The Key to Effectively Fulfill Your Health Goals
Now, I am sure many of you have heard of all kinds of techniques for losing weight, eating healthy, building muscle…blah blah blah. But the thing about having a goal, is that most people don’t really want it. By this I mean, sure, they tell their peers “I’d love to lose 5 lbs before vacation.” or “Yeah I went to the gym last month but then I got busy.” There are 2 types of people: the kind of people that actually have an excuse, and the kind of people that make excuses. If you truly want to fulfill a goal, the first step is to really want it and being willing to make sacrifices from the things you enjoy. Like eating chocolate cake at the end of your day. Or having down-time to watch T.V. and squeeze in a nap. So ask yourself….do I really want this? Or do I just like the thought of it.
The next step is using a scientific method called the WOOP method. The WOOP method was designed to take a goal and turn it into a physical form through pen and paper. Let me break it down. W stands for Wish. What is your goal that you want to fulfill? What change do you want to make? Write down and only one. It is best to only concentrate on one goal at a time. O stands for Outcome. If you fulfill your goal, what will be the outcome? For example “If I lose 5 lbs, I’ll be more confident in my body and can finally try that bikini on!” O stands for Obstacle. What will be the obstacles that could potentially stand in your way? What is the wall that blocks you from your destination? Is it the chocolate cake that you see in the store? Is it your secret embarrassment to be seen at the gym not knowing how to use the machines? Write down all the bricks that make up a wall. P stands for Plan. If you do encounter these bricks, how are you going to handle the situation? If you get home from work and your spouse made cookies, what will you do to avoid caving? It could be distracting yourself by finding a task to do. It could be to reach for a glass of water. Or it could be simply walking away from the temptation. Once you write down your “WOOP”, put it somewhere obvious and commit to reading it every morning before you start your busy day.
With this plan and dedication to your goal, there’s nothing that will stand in your way. Even if it is a small goal like going to the gym once a week, it is always smart to start with a realistic, reachable goal. But first you must make the choice to take the first step.
