Let’s be honest, most of us know what it takes to ensure success in any endeavor in life: one must have a defined purpose, set specific and attainable goals, device a plan, and diligently execute it. Starting and/or following through on our goals, however, is another challenge all together. Maybe it’s our fear of failure, or the overwhelming stress of doing things out of our comfort zone. Maybe it’s both.

The truth is that setting performance or appearance goals is only good practice for those whom already know how to do it and have the resolve to do what it takes to get there. In other words, to achieve a goal you must change your habits and/or create new ones. Creating lasting habits will not take place until we deeply understand why achieving a goal is important, decide that we want it bad enough, and believe we can accomplish it.

So if you say to yourself “this year I want to lose 20lbs”, chances are that this alone won’t take you too far if you are not already working out at least once a week, or already have control over not eating high sugar foods on a daily basis. I believe there is a better approach.

Before establishing specific goals, you must become the person who can achieve those goals, and slowly but steadily create new habits and stick to them. Otherwise you may end up in the same place as most people:

You try to change and do everything all at once only to end up overwhelmed and stressed out in the process before quitting. Or,

You follow a drastic approach that creates short term changes that are impossible to sustain and, inevitably, give up and bounce back to where you initially started.

Motivation and inspiration have to come first from within before any external source can be of help to you.

1. Define your Purpose. Ask yourself why it is important for you to take action now towards your goals. Ask yourself also what you will lose out on if you don’t. Then write down how you will feel every time you reach a small win towards your goal Vs. how it will make you feel if you don’t. Your goals will be hard to reach without internalizing a greater meaning to achieve them.

For example: To start exercising and lose weight are goals. To be healthier, live longer and be happier and more comfortable in your own skin, are examples of a defined purpose for training.

2. Become the person that can accomplish the goals you desire. Decide who you want to be before you work on specific goals.

For example: If losing weight, getting stronger, and becoming healthier are your goals, then focus first on becoming a person who works out 2-3 times per week and work on this so you consistently get your workouts in every week in spite of what life throws at you (major occurrences aside of course).  Once you prove to yourself that you can do this consistently, make sure to acknowledge your accomplishment and then proceed to make a small change in your diet. Keep following these steps and soon enough you will be well on your way to achieving your main goals.

3. Educate yourself properly. You may need Coaching. We all need good coaching to truly reach our potential. Only through clarity and competence can we push through the hard work it takes to be better. A good coach can pull the best out of his pupils. Remember that clarity plus competence gives us the confidence to act and do things better.