WHY ?
COMMIT TO ONE
KISS
TRAINING
5 Step Guide to Start Now and Accomplish Your Goals
By : Frank Gigante , Natural Pro
Where have the first � months of the year gone� They have flown by and we are looking towards spring and summer and before we know it those times will have come and gone too . What has changed in those first � months� �ave there been things you have started for the first time� �ave you accomplished a few goals already ? H ave you been able to maintain and build upon some of your New Year ’ s resolutions or activities ? If you are not sure of your answers to any of those questions , you are not alone . Most of us use the New Year as a “ fresh start ” a chance to dream big , want more , and expect more of ourselves in the coming year . We start out with high enthusiasm and hopes but quickly things change as we get swallowed up in the daily grind and are j ust trying to keep our heads above water on a daily basis .
It is not that we failed . It is not that our goals were set too high or we weren ’ t disciplined enough to reach them . P lease – we are only 2 months in to the new year and there are 10 months left to accomplish anything we desire . Now is not the time to write off the rest of the year and use that as an excuse to do nothing ! The past 2 months have been part of the experience . There were things that went well . There were things that did not go so well , and then there are those actions and plans that never even happened . Those were all learning experiences . We must recognize and capitalize on what went well , and make improvements in the areas that did not go as well .
This all comes down to building habits . F orget all the self-defeating posts and bashing about lacking willpower or motivation . These things have little to do with reaching your goals compared to building and implementing habits that will lead to success . These habits can be applied to any area of life , not just fitness or nutrition . The reason the first week or two of the new year started out so well is because of implementing new habits . P eople are still on vacation , or j ust coming back and routines are still slightly off and a bit more relaxed . B ut a few weeks in , when everything is in full swing and schedules return to their pre-holiday craziness ,
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those habits get harder to maintain and it is easier to fall back into the same habits in order to keep up with the same schedule and survive day to day .
This will not be the year that passes you by again . This is not the time to give up on goals , make excuses , or put them off for another year , month , or even day . It is time to implement immediate strategies that won ’ t turn your world upside down , but if done consistently will yield huge results for you . This all starts today .
HABIT # 1
WHY ?
This is a big one . Why do you want to accomplish whatever goal you have in mind ? It may be losing weight or lifting weights . It may be starting a new career or learning a new skill . Whatever it is , ask yourself why are you doing it ? If you are doing it because it is the latest fad , others are doing it , or other people have told you that you should , then you are probably setting the wrong goal . When it comes down to action , those people will not be there to make the decisions for you , and to be honest , don ’ t really care if you follow through or not . Your goals must come from within .
To answer the question , “ Why do I want to accomplish … .? ” , will take some time and honest conversations with yourself to come to the core reason . H owever , once you have found it , write it down . P ut it someplace that you can look back on it and remind yourself why you are chasing down your goals . K now your purpose and your actions will become clearer and more direct .
HABIT # 2
COMMIT TO ONE
�ne of the greatest obstacles in reaching any goal or completing any task if simply getting started . We often get bogged down in deciding where to start , which action or direction to take first , and figuring out how we can accomplish all that we want to do at once . This process becomes overwhelming and can be paralyzing in that we never get started because we are never certain of where to start . The answer is to choose and commit to one action , one change , one new habit .
F or example , if one has a goal of improving nutrition to meet and align with one ’ s fitness goals , there is a better way to approach it other than throwing out ( or eating ) every food in the fridge and pantry to replace it only with so called “ healthy ” foods . This complete shift , which is usually accompanied by swearing off foods one most enj oys , is too much to handle all at once . There are too many new routines and practices to learn and implement and too little time to effectively adapt them all .
A better way to improve nutrition habits is to start with one or 2 meals a day that you know you can improve upon . It may be as simple as packing your own lunch each day of the week , or planning out dinners ahead of time so that when you get home from work , you have a specific meal you will cook rather than scavenging through the kitchen and eating whatever comes in sight . The meals planned out should also be recipes or things that first , you enj oy , and second are within your skill range to cook and prepare . B y improving upon one meal consistently day after day for a week or more , you will begin to make it a habit . Then it becomes more practical to start preparing for 2 or more healthier meals each day without overloading your already busy schedule .
Whatever your focus may be , break it down and decide upon one action you can take and incorporate into your daily routine every day . C ommit to one 30 minute workout , or one phone call , or whatever that one action may be which will start you on the j ourney of consistently working towards accomplishing your goal . This becomes a foundation and building block to take more actions and add more successful habits almost seamlessly into your life .
HABIT # 3
KISS
�eep it Simple� . cliche but a valid strategy . �n any given day ,