One day I heard Tony Robbins saying, that 95% of all New Year’s resolutions are gone by January the 15th. That shows that circumstances, extrinsic reasons, the magic of the new beginnings are insufficient to keep our motivation on a higher level for an extensive period of time. We need to have this fire inside us and we need to take the right actions in order to be consistently successful.
Many of the New Year’s resolutions are fitness goals such as losing weight; stop smoking, working out more regularly. If it comes to fitness and physical transformation it’s utterly important to stay on track to finally get and see the results. In consequence, it’s about mastering your mind, training your body and empowering your soul consistently.
So, how to stay on track? What is needed to really get the results we are looking for?
It doesn’t matter if we are talking about New Year’s resolutions or other goals – as soon as it comes to change or a transformation in your life you have to ask yourself the one and only question:
Am I willing to eat the shit-sandwich?
Everyone wants to look great, be self-confident and have a lot of money. But not many are really willing to step into the game. We tend to see the shiny goal but we often miss to see the effort or consequences it takes us to finally get there. The typical image of the “iceberg” – you know what I mean? Everything comes with a price. If we go for it or if we are not – we will pay a price – and our subconscious is aware of this fact. So, if the price seems to be too dangerous for our inner wildlife, we will sabotage ourselves and won’t achieve the goal.
If we change ourselves and our lifestyle we need to let go of certain habits and maybe even people.
Not only from the outside will we find resistance but as well from the inside. Self-confidence and a well-based self-empowering are essential. As a coach, I helped a lot of people achieving their goals. I’ve seen what’s pushing people forward into the right direction.
Here are 5 hints on how to stay on track even if times are getting tougher:
1. Know your WHY
Why do you want to be a size 6? Is it in order to feel better in your skin or because you think you need to be a 6 to be back in the game or just to impress your colleagues? On a scale from 1-10: How important is your goal really for your life quality? (Quit everything under 6 – too less energy in it).
Why are you ready to overcome all the obstacles that might show up on your journey? You have to feel this fire inside-out for your goal. This fire will light your way even when it gets darker and it will warm you up when a harsh wind is blowing your way.
2. Make it doable
We love to reach out to big goals. But most people quit when goals become too overwhelming. Listen, dreaming and thinking big is not the problem but we need to break it down into chewable and doable chunks. Create Milestones towards your final goal and celebrate when you realize them. This will help you to keep your fire burning and to stay motivated instead of burning out.
3. Repetition is King
If you want to bring a new habit to your daily lifestyle, you have to do it every day. If you wanna create a new habit, do it daily for at least 21 days and keep going afterwards until you don’t have to think about it anymore, until it becomes normal, almost unconscious and automated. Start now – in one year you will wish you would have started today.
4. Know yourself and your stress tolerance
Change is great when you’re on the finisher line but the process until there isn’t always easy. It takes energy and costs nerves. Know how you tend to react when stress kicks in and prepare yourself for the little emergencies (or the big drama).
Have your stress-survival-kit ready and always handy. Know what and who will help you when you need to re-focus and find your way back on track. Here is a simple example, if you tend to become aggressive as you are getting stressed about your diet, do sports at the right time or find another way to let go of the tension instead of being “a pain in the ass” for the people around you.
5. Go public
Commitment is KING. If it comes to change, social pressure can be a very good and helpful tool. Tell as many people as possible about your goal – it will become harder to quit, right? Go for likeminded people and support each other through good and bad times. You don’t even need to have the same goals – you might want to learn Spanish and your friend wants to work-out more – but it does not matter as the process of changing habits is always the same.
