Formula for Success: Goal, Plan, Desire, and...

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen Dai asked if I wanted to write an article for you, I planned on dazzling you with some nutritional know-how around managing inflammation.  An important topic for serious athletes and weekend warriors alike. Instead, I decided to talk about something even more critical to your health and fitness success.

I've talked to literally thousands of people over the years, who were trying to reach one goal or another. You know Brock Lesnar? I made him the man he is today... I’m kidding. I don’t think I had anything to do with it, but he was a customer when he wrestled for the University of Minnesota.  Working with world-class athletes like Brock, along with everyday Joes, helped me better understand the mindset it takes to reach a goal.

What's in a mindset?

I've never struggled with my weight, and I have to admit, years ago I thought those people who couldn't lose weight were weak-minded. Wait, wait, don’t burn me at the stake just yet. I’m sorry, but on the surface, that’s what I saw.

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“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”  - John Wooden

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I've worked with bodybuilders, wrestlers, and power-lifters who had 20 pounds or more to cut for one match or contest. It’s not uncommon for a bodybuilder to drop 40. To them, it was just part of the training, not really any different from the workouts. None of them ever enjoyed dieting, but it had to be done.

Then I’d talk to some average Joes and Janes. They’d talk about how they struggled to lose weight for years, with zero long-term success. They felt fat, unhealthy, and they HATED it. It was really hard for me to understand, since the formula is the same for Joe and the bodybuilder. At that time I believed that the formula to succeed was a clear goal, a detailed plan, and loads of want. The goal was the same... lose 40 pounds, the plan was the same... low carb diet, and in most cases, I’d give Joe the edge on desire. What was I missing?

Over time, I began to see a pattern. The bodybuilder saw herself as a middleweight, the power-lifter saw himself in the 100 kg class, the wrestler saw himself as a 165 pounder, and Joe saw himself as a fat guy. All four of them consistently got results, not based on what they wanted, but rather on who they believed they were, their self-image.

How do I see myself?

Imagine two people will be traveling to New York City. Both are being interviewed on The Today Show for the work they've done at local charities. It’s a huge honor, but more importantly, the national exposure is sure to raise awareness and money for both their causes. The Today Show is kind enough to make all the arrangements, and in no time, the flights, hotel, and transportation to the show are all set. Let’s take a little inventory:

1. Goal- be interviewed on The Today Show in NYC - check


2. Plan- flights, hotel, and ground transportation - check


3. Desire- both deeply want to help their charity - double-check

Now let’s get to know these two a little better. The first person is the head Pastor of the largest church in the area. The Pastor doesn't like to fly and hasn't been on plane in 20 years. He also has a few schedule conflicts that is making him lose sleep. When one of the 4 charities he’s active in needs a representative, they often turn to him. He’s always happy to do it and he’s well aware of how important this trip is. He sees himself as a leader in the community.



Unlike the Pastor, our second guy flies at least once a month for his day job. If a Binder-6000 breaks in North America, they send this guy. With vacation days to burn, a 3 day trip to New York is no problem. A few years after graduating from technical college, he founded the charity that he’s being interviewed for to help a friend. Although his charity gets it’s fair share of publicity, he has been able to stay completely behind the scenes... until now. Half of the 20 volunteers who work for his charity, have been there since day one, and he’d tell you they work just as hard as he does. He sees himself as not particularly special, interesting, smart, or important. He doesn't see himself as a leader, and he certainly doesn't see himself as some sort of hero like The Today Show is suggesting.

Which one of these guys actually makes it to the interview? I’m not sure, but I have a guess. Our Pastor’s self-image lines up perfectly with the goal. Maybe his fear of flying is so severe that he’s forced to drive, but there’s no way he’s missing that interview.

Our second guy can’t imagine himself sitting next to Matt Lauer. He sees himself repeating one of the best lines in Tombstone, when Doc Holiday says “My hypocrisy only goes so far”. This guy has less obstacles than the Pastor, but his subconscious will make every effort to sabotage the trip. He might beg show producers to let one of the other guys go in his place, using every excuse in the book. There’s even a good chance that he’ll get hurt or sick just before he’s suppose to leave.

Aligning Goals

[caption id="attachment_11144" align="alignright" width="280"] Are your goals aligned with your self-image?[/caption]

Achieving goals that don’t align with your self-image is very difficult and almost impossible to keep up. Joe sees himself as a fat person. If he manages to lose that 40 pounds, but doesn't change his self-image, the weight is guaranteed to come back. The same rule applies to every single aspect of our lives, including academics, finance, and relationships. [highlight]Consequently, if you overhaul your self-image to match your goals, there’s not much that will stop you.[/highlight]

Since the self-image works on a subconscious level, it can be difficult to identify and change, but it’s worth your time. If you've never read Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz, I highly recommend it! You’ll learn all about the self-image and how to change it.

Fine... fine, you wanted information on inflammation, not my psychobabble bull. Start by balancing your Omega 3:6 ratio by reducing your vegetable oil intake, and supplementing with a high quality fish oil like Nordic Naturals.  I’ll get into the whats and whys next time if Dai asks me back.

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[caption id="attachment_11121" align="alignleft" width="224"] Post Author: Tom Hines[/caption]

Tom Hines is the Co-Founder of NutritionGeeks.com, a retired USAPL power lifter, a youth wrestling coach, the father of 3 amazing boys, and health blogger interested in all things health.  Have a specific question, tweet me here.