Hey gang,
A few weekends ago, I was having a discussion with the GF (shout out, omg lolz) about how you can keep your goal at the forefront of your mind, and not lose sight of it. I think that it’s really easy these days to become distracted with “shiny objects,” luring you away from what you want to achieve. Here are some keys to maintaining your focus:
For Starters, Actually have a Long Term Goal
About once a month, I always notice that fellow fit-pro Scott Rawcliffe (@ScottRawcliffe), will send out a tweet that says:
“What keeps me going is goals.”
Short, simple, and consistent. On paper this is pretty obvious in the way of:
“Yeah, that’s why I’m doing this debilitating set of X-Y-Z.”
But, stepping back and thinking about this statement objectively, the key is the simple fact that you have to have an end point to keep working towards. Without it, you are just throwing stuff at a wall and hoping it sticks. There is no way to create a plan that will get you there. Kind of like a taxi driver who doesn’t know how to get you to your destination or a even a GPS for that matter. You’ll just keep driving in circles until you lose your mind and exit the vehicle.
Let your homies know about it
When you pick your goal, make sure you don’t keep it to yourself. Share it with your closest friends and family, and use them to get you fired up like a Chili’s hot plate.
For myself, I recently ran a marathon, which I was stoked about. If you know me, you absolutely knew that I was training for this marathon. Probably because I told you and I won’t stop complaining about the training. But, it’s part of the process, and I secretly love it. I wanted people to know because I don’t want to let them or myself down. Even when I have a really crappy run or lift, that helps fuel my drive to be better the next time. The point is, make sure you are telling people about what you are doing. It will help create some accountability for yourself. This leads me to my next one:
Social Support
Super important piece of the puzzle. Having people around you and that support what you are striving for can be crucial to your success.
Let’s say you have this goal and your friend group harps on you every time you:
Order a salad
Go to bed early and don’t stay out late
Only have one drink
Choose the gym over hanging with your friends
The list goes on and on, and you get the idea. That negativity- that doubt- and that objection to your goals- will eventually influence you and your decision making. It weighs on your subconscious mind. I’m not saying that you need to cut your friends and your family out of your life (which is a little cray cray), but you need to have that line in the sand. What are your priorities?
Additionally, their goals don’t have to align with yours either. What is comes down to is whether or not they are supportive in what you are trying to achieve and making sure you have positive people around you. Maybe you even have that #gymfam to keep you motivated (shout out), which is even more awesome.
“Stay away from the light!”
Distractions. There is only so much of your attention, time, and energy you can give something.
Notice the two pyramids. On the left we have a pyramid that is thin, representing a more focused and streamlined approach. For example, you are going to crush this goal- super motivated, dialed in, nothing is getting in your way. You picked something you wanted to do, and planned a way to do it. In contrast, we have the pyramid on the right, which is spread pretty thin. This would represent a more lax approach. Maybe you let work get in the way of a few workouts, neglect your diet, or you are spending time doing things that have nothing to do with what you want to achieve. The point is, when you let yourself get caught up in all the noise around you, there is only so much you can give to a particular thing. Somewhere, something has to give, and the end result might not be the one you had hoped for.
Embrace the Uphill
This might be one of my favorite statements of all time.
Life is hard. Goals should be hard. That’s what ultimate success is all about.
You have to be willing to fight- to grind- and to earn- what you want to achieve. You can't even think of quitting every time life throws you a curveball. That thought shouldn’t even cross your mind. Find a way around the obstacle and do the best you can. Recognize that the changes you are making take time and persistence, and that you CAN get there. Realizing this will make you unstoppable.
Best,
RY