“It’s not the will to win, but the will to prepare to win that counts.” Bear Ryan
So, the New Year is here and many of us are planning & goal setting for the coming months or even years. I’ve seen so much criticism of making resolutions but if not now, when? And why not now? Surely any motivation is to be accepted with open arms?
So here are some of the tools and methods I use. Be warned, you could be in for an hour or two’s work if you want to draw up a full plan! If not, no stress, just pick and choose.
- Firstly here’s a good intro on goal setting from the guys at mindtools.com. The short intro video is a good watch.
- I’ve previously blogged on the importance of focussing on the process rather than the goal to stay motivated. If not reviewed, goals can slip and be demotivating. Habits however are formed through repetitive daily actions. I read a blog recently which asked, “what do you want everyday to look like”? If you include what you need to succeed in your daily actions then you’ll reach your goal. Focus on one day at a time. Here’s the ‘Habit based’ coaching approach of Precision Nutrition & why less is more. This approach certainly yields great results with our weight loss clients.
- Find your WHY? If you have a damn good reason to achieve your goal then you are far more likely to do so. Would you ‘just like to quit smoking & lose a few pounds’ or, is it the thought of you not being around to see your kids grow up driving your motivation? Having an established WHY will help you maintain focus on your goal. Here’s a link to Simon Sinek’s amazing TED talk Start With Why. It’s something I’ve used to refine the businesses values, mission statement & services.
- I’m also a fan of having a 1, 3 & 5 year plan. The sheer task of writing these down will help hold you accountable to those goals. Life changes and therefore your goals will also need to. Review regularly to stay motivated. Here’s a good article on developing a Personal Development Plan (plus link to template) to get you started.
If in doubt just stick to the basics. Identifying your ‘limiting factor’ and use the Precision Nutrition model.
All the tools above can be used together to form a really detailed plan or, on their own.
I look forward to hearing on what you guys have planned and how we can help.
Ady
