Are You The Tortoise Or The Hare?

If you want a new perspective this year please read the entire article...

Setting goals can be a very up and down process for most people and without systems in place it can drive you crazy... 

  

Let me explain... 

Yes, you wanna set goals for yourself, but you should set everything up in a framework that YOU CAN ENJOY and that you have reasonable control over. The end goals are important, but the process is more important. We live in THE PROCESS, not the end goal. 

Structure determines function and creates freedom...

The goals take care of themselves when the systems are set up properly to support them. Being systematic in today's world can be of great help to you. We all have many things going on in life and we all need to create structure to maintain a sense of sanity. Discipline and structure also create freedom.

We all have things we want to achieve in life (I hope). We all should wanna be more fit. I wanna continue to build a successful fitness facility and change the culture of fitness (daunting I know). Some of you wanna write a book, raise a family, travel more, or retire young. WE ALL WANT A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE. WE ALL WANT TO ENJOY LIFE. 

The New Year conundrum...

Typically around this time of year we create or reset our end goals and (hopefully) create action steps to reaching them, but I recently realized that people get so caught up in the end goal, and so overwhelmed that it stumps them on the action steps and they miss out on a fun and challenging process. There is a better way to navigate through it.

Your systems are your support networks and your daily action steps that you enjoy are your tools to success...

If you just do the systems, the goals often take care of themselves. An athlete's system is practicing according to a schedule each week. A writer's system is to write for a time frame each day. A fitness enthusiast's system is to complete the daily workout regimen (and seek balance).

Do the daily action steps. Enjoy the process. Become a better version of yesterday. 1 change a week is 52 changes a year!

The problem with focusing on the end goal too much...

When we set a goal and stay solely focused on the goal itself we often forget about the people that make it possible. We often also forget about hobbies, relationships, etc. We miss out on a whole lot of living. We miss out on balance.

Are you good enough?

Often times as we work toward a goal the internal dialog in our heads may shout "I'm not good enough yet...but I will be." I know it is a weird way to think about it, but I bet it is true for many people that struggle to reach a goal.

Avoid the huge burdens...

In the past you may have created a huge goal for yourself, you write it down and even create a vision board to tap into the feelings that you may experience when you get there. All the while you miss out on the journey to get there. A huge goal can be a huge burden if you fail to keep a proper perspective on the process.

Rethink the goal setting process...

I would encourage you to look more at actions steps and systems and go with the flow in 2015. Yes, you wanna set some goals for sure, but you should put most of your focus on the work, the good stuff where life is lived. Be in the moment. Be in the flow.

Many of us stress ourselves to the maximum (the opposite of what you want on a fitness plan) every damn day of our lives. We stress over weight loss, finding love, business.

Keep it simple. Focus on today. Scale back/taper off on bad habits. Skip the cold turkey or all-or-nothing crap.

Wanna release weight?

Get to the gym and control what you put in your pie hole.

Wanna rebuild some relationships? Get off the internet and texting and call somebody.

Get real with yourself. You will attract better.

Quit wasting your days solely focusing on the big end goal. You will feel defeated. There are too many tasks to get to the goal. Embrace the systems. Do the steps. 

What happens when you reach a single goal?

Do you stop working? Many people do. What will motivate you going forward? This is a big problem that creates an up and down effect in your life at the expense of your happiness. You create a set point of happiness. 

It goes like this...

Focused. Depressed. Energized. Super depressed.  

Is that a well-lived life? Certainly not!  

What happens when you set a goal and miss it?

Many people feel worthless.  

What is worse missing a single goal or missing out on the life you gave up? 

This is a process you can enjoy...

Try and focus much energy on the process you can enjoy and make that your system to get you to the level you want to be.

If your goal is to release 50 pounds focus on making it to your workouts and cleaning up your nutritional approach (quit jumping around).

(We make it all fun at RHF. Find a place that can create that environment for you.) 

Control what you can and avoid delusion...

Goal setting can make your feel like you have control over things you may not have control over. This is called delusion. Avoid delusion.

Traditional goal setting approaches involve setting a goal, creating a plan, objectives, action steps, and even mini-action steps. We plan the entire process around a date. Life then happens. Circumstances come up and we often miss our mark. YOU CANNOT CONTROL EVERYTHING. You can however control what you do right now, in this moment.

Tortoise and The Hare...

Are you the hare getting started?  

Strong out of the gate? Blinders on?

Full speed ahead to tackle that goal?

It goes like this...

Life then gets in the way and you miss a week, which turns into 4 weeks, then 6 months later you are spinning going: "WTH just happened? I spent all that time writing my resolutions!"

As that is happening, the tortoise just trots on past you, smiling and enjoying the journey! 

If you can slow down and do a few consistent things you love to be better than yesterday you will achieve success without ever being overwhelmed about the goals you laid out.

Goals do work. Write them out. We just want you to focus more on the systems, the processes' that goals are attached to. Life is lived in those moments. The process to getting to a goal always empowers you more than staring at an end goal.  

Just focus on what you are going to do right now.  

It will lead to a great year and beyond. 

Will you capture the great moments that await you this year?

Are you the tortoise or the hare?

You get what you go after...