How to set goals and stick to them

A plan of action for health and business goals (plus a bonus VIDEO!!)

For my birthday my wife bought me some exercise cards. It’s a deck of cards with a different exercise on each one.  I asked for them because I get bored with the same exercise day in and day out and lose interest in exercising.  I love the concept since I tend to get distracted easily and these cards help me vary my routine.

In the set she ordered were some weight loss cards.  My wife and I both are trying to be healthier and honestly, we are doing many of the things on these cards already.  As I flipped through the ‘Weight Loss Cards” I begin to realize how overwhelming goals like weight loss can be.

We picture our skinny self and it seems so far away.  Then, we get a set of 52 cards and in trying to keep up with all of these different ways to get healthy, we become overwhelmed.

So what do we do with all of these goals?

We end up going online and searching for the newest fad diet hoping that will work and before long we are right back where we started.

There’s still hope.

Over the last year I have been studying neuroscience, psychology and goal setting.  I used my research to come up with a simple plan anyone can follow.  I looked at the cards as if I had never tried weight loss before and I came up with a simple version that could help anyone at almost any stage of health.

See, the goal is not to lose weight. The goal is to be healthy, but we must define what healthy is.  Being healthy is made up of two parts: nutrition and exercise.

The goal plan is simple: just do one thing each day in the two main areas of being healthy.

Here’s a weight loss goal plan to get you started:

• The first month just drink a full glass of water 20-30 minutes before your meal and walk to the end of your block and back.  (If you can’t make it to the end of the block, just go to the end of the driveway and back.)
• The second month, keep drinking water before your meal, but add a step.  Drop your fork every three bites and make sure you are not distracted by electronics or TV while you eat.  You want to become conscious of what you eat.  That is why family meals are so important, even if you just sit at a table by yourself.  Then, add to your walking routine.  Walk around the block instead of just to the end of the block.  Each week add a few steps even it if it just means going to the next mail box.
• The third month, plan on eating most of your meals at home and cook them for yourself.  You may need to do some research on recipes or use one of those healthy ready-made meals to get you started.  Keep it simple and don’t try to be a gourmet cook.  Salads can be one of the best meals for you and if you make your own dressing they are affordable and tasty.  Plus, if you prepare your own meals and hand wash your dishes, that is a bit more movement (more exercise). Keep adding a few steps to your daily walk.
• The fourth month, buy only healthy snacks and cut out fried foods.  Think fruits instead of cookies and nuts instead of chips. Continue cooking at home, putting your fork down and drinking a glass of water before your meals.  Add 60 seconds of exercise right before you eat.  Do jumping jacks one day, leg raises another day, push-ups another day, etc.

I am not going to go any further.  If we just stopped here and continued adding one step towards your health each day, by the end of the year the world will see a newer, healthier you.

The key to healthy goals is to do universal healthy habits, not trendy fads and diets.

You can do it, I believe in you!

Below is a video I created that breaks down the plan even more and show you a few other habits you can add to your list.  Sure it is 16 minutes, but it is 2016 after all!

BONUS: Watch the video for a section on setting Business Goals (starting at time marker 8:47)

16 minutes to make your 2016 the best year ever: