On Your Marks, Get Set and Go

We are now officially in 2020 and many of us have one goal or another. Others will have their new year resolutions and with a little bit of luck they will see it through for a few weeks or months.

Every January, we are determined to make a fresh start in many areas of our lives but how many of us truly see that all the way through to the end of the year? Sadly not all of us.

So what is the difference between those who see results and those who give up? I think it is down to some fundamental choices or changes they make.

One decision that I made in December 2018 was to go back to the gym after an eighteen-year hiatus and it was hard to stick with it but I did. So when I look back now, I can see some things that helped me.

Start by having a measurable goal

When I decided to join the gym, I had a goal of going at least 5 days a week and up to 6 days. Having this goal meant that it was easy to check if I was on track and to understand the reasons if I got off track.

It also encouraged me to have contingency plans for when I was unavoidably absent from the gym. This meant that I downloaded YouTube exercises and got resistance bands that can be used in hotels.

Having a measurable goal that I was keeping track of was key in achieving the results.

Be consistent – move from actions to habit

One of the things that helped me was repeating my actions until they became habits. This meant I showed up at they gym on my good and not so good days. I avoided any excuses for missing out on scheduled sessions until it became my new norm.

Even when I didn’t feel I had enough energy, I decided that I would give a 100% of whatever I had.

A year on, I found the only times I missed the gym were when I was ill or out of town.

Track your results

I scheduled health checks to give me something to look forward to and I also took regular measurements to track how my body was changing. Word of warning, there are some results that you never see on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis.

The temptation to give up when we don’t see tangible results is real but this is the time we need to remember the key word ‘consistency’.

Be consistent even when the result is not obvious. Trust in the process and know that as long as you work the process correctly, the results will follow.

Surround yourself with a community

This can take the form of helpers, mentors, people in the same boat as you and in my case, other gym goers. Building relationships with other people with the same aspirations was helpful.

I knew there were people who would miss me when I wasn’t there and those who looked forward to seeing me.

To achieve results in this year or decade, find your own community of supporters, sponsors, mentors, mentees, friends, family and accountability partners.

Get help from professionals

At some points in the past year, I had personal trainers in addition to the generic activities that I was doing. I understood the importance of the extra push and motivation that I got from having one to one sessions with a trainer.

A book that I published last year, ‘The Purposeful Life Project’ was designed to provide help to those wanting to accomplish their professional or personal goals.

As a project manager for almost two decades, I discovered that the same tools that helped me to deliver financial, business and people benefits can also be applied to other areas of our lives.

So as you work towards your goals in 2020, check out the book. It may just be the resource you need to get you over the line.

Finally don’t forget to celebrate your small wins and milestones. Each of them is a celebration of the hard work you put in.

Have a great week. Thanks for reading and sharing my post with others.