Rules for Success

Set a Goal

Write down three to five nutrition/fitness related goals that you would like to achieve and a time frame in which to do so. They must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Why is that, you ask? If you set a goal to simply lose weight, you set yourself up for simple success and ultimate failure. If you lose only one pound you have succeeded, yet I imagine it’s not where you truly want to be. The other extreme would be to set a goal to lose 20 pounds in a week. Can it be done? Probably, but it would not be from fat loss, and it would only set you up to gain it back. Set specific goals such as: I will lose 10 pounds of fat in 30 days; I will improve my walk/run mile time by one minute in 30 days; or I will eat six nutritious meals each day for the next two weeks.

Make a Plan

Sit down and write out how you plan to achieve your goal. Find a place where it can easily be found – whether it is at work, home, in your phone or organizer.

Execute the Plan

This is where many people falter. If you take the time to plan your work, then you have to work your plan!

Evaluate How You’re Doing

Everyone completes this step, but we are our own worst critic. In some cases, even though we are on track, we think we aren’t meeting our own expectations and give up. On the other hand, we may see little success and fall off the wagon. The third scenario is whatever plan we are executing; it isn’t meeting the goals we set, so we wonder why we should continue. In any case, you have given up.

Adjust!

How badly do you want this goal? How long would you push your little boy/girl to learn to ride a bike before you gave up on them? Never, I would hope. Adjust your goal and/or your execution to be able to attain your goal(s).

Be a Copycat

Do you know someone who is in the shape you want to be in and has reached the goal you are chasing? Find a mentor, a trainer or a nutritionist. Find out how they did it or how they showed someone else. Copy their road map to success!

Be Stubborn

Some people call it committed or determined but I call it stubborn. You have to be able to face temptations and obstacles when training and dieting. Make your goal something you truly desire. Then your motivation to attain it will not waver.