PLEASE tell me that you've seen the movie What About Bob. If you haven't, I'm shocked and also sad for you at the same time. Go watch it as soon as you're done reading this post. Instead of giving you all the spoilers on what is one of the most hilarious movies I have ever seen, I'm going to share only a couple of clips and back up Dr. Leo Marvin's plan for Bob Wiley. Today we are talking about baby steps to awesome.
As hilarious as this movie is, Richard Dryfus' character had some pretty great advice in the tile of that fat yellow book he gave to Bob. Baby steps is more than a repeated line in the movie, it is actually great advice for anyone trying to reach their goals. Whether they are trying to lose weight, gain positivity, get organized, or up their energy, no one is going to reach a goal in one giant leap. Goals take creativity, planning, sticking power, and small steps. Spend a little time with me today figuring out what goal you have for yourself. Without telling yourself it's too big, too out of reach, too unrealistic or even that you have no idea what your goals should be, play along with me here.
RULE #1 - This is a no judgement zone! In the game we are about to play you are only allowed curiosity. Whatever you dream up and want is right. No downplaying or poo-pooing it away.
I want you to grab a piece of paper and a pencil, or you some way to take notes so you can really dig into what we are doing here. I know, I know... you came here for some light reading. It's about to be homework hour, kids! (It really won't take an hour unless you want it to.) Once you have some way to keep track of your thoughts, get comfortable and take a little trip with me.
Before you start scribbling madly all the things you want to accomplish, stop, breathe, and relax. That's a super simple baby step, isn't it? When you do this, close your eyes and breathe; piece of cake. When you're doing this I want you to use all of your senses so you can see what you want from your life. What do you hear? Smell? Taste? Who is with you? Are you ready? Take as long as you need to really dig into this. It might take you 1 minute or 1 hour. There is no rush so go ahead, I'll be here when you're done.
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Why did I have you do all that instead of just jotting down a goal on a piece of paper and tucking it away? There are a few reasons actually. One is that goals need to be specific. When you really start digging into what is going on around you and using your senses, you get into the details of what you want and it brings the big idea floating around in your head into clarity. Okay, okay, so it might not be crystal clear yet and that's okay. You're don't need perfection on the first try. We have lots of baby steps to take to get where we are going. No one learns to walk in a day. What I want you to do is to continue to think about what you want. Keep mulling this goal around in your head for a few days and let it shape into a clear vision. Keep writing down the parts of your goal that excite you and putting yourself into the feeling of achieving that goal.
Once you know what you want, it'll make it a lot easier to know when you've reached your goal. That seems really silly to say but some people have no idea how to tell when they have what they want. They are so vague and wishy-washy on what they envision for themselves that they bounce from one idea to the next without any real clarity on when they have accomplished something worth celebrating. We want to celebrate - after all, in America, we have a day to celebrate every day of the year. Trust me; I picked up a calendar of 365 Reasons to Party the liquor store once. Another day, another baby step and another reason to party. Keep going.
In the goal that you are creating for yourself, who else is involved? Is your goal achievable or did you plan to run a marathon next week by starting to train today. I'm not saying it can't happen but in all fairness, let's try to be realistic here. Unless you are incredibly fit and working out in other ways for quite some time, jumping up to run a marathon isn't something most people are able to do. It takes patience, persistence and a serious love of running that I will never understand. What baby steps do you need to take to get from where you are to finishing a marathon? What will keep you taking the steps you need to take when you don't feel like running one day, when your feet and shins feel like they are on fire, or when it's 90 degrees outside and you need to get a workout in? Are you all in and committed to the goal you're picturing for yourself or is it someone else's goal for you? Trust me, those goals don't work. Get you own.
What will having this dream come to life do for you? No one sets out to run a marathon without a reason to do so. That is way too far to run without a reason unless your name is Forest Gump and even he was running to forget about Jenny. When you started picturing yourself achieving something and creating your goal, what made that important to you? Why do you want whatever it is you want for yourself? How important is it to you? These are questions you really want to connect to so when your baby steps feel more like climbing Mount Everest, you have a reason to keep going.
Finally, when do you want this goal? You have to give yourself a deadline or time slips away with no real action plan to direct you. Without a finish date, its too easy to put what you want on the back burner. If you want to lose 30 pounds but never say when you want to see this happen, why not wait until after the next celebration day. After all, tomorrow is Flag Day and you could probably find a cake with strawberries and blueberries on it to enjoy. That 30 pounds will come off after we're done celebrating, right? WRONG. If you want it, set a deadline and stick to it! There is always another reason for cake.
Okay so you have this awesome plan for yourself now so what is the likelihood that you're going to wake up tomorrow and take start taking the baby steps you need to lead you to what you want? On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you that you can set out and crush that goal? If you're not at at least an 8, we need to talk. You see, my coaching practice isn't all about losing weight - sure it's a big part of what I do but I also help people stay focused on their goals - any goals, and go after what they want. From adult and teen health issues, to decluttering your life, to homework and parenting help, your goals are completely reachable with the right support, the right accountability and the right plan! If you're serious about having what you just wrote down but need some help in the planning and follow through departments, that's where I step in but first you need to step up. Schedule a Breakout Session with me and let's go a little deeper. It won't cost you anything more than 45 minutes of your time and some honesty but you are guaranteed to leave with a whole lot of insight whether we decide working together is a good fit or not. I can't wait to hear about the plans you have for yourself. Let's do this t