Set yourself up for Success

My wife and I have used Dave Ramsey's (www.daveramsey.com) well known method for getting out of debt and managing our finances to experience "Financial Peace".  Dave is very practical, simple, and straight forward.  I appreciate that about his method because it leaves no room for confusion or compromise.  He works through a series of "Baby Steps" that help you to experience success early on by paying off your smallest debts first. He then encourages you to roll that money you were paying on your small debt onto the next largest debt and build your momentum until you are debt free and experience true financial freedom.  It has worked for millions of people and can work for you as well, in more than just your wallet.

Dave's concept of building confidence in yourself by experiencing small success that builds upon another small success is genius and can help you in your fitness goals as well.  If you are like most people you will set overwhelming fitness or weight loss goals for yourself in the onset of 2011, and after several weeks of what seems like getting nowhere you will slightly begin to compromise your goals for other things that "pop up" in your life. 

I encourage you to take Dave's approach of "Baby Steps" to your fitness goals.  It is great to have an ultimate goal for the year (lose 30 lbs, run a half marathon, complete a triathlon, participate in the annual 3 day cancer walk).  However that goal can become very overwhelming and it is easy to let it seem too far out of reach.  Instead make daily or weekly goals ("Baby Steps") at the beginning of your journey to PEAK physical condition.  Make it something you know is possible and attainable with some intentional effort.  Walk 3 mornings this week, eat 4 servings of vegetables tomorrow, take the stairs instead of the elevator at work every Monday,Wednesday,Friday.  Once you realize you CAN do these things, you will begin to see how attainable your ultimate goal is.  You will begin establish some "confidence momentum" and after you experience the euphoria of success you will become even more excited about knocking down your next set of goals.  This way you aren't just completing a workout or putting time in on the treadmill, you are knocking down another goal and succeeding in your path to PEAK physical fitness.

Your mental toughness and fortitude will determine 90% of the things you set out to accomplish in your life.  Far too many people have faced more difficult circumstances than we have and ultimately overcome and achieved more.  Confidence is something that we have to build in our lives that comes from experiencing several small successes and the achievement of several small goals. 

Believe in yourself and set yourself up for success in your fitness goals!  You can do this!