If you are one of the many people that are looking to lose weight and get in shape, whatever you do, don’t be realistic! What am I talking about? I’m talking about finally getting the body that you want. Don’t settle for what you think you can do, or what your friends say you can do, or what Dr. Phil says you can do.
If you are going to actually make a change in your life and get the body of your dreams, then you are going to have to dream big! The majority of people that want to lose 50 pounds set a goal to lose 20. They figure that this will get them on track and moving in the right direction. Don’t do this. Setting a goal to lose 20 lbs. when you need to lose 50 lbs. is not going to inspire you. It’s not going to keep you excited and get you out of bed in the morning. It’s not going to stop you whenever you grab that third cookie after dinner.
It’s time for you to quit setting goals on what you think you can do and start setting them on what you really want. Don’t worry about what others will say. In fact, don’t tell them about it unless they are supportive of you and will help you with your goals. Some of your best friends and family members may be the worst people in your life to tell your goals to. It may sound silly, but it is true. They may have the best of intentions, but will not be of any help.
Here’s a typical scenario:
You: Hey, I am finally going to lose some weight. I am learning about diet and exercise from this great blog, 
and I am going to lose 30 lbs!
Friend: 30 lbs! Now come on, get real. Don’t you think that is a little unrealistic. Why don’t you just start with 5 or 10 lbs?
You: Well, I don’t need to lose 5 or 10 lbs, I need to lose 30. When I do, I will look the way I always wanted to. I am tired of settling and hoping for the best. I am really going to do it this time. Don’t you think I can do it?
Friend: I don’t know, it seems a bit much. I just don’t want you to set yourself up to fail. Why don’t you be a little more realistic?
Of course, your friends may mean well, but they are not helping at all. In fact, they are actually hurting you. You need to set your goals as big as you can and then expect to achieve them. Don’t bother telling everyone about your goals, keep them to yourself. Let your results speak for themselves.
Most people set goals like they are wading in to the cold ocean water during vacation. They stick their toe in and then quickly pull it back out. Then stick it back in a little more, only to pull it back out and then go sit down on their towel. Quit living your life like this and quit setting goals that you know you can achieve. Set goals for what you want, goals that will inspire you. Get up off of your towel and just dive in! The little bit of discomfort at first is going to be nothing compared to the incredible feeling of getting what you want in life.
If you have the guts to really push yourself and set a big, I mean really massive goal, you will be amazed at what you can achieve. Everyone loves a winner, and I think that life in general loves a winner. You are a winner, now you just need to start acting like one! Don’t be timid and don’t settle. You deserve to have what you want and if you really want it, you will have it. If you set a goal to lose 10 lbs, but in your mind you are saying that I really want to lose 50 lbs, you are going to fail.
You need to spend some time and ask your self, “What do I really want? What would I ask of myself if I knew that I couldn’t fail?” Find out what that is and then set that as your goal. There are too many mediocre, let the world kick them in the ass and have their way with them, type of people out there. You are not like that. You are in charge of your life whether you know it or not. Don’t short change yourself, because nobody is going to care more about you, than you. Stand up for yourself and take what you want from life. If you don’t life is going to continue to give you the scraps left over from the ones that do.
[Sorry to get all Anthony Robbins on you, but I really feel that we all can achieve so much more if we would only dream a little bigger. A defined goal that is big enough to inspire you, and even scare you a little, will equal success.]
I’m pulling for you. Let me know what your goals are and believe me, I will not tell you that you can’t have them. I may just push you a little harder though and tell you to dream a little bigger!
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
If you’d like a tool for setting your goals, you can use this web application:
http://www.Gtdagenda.com
You can use it to manage your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use checklists, schedules and a calendar.
A Vision Wall (inspiring images attached to yor goals) is available too.
Works also on mobile, and syncs with Evernote.
Awesome post! I think most people do set the bar too low when it comes to what they want and as a result don’t get what they want. Think big!
.-= Darrin´s last blog ..Whole Chicken Recipe: How to Cook 8 Meals in 2 Hours Without Breaking a Sweat =-.
Yeah, we need to quit striving for mediocrity and start living the life that we want. Anyone that has lost a bunch of weight or gained a decent amount of muscle without steroids knows how much your mind plays a part in all of this.
Kelly,
Excellent thoughts on goal setting. I think one of the challenges with setting goals is determining and appropriate amount of time to achieve those goals and separating into long and short term goals. It’s unrealistic to lose 50lbs in a month, but if that’s the long term goal, then a short term goal of losing 2lbs per week might be reasonable.
Dave
Well I’m a victim of this, I went after 175 from 195 and hit it in mid April, I need to lose another 10-15 lbs, but haven’t gotten back on the ball.
.-= LD@DSD´s last blog ..Weight Loss Myths – Starvation Mode =-.
Dave,
Yeah it’s good to have short term goals to chart your progress. Most people only have short term goals though, because they are afraid to ask for what they really want. They figure if they set the goal they really want and don’t achieve it, there is nowhere to go from there. In reality, they need to keep pushing towards the goal. The only way that you can fail at a goal is to quit. It may take longer than you thought, but if you stick with it, you will get it.
LD,
You have done an incredible job losing that much weight! Good for you. The great thing about goals and weight loss is that there are really no deadlines that count. If you miss your mark or slack off a little, you can always just get right back at it again.
I enjoyed your site and specifically your “no nonsense” air about your article! That title is catchy too!
Your Ideal Target Weight´s last [type] ..Calories – Just What Are They