What Are You Aiming at?

We're well into the new year and working on New Year's resolutions is in full swing. Let's face it,
 90% of you are working on the same resolution, weight loss. And unfortunately statistics show that
 most of you are already starting to falter. However there are some simple strategies that can help.  Zig Ziglar once said, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” And each of us knows from our own experience that he is right.  The general flow of human life tends to be toward ease and comfort.  One day flows into the next, and many of us never quite get around to turning our good intentions into reality.

Those ‘good intentions,’ while no doubt admirable, tend to remain unrealized mainly because they are too vague.  Vague ideas are impossible to focus on and aim for; they are moving targets.

Do you have moving targets in your life?  Perhaps you want to eat a more healthy diet or lose the winter weight that has crept upon you.  Maybe you just want to establish a regular workout routine and stick with it this time.

The keys to your success are two-fold:  steady the target and create momentum. 

How to stop a moving target

Imagine a target shooter trying to hit a small bull’s eye on a distant target.  He begins to aim, but then the target suddenly moves to the right, and before he can position himself to aim again, the target darts to the left.  Will he ever hit that target?  Not likely.

Without setting specific goals, your good intentions are exactly like that moving target.  You would like to lose some weight, feel a little better, make a change in your diet--but without clearly defined goals and methods, you can’t focus and make it happen.

The way to steady the target so you can finally hit the bull’s eye is to define your goals and write them down: 

·       How much weight do you want to lose? 

·       What kind of changes do you want to make in your diet? 

·       How many days per week do you want to exercise?

·       Which article of clothing do you wish would fit your body again?

·       How much weight would you like to lift while strength training?

Once you know where you want to end up, you are much more likely to get there.

PS

 Your goals are defined, and you've started moving toward your goals. How do you make sure you
 don't lose that drive to get there?

That is where momentum comes in.

In my next post, we'll talk about momentum, how to create it, and how to "keep it going".