Motivation Monday

Welcome to the New Year, and while it’s a very old catch phrase, it’s still worthy of use – welcome to the first day of the rest of your life! Have you worked out your forest/trees/branches/leaves for 2012? (CLICK HERE if you need a refresher).

As you begin your fresh steps towards this new journey, I would like to share with you a blog posting sent to me by a friend from livestrong.com called “The 1-Step Success Plan”, written by Adam Bornstein, Editorial director of livestrong.com. It’s a challenging piece that calls it like it is when it comes to achieving your goals. I love the fact that it calls New Years Resolutions “the health equivalent of pressing the refresh button on your life.” It is a new year, a new month, a new week, and a new day just waiting for you to take action!

CLICK HERE to access the blog and its links. He also wrote another article on “The 10 Rules of Healthy Living” that I also recommend. CLICK HERE to read it.

I wish you love, laughter, good health and more blessings than your heart can hold!

Blessings,
Linda

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THE 1-STEP SUCCESS PLAN

I’m going to warn you: This might be tough for you to read and you might not like everything I have to say. But if you accept this advice as a genuine solution, you will achieve your goals in 2012.

New Year’s Resolutions are the health equivalent of pressing the refresh button on your life. No matter what you did, a new year means a new you. The process is as basic as it is motivating: Learn from the past and plan for a better future. It’s a safe and effective approach that allows you to reinvent yourself, set new goals, and become the person you want to be.

Unfortunately, if success was that easy you wouldn’t be repeatedly setting the same goals year after year. (after year) You also know that you don’t have to wait until January 1 to become who you want. But there’s comfort in knowing you’re not the only one who fell short of their goals. It’s why so many people jump on the resolution bandwagon. But the timing doesn’t appear to solve the bigger issue: What separates the successful from the unsuccessful? And why do we start each year hoping for the best only to repeat the same failures?

The resolution solution really boils down to one simple factor, and making an adjustment to your approach could be the difference between achievement and failure.

The dirty little secret about resolutions isn’t some complex secret: Those who succeed are unwilling to quit. They want to taste success more than those who don’t.

We all have the desire to be better. In fact, that’s what motivates most people to set goals at the beginning of the year. But after working with thousands of people and hearing countless stories—both of successes and failures—the most common reason for success is the relentless drive to succeed.

This is not a blame-game or a lack of respect for whatever hurdles stand in your way. I’ve failed at plenty of my goals too.

This is a reality check that everyone needs to accept, yet few ever mention. Changing your body, losing weight, gaining muscle, quitting smoking—every goal you desire will be difficult to achieve. At some point, you’re going to hit a bump in the road, be confronted with a challenge, and begin to doubt your ability to make real, lasting change.

When that happens, don’t ignore your frustration. That’s the first step towards failure. Instead, acknowledge your anger. Channel your frustration and ask yourself one simple question: HOW BADLY DO I WANT THIS?

When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe that’s when you’ll achieve your goals.

This isn’t about six-pack dreams, running a marathon, or building bigger biceps. Those are all great goals that are achievable by anyone. I don’t care how far your journey might appear. I know you can make a change. And if you have any doubts, read the stories of those who are just like you. I’m inspired by these people because they do the impossible. And now it’s our job to eliminate doubt and apathy so that you can join in on the success.

This is a gut-check. Or as I call them: Pulse Moments.

Check your pulse and determine if you’re ready for your own challenge.

Are you willing to scratch, and claw and fight for your health? Are you willing to push harder, make yourself a little uncomfortable, and make the adjustments you need to succeed?

Change is hard, and I understand every ounce of hurt you feel when it seems like you can’t lose weight, you can’t eliminate pain, or you can’t become the version of yourself that you so desperately desire. And I give plenty of credit to anyone who takes the first step, looks in the mirror, and says, “I want to be better.”

But that’s just the beginning. You need to remind yourself that this will be a battle. And that the battle should be fun. Make no mistake about it: Becoming healthy will make you smile more, laugh more, and feel better than you could ever imagine. It’s worth every drop of effort you put into it. But making the transition from your current situation to the one you want takes time and includes struggles. It will be difficult, it will inevitably frustrate you, and you have to expect what’s waiting on your journey.

Approach this year’s goals with your eyes wide open. Have hope. Be an optimist. And believe that ANYTHING is possible. And then tell yourself that when you get knocked down, you will pick yourself back up.

Every. Single. Time.

Do it for your family. Do it for your friends. Do it for the people you love. And most importantly: Do it for you.

Once you achieve that mindset, the rest is comparatively easy. Yes—you need to find great information and adapt it to your situation. That’s why we’re here. We’ve aligned an army of experts at LIVESTRONG.COM to help you with every imaginable goal. Ask them your questions and they will respond. Read our articles, use our tools, find your resolution and let us figure out the details.

Your job should be limited to one single focus: Take ACTION and don’t stop until you achieve your goals.

We want to make 2012 the year of success. This is the year where you become UNSTOPPABLE. But change doesn’t start with making a list of resolutions, finding a great workout, or finally settling on a diet.

It begins with a hard look in the mirror and a determination that your health is worth fighting for. It’s time to unleash the limitless potential of YOU. Take the first step, don’t accept failure as an option, and you’ll remember 2012 as the year when uncovered your best.