The Secret To Taming the Giant of Keeping Goals

Want something big or even small in your life and just can't make it happen?

There's powerful biology behind change and why change is hard.

Brains strive to keep everything safe and predictable. When propelled by something big like money, health, and relationship issues, brains accept change. But lacking serious urgency, our brains see change as a behemoth of threat. There are ways to calm the beast! 

Like so many others...

I have changes I want to make:

#1 Covid Pounds

When I switched from looser summer clothes to fall's fitted clothes, pants were tighter! Ack! A serious muffin top popped over the waistband. Ack! Ack!

 

I gained the most in the middle - a sign of imbalanced blood sugar and the slippery downward slope it means. Ack! Ack! Ack!!! A muffin top counters my LOVE of feeling and being really healthy!

#2 Stress 

I juggled many family obligations while rebranding my business Constant low-level stress hormones lead to weight gain. 

Knowing these problems will not change anything. 

What will it take to change? Magic???

Okay, maybe not magic, but there are solid steps to increase the success rate of sticking with our goals.

If you like to read, scroll down and focus on the dark print. My goals and action plan to lose the muffin, as an example, are in grey.

If you'd rather watch? 

My business mentor, Darren Hardy has a great video!

Magic Key #1 - Choose a goal that means something

• When you think about the result of that goal, you should feel really good. 
• Revisit that thought / vision daily or more.
• Post it in places you'll see and remind yourself of that goodness. (Notice any resistance to posting the vision of the goal? Do it anyway!)

Back to the muffin top:

I LOVE seeing the muffin top shrink and back to being healthy and strong!

Magic Key #2: Write out the goal and show others.

• Make the goal SMART: Smart goals work for any goal.
• Write down the goal!  (Notice any resistance? Do it anyway!)
• Show the goal to 2-3 others. Telling people raises your success rate.

Back to the muffin top:

I started this goal in October: lose 2 inches off my waist and abs during 4th quarter.

The Magic Key #3 - Make a plan of action 

Choose three small things you can do each week to move forward just a bit. Start slow and build. Too much, too fast feels like a chore and that pesky resistance giant will get nasty. But small steps build over time. Today, choose 1% better. 

Back to the muffin top: 

Here are my specific actions that are consistent with my LOVE of feeling healthy and strong.

• Take my measurements monthly- I don't like scales.
• Go to the gym 3x/week plus weekly “tree therapy” session.  and exercise is stress therapy for me. I know I can do this plan. 
• I love dessert and limit the calories with a portion-controlled piece of really good, satisfying dark chocolate. 
• New in 2022: Do a gentle cleanse in January to kill my sweet tooth.
• New in 2022: Our diet is very good. I eat extra calories by "picking" while we sit around and chat. I asked my hubby to help me and keep the dinner serving dishes in the kitchen.

Magic Key #4: Get 2-3 people to help. 

• This is "secret sauce"! We need other people to keep us going. Ask the people you told about your goal to be your accountability partners. Arrange how you will check in and how you can help them help you. 

Back to the muffin top:

• I asked a neighbor to meet me at 6:15 am to go to the gym twice a week. 
• I have 2 other buddies who expect me to be at the gym.
• I asked a friend to cleanse with me after the holidays to bust my sweet tooth. It worked!
• I review my actions weekly with my business accountability partners. 

Results?

I started in October. I've lost 7 cm (2.75 in) off my waist (my blood sugar is down!!!) and 3 cm (1.2 inch) off my abs. The success is building the actions set in October action are now easy to maintain. 

New goal: I'm ready for the next step - reduce another 2 cm by March 31.

What small changes have you been making? Please comment below.

 

Thanks for reading!