In these next five articles I’m going to give you the truth about how to achieve everything you want physically, as well as the mental, nutritional and workout tools you need to put that truth into action.
We’re going to talk about your goals, and discover your Motive. Then we’re going to discuss how to take control of your associations and create a self-identity that supports your goals. Finally, I’m going to give you the one key to designing a successful, effective exercise program and the 7 principles of nutrition so you’ll have a clear path on how to get the body you’ve always wanted. So let’s get to it.
In today’s article we’ll talk about goals, and I’d like to begin with the story about a friend of mine. My friend, we’ll call him John to protect the innocent, was heavy for most of his life. Really heavy. And as his oldest daughter reached her early teens, she started to get heavy, too. By this point, he was tipping the scales at nearly 300 pounds. He saw what was happening to his little girl, and knew he had to do something, if he was going to prevent his daughter from going down the same road he had. He knew any sort of talking the talk without walking the walk would fall deaf on a teenage girl’s ears. He needed to represent something to break through the noise.
He went out and found a program to get him where he needed to be. As he went through the program, and the weight fell off, his daughter saw a new side of her dad. He found a new side of himself. There was less of him to love, so the saying goes, but he’d become more than he had been. To his daughter, he became a symbol of determination, health and success, and his effort showed her how much she meant to him. He saved her from who knows how many years of pain, self-consciousness, illness, shame, frustration and… the “less” of everything that goes with being overweight in today’s society.
He found the Motive that would compel him to his goal, the Motive that would color and steer every choice he made along the way.In about a year he dropped over a hundred pounds while beginning to compete as a runner and cyclist.
What was the difference between the John who ate himself to obesity and the John who lost a hundred pounds and became a competitive athlete? What is the difference between people who have no problem waking up at 5am every morning to make it to the gym, and those who have trouble rolling out of bed in time to make it to work?
In John’s case, he discovered something important, bigger than himself, but still deep inside. Something in the ballpark of life-and-death. He wanted more. More for his daughter. More for himself. He had a compelling reason beyond “I want to lose a hundred pounds” or “I know I should go to the gym…” or “I know I should eat right…”
He found the Motive that would compel him to his goal, the Motive that would color and steer every choice he made along the way.
And within John’s story, and through my work with hundreds of clients who want more for themselves – and generally less of themselves – I found my Motive for The Fitness Camp. Working together, we are going to save wasted years and end exercise frustration by finding the unique Motive that drives you to exercise and eat in a manner that supports your unique goals. And maintain that same top shelf form once you’ve achieved it.
Let’s begin by defining your goal. This is the first step, and probably the easiest step, in the process of redefining yourself.
“Realistic” becomes pessimistic becomes “you’ll never do it” becomes “why even try” becomes quitting.To begin, I want you to state your goal. John’s basic goal might have been, “I want to lose one hundred pounds.”
Maybe you want a six-pack so you can look slammin’ and turn heads on the beach. Or you want to lose those stubborn last ten pounds. Or you don’t want to take pills for the rest of your life when you could fix it by being healthier. Whatever it is, set a specific goal that you will know when you’ve achieved it, a goal that excites you on its own. It doesn’t matter if, to you and anyone else, it might seem unrealistic given your current situation.
“Realistic” is the first ingredient in the recipe for failure. How?
Realism becomes pessimism becomes “you’ll never do it” becomes “why even try” becomes quitting. This is the process we all go through at one time or another. Do not set your goal in steps. We want your ultimate goal. It has to be a goal that compels you to action. What do you want? Why are you even committing the time? If you really want a six-pack, don’t state your goal as “I want to have more energy” or “I want to live a healthy lifestyle.” Those goals will be met along the way. If you want – no, need – to lose fifty pounds, don’t work in gradations and tell yourself you want to start with ten. You’ll fail. Go big or go home.
So right now, state your ultimate goal. Okay. Is it exactly right? Does the idea of achieving it excite you? Is it something you will want to maintain or improve upon once you’ve achieved it? If so, you’ve got a good, ultimate goal. If not, refine it. Interrogate yourself. Get it down to what you really WANT. What you NEED. And don’t worry about other goals right now. Once you achieve this first, ultimate goal, you may find yourself expanding your horizons in search of other, smaller goals, but for now let’s stick with the one, ultimate objective.
In my next article we’re going to take your ultimate goal and drill down into the true Motive behind it, and that is where you’ll find your real motivation, the juice that will drive you for a long time to come.
