hungry for accomplishment.
Find your spark.
Lastly, you need to take a lot of action if you want to accomplish your goals.
In the sales business, for example, what happens a lot is that people will want to set up appointments and sell memberships, but they spend too much time looking through the data or tending to other tasks before they actually pick up the phone and do the one thing that’s going to get them to the finish line.
Those other things are important, but they’re not the most important actions you can be taking, as they do not have measurable results towards your goals. So pick up the phone, make the call, and start trying.
If it doesn’t work, try again. Wash, rinse, and repeat until you’ve done whatever it is you’ve set out to do. Because when you keep trying, when you keep taking action, you’ll find the path to accomplishment is well within your reach.
You might think everything I did when I started Orangetheory Fitness worked. It did not. I tried so many things that didn’t work, and I felt like giving up, too.
What I’d do is I’d refine my process, try something new, talk to more people, find different marketing channels, revamp my pricing, and countless other things. There’s always something new you can try when you believe in yourself.
So be energetic, be hungry, and take action. Never quit. You’re the only one who can do it for you, and you have all the power.
As always, thanks for reading my blog.
If you’re looking for more advice on how to bring fulfillment and accomplishment into your life, tune into my podcast that airs every Tuesday.