5 Ways to Set Goals that Stick

 

I want to help you set better goals for the new year, and then help you to achieve them. If this sounds interesting to you, then I think you’ll get a thing or two out of this post. Let’s begin with a few recent success stories, to help get you motivated, and then let’s dissect them, like a frog, as to see if we can’t figure out what went right.

Metabolic Reset Success Case Studies

Body transformation programs are a common lot, and most of them tend to be quite wearisome to the practical mind—and so, as a professional, and, as a business person, I wanted to see if I couldn’t invent an improvement upon it. My first order was to bring the whole business of “body transformation” down a level or two in absurdity, as most of these programs, well, you can hardly keep on them any longer than you can a bull, before you’re bucked off, trampled, and demoralized.

I thought hard on the matter–what is the easiest way to lose weight? And I concluded the easiest way to lose weight is to have a limb detached. But that would be a hard sell, even for my readers; so I went with a reasonable alternative instead.

So a wee little bit over a month ago I launched my improvement: the 30-Day Metabolic Reset Challenge. And, as an incentive, I promised 3-winners on the premises of “biggest transformation”. But what does this mean, “biggest transformation”? Is it the person who loses the most fat? Apparently, in this case, no—because the person who lost the most weight, pure and simple, was not a winner.

I have, in my day, helped many, many people lose over 100lbs. It is not an exceedingly difficult task; that is, if a person has more than 100lbs to lose. What is more of a feat, is to help the person who is already lean, and already fit, and already strong, to become even more fit, a little bit leaner, and decidedly stronger.

Each of these three winners are not neophytes, but veterans—many years practiced in lifting weight and swinging kettlebells. And they were chosen, not solely on the grounds of their physical, tangible results, but too by their diligence to the program, and their unyielding adherence through the ever-turbulent holiday season. But still, it was a tough decision, as there were many strong showings. I showed no favoritism.

Let’s examine the three winners now.

Anna Dajero

Anna is an online coaching client and Inner Circle member. I’ll let her do the rest of the talking.

“38 year old, with background in yoga and holistic health.  I gained 50 lbs while pregnant.  With new baby, I had little time for food prep and exercise, so whatever I did do, it needed to be effective in the least amount of time.

Before Pat and Met Reset:
– low energy and in brain fog
-worked out, but didn’t see results
-addicted to chocolate and junk food for treats
-suffered from energy ups and downs
-adult acne
-felt like a fat blob…wore yoga pants EVERYWHERE

After Pat and Met Reset:
-loads of energy … The first couple of weeks my husband kept asking, “Who’s this productive woman and what did you do with my wife?”
-stronger…started swinging 12kg bell…now up to 24 kg bell
-no sweet tooth cravings, even during the holidays
-constant energy throughout day.  More in touch with body needs.  Sleep when I need to rather than staying up too late.
-clear skin…This wasn’t even on my radar but now I get compliments on my skin
-can fit into pre – pregnancy jeans
-best thing for my ego is all of the compliments at how good I look now.  Best part is that I want to be healthier and more fit than before I was pregnant.  This is just the beginning!

Oh, and I feel sexy again. which is a big deal, especially after a baby.”

If I can butt in, I’d also like to congratulate Anna on reaching another one of her goals, which was achieving her first pull up. She worked very hard at this. Makes me smile.

Lisa Hibberd

Lisa is an in-house client and Inner Circle member. She started swinging bells over a year ago, is a licensed message therapist, Yogi, expert in ayurvedic medicine, and, recently certified Killing It With Kettlebells.

Here’s what she had to say about her experience:

“I am stronger, sleep better, and 5lbs lighter.”

Way to go Lisa!

“I have been working with Kettlebells for just a year now and have found it to be a great compliment to a yoga practice.

In May, I started to amp up my workouts and increased protein and saw significant changes in my body. September I did a sugar detox and felt better.

I signed up for Pat’s Met Reset, because I wanted to get stronger. Build strength and not look like a dude, seemed unlikely to me. He said that it was possible. So, I committed to the 30 days, as did he with me.

In November, which included two weekends of all day workshops and nightly comradery of food and spirits – and Thanksgiving. Let’s not forget Thanksgiving. Here I am, the end of a 30-day metabolic reset, and a year after swinging my first bell.

I am stronger, sleep better, and 5lbs lighter. I can deadlift 2-32kg bells, (more than my body weight) and a pull up is in my near future. Pat was right, I don’t look like a dude.

So, it’s Post Met Reset, what now? I’m an alum of KIWK and pulling it all together with yoga and bodywork. The combination has been extremely successful for me. Why? Passionately committed.

This past year, the last 5 actually, I have been working with several fitness combinations in my training. Yes, training not just working out. Huge difference. And the Met Reset was a great culmination of all that I have learned about how the body works, rests and resets. I am so pumped about the results, and the continued evolution it enables, I am developing a program based on the curriculum I learned in KIWK, and merging it with what I have adopted as a lifestyle of yoga and nutrition. Feeding the mind, body and soul.

One of the main things I have to admit too, is that I am in a post menopausal body, was addicted to stress and sugar, in many forms. I look at things differently. Last year at this time my cortisol levels were flat lined and my blood work show a deficiency in several vitamins and minerals. I don’t think I’m alone with this diagnosis. Stress will destroy you at a cellular and soul level. I decided, I was not going to fight or feed the beast, just let it be. ISness , the state of what is, right? We can’t change what IS only how we show up for it. There is no such thing as bad weather, only poor attire. So I am changing my wardrobe on many levels.

One such garment was the Met Reset. Up to this point I had already done a sugar detox and progressive kettlebell training. The 30 day MetReset was simple, but not easy. Nothing worth having or doing ever is. What I have discovered by doing this, and much that I have researched, is menopause is a prime time to start strength training. Really. The scheduled eating and supplement intake were all key strategies to building strength and a leaner body. In conjunction, with the Met Reset, I wove in a yoga and massage schedule that complimented what I was working toward, and still working towards. Thriving.”

[To learn more about Lisa, her services, and events, check her out at LisaHibberdLMT.com]

Tom Lacoppola

“I lost 5lbs and 1.5% body fat (in 30 days). My abs look more defined, lost some of my love handles and all my pants are loose. Plus I’m stronger…

…I did this in 30 days. I looked back to my 40 yr challenge and the pics are almost the same and that took me four months”

Tom is also an online coaching client, Inner Circle member, and professional trainer.

Here’s what else Tom had to say about his experience:

“The met reset was awesome for me. I workout four days a week and eat I would say about 80% Paleo, but I have to be honest I can care less about Paleo. i think some people go way too over the top with what is or is not Paleo.

I think it is all about eating whole food. I’m 45 and I’m more about being healthy and having lean muscle. I like the lean muscle look and the ability to not just lift heavy weights, but to also be able to do body weight exercises, pull ups muscle ups hand stand push ups etc. I did the met-Reset to lose some body fat, get leaner and stronger.

The met-reset helped me to get stronger and leaner. I stuck to the eating plan Pat laid out and did the workouts as prescribed. I already loved kettlebells and Pat’s workouts and advice have helped me greatly improve all my lifts. I have continued using Pat’s programming tips in my workouts and at my gym.

The one thing that I really loved learning about and that i never applied to my fitness regimen was fasting. When I first heard Pat talk about fasting I was intrigued. I had done some fasting in the past but only for spiritual reasons. Fasting as part of my fitness plan was new to me. I tried the intermittent fasting Pat recommended and adjusted to it pretty well. I now continue to do intermittent fasting four days a week. I have used it especially around the holidays after a party where I have had a few drinks etc. as I did last friday. I got up worked out in a fasted state, took a walk after the workout and ate breakfast around noon. Felt great afterwards.

I plan to continue to use fasting and share all that I have learned on the Met-Reset.”

5 Ways to Set Goals that Stick

It makes me smile; successes like these. But hey had some things in common–Tom, Lisa, and Anna. And specifically, what I noticed for all of them was they set goals with the following criteria (and then STUCK to them):

1. Exciting, but RealisticFor each of the three winners, they all set goals that pushed them a little bit outside their comfort zone. However, they also kept their goals reasonable. I had many submissions from people of goals that were just not humanly possibly. Goals that are not humanly possible are exciting, I admit, but tend to lead to disappointment.

   So, when setting goals, be sure to keep them exciting–to aim for lofty heights–but also to keep them realistic.

2. Clearly Defined“I want to lose weight and get stronger”. Ok, but what exactly does that mean? One of the most important elements of proper goal setting is to have a very clearly defined measure of success. “Lose weight”: does this mean you want to lose 13lbs, or 5% bodyfat? “Get stronger”: does this mean you want to achieve your first pull up, or increase your deadlift to double bodyweight? Whatever it is, YOU need to know. And so do I.
3. MeasurableHow can you know if something is working, if you can’t measure your progress? You really can’t, can you? Which is why, at any time, you need your goals to be measurable. This ties in closely with the previous point. If you come in with the goal of “getting stronger” there is, unfortunately, no measuring stick for that. But if you want to put 50lbs on your deadlift, we can measure that.
4. FocusedIf you want to get good at everything at once, most of the time, you’ll get good at nothing. There should always be a  priority in your training–an imminent focus; while everything else is put into maintenance mode. The classic example of this is the person who wants to all at once lose fat, build muscle, and gain strength. This seldom happens, outside of the “newbie effect”. It is also true for just striclty strength. Specific strength work should be prioritized, as trying to get strong at all things all at once is a difficult errand. It’s much better to focus intensely on one area at a time and work that up to where you want it to be, while maintaining all other areas, and filling in any gaps as they appear.
5. Time BoundA good goal has a deadline. And, usually, multiple deadlines–some of them pressing, and some of them longer term. When working with an online client, I require them to set specific 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month goals, to paint a full clear picture of exactly it is that want to achieve with me. Deadlines make you take action. And any chance you give yourself to procrastinate, you will surely take it.

Conclusion

Goal setting, or, as Dan John would say, knowing your “point B”, is the imperative first step in any achievement. Without it, you tend to wander around aimlessly, and disjointedly.

So tell me, I want to know, what are your goals in 2014, and how can I help you achieve them?

Share them in the comment section, because the one thing I forgot to mention, is how you should always write your goals down!