A Simple Formula For Meeting Your Goals

Lose it by Labor Day Challenge - 175.7 lbs (I did it)Everyone has goals. Whether personal or professional, we all (should) have something we are reaching for. Goals keep us motivated, keep us looking forward, keep us focused.

A recent goal of mine was to lose 10 pounds by Labor Day.

The Challenge

On June 29th, 2009, Cori Mozilo created a Facebook page titled, Lose It by Labor Day. Below were “the rules” as she laid them out:

A friendly wager between two Twitter friends has become this madness. Here’s the deal:

– Everyone has $50 on the line.
– You must lose 15lbs by Labor Day (Sep 7th) to keep your $50
– Official weigh-in for the start of the competition is 6/29 by 10am
– Official weigh-in for the finish is 9/7 by 10am
– Anyone who does NOT lose their 15lbs will have their $50 split amongst the good boys and girls who DID lose their weight.

The Extras:
– It’s an honor system people. There’s no point in cheating since if you lie you’ll get $50 back but have nothing but shame to show for it.
– To sweeten the deal I’m adding $50 to the pot to be divided among the people who hit their goal.

Invite anyone you want. I’ll gladly take their money.

I Did It

Check out the 9 second video below…proof that I met my goal! Note: I cleared it with Cori prior to starting – 15 lbs was too much for me, so my goal was 10. I lost 11.3 lbs.

The Formula

I know. The title of this post talks about a simple formula. I would agree that the following is simple to read; simple to write; simple to say; simple to think – but a bit harder to actual execute. I get that. However, trust me. Try it.

Discipline + Support + Focus = Successfully Meeting Your Goal

Let me also be clear. My goal of losing 10 lbs was relatively simple. I mean, I wasn’t talking about becoming the next President of the United States or owner of the New York Giants err…Jets (nice catch, Royce. I am a Giants fan. Gary Vee = Jets. Oops. Sorry Gary) (Gary Vee). However, I’m hoping the parallels still resonate.

Discipline

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines discipline as, “training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character.” When I think of this word, I think about elite athletes such as Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan or Roger Federer. They practice. They train. They mold and perfect. They are the best at what they do. They work(ed) their tails off both mentally and physically to obtain their goals.

Now, clearly I’m not comparing myself – or my goal of losing 10 lbs to Tiger or MJ, but the same principle applies. I was disciplined. Believe me, it was very very VERY tough to be at a bar last weekend watching the Michigan football opener sucking down water. No wings. No fries. No burgers. Okay, so I had one Guinness. Can you blame me? However, for the most part I ate well, consumed significantly fewer calories, and exercised often. Discipline.

Support

Back to the pro athlete: When interviewed immediately following a victory, many athletes point to the sky and thank God. Those that know me are well aware this is not my style. However, religion aside, reaching a goal inevitably requires the help of others. In the professional environment, this may mean your boss or the team you are working with. In the personal sphere, support often comes in the form of family and friends.

In reaching my “Lose It” goal, I had support from some of my Twitter and Facebook friends and of course my wife, the K-Dawg. She not only believed I could do it, she helped ensure that I stayed on track. While I know it killed her to not be able to share a “real” meal with me over the past week, she survived. Support.

Focus

Heck. I might as well finish off with another sports analogy. Remember Mike Singletary’s eyes? How about when MJ used to square up for that game winning shot? Or when Tiger lines up a putt to win a Major? That’s what I think about when I see or hear the word focus.

In my quest to lose 10 lbs by Labor Day, I remained focused on my goal for nearly the entire 2 months. Of course I had a few slip ups – final MBA weekend, fantasy football draft, etc – but for the most part I was on track. In the final 5 days, I had to lose 4.5 lbs. Focus kicked in. I went on a strict diet of water, broccoli, brown rice, and chicken. I’m sick of all of them now. I also worked out 5 days a week – intense “Boot Camp” workouts. It paid off. Focus.

Your Goals

So, what are your goals? Which have you succeeded in? Failed? Come close? What was the reason for success or failure? Did you follow a version of the above formula?

Please share…

DJ Waldow
@djwaldow