Set your ultimate goal - be brave, be bold and don’t sell yourself shortCHAPTER 6
Where Are You Going?
Most people spend more time planning a party than they do planning their lives. Yet, without a plan and, more specifically, an end goal, our lives will be like waves tossed about on a sea of uncertainty. It would be like playing a game of basketball with no hoops - not only would that be frustrating, it would also be pointless. It is vital, then, that we start our weight maintenance and wellness program with the end in mind. That means establishing just what your ultimate goal for your body is. When this is properly formulated and planted in your subconscious mind it can provide direction and acceleration to your forward movement as you transform your goal into reality.
Most people are afraid to set big goals. They have convinced themselves that they are not worthy of them, that they only apply to others who have more talent, natural ability or inner drive. After all, low expectations are all around us. They are a part of the politically correct climate that prevails in our society. We’re told not to set our kids up for failure, to expect mediocrity and to celebrate the mundane.
That type of thinking does not belong in your mental toolbox.
When people tell you that you need to be realistic, that you’re too old, too busy or too disorganised to succeed, you need to take that negative energy and flip it so that it serves as fuel to fire your ambition. Don’t be one of those people who get scared by goals and therefore only sets a goal at the level that they think they can comfortably achieve, not what they really want. Those people end up with weak goals and weak goals will not stir your passion. It is far better to take to heart the words of architect Daniel Burnham:
“Make no small plans; they have no magic to stir your blood to action. Make big plans, aim high in work and hope.”
Even though it’s important to set realistic goals, I am a firm believer that there are no unrealistic goals, only unrealistic timelines. Imagine if Arnold Schwarzenegger was told that his goals, to become the best bodybuilder, the highest paid actor and a political leader, were unrealistic or if Barak Obama’s goal to be the first black US President was unrealistic. Greatness is achieved by people who set unrealistic end-goals and then set a realistic timeline toward their attainment. . .
Be that person.
Set a big end-goal.
One that excites you and even scares you a little.
You’ll feel like pulling back to safety and constricting your goal - DON’T.
Be the person who steps up to the plate, not the one who sneaks to the back of the line. You deserve to grasp hold of what you want, not to meekly cling to what you think you deserve. So think about the healthy body that you really, really want and focus on what that new you will feel like. . .
The confidence
The self assuredness
The feeling of energy, strength and power that exudes from the new you
The health appeal
Imagine how much more focused, more disciplined and more connected you will feel. Imagine how confident you will feel in your skin once you have achieved your end-game goal.
Your end-game goal answers the question, “Where Are You Going?” It is the basis from which you will set all of your other goals, as outlined in Chapter 2. These are all stepping-stone goals which will lead inexorably to your end-game goal. You need to keep your end-game goal in focus every day but more than that - you need to live your life as if that end-game goal has already been accomplished. Believe in its achievement with such certainty that, to you, it has already happened. By doing so, you will be feeding your subconscious with the altered reality that you are already at your end-goal and it will respond with habitual behaviours that will propel you there at warp speed. You will also be able to cultivate the positive emotions that will be part of your end-goal achievement right now. You will be carrying yourself taller, maintaining eye contact when you converse and feeling in control. And you will love yourself.
End-Goal Checklist
Set your ultimate goal - be brave, be bold and don’t sell yourself short
Make up your mind that you will do whatever it takes to achieve your ultimate goal
Work backwards from your ultimate goal to establish stepping-stone goals
Visualise yourself having already attained your ultimate goal
Live your live as if your ultimate goal has already been achieved