This is the first part in my 10 part Keys of Success series. Every Monday we’ll feature another key.
You can’t hit a target you can’t see. So the question becomes, what does your success look like? What does it feel like? Since many people have a weight loss resolution or a ‘healthier lifestyle’ resolution, I’ll use that as an example.
If you resolved to lose 50 pounds what does it look like? For the very visual person, it might be easy to actually see themselves 50 pounds lighter, but for the rest of us, it might be hard to imagine. But maybe you can imagine a size 8 pair of pants, or going to the beach in a new bathing suit.
When it comes to seeing it, it’s equally important to feel it. Part of the reason people give up on resolutions is because they lose the motivation. If you can feel your success and get excited about the end game, then it becomes easier to keep that motivation and the discipline.
While seeing the end result is important, I also think you should see yourself succeeding now, while you are on the way. Imagine yourself turning down the donuts at the office party or walking with a friend. This is critical. I try to exercise every day. When I was exercising in the evening after work, I would spend all day dreading the 45 minute workout.
“Ugh! I have to work out!” I’d say.
And I would see it and feel it just the way it sounded. I’d envision myself feeling bored with the workout, and see myself dragging into my work out clothes. How many times do you think I actually worked out?
The same thing would happen to food. I’d see myself unhappily eating a healthy meal while lusting for a Fillet-O-Fish. I’d feel deprived and unsatisfied.
When I changed the way I saw things and the way I felt, I changed my behavior. I started seeing my workouts as a special time for me. I saw myself smiling and enjoying myself. I focused on the feelings of accomplishment that I had after the workout.
I started to look at that Fillet-O-Fish as a roadblock and not a temptation. I actually associated the humiliating feeling of not being able to button my pants one morning with that value meal. I started looking at each healthy meal as bringing me closer to that size 10 or that bathing suit.
Start seeing and feeling your success right now. See it in detail. See yourself reaching the big goal and see yourself succeeding on a day-by-day basis winning all of those small victories. I used weight loss as an example but this is critical for any success: finding a new job, going back to school, saving money, getting out of debt, buying a house. What will you look like when you accomplish your goal? What will it feel like? What will you do differently? What will you do that maybe you can’t do right now?
What is your goal and how do you see yourself succeeding?
You can’t hit a target you can’t see. So the question becomes, what does your success look like? What does it feel like? Since many people have a weight loss resolution or a ‘healthier lifestyle’ resolution, I’ll use that as an example.
If you resolved to lose 50 pounds what does it look like? For the very visual person, it might be easy to actually see themselves 50 pounds lighter, but for the rest of us, it might be hard to imagine. But maybe you can imagine a size 8 pair of pants, or going to the beach in a new bathing suit.
When it comes to seeing it, it’s equally important to feel it. Part of the reason people give up on resolutions is because they lose the motivation. If you can feel your success and get excited about the end game, then it becomes easier to keep that motivation and the discipline.
While seeing the end result is important, I also think you should see yourself succeeding now, while you are on the way. Imagine yourself turning down the donuts at the office party or walking with a friend. This is critical. I try to exercise every day. When I was exercising in the evening after work, I would spend all day dreading the 45 minute workout.
“Ugh! I have to work out!” I’d say.
And I would see it and feel it just the way it sounded. I’d envision myself feeling bored with the workout, and see myself dragging into my work out clothes. How many times do you think I actually worked out?
The same thing would happen to food. I’d see myself unhappily eating a healthy meal while lusting for a Fillet-O-Fish. I’d feel deprived and unsatisfied.
When I changed the way I saw things and the way I felt, I changed my behavior. I started seeing my workouts as a special time for me. I saw myself smiling and enjoying myself. I focused on the feelings of accomplishment that I had after the workout.
I started to look at that Fillet-O-Fish as a roadblock and not a temptation. I actually associated the humiliating feeling of not being able to button my pants one morning with that value meal. I started looking at each healthy meal as bringing me closer to that size 10 or that bathing suit.
Start seeing and feeling your success right now. See it in detail. See yourself reaching the big goal and see yourself succeeding on a day-by-day basis winning all of those small victories. I used weight loss as an example but this is critical for any success: finding a new job, going back to school, saving money, getting out of debt, buying a house. What will you look like when you accomplish your goal? What will it feel like? What will you do differently? What will you do that maybe you can’t do right now?
What is your goal and how do you see yourself succeeding?
3 comments:
I have battling Filet-o-Fish also, and I think they're are winning.....I'll get it together in the spring.
The Fillet-o-Fish is an insidious foe!
Making weight loss as a new year resolution is great, the first thing we need to do is, formulated a proper weight loss plan for yourself as new year resolution.
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