Posts Tagged ‘Goals’

One of my goals for this year was to complete 240 workouts – which translates to about 5 workouts per week on average or 20 per month.
Unfortunately, I was a little short – today I hit workout 220. I’ll end the year with around 225 workouts performed which I’m not too unhappy about.

My goal for 2012 will be 200 workouts. My travel schedule is busy, and with work commitments increasing, I’ll be very happy averaging four solid training sessions each week or around 16 each month.

This is what I call a process goal — it’s not an outcome that I’m looking for (e.g. lose 10lbs, increase my chin-up reps), although they are just as important – it’s a simple “do this” goal that I can make constant progress towards.

Goal setting is still hard for some people. I’ll often meet clients who are interested in losing fat and decide that they will start daily cardio, weight train four times per week, eat six small meals, cut calories by 20% and reduce their carb intake.

These are great goals — but most people are trying to do too much at once. John Berardi has said that studies show that if you want to make one change in your life, you have an 85% chance of success. However if you try to change two things at once, your chances of success drop to around 35%. Three things at once? Almost zero.

The solution to this is to use the goal snowball, an idea I first heard of from Chris Shugart. Here’s how to do it:

1) List five or six behaviors you need to improve or change to reach your goals. What do you need to be doing that you’re not doing? What bad habits do you need to kick? What good habits do you need to instill?

2) List these things from easiest to hardest.

3) “Maintain” all your other goals and focus your attention on the first thing on your list (the easiest one.) Spend two weeks just focusing on achieving that goal so that it becomes a habit.

4) Once that change has been made and ingrained, move up to the next item on your list and focus your efforts there.

5) One by one, knock out these changes and/or goals.

For example: Maybe you sleep late. First goal might be to get up 30 mins earlier every day.
Second goal might be to go to the gym as soon as you wake up – and go four times a week instead of three.
Third goal may be to make sure you always eat breakfast.
Fourth goal? Reduce portion sizes at 3 out of 5 meals…and so on.

So in 10 weeks or so – you’re getting up earlier – never missing a workout, have done an extra ten workouts, and eaten breakfast everyday (which is a key factor in fat loss) while consuming less calories overall. These goals would “snowball” into a bigger overall effect with long-term success whereas trying to do all things at once would likely result in short term failure.

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AC

This commercial gave me chills when it first came out. I now have a framed picture with this quote on it in my office…

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AC

PS – make sure you are keeping up with me on Facebook — > Alwyn Cosgrove Facebook Page

Today we enter what retailers and businesses call Q4. The fourth quarter of the year.

2011 has flown by – for me at least.

But here we are – October 1st. Only 3 months until 2012 and you’re setting the same old New Year’s Resolutions…again.

But before you get too depressed and think that thee year is over – let me point out that 3 months is a long time – you can get a lot done in 3 months. And there’s no rule that states you can only set goals Dec 31st. You can start progress towards a goal anytime….

Is your goal to lose fat? You could EASILY lose 2 or 3lbs per week by starting now, tightening up your training and diet and focusing your efforts. You’ve got 13 weeks until New Years Eve. That would mean somewhere between 25-40lbs gone.

There’s 13 weeks left in the year. Imagine starting 2010 having lost 20-40lbs more fat. Get started on a solid, effective, fast-acting fat loss program today.

Muscle gain? Check out Muscle Gaining Secrets and start growing today. By Jan 1 you’ll have quite possibly made 8-10lbs of solid gains in muscle.

You’re a trainer who needs more income? Picking up just one more client, could increase your income dramatically. Pick up 55 fitness business tips or The Evolution of Personal Training DVD and start doing something dramatic.

No idea where to begin with goal setting? Pick up Dax Moy’s product and start checking off items on your dream “to-do” list.

If you’re on track with your 2011 goals- don’t lose momentum.
If you’re behind schedule – step it up.

And if you haven’t even started – it’s NOT too late. Make your 2011 Quarter Four Resolutions now and get a jump start on 2012.

Don’t let the next three months slide by without doing something!

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AC

What is it that separates you from your goals? Or from being at the very top?

If you want to be a World Class personal trainer – what is it that is keeping you from accomplishing that?

Is it education?
If so – what books do you need to read?
What DVD’s do you need to watch?
Who do you need to meet or consult with ?
What audio CD’s do you need to listen to?
What seminars do you need to attend?
Is it experience? If so – who can you study under to fast track that experience?
How many clients would you need to train to get more experience? If you currently train 20 sessions per week, if you got up to 25, that would be an extra 250 sessions per year (or over twelve extra weeks of experience each year compared to now).

What about a personal goal of fat loss or muscle gain? What if you want to lose 20lbs?

What foods would you have to eat on a daily basis? What training would you have to do? How much cardiovascular work? How many sets, reps, exercises in your weight training program? Should you even have a weight training program?

Who is the best trainer in your area that you can hire? What time commitment realistic for you?

Are you just lacking the information? Are you lacking a plan? Do you know what to do and just aren’t doing it? Are you supposed to take a 6am spinning class and sleep in instead? Are you just not taking action?

I bet most of you have never even figured out these factors. Most people prefer to stay the same, yet complain about where they are, and how hard it is, and how it’s “different” for them or in their gym/town/city/state/country…

As we enter the second half of 2011 are you where you wanted to be 6 months ago? What about 6 months from now? What steps do you need to take?

If it’s a lack of information – then get that information and then take action.
If it’s a lack of action – then get off your butt and DO something.

If you can answer these questions make a list and start moving towards your goals.

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AC

Here’s a question I was asked at a seminar a couple of years ago that I really couldn’t answer:

“What do you do when a client just doesn’t follow your coaching advice? in other words, they are cheating on their diet, and aren’t doing their additional cardio work?”

I had a hard time answering this one as quite honestly I’ve never had it happen. I put it down to us having a great reputation, and maybe being more expensive than most trainers so we have attracted a more motivated type of clientele.

But over the past few months I’ve had several emails from trainers asking the same thing. There really does seem to be people who hire a coach and don’t follow their advice.

So what if we flipped the question somehow:

“I’ve given you (the reader) my very best business and training advice. Why aren’t YOU following it?”

In effect, what is the underlying reason why anyone doesn’t take action?

Right now as a trainer you could easily be on your way to changing lives and being compensated handsomely for it, if you follow the advice I’ve given on this site.

How many people do you think have access to this information, or even worse, have purchased this information and haven’t followed it?

I’ve told you about all the people who email me and ask about “where they should start” with X program, or how to adjust Y etc. Why not follow the exact plan as it was written as closely as possible and reach your goals? Why not take action?

I’m not sure I have a solid answer. I’ve touched on it before here, with posts about over-analysis and the success mindset. I guess the reason some people don’t follow through with the plan of action that they know they should – is because of an underlying mindset that prevents them from breaking out of their current situation.

Obviously in a coaching situation, I’m able to break through those “defenses” per se and get to the root of the problem. that’s why my business coaching clients are all making huge progress. That’s why we have so many great success stories and before-and-after photos with clients. And that’s why we have so many successful business coaching members.

I shall work on providing a solution that I can share with you. But it is all going to start with belief systems. And immediately followed by taking action.

Set a goal. Believe you can achieve it. And immediately upon setting that goal – take the first steps towards it.

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AC

I’ve posted a motivational video from Will Smith before (here), but this is another EXCELLENT clip that I watch quite a lot.

“You don’t try to build a wall. You don’t set out and say ‘I’m gonna build the biggest, baddest, greatest wall that has ever been built’. You say ‘I’m going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid’. You do this every single day, and soon you have a wall.” – Will Smith

“If you are not making someone else’s life better, then you are wasting your time. Your life will become better by making other people’s lives better.” – Will Smith

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AC