Achieving Your Goals and Dream Life – Step Seven

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Achieving Your Goals and Dream Life – Step Seven

Become a Lover of Knowledge

Many of us have spent the beginning parts of 2014 thinking about how we can resolve to be better, do more, or achieve greater things.  It’s a perfect opportunity to review the critical steps to achieving your goals and dream life that we’ve discussed in the past 6 weeks.  You can view all previous issues here:

• Step 1: Lay out your goals
• Step 2: Get physical
• Step 3: Eating like a champion
• Step 4: Realize your potential 
• Step 5: Be positive
• Step 6: Surround yourself with positive people

Today’s tip focuses on MCI, something I learned about from a former boss, David Patchell Evans, the founder of GoodLife Clubs, the most successful Fitness Club chain in Canada.  MCI stands for measurable constant improvement and “Patch” believes it’s one of the keys to success.  The message is that it’s important to always ask ourselves how can I be a better person, a better parent, a better friend, a better employee or business professional…basically how can I reach for my Personal Best.

And part of the process is to learn as much as you can about any dreams you have for yourself.  Remember, you can’t do better if you don’t know better!  Become a lover of knowledge – Be like Curious George and aspire to learn something new every day.  And the beauty of learning is it can happen in a variety of different ways through books, articles, DVDs, workshops, webinars, or mentors. If you want to improve your nutrition, start reading nutrition based articles, purchasing books on the topic, taking a healthy cooking workshop or hiring a nutrition consultant or registered dietician to help guide you through the process. If you want to start exercising, read about proper conditioning and programming, purchase a DVD, take a practical clinic, or hire a personal coach or trainer who can hold you accountable and teach you safe and effective techniques.  If you want to excel professionally, purchase business books, take courses and find a mentor who can direct you. If you want to improve your relationships, read books on effective communication, take a relationship course or hire a relationship coach or counsellor to help you and your partner create a stronger bond.

Learning can also happen through experience.  I tell my team this all the time.  If an opportunity is presented to you that you are not 100% confident about, say yes and then figure it out as you go.  It’s the best way to learn.  As you research and learn about the topic, you will become an expert from this point forward.  Sometimes you just need to jump in.  Perfectionism is one of the biggest obstacles to success. It’s the “Paralysis by Analysis” phenomenon – you aren’t 100% confident, you don’t have everything figured out, it’s not perfect yet etc…so you do nothing.  Instead just do it, go, press start, jump in, figure it out!  Soon you will be well on your way to achieving your goals.

I know my specialty is in the exercise conditioning realm but as a personal coach, in order to help someone achieve their personal best, we have to consider all realms of a person…physically, mentally, emotionally, professionally, spiritually…Everything is connected.  How does it benefit someone if they are in great physical shape but struggling in every other part of their life?

Imagine where you would be today if you had started one year ago. Today is the day!

Stay tuned next week as we tackle Step #8.

Sherri McMillan, M.Sc. has been inspiring the world to adopt a fitness lifestyle for over 20 years and has received numerous industry awards including International Personal Trainer and Fitness Presenter of the Year. She is the author of five books including “Go For Fit – the Winning Way to Fat Loss” and “Fit over Forty” and is the featured presenter in various fitness DVDs.  She is the owner of Northwest Personal Training in downtown Vancouver and can be seen running, hiking or cycling with her two children, Brianna and Jackson.  She can be reached at www.nwPersonalTraining.com or www.ShapeupwithSherri.com Note:  As an avid Columbian reader, you can redeem a 2 week pass at her world-class training studio to help get you started.  Contact 360.574.7292 for more details.