(3 min read)

How about a little counter intuitive advice to jolt your brain cells awake today soldier?!

Here’s the problem with goals – they are obtainable…and then what?

Look, I get it, every self- help guru and motivator preaches the power of goals and they’ve worked for eons and eons.

I get what they’re aiming for but they are using the wrong term.   Words are amazing  and powerful.   One small shift can change an entire emotion, perception and outcome.

The entire chiropractic profession was almost destroyed over a simple mistake in terms.   One word.

There is a simple shift you can do, we all should do, right now that makes a greater imprint on your mind and while seemingly benign it will radically change the way you approach your health, business and life plans.

Substitute the word

GOALS

For

HABITS

Example:  “I want to drop 30 lbs.”  That’s a Great goal.  But there are a million unhealthy ways to be successful.   You could starve.   You could join a Siberian Labor Camp – You could lose a leg.   These, my friends are terrible ideas.

You’re not that strange – you’re going to just eat better and work out?  Seems a much better choice – BUT – I’ve seen this scenario play out.  You drop the 30 lbs for the 20^th class reunion and then what? –you decide to reward yourself with a couple beers while listening to Thunderstruck with your Homies and the next day 8-9 of those lbs found their way back onto your midsection.   After all that hard work and grueling gym sessions?   “Screw it, I’m never going to the gym again.”

What if you developed a habit to eat right and work out.   This is rather underwhelmingly similar right?  But it has a different focal point.   There’s no 30 pound end-point.  No false pot of gold goal that brings you nothing.

The 30 lbs will still come off– it’s natural.   But that’s not the point of it all.  You have created a habit – (takes about 30 days to click in your brain) – you can still rock out to ACDC at the party and the next morning you’re immediately back on track.  The scale makes no difference because the weight itself  was NEVER part of the equation.    Within 2 days “cheat and fun day” gain is negated and you’re back on track.

 

You get the idea.  I don’t need to beat this to death do I?    (my short and sweet articles are much more popular)   ok… 2 more examples:

The habit is to develop a consistent golf swing.   The reward is a consistently decreasing score that you can actually work with self correct.

The goal is to shoot sub 80 and you probably obtain it once in your lifetime… if you don’t count that one foot wedge and a gimme or two on the back 9.

 

The habit is to start to learn your way around the kitchen and try a new spice or two.  To create something and play with cooking.  It’s fun.   It leads you to eventually creating real confidence and skill allowing you to amaze your friends and family with your culinary prowess.

The goal is to present one blowout  5 course meal to impress your date.     (insert cartoon “Wah-wah.”)

 

These terms goals and habits are used nearly interchangeably in our lives, and they are similar and there is overlap but the ramifications of using them differently is life altering.  Habits can and should be fun, exploratory and freeing – learning and trying new things, experimenting with life and creating.

 

Goals are laser beam focused and often riddled with pressure and guilt.

 

Change your words and change your life!