in my last post, I talked about the importance of your deeply emotional Why. Creating a compelling goal can be the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning when it is cold and you're just not feeling this workout. Or when everyone else is going out for margaritas and tacos at Rosie's, but you were planning on going to boot camp.
Because chances are you had that same "I want to lose _______ pounds this year" last year. And the year before that. It didn't mean enough to you.
After you have your goal and you have described it in detail and why it is so important to you, you start reverse engineering it. Break it up into smaller, more manageable habits and actions that will lead to success.
Start by picking out 5 habits or actions you will need to do to reach your goal. It could be things like exercising 3 days/per week, eating out lunch only 1 time/week, etc...
If your goal is weight loss related, you will need to make adjustments in your nutrition. Just no other way around it. And obviously, if you have a performance goal like running a 5K you will need to exercise. Exercise can help you lose a little weight, but it is more effective at toning your body than straight weight loss.
After you pick out these habits, write down who can help you reach these goals. It can be a coach, a friend, a group, a spouse, or whoever you think needs to be a part of this process. Hint- spouses can make or break you, you need their buy in when you start making changes.
Then finally you need to start breaking it down:
-What do you need to do in the next 72 hours to get started? Putting the time cap really helps.
-What does progress look like in the first week? Lost 1 pound, worked out 3 times, ran around the block.
-What does progress look like after the first month?
Third month?
-6 months in? You should be halfway to your goal.
-9 months in? Helps guide the last 3 months of the year that are often times the hardest months.
Finally, I will tell you about the person who wanted to lose 30 pounds because she was bullied as a kid and did not want her daughter to develop the unhealthy habits she had developed. After talking it over with her, we decided that focusing more on the habit side than the weight loss side would be a better route.
And that is what she decided to do. Here are some of the habits she nailed:
-Eating out less
-Cooking at home more (and involving her daughter in the process)
-Started coming to boot camp 3 days a week (very slowly at first)
-On her off days from boot camp she would take walks with her daughter
-Reading every food label
-Standing up from her desk and walking around every hour
All of these didn't happen overnight and she didn't attempt to try them all at one time. But eventually these all became rock solid habits for her. And remember those 30 pounds she wanted to lose? She didn't lose 30 pounds.
She has lost 42 so far, kept it off, and her daughter is very active and already living a healthy lifestyle. That's what I'm talking about!
That could be you too. Don't give up on your goals just because they seem so far away. Get that Why, lay out the path to get there like we just covered, and keep after it!