Resolutions- How to stay on track

Introduction

Setting your resolutions for new year is the easy part but staying on the right path to achieve them is slightly more challenging. I want to share with you an easy technique that will almost guarantee success in whatever you goals are.

This technique can be applied to almost every aspect of life from training to nutrition, business, friends and family. The technique is so simple that it almost doesn't seem worth talking about at first glance but if you read this article the whole way through, you'll see that it is worth your investment of time.

Staying on track

Take care of the day, don't look too far ahead at your end goal. Now this seems a very simplistic approach to achieving your goals and aspirations but it is very relevant. Most people will be so fixated on their long term goals that they don't look after today. In order to achieve your goals you will need to set yourself micro goals. Micro goals are daily tasks that you will need to complete in order to keep you moving forwards.

An example of this from a nutrition perspective is to concentrate on each individual meal. Yes, you have a certain number of calories and percentage of macros to achieve each day but the end figure is a result of each individual meal being on the right track.

A second example of taking care of the day from a business perspective is to know what individual tasks you need to do today that will help you to achieve your long term goals and success. It is no good concentrating on your long or medium term goals if you haven't addressed the tasks that need to be done today in order to get you to your medium and long term goals.

A third and final example from a family perspective is to make time in your schedule to do things together each day. If you have children and you are reading this then please don't miss the daily opportunities that are right in front of you slip away without enjoying them. You will already know that your children grow up so fast and before you know it they wont be dependant on you anymore. Nothing is as important as your relationships with each other because after all, life isn't all about how much money you earn (although money is relevant in this day and age), or the latest gadgets or designer clothes (which are a nice luxury but they aren't a necessity), it's about having a positive impact on the people that you really care about, it's about giving to others without the expectation of receiving anything back in return and its about showing your love for the people in your life that mean the most to you every single day.

Summary

In summary, you should create a list of daily tasks to complete that will help you to achieve your long and medium term goals. If you work on today, tomorrow will be a little brighter, you'll never lose momentum and you'll stay on track to not only achieve your goals but to surpass them. Make sure that you the take time to spend with the people who you care for the most each day.

Until next time, look after the day and each other.

BC

How does training develop valuable life skills?

In this article I'm going to present a comparison between the struggles that you'll face in your training sessions and how training should help you to prepare for the real world struggles that we all have to overcome each day. 

I have seen thousands of people come and go from many gyms/studios each week for the last 17 years and the contrast of people from all walks of life. Being in this environment has provided me with a unique perspective on both life, fitness and motivation that I may not have been subject to seeing in a regular 9-5 job.

The gym for me is a place where all of life's worries and concerns should be left at the door. The one thing that every person who steps through that door to train, regardless of their social status, race, wealth or lack thereof have in common is that we all want to be better versions of ourselves. Perhaps we may not all follow the same path or agree on what better is however, personal improvement is the objective when stepping into a wellness centre, gym, athletics club, swimming pool, sports club etc...

Why else would we come into an environment that causes physical hardship towards us and keep coming back week in, week out with no immediate results? 

The gym breeds the foundational values, beliefs and self-confidence required to be successful in every other aspect of life by teaching us about delayed gratification.

A great example of this is, when you are struggling to complete a set on a given exercise (the exact exercise isn't relevant) and you have 3 reps to complete the total set of 10 reps. You may manage to squeeze out 7 reps. At this point your mind is telling you to quit however, if you ignore this brain signal which is a mechanism for self preservation, continue to stick to the desired repetitions and succeed in achieving your goal, this is where you develop as a person both physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually!!! 

You get your mind in gear, focus your breathing, brace and grind with the weight for the last 3 reps. You simply "refuse to lose!" It takes a certain type of mind set and personality trait to grind through the toughest part of the set.

So, how does this relate to life outside of the gym?

In life you are going to be faced with challenges. It's inevitable! You are going to have to look within yourself and dig deep and have the same type of mind set we use to grind out the last few reps, to find that reason to carry on, even when you may want to just give up! Anything in life worth achieving is usually a challenge to come by and will require work, dedication, consistency and a can do attitude.

This is true of relationships, friendships, business, personal goals and even being a parent. 

"Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone." - Neale Donald Walsch

You must find a process (that's specific to you) to help you achieve what you want. When the steps of your process are followed in the correct order, your goals are achievable. If there is a link in the chain missing you may not achieve the outcome that you desired. 

I hope that you enjoyed this short article and have taken some positive information from it along with a little motivation to keep pushing through when you feel like giving up. 

Stay strong, be consistent, don't quit and success will be closer than you expect.

BC