Seven Practical~Tactical Goal Secrets
Achieve Your Goals Strategically This Year!
Coach gave me life-changing advice when I competed in Olympic Weightlifting. His keyword? Incremental. One Step at a Time, One Improvement at a Time.
Coach Tommy Kono advised us to take it easy if we’d been away from the gym for a week and especially the day after a meet. He’d say,
- “Start small
- “Increase weight in small incremental steps
- “Don’t overdo it
- “Don’t pay any attention to what everyone else is doing
- “Compete with yesterday’s achievements, not the burly guy on the next bench.”
His magic words “Next Time” focused us on improvement a little at a time. Next Time I’ll add five pounds; Next Time I’ll do five more reps; Next Time I’ll drink more water with dinner.
This is who we see at the gym in January (is this you?) ~ slightly overweight, gritted teeth, sweating profusely, unsure … But they are there. With grim determination, they work out on every machine available, even if only for a few moments. They get hurt or wear themselves out. A few gymrats make fun of them and they never return.
My Olympic Weightlifting colleagues and I would make an effort to cheer these people on. We gave them advice based on what we learned from Tommy. Our coach Tommy Kono, was one of the 100 Golden Olympians, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s inspiration, Olympic judge and Olympic gold medalist.
Seven Steps to Get You There
Following Tommy’s lead, here are seven practical-tactical secrets for achieving your New Year’s Resolutions, Goals, Weight-loss Dreams, or whatever you’re working on:
- Be Realistic. If you try to lose 30 pounds in a month it’ll be from a hospital bed! Instead, break that into incremental, do-able, execute-able steps and weight loss goals. Two pounds a month, or half pound a week.
- Be Kind. You ARE where you are. Oh WELL! You didn’t get here overnight. Love yourself enough to take that first step. Then the next one. And the next. You can do this.
- Ditch the Blame. It doesn’t matter if your best friend smokes and that’s why you do. Or your sweetie is a chef (mine is!) and the food is just too delicious to turn down. Look in the mirror. Those are your hands putting that cigarette (food, whatever) up to your lips. Blame is useless and a distraction.
- Take Responsibility. This is YOUR life. This is YOUR body. This is YOUR career. Take those daily steps to ensure it will be amazing. Act as if your life depends on it, because it does.
- Write it Down. Age-old wisdom tells us the act of writing out goals and plans cements them into our psyches. We can read them daily. We can post them on the fridge or bathroom mirror. Making goals measurable helps.
- Get a Goal Buddy. Find someone who needs help with accountability. Work on your goals together. If they’re far away, use Zoom, Skype, FaceTime or some other app to check in daily. Otherwise, get them to go to the gym with you.
- Don’t Stop. Just because you miss a day or a week, don’t use that an as excuse to stop. Keep going. Pick it up again. Start small and increase incrementally.
You got this. You can do this. One day at a time.
SHARE – what are YOUR Goals for 2018?
Blessings in 2018!
@Beth Terry, CSP, 2018. All Rights Reserved.
Thank you for the “Seven Practical-Tactical Goal Secrets,” Beth! I am happy that you are still going at it, still a driving force to help others. Hopefully, the next time you are in Hawaii, I can attend one of your presentations.
Aloha Dean! Ha’ouli Makahiki Hou! You are very welcome! I’m still going strong! Let me know of any companies or groups that might need me. I’d love to get home as much as I can!
Hope all your New Year’s Plans and Goals come true! And remember sometimes the ones that don’t come true weren’t going to be good for you!
Blessings,
Beth