Cheerleaders Needed!

Happy Saturday to everyone!  I hope you are enjoying this lovely day and getting ready for a fun three-day weekend!

Today I want to talk about something that is absolutely critical to the success of your goals.  If you don't have this in your life, you are going to have a difficult time living the life of your dreams.  Hopefully you have more than one.

I'm talking about a support person, or a cheerleader.  A cheerleader is someone who knows you well and believes in your dreams while offering a shoulder to lean on when the going gets tough, but is also truthful enough to help you overcome your (known or unknown) weaknesses.

None of us are an island, but so many of us resist sharing our deepest goals and desires with the people who know us best.  Why is that?  Do we think they will laugh in our face?  Shun us for aiming at a ridiculous target?  More often than not, the people closest to us want us to succeed and they may know exactly what to say or do to get us moving in the right direction.

In all of the goal-related books I've read and studied, one of the first steps to take when starting a new goal is to establish a support system.  Whether you meet with someone in person, schedule regular phone meetings, or even post your goal on a social media site, having a support system in place is like laying down the steel skeleton of a building.  It is establishing a rock-solid foundation to build your dreams on. You are making yourself accountable to someone other than yourself.  Without a support system, it's a lot easier to quit when times get difficult.  You can easily talk yourself out of your goals,  but when someone else knows what you're trying to do, they will be able to push you to go the extra mile, even when you don't seem to have the energy left to take another step.

Keep in mind that a support person has your best interests in mind.  If he or she tells you something you don't want to hear, take a moment to examine if there is truth behind it.  If he or she points out that you always say you want to lose ten pounds, but eat three candy bars every day, don't get offended if it's the truth.  Support people are much different than saboteurs, who secretly just want to see you fall flat on your face.  Support people speak the truth in love, even if it's sometimes hard to hear.

Today, can you identify at least one support person in your life?  If not, think about people around you who could be potential cheerleaders for your goals.  I encourage you to contact someone today and be honest about your struggles and successes.  I bet you will come away from the conversation feeling a renewed push to work on your goals.

Before I go, I'd like to give a shout out to one of my biggest cheerleaders, especially right now, and that is my mom.  Even though she lives 800 miles away, she made plans to move in with me and my husband for the next month to help us with our new son, due to arrive today (although I don't think he's coming quite yet).  This week has not been easy for me, but my mom has been here to encourage me.  One of the first things she did after she arrived was paint my toes for me since I can't reach them.  How's that for a support person?  I don't know how I would have made it through this challenging week without her here.  She's been a shoulder for a very emotional pregnant person to cry on all week long.

I hope you have many support people in your life today, but even if you have just one, reach out to them!  You will be doing yourself a favor.  And, while you're at it, think about the people in your life who might need cheerleaders of their own.  Who can you provide support for today?

I leave you with this Scripture:

"As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." -Proverbs 27:17

Almost to the Finish Line, Part 2

Yesterday after I had posted "Almost to the Finish Line", I was doing my daily devotional and happened across one of my favorite Scriptures.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."  -Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

Another version of the Bible says, "don't become weary in well-doing because in DUE season, we will reap a harvest..."

How cool is that?  The message of this verse is simple.  If you're working towards a goal that will bring you good, don't give up because at the right time, you will see your harvest or the benefits of your work.

What can you do to work on your goals today?  Keep pressing towards them and you are sure to reap a harvest in due time.

Happy Tuesday.

Almost to the Finish Line

As of this week, I am 38 weeks pregnant and considered for all intents and purposes, full-term.  Won't you be glad when I have this baby and can stop talking about pregnancy?  It's just that I have found so many parallels from pregnancy to other aspects of life, such as goal-setting.  One of which I would like to share with you today.

You might say that I am 90-95% done with being pregnant.  Now that's a ridiculous statement, because the only time I can quit being pregnant is once my body is no longer carrying a child.  But I have basically made it through that much of the pregnancy process.  After having several days of feeling like nothing is happening in regard to the birthing process, I'm ready to be done!  Obviously, there's only one way this can end and that's in my giving birth to my son, but if I could quit now, I might consider it! Thankfully, that's not an option.  I will be glad when I have reached the 100% mark and can see, smell, hear, and hold the literal fruit of my labor!

So often with my goals, I start out strong.  I am determined and ready to see them through to completion.  I race through the 20% and 30% marks, making great learning gains along the way as I pick up momentum.  I soar through the half-way point and realize that I'm half-way done!  75% comes and goes.  Then 80%...Then 85%... Then I reach 90%.  And this is where my struggle often begins.

As opposed to realizing that I'm so much closer to the 100% mark than anywhere else, my enthusiasm begins to wane.  Maybe another project is vying for my attention or I'm just plain tired.  In any case, I have noticed that when it comes to my goals, I have no problem seeing them through to about 90%.  And then I just quit.  Sometimes for months; oftentimes for years.

Just because I can see the finish line up ahead doesn't mean I've passed it.  I have to ask myself how many rewards I've missed out on simply because I quit at the 90% mark.  10% is not that far!  Even if I have to grit my teeth, suck in my stomach, and claw my way to the quitting point, the end goal is worth taking the time to complete it.

Do you have any goals that you set for yourself that are this close to completion, but you're feeling the strong urge to quit?  Maybe you've lost 40 pounds, but have 5 more to go.  Maybe you've set a business sales goal that you've come 90% of the way to meeting.  This is the point where it's easiest to give in.  You might think, "Ninety percent is good enough.  Look how far I've come!"  And you would be correct.  But how amazing would it feel to cross the finish line?  To be able to say, "I did it"?

Today my challenge to you is to stay the course.  If you are almost finished with any small or big goal, do whatever you have to do to make it to the 100% mark. Even if that means telling your inner critic that "good enough" is not good enough for you.  

In being pregnant, I've reflected a lot lately on the legacy that I want to leave.  I want my son to know that his mom was and is a woman who finishes what she starts-- each time, every time.

Establishing a Reward System

At the risk of this post sounding very Pavlovian, it's so important when you're working towards any goal, big or small, that you have a reward system in place.

I came to this conclusion last year as I was trying to lose about ten vanity pounds.  I realized that being ten pounds lighter at the end of the process wasn't enough of a motivator for me.  I needed small rewards along the way that would give me that extra edge on the tough days.  So after every two pounds lost, I promised myself small rewards of new workout clothing, a book I'd been wanting to purchase, and a date night with my husband.  Then, my ultimate reward when I met the goal was to talk to my husband about having a baby.  Talk about a great motivator!

Well, being that I'm weeks away from giving birth, we all know how that discussion went!  I didn't quite reach my ten pound goal, but I found out I was pregnant right when I was at an optimal weight for myself.  And I'm not sure I would have been there if it weren't for the reward system I had in place.

You know the saying, "Life isn't about the destination; it's about the journey".  I think this speaks directly for our need to have a rewards system as we're working towards major life accomplishments.  Even if your goal is so motivating, thinking about achieving it makes you want to dance around the room, at some point you are going to get tired.  You are going to get frustrated and question whether or not you've made any progress.   And it's at this key time where if you have a reward in place, you will find the extra push to keep going.

So, today, as you are looking at your goal, think of a way to intermittently reward yourself.  The above rewards are all things that motivate me.  Your list might look very different, but the point is, the rewards have to be appealing to you.  Otherwise they won't motivate you at all.

On paper, make a list that looks something like this:

My Current Goal: ___________________________

Time Frame to Accomplish: ____________________

My Top 5 Rewards:

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

Your rewards do not have to be equal in value to you, but it is important that you put the bigger rewards closer to your ultimate goal.  Once you've established your Top Five rewards, all you need to do is space them out as evenly as possible from now until your goal deadline.  

Then, do something today, even if it is small, that gets you working on your goal.  As soon as you meet a reward, don't delay yourself the pleasure of having it.  Have the ice cream, read the novel.  Go on a beach excursion.  Whatever it is... make sure you do it!  The key is to accomplish our goals while enjoying life at the same time.  If we were only supposed to enjoy the destination, the rest of life would be pretty dull, don't your think?  

I invite you today to enjoy the journey!  Reward yourself and see if you aren't that much closer to accomplishing the life of your dreams!