In our previous blog LINK my colleague Bart shared with you the importance of determining your goal - what is really important to you - and how resilient you are if things don't work out.
For many of you, setting goals has not proven to be enough. Why? Because you've tried this several times, with the best intentions, but it doesn't seem to work time and time again. Your courage sinks and your answer to the question “do you have any good intentions this year?” is probably something like “New Year's resolutions? I don't do that!” or “I'm going to try again to lose weight and get fitter.” You already approach it with the inner conviction that you won't succeed, and honestly, with that mindset you won't succeed this time either.
Do you recognize yourself in this? Then read on 😉
Start with pen and paper, as previously explained in last week's blog. LINK
Step 2 is adding the why. Why is this so important to you? What would it mean to you if you achieved this?
Step 3 is to divide your objective into manageable pieces.
For example: You are getting married in 6 months and you want to lose 10 kg. This means that you have to lose an average of 1.7 kg per month, which amounts to 400 grams per week and about 60 grams per day. This already sounds a lot more realistic than the original goal of 10 kg.
Or suppose your goal is slightly less concrete and more focused on behavioral change. You want to be fitter and this time exercise consistently for a whole year to take better care of yourself, feel better about yourself and love yourself more. Give yourself 12 months and break it down into monthly, weekly and daily goals.
The 4th and final step is to eliminate gray areas. Not drinking during the week and drinking at the weekend is much more difficult to maintain than not drinking anything all week. Exercising 3 times a week at fixed times is much easier to maintain than exercising 3 times a week when the agenda allows it. Make your objective black and white where possible, so the chance of success is many times greater.
People do things because they think it's important or because they enjoy it, ideally a combination of both. If something is not important and not fun, it is better to put it out of your mind, there is little chance that you will stick with it. If it is important but not fun, get good at it and it will become fun.
So, make sure you see all the light at the end of the tunnel when entering it. Chop it into manageable pieces, agree with yourself that you will stick with it for a week, write it down and tell your partner or friend. Success? Do it another week, and another week. Is a week no longer a challenge? Well done! Now we're going to do it for a month at a time. You become good at it, you gain confidence in yourself, persevering feels good, that feeling becomes addictive, and before you know it you are the sports fanatic you thought was not in you.
Rick Berkhout
Startup Manager Enforce International BV
rick@enforce.nl
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