Goal setting, priorities and successful language

 

As part of my Arbonne and personal training businesses I do a lot of reading into business skills, psychology and personal development. Going forward I am going to write more of my learning on this site in the hope that someone will stumble across it and learn something new. Today I am going to write about goal setting and sticking to your goals until the deadline you have set. These goals could be fitness, career, money or so many other areas orientated.

Did you have any new years resolutions or plans for this year? How close or far are you to reaching these?

TOP TIPS 

1. MONTHLY INTENTIONS – This year I started breaking my goals down into monthly intentions e.g. new years resolution – to climb 20 munros; Monthly intention to climb 2 a month.
2. SUNDAY CHECK IN – check in with your annual and monthly goals on a Sunday morning when you wake up or before bed, this should take 2 minutes. Check if you are on track, if not then write down your number 1 objective for the week ahead to move closer to your goal.

PRIORITIES and GOALS

TASK 1 – PRIORITIES (do this now before you forget, grab a piece of paper and a pen)

1. Write down your top 10 priorities in life: e.g. family, friends, job, health, gym, hobbies, tv, shopping, etc.
2.  Number them 1 highest priority – 10 lowest.

Realistically from an energy and time perspective for you to hit a new goal it needs to be one of your top 3 priorities.

TASK 2 – GOALS:

1. What was your goal that you wrote down at the start of last month?
2. How did you finish up at the END of last month?
3. What action did you take to move towards that goal? (e.g. how many times did you go to the gym)
4. Did you write a goal down at the start of this month?
5. What action can you take differently or better this month to get you closer towards that goal?

 We just work smarter, so make sure you are WORKING smarter.

I would also recommend writing your goal down at the end of  on the last day of the previous month, a lot a people wait until first Monday to get this done. That could be 1-6 days of activity wasted/missed by waiting. No matter what your goal is, just decide that that is what you are going for, ask for support on how to break it down if you are new then get it done. If you don’t hit it you can go to bed knowing that you did everything you could do hit it. I have missed my goal for many reasons, usually being I hadn’t put enough work into the first and 3^rd week of the month. But in a way I am glad I did because I wouldn’t have learnt all the things I had. I aim is to learn more lessons quickly and help my team learn them even quicker.

“It’s not your setbacks that define you, it’s your comebacks” Miranda Bircham

LANGUAGE and MINDSET

The language we use in our heads and out our mouths comes from the energy we create within ourselves. You will hear this a lot because it is the truth. Energy is everything. This isn’t just spiritual or WOO WOO, it is science. Our conscious minds are very aware of what our subconscious tells us. e.g. If you are trying to do a pull up and you say in your head or out loud “I’m not going to manage this”. Your conscious mind will take this on board and give up before you even started. You are much more likely to complete the exercise if you say “I am getting stronger every day and I am going to nail this pull up”. Yes you still have to stick to your strength programme to build the muscle strength and YES you will have to this consistently but your energy will determine whether you make it or not.

1. Learning point – WHY? You need a strong reason to be making a change. Your mind and body have been used your comfort zone and current situation for your whole life up until now. When you have a rubbish day and want to throw the towel in, you need a strong enough reason to get back on the horse and power through.
2. Learning point – Success loves speed. The hardest part about training consistently isn’t the gym part, it’s all the other stuff. If you have planned a work out then get your trainers and sports bra on quicker than your brain can figure out what’s happening and BAM! You are in the gym smashing your workout before you had time to decide to sit on the sofa and “skip a day”
3. Learning point – Surround yourself with people who are where you want to be. e.g. don’t take financial advice from your coworker who struggles to pay his rent.
4. Learning point – KEEP IT SIMPLE. If you have 3 x 45 minute slots you can train a week, don’t try to do 7 then burn out. Use the time you have well and make them good, efficient work outs.

TASK 3 – LANGUAGE – 10 mins 

For the next 24 hours, BAN yourself from using the words (in all of your life, job, kids, the gym) TRY, HOPE, MAYBE, KIND OF, MIGHT, NOT BAD, ALRIGHT. Be definite in if you will or won’t do something. Our minds are so powerful. If someone says “how are you?” then be honest. Say “I am great” Or “I am having hard day”. Stop being lukewarm. Have real conversations with yourself and others. e.g. Ask your manager what you really want; more money, more flexible hours, more responsibility, more training.

Our minds are so powerful.

 “Time spent rationalising the mediocre could be time spent creating the magnificent”

What I take from that is we waste so much time making excuses “I am ill, I have kids, I’m too old, I don’t have time, I have to spend time with my boyfriend” (this is my crux) and the classic  “I am too busy”. We all have stuff. Life happens. ESPECIALLY when we want to go places and move on with our lives. When you set a huge goal for yourself whit will probably hit the fan; your boiler will blow or someone will get ill (touch wood), will these things be your obstacles to go around and learn from or road blocks that make you pull over to Mcdonalds and quit?

The choice is yours.