"Part 2" How to Write Out Your Fitness Goals

THE SCIENCE OF GOAL ACHIEVEMENT

A Three Part Series

Part 2/3

THE GOAL CARD: A SIMPLE BUT INCREDIBLY POWERFUL TOOL FOR REACHING YOUR GOALS…

It's important to have lots of goals...dozens of them... hundreds, even... big and small, short term and long term. But to effectively and quickly achieve the goals that are most important to you, you must prioritize and focus. You need a way to stay centered on your #1 most important goal for each 12-week period and to get that goal burned into your subconscious mind. A goal card is the ultimate way to do that.

Here's what I want you to do: Take your 12-week (90 day) goal - which is the primary goal you should focus the most attention on at any given time - and transfer it, in "affirmation" format, to a small goal card. Use card stock, like an index card. If you have a laminator, then laminate it for longevity purposes because you're going to be handling it daily. You could also put it in a clear plastic credit card sleeve. You must write your 90-day goal statement as an AFFIRMATION. Most people resist and object at first because it sounds weird, but the way you write your goal is vitally important, so pay close attention here:

1) Start the goal card by writing your deadline at the top:

For example: By August 15th, 2007 (or whatever your deadline is).

This is the only part of your goal card that is written in future tense, and it’s only for urgency, it's not part of your actual goal statement. All goals must have deadlines because it's a psychological law that work always expands to fill the time allowed.

(2) Next, begin your goal affirmation statement by writing it in personal tense ("I")

(3) Continue writing your goal in present tense ("I AM")

(3) Write your goal with positive emotion ("I AM so happy")

(4) Write your goal with gratitude ("I AM so happy and thankful")

(5) Give added emphasis to personal and present tense ("I AM so happy and thankful now that I AM...")

(6) Finish by filling in the blank with your goal. The goal MUST be stated in the positive. In other words, you must write what you want to achieve, not what you want to avoid (how lean you want to become, not how much fat you want to get rid of). Be as clear and specific as possible and feel free to embellish and add as much additional emotion to your affirmation statement as possible. Ideally, when you read it, it should stir up a feeling and make a picture pop into your mind.

For example, if your goal is to lose 6% body fat, (which is a typical rate of fat loss for 90 days), drop from 14% to 8% body fat, and see your abs for the first time in your life, your goal statement might look like this:

MY GOAL:

By August 15th, 2007:

I am so happy and thankful now that I am 8% body fat. My size 30” jeans fit perfectly on my slim, trim waistline. I am super-lean with a rock-hard, flat stomach and I can clearly see the razor-sharp definition in my six pack abs - and everyone else notices my ripped abs too.

This might sound silly, but affirmations like these are the ultimate secret to impressing what you want upon your subconscious mind. This is the way your brain works and nothing will ever change that. We humans are simply "wired" this way. Still have doubts? Then don't take my word for it - go track down the most left-brained, logical and analytical psychologist, psychiatrist, or hypnotherapist you can find. Ask them how the subconscious mind works and see what they say. They'll all tell you this procedure is perfectly scientific. I sometimes get frustrated with how much "arm-twisting" I have to do to get my clients to write down their goals in this exact format. Seriously - hardly anybody does it – there’s almost always resistance and skepticism because of closed minds, old paradigms and past conditioning.

“But why do I need to write down my goals? I know what I want."

"Why do I have to keep reading it over and over again? I don't have time."

"Writing my goals as affirmation statements in the present tense seems weird; I just can't do that because it’s like lying to myself."

"I did write down my goals, but I didn't read my affirmations every day."

"I read my affirmations for a while, but I stopped after a few weeks because nothing was happening."

"The whole thing just seems kind of juvenile."

I've heard every one of these excuses more times than I care to say, and without exception, all these people were struggling. The 5% who had an open mind, listened and faithfully put this formula to work achieved more in less time than they ever had in their lives. Stay tuned for part 3 where we talk about why this works…

Click here if you want to learn more about how you can bring your fitness goals to life!

Stay tuned for Part 3 of this series…Why this works!