First thing first: I have created a dedicate page to this series. You can visit our Goal Setting Series page here. So if you are new to this, check out all the other posts then come back and read this one.

Now back to the good stuff:

In part 5 of this 6 part series (we are getting close!), I am going to discuss how to completely surpass all your expectations. After all, I called this series how to achieve, succeed and EXCEED your goal setting. So now we are going to get into the exceeding part. Setting a goal and hitting it is nice. Setting a goal, hitting it and keep surpassing it is even better.

One issue most people have is they set a goal, hit it, and they are done. Most of those people end up right back where they started from simply because they don’t know where they go from here. . In the first part of this series, you should have set a goal that isn’t easy to reach, but isn’t impossible at the same time. So first, if you hit your goal, pat yourself on your back because if you set your goal up right, you have done one hell of a job.

Then, re-adjust the result. I have mentioned before that there are no such things as failures. A “failure” is only a result. If you re-adjust the result, you will get a better result in the future. The same thing with successes. Once you hit your original goal, readjust the result. Re-establish your goal, re-established your road map, and re-establish how you are going to get there. Then go crush it again!

Get Rid Of Your Limiting Beliefs

Most people think they can only go so far in life. And when I start to question how far they have tried to go, no one has ever told me they went to far. Most people tell me they have never tried to push their limits. Most people don’t know their limits. I am not talking about jumping off of a cliff to see if you are indestructible. I am talking about your personal limiting belief system. Your will to push yourself until you truly can’t push yourself anymore. I am talking about hitting your goal, then going farther. People think they can only lose 20 lbs. They can only make so much money. They are only so good at something. I am here to tell you if you think that way, then you are. You are exactly who you think you are.

I am going to say that again because it is kind of a big deal: YOU ARE EXACTLY WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE.

If you think you are just a C student, you are. If you think you can only lose 20 lbs, you can. If you think you can only make X amount of dollars, you will. If you think you can only run a 5k, you will. When you wrap your head around this concept, it is HUGE! Your mind is what controls how far you push yourself. Your mind is the limiting factor to most of your success, or lack of. If you doubt yourself on not only hitting your goals, but exceeding your goals, you will never know how far you could go. Don’t limit yourself to your end goal. Once you reach your end goal, odds are you probably have pushed yourself farther than you originally expected. That is outstanding. Now go further. Keep going and going and going. If you hit a plateau, don’t tell yourself that is the end, tell yourself that is a hill. You need to find a new way around the hill, and keep getting the results. Always strive to keep finding ways to hit your goal. I am telling you that if you do this, there is no way you will not hit your goal (given your goal is not outrageous).

So when you accomplish your goals, stop only long enough to congratulate yourself on a job well done, then re-assess where you are at, where you are going, and how you are going to get there and keep pushing forward.

I have only one more posting in this series which will finish us up just before the new year. I hope you have been enjoying this. I know I had a great time writing this. I hope you found it useful and can truly hit, and exceed all of your goals in 2011.

To your health,

~Z

I am starting to get into my true passion on here, which is basically a form of lifestyle coaching. I believe that people have the ability within them to live the life they think they can only dream about. If you can dream it, you can do it. And here is a very simple exercise to show you what I mean.

I am a firm believer in “aha” moments. Most times, it takes one instant to realize something big enough to make a lasting change. I had mine in college.

I was a sub 5 min mile entering into college. I didn’t keep up my working out when I entered college. The freshman 15 hit me a few times and I very quickly got out of shape and overweight (a little over 200 pounds for my 5’10″ frame. I was running late for a class one day and had to park in the bottom parking lot at San Diego State University. The only way up to the campus was climbing a significant amount of stairs. I finally found a spot to park, checked the clock and had approximately 2 minutes to get to class. I started running. I hit the first of many staira, no problem – I got this. Half way up I was walking. When I reached the top, I had to sit down because my heart was beating out of my chest and I couldn’t catch my breath. Needless to say I was late to the class. As I sat there trying to catch my breath and bring my heart rate down, I kept thinking “what am I doing? How did I get like this? I am a fitness and health guy and I can’t climb stairs? How am I suppose to preach health and wellness if I am overweight?”.

That was my “aha” moment. It was at the moment that I decided to turn it around. I start working out, eating better, dropped weight and changed my entire lifestyle so I can now talk the talk while I walk the walk.

Most people need that “aha” moment. Some people it is waking up and realizing you cannot see your feet because your belly sticks out. Others it is sitting in the doctors office with the doctor telling them if they don’t lose weight, they are going to die from Type 2 diabetes or heart attack.

It is my opinion that in order to make a lasting change, people need to have that “aha” moment. If people don’t have that moment, they just go through the motions. The implement changes that don’t stick. There is something psychological about an “aha” moment that makes you want to make a change. This is how you will make a change. Sure, you can make changes without an “aha” moment. Those people are determined to make a change. But I bet if you chat with most people that make drastic changes, there was something in their mind that clicked.

Dig deep down inside of you an find your “aha” moment. Find that one thing that makes you realize that you need to make life long changes in you life, whether it is to lose weight, live healthier, or change a bad habit. If you acknowledge the issue (the “aha” moment”) you will be able to find the determination to actually make the changes stick.

Having goals are the best way to get the results that you want. But most people do not set the right goals, which leads to most of the time not attaining your goals. New Year resolutions are a great example of this. People make goals in haste without actually sitting down and planning out what they want and how they are going to get there. Anyone can make goals. But can you make a plan to achieve your goals?

Here are a few ways that you can set your goals and accomplish them.

1. Choose your direction - Really think about what you want. Is it to lose weight? Be more active? Eat Better? Become an athlete? Drop your 5k time? Become more flexible?  Notice I said find a direction, This isn’t your final goal – this is the direction that you are going to be headed. Think of a direction and write it down.
2. Choose Your Goal – Now that you have a direction, choose your specific, attainable goal. If losing weight is your direction, how much? Make sure it is attainable. If you need to lose 70 lbs, setting your goal for 70 out of the gate may not be the best idea. Set it for 30, and then reset when you hit it. If you have to stare at that big number, you can get discouraged. If your direction is to be more active, set a goal to be active 5x a week. If is to drop your 5k time, set the time you want to run.  Make sure that for your goal, it is specific, and it is hard enoug that it will make you work, but make sure it is within reach. When you have your specific,reachable goal in mind, write it down.
3. Now Get MORE Specific: Ok so now you have a goal. This is your long term goal. This is the end result that you want to see. Now set a short term goal. Again – specific and reachable. Set a goal that is going to help you reach your long term goal. For example, if your long term goal is to lose 30 pounds, set a short term goal to lose 1-2 a week for 15-30 weeks. If your goal is to be active 5x a week, set a goal to go to the gym 2x a week and walk around your block 3x a week. If your goal is to run a sub-18 min 5K – set a short term goal of 2x long runs a week, 2x speed works a week, and 1x hill works a week. Again, once you have your short term goals, write them down.
4. Now Get EVEN MORE Specific: Now write your immediate goals. What things are  you going to do RIGHT NOW, day in and day out to help you reach your long and short term goals. If your goal is to lose weight, what things do you need to do day in and day out in order for your to lose that 1-2 pounds a week on your way t0 your 30 pound goal? If you want to be more active, what do you need to do day in and day out in order to hit the gym 2x a week and walk 3x times a week on your way to be active 5x a week? If you want to run a 5k, what things do you need to do day in and day out that will get you to hit your workouts everyday on your way to a 5k under 18 minutes? Again, get more specific and right them down.

What you should have at the end of this is a game plan on how you will accomplish your goals. Now go out and hit these goals! If you need more help or direction on any of these sections, feel free to email me at info@nintemanfitness.com and I will help you set your goals in motion.