Time to say goodbye to 2016 and hello to 2017! No more looking back on the past, what could have been or how things should have gone. Stop focusing on the past and things you can no longer change and start focusing in on the wonderful future that lies ahead of you!
The great thing about it being a new year is that you can start from a pretty clean slate – turn the calendar and start fresh. This is a time when New Years’ Resolutions become oh so popular again, yet only about 8% of the people are successful in reaching their “resolution.” That means ultimately 92% of us end up not reaching the goals we set out to accomplish. There must be a better way, right? There is!
Here are the 5 steps to become successful in 2017:
- Focus on being happy!
There, I said it. H-a-p-p-y. I know, there is so much stuff going on around us that it becomes so tough to control our own emotions. But this is literally the #1 thing that will transform your life, and the great news is, only YOU have the power to control this one thing, no one else. Your attitude is a direct reflection of who you are. It is essentially your attitude towards life that will determine life’s attitude towards you. Basic cause and effect. Everything we say or do will cause a reciprocal cause and effect.
If we are happy and cheerful, glad for the opportunity to wake up and flip our eyelids open every morning and experience this miracle of life, others will reflect that positive attitude back to us. Quite simply, we get back what we put out.
So as a test, try this next time you greet a co-worker, friend or even a stranger – SMILE! Be accepting and positive to the people you decide to surround yourself with. Be positive and giving, what is amazing is the reciprocity that occurs with this type of mindset, the mindset of being happy! Remember, you have a choice every morning when you wake up. Make the choice to be happy and you will find your life and the people in your life start to change with you.
In all honesty, you may be reading this and thinking to yourself “Be positive, be happy – is it really that easy?” Why not try it out for yourself and see what happens. I bet more people start greeting you differently, and with a smile, and soon your goals and aspirations become easier to achieve.
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Use the 1% Rule
This one is a game changer, and directly correlates with your attitude as well. At Epic Fitness, one of our core values is to treat each person we come in contact with as an appreciating asset. What does that mean? We believe that every person has their own unique starting point when it comes to fitness and health, and we respect that by meeting each person exactly where they currently are on their journey.
We also believe that every person that we come in contact with should be getting 1% better each and every time we see them, and we hold ourselves accountable to that by asking the question “Did you get 1% better today?” Now, this is a tough one to quantify, but in terms of health and wellness we are looking for those small improvements that move the body and mind forward towards a bigger goal. We believe that every person can get 1% stronger, fitter or healthier by just focusing intently on bringing a little more each time they come in.
This can really work in any area of your life. You can get 1% better spiritually by taking an extra 5 minutes a day to meditate or pray. You can get 1% better with your nutrition by eating one extra serving of vegetables or having that extra glass of water at night. Honestly, this works in every area of your life!
I feel like this can be very powerful in many ways, start with having the mindset every morning when you wake up that you will be 1% better in just one area in your life, then go after it!
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Focus on gratitude
Every day, there are so many things we can be grateful for but we never seem to make that connection on WHY we are so grateful for each thing in our life. To keep it easy, start writing down one thing you are grateful for, then one or two reasons why you have gratitude for that thing. This way, you can focus intently on just one thing a day to start, and your reasons of why are the powerful uppercut punches on what keeps driving you forward to achieving whatever it is in life you want to achieve.
I will share a personal one with you:
“I am grateful to have a family that supports me in what I do and love every day. I am grateful for this because it allows me to serve more people in my mission to help as many people become the best version of themselves. I am also grateful for this because it allows me to be a great mentor to my two sons.”
Start with your “what” and end with your “why.” This will make your gratitude powerful and allow you to look back at what you wrote and keep you motivated moving forward and to be grateful for what you have in life, no matter what it is.
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Seek out those who have done it before – find a mentor or coach that can lead you down the right path
This is one step that most people skip, because they often think they can go at their goals alone, but end up making little to no progress because they just didn’t ask for help.
In whatever you want to accomplish, look to people from the past that have accomplished a similar goal before and use their formula since you know it already works. Or, even better, seek out their mentors or coaches and get the expert coaching or training that they received. This will knock off so much time in you reaching whatever goal you want to accomplish.
For example, if you are looking for a good financial advisor you could research what some of the top minds in finance are doing and then seek out the experts they used and use them for your goals. If you are looking to make a transformation in your health and wellness, research the coaches and gyms that are getting the best results with their clients. Hiring an expert will catapult you so you can take the straight path towards success, without all the bumps and roadblocks along the way.
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Become a goal “Doer”
We highlighted these 7 steps in an article last year that received a lot of great attention, and feel if you use these simple steps you can accomplish really anything you want to.
1. Be specific
Write down what you want to accomplish and EXCACTLY when you will accomplish it. Using our example, you might say, “I will lose 10 pounds by March 29th, 2017 at 3:30pm.” That is how specific you need to be, have an end date (and time) you will complete the goal by. Place this specific goal somewhere you can see it and read it daily, like on your bathroom mirror.
2. Develop a purpose for each goal
Find out what your red hot “Why” is for achieving your goal. Why are you so passionate about achieving this goal? Answer that question, and this will really ignite your passion to achieve your goal. Using our example above your “why” might be, “I want to feel like I did on my wedding day and honeymoon and have the energy to be able to do the things in life that are fun and exciting again.” Having a purpose for each goal will really get you jazzed and excited to accomplish your goal!
3. List others who can help you reach your goal
This is an area that is more often forgotten. It’s okay to ask for help accomplishing your goals. Think of these important questions – Who can help you achieve this goal? Or, who can serve as mentors to help you achieve this goal? (See #4 above!
4. Create your plan
What are the exact action steps that you need to take to achieve your goal? Figure that out, then work your plan backwards. As the great author Dan Kennedy was quoted saying, “Start with the end in mind.” It is hard enough to have this enormous goal and looking up at the mountain thinking to yourself, “How am I going to make it all the way up there?” When you could just start at the top and work your plan back all the way to where you are today!
5. Find solutions for potential obstacles
Again here is another overlooked step that many people never do. Think of any obstacle that may come up and find solutions to those obstacles. So when you do run into one, or two, there is a clear, drawn out solution to solve the problem. As the author Sun Tzu famously stated in his book The Art of War, “Every battle is won before it is fought.
6. Take massive action now!
No, I do not mean write down your goals and just look at them every day, meditate and magically one day your dreams will come true! That will never happen. I mean really take action right this minute! Ask yourself, which steps (see Step #4) will I immediately take action on, now?
7. Evaluate your progress and make any necessary adjustments
Always be asking yourself, “Am I on target with my goals? Am I taking the necessary steps needed to achieve my goals?” Make sure you are doing at least a weekly assessment of your progress, and if any adjustments do need to be made, make them! It’s okay to update your plan as things in life change.
Take action on each and every one of these 5 steps, make them part of your daily routine and I promise YOU CAN AND WILL BE SUCCESSFUL!! Good luck and here’s to an amazing new year!