subject: The First Step Is the Hardest But The Last One Is The Most Rewarding! [print this page] The First Step Is the Hardest But The Last One Is The Most Rewarding!
Copyright (c) 2011 Carl MortimerStarting's hard, right?That seems really vague and really ambiguous but starting anything that's worth starting is hard.It hit me today with one of my own personal goals. It's taken me a few months to get there (actually, I'm not there yet!) but I'm starting to see the fruits of my labour. It's been tough, but I'm deep into the forest now so I aren't going back!When I talk about what I want to acheive, it may seem trivial to some people. When I say I've found something challenging, the nutshell version doesn't seem that hard to other people. But let's think about that for a second, it's not their time spent doing what I've been doing so it's easy for them to dismiss what I want to do as easy.This is the hard part. You always question whether this is time well spent. People give up on goals because they only see themselves spending time on a project with little to no return on their investmentat the start!What I'm about to share with you isn't just a way of setting goals for your fitness, it's a way of setting goals for EVERYTHING in your life, whether it be financial, health, career, anything!So apply this to an area of your life and stick to it! Then, taking the amazing final step won't be so elusive after all.How to structure goalsThere are nine questions you need to ask yourself when working on your goals. When you have thought them through, then your goals will be measurable, acheivable and motivating!1. Positive: What do you want?Goals should be expressed in the positive. Positive, when it comes to goals, means 'directed towards something you want' rather than 'away from something you wish to avoid'.So instead of asking, 'What do I want to avoid?', ask yourself 'What do I want?'For example, saying 'I want to lose weight' is a negative goal. Saying 'I want to be 10 stone 7lbs' is a positive goal. Do you see the difference?How do you turn a positive into a negative? By asking:'What do I want instead?' and 'What will this do for me?'2. Evidence: How will you know that you are on the right path or have acheived what you set out to?It's important to know that you are on track. You need the right feedback, in the right quantity and it needs to be accurate. When you set a goal, you need to know how to measure your efforts and the results you are getting.There are 2 kinds of evidence: 1. Feedback as you progress towards your goal. How will you know you are on track? 2. Evidence for having acheived it. How will you know that you have got it?Ask: 'How will I know that I am on the right track? What am I going to measure?' 'How will I know that I have acheived this goal? What will I see, hear and feel?'3. Specifics: when, where and with whom?Where do you want the goal to take place? There maybe places or situations where you don't want it.When do you want it? You may need to meet a deadline or you might not even want the goal to be acheived before a certain date.Ask: 'Where do I want this to happen?' 'When specifically do I want this to happen?' 'In what context do I want this?'4. Resources: What resources do you have?List the resources at your disposal. They will fall into 5 categories, some more relevant than others, depending on your goals: - Objects. Examples could be books you can read, equipment, technology etc. - People. (Family, friends, acquaintances, business colleagues) - Role Models. Do you know anyone who has already succeeded in getting the outcome? Whom can you talk to? Has someone written about their experiences? - Personal qualities. What qualities do you have or need to develop to acheive the outcome? Think of all your personal skills and capabilities - Money. Do you have enough? Can you raise enough?5. Control: Can you start and maintain the outcome?How much is under your direct control? What can you do and what do others have to do to acheive this goal? Who will help you? How can you motivate them to want to help you?Ask: 'What can I do directly to acheive this goal?' 'How can I persuade others to help me? What can I offer them that will make them want to help?'6. Ecology: What are the consequences?Here are some wider, systemic questions to consider: - What time and effort will this outcome need? Everything has an 'opportunity cost'. Spending time and effort in one area, neglects another. - Who else is affected and how will they feel? Take different perspectives. In your personal life, for example, consider your spouse, your friends and your children. When you think of the ecology of the outcome, you may need to think of the outcome in a different way. - What will you have to give up when you acheive your goal? Everything has a price (and not just in terms of money!) - What is good about the present situation? What do you want to keep? Losing valuable aspects of the present is the greatest cause of resistance to change. - What else could happen when you get your outcome? There are always secondary consequences that can become more of a problem than the original one. (King Midas' touch?)7. Identity: Is this goal in keeping with who you are?A good example of this is being asked to do something that takes you away from your chosen career path. You won't be happy doing it, therefore you won't get the best out of the situation.Ask: 'What does doing this do for me?' There maybe other ways of acheiving the answer to this question.8. How do your outcomes fit together?How were the great pyramids built? One block at a time!If the goal is a large one, list all the obstacles that prevent you from getting it and set smaller outcomes to get over these barriers.Ask: 'What prevents me from acheiving this goal?'When you are knee deep in crocodiles, it's hard to remember you went in to drain the swamp.When the outcome is too small to be motivating and you feel bogged down with details, ask yourself, 'What does this small outcome do for me?' Connest the details to make a larger, more motivating goal.9. Action Plan. What to do next?Once you have put your plan through these questions, then you are ready to act!Remember the story of the 2 builders? The first one was asked what they were doing. He replied, 'I'm laying bricks'. When asked the same question, the second answered, 'I'm building a wonderful building!'Start building yours and enjoy the journey!To your health, Carl
