Focus For Five Weeks And Forever Be Fit!
Hello, my friends! I hope you are treating life well! Life coach Tony Robbins is famous for saying, “Where focus goes, energy flows.” When I first heard this statement, I instinctively agreed. However, I failed to really understand the underlying principle until recently.
I often have clients who tell me that they are too busy, have too much on their plate, or are too stressed to even consider changing their nutrition or exercise habits. These typically come from some of the corporate clients that I coach. To be fair they ARE busy, and they do have a lot of responsibility–and they consistently fail to take care of themselves. Contrast this group of people with some of the executives that I work with who are far busier, yet they continue to exercise, eat healthy, and take care of themselves in general.
What sets these people apart? Is it luck? Do the executives just “have it made” and, therefore, have the time to workout at their leisure? The answer to these and many other conjectures is an emphatic NO! The next time you observe somebody taking care of themselves physically, nutritiously, emotionally, and spiritually, know this: They all possess a universal power that is available to all but is only used by a fraction of people! The power that I speak of is the POWER OF FOCUS!
Finding Your Focus!
Remember the power to focus is universal and is not limited to those with an “elite mindset.” Simply stated, everyone has the tools available to focus, but only a few are aware of them, and few still use them. Following is a is a five week challenge that you can use to change your focus. Each tool listed builds upon the previous tool and will help you create and maintain an unbreakable fitness focus.
My Challenge and My Promise!
I would like to offer you a challenge. If you are up to it (and you are . . . don’t kid yourself), I would like to challenge you to refine your focus for the next five weeks starting this moment. If you follow the challenge exactly, I promise you that your life will be changed forever. Remember, there are no shortcuts. I am asking you to be honest with yourself and commit to this challenge 100%. Only with this commitment level will you experience the true power of changing your focus.
Step #1: Write a simple plan
This plan is intended to help you structure your plan of attack to change your life. It does not have to be difficult nor should it be. If, for example, you want to begin exercising, you could write something similar to the following:
“I am exercising 5 days per week and devoting 3 of those days to cardiovascular exercise for 30 minutes at a time and 2 of those days to weight training for 45 minutes per training session. I will exercise on Monday, Tuesday, Wed, Friday, and Saturday.”
That’s it! Notice that it is to the point, simple, and very definable. In short, there is no ambiguity to the goal.
Step #2: Read your plan 5 times per day
Read your plan 5 times a day, preferably in the morning, mid morning, mid afternoon, evening, and before bedtime. Also read your plan whenever you feel like you are losing focus.
Step #3: Plan your day to your plan!
Each day, I want you to physically pencil in some time to make your plan a reality. Now, are you ready for this? You cannot under any circumstances (unless it is life-threatening or a true emergency) deviate from your plan. For example, when planning out your week/day, physically pencil in your workout! Do not let meetings or any other external circumstance get in the way!
Step #4: Break down the barriers!
Most of us fail because we have to gain a certain degree of momentum to make significant change in our lives and that momentum is hard to gain! To make this easier, I am requesting that you roll out your proverbial red carpet! For example, sleep in your gym clothes and have your gym bag by your bed so that you are ready to go in the morning, and you don’t have to think about it! Make sure that you address other hidden barriers such as having the right clothes, shoes, gym memberships, training partners in place, and transportation. These hidden barriers can drain your motivation and make your goal appear daunting if they are not taken care of from the outset.
Step 5: Intentional focus
“Intentional” is the key word here. I am asking you to do the following things:
-Set a timer on your watch to go off once per hour.
-When your timer goes off (regardless of where you are or what you are doing), I want you to change your focus from what you are thinking about to the object of your goal! Even if it is a 20-second focus, that is all that I care about! Remember that this is in addition to step #2.
If you are thinking that this is a lot of work, I can assure you that it will be worth it. Your mind will be forever shaped by this simple, fun, and life-changing challenge. God bless my friend and remember . . .
Life is good!