After finishing up my bootcamp last night at the Y I jumped on the scale (never one of my favorite things to do for fun). Much to my joy I was down another 5 pounds this week bringing my total weight loss to 44 lbs. since I started doing all the bootcamps, spin, yoga and running. I love the sense of accomplishment when I start to feel that I'm reaching the goals I've set. What I really want is to figure out what is working and translate that to all the other areas of my life. Each year I set goals in all of the following areas: career, financial, personal development, social, physical and family. If I'm honest with myself I find that focusing too much energy on one area causes something to suffer in another. It's very much like spinning plates you have to keep running around spinning them again. However, there are some things that can really aid you in achieving your goals.
1. Choose the right Mentor. When it comes to my physical fitness goals I have Katie. Katie is an incredible coach. She is the fittest woman I know. She is a world class speed walker and extraordinary athlete. I know that if I slack off in my training or binge on junk food I have to answer to Katie. I find that I really don't want to disappoint her or as a result myself. She is there when I need someone to tell me to quit whining and get my butt in gear. She's there when I think I can't lift one more rep but she knows I can. She's there to ask the hard questions like "Do you want to be a loser forever"? "Did you forget to put on your big girl panties? (As a man that's enough to get me to do at least an extra 20 sets right there.) She has a heart of gold and is there to be the first one to congratulate you when you succeed. It's important to find your Katie in every aspect of your life.
2. Build a team. I don't care if your goal is to run a marathon, get out of debt or sell that million dollar account you've been working on. If you want to be successful you have to have a good team around you. Again, I have been blessed in the fitness arena to be surrounded by a team of friends who help me reach my goals. They are there to encourage me when I need to be lifted up. They are there to challenge me when I need to be motivated and they are there to celebrate with me when I have an accomplishment. Recently while running my first 4 mile run they all held back and encouraged me even though they all could have run much faster and been back home enjoying a cold tasty beverage before I finished. I wouldn't trade these friends for the world and will be there for them whenever they need me. I have another team at the office who I would entrust any of my clients with because I know they have my back and are the best at what they do. Develop your team for each area of your life.
3. Reward Yourself. I try to always have rewards set up for when I accomplish a goal. They might be something very simple like a massage after finishing a race or a beach vacation after losing 20 lbs. It doesn't have to be big or expensive but enough to reward you and encourage you to strive and achieve your goals.
4. Raise the bar. Don't be satisfied once you achieve a goal. You need to raise the bar and set new goals something that will be difficult but possible. Now that I've completed a couple 5k's I've set a goal to finish a 10k. Each week I'm adding a half mile to my run. A great teacher once told me "When you are green you grow, when you are ripe you rot". I've always taken this to mean you must constantly strive to be better and to enjoy the journey along the way.
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