Wanting to do something and actually doing it are two very different things. Especially when you have conflicted desires, such as the desire to indulge in fattening foods and the desire to lose weight.
Having to choose one over the other, most people end up choosing the one that is easier to do, in this case the overeating. When people really want to turn things around, they often try to use sheer willpower to push through the difficult circumstance. This often fails, as there is just not enough positive motivation to keep you on track. However, if you want to turn things around, try the following tips to get you started right now on the path to getting the things you want.
1. Know what you want
To start, do you know what you really want? The best way to get started on the path to achieving your dreams is to fully immerse yourself in them. Indulge in some daydreaming. Imagine your perfect life. Where are you? What are you doing? Who are you with? Try to see it as clearly as possible, and after you do, write it down! Write bullet points, or even write the story. Capture the ideas on paper so that you know what you are really moving toward and you know what it is going to look like when you get there.
2. You need to see it to believe it
After you get the idea of what you want to work toward, create a visual reminder to inspire you along the way. Some ways to do this are to create a vision board or collage of pictures that represent the things you want. Hang it where you will see it often. Make a copy and shrink it to carry around in your wallet and car. You can also do something more simple, such as just hanging a picture of someone you admire greatly that reminds you of what you are working toward, or even just writing an intention statement in a place where you can see it often.
3. Set some goals
After you have your big vision and your motivation, break the goal down into SRM goals. This stands for specific, reachable, and manageable. Having a goal such as “I will lose 30 pounds” is great, but it isn’t something you can actually DO. A goal you can do is more like “eat 4 servings of vegetables a day and only 1 soda.” These goals are going to be the baby steps along the path that lead you to your vision.
4. Get a buddy
This is an often overlooked step that can really enhance your results. Just sharing your goals with someone and being accountable to them can help a lot—helping them reach their own goals too is even better. Just make sure to choose a buddy that is supportive, and not one who feels threatened or doesn’t believe in your desire to change.
5. Get inspired
The Internet is full of free videos on everything. The kinds that are perfect for reaching your goals are videos of other people who did the same thing you wanted to do … and succeeded! There are many heart-warming videos that describe all the struggles they had to overcome, how they did it, and tips that would have helped them along the way. It is hard to NOT be motivated after watching videos like this.
6. Educate yourself
If you got this far and you are still struggling, it may be because you need more information on how to achieve some of your goals. Maybe you want to go to college, but you don’t know how to apply. Maybe you want to design a website, but are clueless about computers. In these cases, you may need to start with getting more information, such as calling some friends and family that have college degrees to ask them how they started, or taking a computer class at a local community college.
7. Change your ‘I can’t’ mentality
The biggest roadblock to success is often just ourselves. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to succeed, to do things right, and to never fail. But that isn’t really how life works. Failure is a part of it. And even if you are clueless or have no skill in what you want to achieve, you just have to start at the bottom and work your way up slowly. This can be frustrating for some people, as it takes a lot more determination when you aren’t naturally talented and successful at something. But that certainly doesn’t mean that you can’t. The only things you can’t do are the things you don’t want badly enough or aren’t willing to try hard enough to get. Even if other people tell you you can’t, they are not right. Success is much more about hard work and determination than about luck and natural skill.
8. Just start
Finally, don’t make all the plans and then just decide it’s too much work or that you will fail anyways so why try. If the goals are still too big or not specific enough, chop them into smaller pieces. If you feel like a loser, watch some inspiring videos. Chances are, someone even less skilled and farther behind than you already achieved what you want to achieve. If you really want something, don’t let anything stop you! Get up, repeat these steps over and over until you’re ready, and then … leap!
Friends Read Free