Butts 'n Guts

Million Dollar Goal Strategy!

Your subconscious mind is awesome! Remember that. Most people don't realize it's vast potential when goal setting. If they did, they would move heaven and earth to find out. Once activated your subconscious mind becomes a beacon of light from which all else emanates. Once you set your sights on your specific goal, your subconscious mind becomes completely committed to this goal. The sky is truly the limit as to what you can achieve.

If you have followed the goal setting procedure as I have explained thus far in previous posts, then you are well ahead of nearly ninety-five percent of the current population. Congratulations! If you have not read these posts and are reading this one in order to cut to the chase and find a short cut, it will not work. You must be able to know how best to create a goal that your subconscious mind can process correctly. Your subconscious mind is only designed to handle particular goals that are stated and repeated aloud in a certain way. Please read my previous posts on Goal Setting and then come back to this one.

Alright, have your goal? Let's get to rolling!

Have you ever noticed this scenario? Maybe it is you or someone that you know who has taken the necessary steps in thinking, planning, writing and acting on a certain goal. Perhaps it is a New Year's resolution. It might be something straight forward like quitting smoking or losing a certain amount of weight. Or it could be that it is a complex business assignment, or getting a huge raise at work. Whatever it might be, a year goes by, and you come back around to that same goal. You stare in astonishment that you have already achieved your goal! It might have even taken you only a few months. What's more astonishing is that you may have just forgotten about it but yet there it is...accomplished! How does this happen? Welcome to the magical powers of the subconscious mind!

Without you giving it a single thought past the time you took to write down this goal, your subconscious mind has gone to work for you and taken care of that particular goal, all without you giving it another worry.

If your subconscious mind can work this great on autopilot, think of how great it will work when you write down your goal each and every day, imprinting it even deeper. And we won't write down just one. Oh no! We are going to write down ten to fifteen each and every day.

I once heard a story off of an audiotape. There was a Korean businessman who was a multi-billionaire. He awoke each morning an hour early just to write and focus on his goals. Now, do you think that a big part of his financial success was derived from doing this one simple task? Of course it was. Even though he has achieved financial freedom, he continually trains his subconscious for an hour each morning. Amazing!

The same will work for you and your fitness goals. And I promise you that it won't take an hour each day. I know for most of you having an extra hour a day seems like a fairy tale. All it takes is ten to fifteen minutes. Although if you have more time to devote, by all means take the hour! I want you to reach your goals as fast as possible.

Now, here is how you can achieve your success rapidly. Grab a blank piece of paper and write today's date and the word "Goals" at the top. Soul search within yourself for the top ten to fifteen goals that you would like to achieve this year. (Of course, you can also have another piece of paper for longer term goals, but for now lets focus on one year.) I want you to write those goals one right after each other on the paper in no particular order. I guarantee you that the first couple will come easy. The next seven or eight will be much harder.

This is to be expected as it is your first time. Take myself for example. I really only knew the first three or four of my goals. It took me nearly another twenty minutes to cough up enough to make a total of ten goals. If you have more then this great! There is no limit. Feel free to write as many as you like. But please make sure that you have at least ten. Afterward, no matter if you feel a little awkward or uneasy about some of your goals, take that piece of paper, fold it, and put it in your pocket or purse. Every time you have a moment during the course of your day, take it out and review each of those goals. As you do this, you are literally "burning" these goals into your powerful subconscious mind.

Now, before you go to bed at night, take out another blank piece of paper and write these same goals again. But here's the catch. You cannot look at the previous day's goals. You will find yourself at a loss, trying to copy (from your mind's eye) the order your previous goals were in. You will try to write down your goals word for word, but may begin to find it difficult to do so. You will find that the experience is uneasy as you don't want to leave any goals unaccounted for. But believe me, that is alright. That is the magic of this exercise.

As you do this process day after day, it will become infinitely easier. In no time you will be writing down these goals within five minutes because what you will begin to see emerge are the top eight to twelve goals that you feel most strongly about. Goals that may have seemed like great ones before will vanish because you don't find them as important as the ones that keep coming to mind. These are the goals that you must focus most on and devote your time and effort in achieving. Soon, after thirty days or so, you will already know what you are trying to accomplish and your subconscious mind will be primed and ready like a toned muscle in achieving these goals which you have spelled out.

This exercise will work, but like any worthwhile endeavor, you must stay committed. If you stop, so does your subconscious. And the process of "toning" it begins again. Make the effort starting this new year to create a better, healthier you. And now you know the simple but extremely effective way on how to get it faster then you ever thought possible.

Active Goal Planning! Make it a New Year to Remember!

To get the most out of your goals, or for that matter, to even get started moving towards your goal, you must act. Nothing happens unless you do. And here is the really great part. Only you can do it. Only you can decide how hard and how far you are going to push yourself in achieving your fitness dreams.

The one ability that you can master, which can set you apart from all other individuals who have gone before you, is in the art of blueprinting/planning and then following through. You can achieve far more with this course of action. Naturally, life will change and with it the actual plan itself. That's life. Your goals must adapt to an ever-changing environment of unforeseen challenges. But as long as you have the end in mind, your goal blueprint will stay relatively intact.

The whole purpose of planning enables you to pin-point and determine your major definite purpose in the fitness world. Like a road-map to your success, there will be different streets and avenues that you must transverse in order to get to your destination. It is so for goal setting as well. When you plan your goal there must be a beginning, middle, and end all with deadlines to keep you on pace.

Deadlines are important for the acting phase of goal setting for the simple fact that they keep you honest. If you didn't have a specific deadline on any particular step in the goal making process, then how would you stay on pace for your goal? You wouldn't. Let me give you an example.

If you were a highly motivated person looking to lose twenty pounds by the middle of March 2007, would you feel better planning out how you would go about fulfilling this goal? You would first need to set a date to accomplish this (March fifteenth 2007) and would be planning ahead all of your meals and gym appointments, careful not to miss even one. Or, on the other hand, would you wait until the holidays are over before you started your plans. You are settled back into work, and then half-hazardly making some sort of effort to accomplish this task...all while snacking on all the leftover cookies and cakes in the break room, thinking to yourself that you could still do it! I don't think this second example would work because you failed to plan. You have no direction. You are like an oar-less boat at the mercy of the tide.

It is quite obvious that with the first example, the planning keeps you honest and on target. You have your appointments made, and your meals are naturally healthier. You know just how you are going to accomplish this and exactly how much weight you are looking to lose each month to keep you on target. On the flip side of the coin, if you fell into the latter example, you undoubtedly would have to re-arrange (or even lessen) your goal because there just would be no way you would achieve it. And all it took was a little acting and planning on your part.

Always be thinking on paper. You should be continually making lists and sub-lists of each step of your process. And they will need to change, because life changes. There is no way around that. Let me say this. If there is no change in your lists, or steps, or plans, or actions, or whatever, then you are either not really being true to yourself or just plain stubborn. In this day and technology age things are changing so fast and so rapidly that you can hardly keep up with the times. New challenges arise each day. The toilet overflows, the kids are late, work is stressful, or the meeting runs late. Things change. If you don't constantly adapt and change it could mean that either you are satisfied with the status quo, and are complacent (which is a death sentence as far as goal setting goes), or are just not motivated enough to make a better and healthier lifestyle for yourself.

As you become used to the goal making process, you will gain better clarity as to what it is you really want and how best to get it. With greater clarity that fitness goal gets more and more within your reach. You begin to believe you are going to get there. Always remember, that your ability to think, plan, organize, and act towards your goal is imperative. As long as you believe in your abilities of achievement and your fitness goal is realistic to you, then you will find success in what you set out to do. 

The next post on this topic will outline one of the most tried and true goal setting examples that you could ever imagine. I am living proof that it works. This one strategy will explode your goal setting process into the stratosphere and set you apart from the rest of the crowd, guaranteed!

Supercharge Your Goals Now!

Write it down!! Whatever it is write it down! That is some of the best advice I can give you when it comes to goal setting, planning, and taking action.

In our last post that dealt with this topic, we covered how wonderfully powerful visualization can be and how extremely important it is especially when you have a positive mental attitude firmly in place.

It pains me when I ask someone what personal fitness goals they really have. I usually get the same tired and true response, "I just want to tone up and lose some weight." Of course you do! That is why we are talking. But what exactly does "tone up" and "lose weight" mean to you? It should mean something different for everyone. So I need you to be as specific as you can. The answer above could mean that you are looking to lose five pounds or fifty pounds. It could mean that you want to see sleek and sculpted muscles or possibly add fifteen pounds of muscular bulk to your frame. It could even mean that you want to lose it ASAP or in two years!

The point is, is that it all depends on what you want. Your goals vary on what you are looking to achieve and in the time frame you are looking to achieve success. I always ask a follow up question to the one above by saying, "And did you write down your goals on a sheet of paper?" The vast majority of people basically summarize the same thing. They don't have it written down anywhere but they have it in their mind as to what they want.

It saddens me when I hear this because I know that a dream or goal that is kept in your mind and not transcribed on paper is simply that, a dream. But when we write it down, something magical happens. All of a sudden the subconscious mind is activated and comes alive. It is like a giant light switch that is flipped on. By seeing your goal on paper, in black and white, your mind comes alive and unconsciously you are already moving towards your goal.

As in the last blog, I sincerely hope you have selected a physical fitness goal that you honestly believe is achievable for you. (By the way, with New Year's right around the corner, you should have several already right off the top of your head!) Once you do, and you have followed the process of visualization, write down your goal on paper, in the most simplistic form. You want to read it like it was written by a first grader. No jargon or lingo. Just nice short concise words wrapped up in only one brief sentence. This will do two things. First it will make it easier for you to remember and keep in the forefront of your mind. And second, it will allow your subconscious to process easier and quicker and follow through with greater results.

The next step would be to place your goal in a present tense, not a future one. Also, you will want to begin your goal sentence with the word "I". Directly after the word "I" you will want to place some kind of action as if you have already completed your goal. So, for example, you will want to avoid the sentence structure of "I am going to lose ten pounds." What possible goal is this? Read it closely and several times and if you don't already get it, it will sound like a wish, even if you think it is realistic. Instead, say, "I lose ten pounds."

Lastly, place a time frame on it. Remember, you want to be as specific as possible. If we just kept the above goal as is, "I lose ten pounds," does that mean in two months or one full year. Once you have determined a realistic time frame, include this in your goal sentence. So, let's say you are really motivated and you are looking to be as committed as possible until you shed these ten pounds. Your nutrition is right and you are continuing nicely with your exercise routine. Our goal will now read, "I lose ten pounds by February 1st 2007!" This is now a great goal in that it has ambition, is easy to read, and has a clear purpose with a realistic end time to success.

The next post will focus on the specific steps you must take to follow through with the action part of you goal. Nothing happens without acting so stay tuned for our next article!

Visualize Like an Olympian

Pop! The sound of the starting gun rings out and the foot race for the one hundred meter dash is on. The most determined runner of the bunch clears the start perfectly, driving with her powerful legs and pumping her arms. Her breathing is fluid and timed, and she easily gets out in front of the pack. Carefully each step is taken and each stride measured. No sooner has the race started and it is over. The athlete finishes the race in record time. Like a rehearsal of sorts, she grabs her country's flag and jogs around the track waving back at millions of adoring fans pumping her fist firmly in the air. And as such it is. Because this race didn't take place in reality. The actual time of the event may be many weeks or even months in advance. Rather, it took place in the most important place; her mind.

Our brain is "wired" in some way. Whether that "wiring" is negative or positive is completely at your discretion. Your attitude dictates how you view particular situations. Do you view each matter with a glass that is half full or half empty? As you may notice, in the above example, I didn't mention the attitude of the runner. But you can clearly tell, that with her visualization technique, it doesn't matter to her if she is the favorite or the underdog, she is absolutely positive. She believes in winning that race! And that is a most optimistic attitude to take.

Similarly, you should apply this strategy with your own personal fitness goals. You must first decide where you want to go. A ship doesn't leave port without a destination. You ( I hope) wouldn't leave home without knowing where you would like to go. This holds true for your goals and dreams. Focus on a realistic goal that you can see yourself achieving. For instance, losing three dress sizes in thirty days might be a little bogus. But what if you lost eight pounds in four weeks? With a little discipline, positive mental attitude, and some visualization, you could very possibly succeed.

First, pick a goal that you wish to achieve. Remember, it must be realistic and achievable. Second, go into the visualization session with an open mind and an optimism second to none. Going in with this attitude makes you believe you can accomplish anything that you could ever set your mind to. Third, close your eyes and be in the moment of your dream. So, say that you had a goal to fit into that slinky dress that has been stashed away in the back of your closet for months. Picture yourself in that dress in your mind's eye. Feel the texture on your skin. Admire yourself on how great you look in your outfit in the mirror. Notice how you feel when others in the same room as you compliment you on your look. Leave nothing to chance when you visualize. Use all of your senses. This may seem a little silly at first but keep in mind you are in a sense creating an emotional attachment to your goal. What follows is a subconscious determination that sets in motion the necessary steps to attainment.

If you have never even attempted to visualize anything before, click here http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0846/is_12_21/ai_88759014 to start with a basic understanding of how to begin the fitness visualization process.

There is so much more that I wish to cover within this topic of visualization, because it is without a doubt one of the most powerful tools you can use to achieve your healthy goals. Whether that be a beach body that makes others envious or losing a few pounds to get to your ideal weight.

Next, I will cover in detail the best action you must take to literally carve your goals in stone and affirm them to yourself wholeheartedly.

Join the Three Percent of Achievers

If you have been exercising for an extended period of time, stop and take a long look around your gym. You will undoubtedly notice an interesting phenomenon. The majority of people around your local gym, or perhaps even as close as your friends and co-workers, physically look the same month after month. Why is that? Are they not sweating away? After all aren't they making a commitment to fitness?

Well I know of a few of these individuals personally as well and I know for a fact that their intentions are certainly good! They may want to eat right nutritionally and run more outside to boost their cardio. They may want to play basketball with their children and take a nice long weekend hike up in the mountains. But we all know how hectic life can become, and with it these good intentions seem to slide. Don't become one of these individuals. You made the effort to start a fitness routine, now make the time to follow through.

Do you know that only three percent of the American population have incorporated some sort of goal setting in their lives. And that one percent of that three percent have actually written down those goals on paper? That's one percent. That is not a typo. That means there are only a small amount of individuals today who have a clear plan of what they want out of life. It comes then with no surprise that this group is the most successful in our current population. These people are more likely to reach their personal goals and achieve success then the other ninety-seven percent of us who do not follow the simple plan of thinking, writing, and acting on our goals. Follow any truly successful person and I personally guarantee that their success came directly from a list of goals they created.

I will show you tomorrow how to go about creating such a "success list". We will look at one of the three key components on building,  maintaining, and achieving your goals. Don't worry, it's not difficult! However, it will take practice. I will take you step by step on how to maximize your fitness dreams.