What if you had the power to create anything you wanted?
What would your life be like?
What would you do?
Where would you go?
What would you create?
It’s all possible.
These three steps will get you there.
What If….
I often ask myself what I would do if I won the lottery? It’s fun to think about and I’m assuming at some point, you’ve probably done the same. What would I do with all that money? I think about all the places I would travel to. I think about the family and friends I would be able to help out. I think about how I would be able to pay off all my debt. I think about all the charities I would be able to donate to. All hypothetical situations based on a hypothetical occurrence, me winning the lottery.
Of course it’s hypothetical because we all know that the chances of winning the lottery are about one in a gazillion. To be exact, it’s actually one in 175,233, 510 million. Trust me, I know. I’ve researched my chances of winning and it’s safe to say, I won’t be winning the lottery anytime soon.
Although winning the lottery is a hypothetical situation, what isn’t hypothetical is being able to create all it is that you want. That isn’t hypothetical, in fact, it’s very much possible.
With the proper steps and actions, we can have or create whatever it is we want, go wherever it is we want, and do whatever it is we want, simply by taking the appropriate steps and actions to make it happen.
There are three steps that’ll get you there and I will share them with you right here, right now.
3 Steps To Creating What You Want
STEP #1 WRITE IT DOWN
Whatever it is you want, write it down. Whether it’s to lose weight, run a marathon, write a book, start a business, travel the world, get out of debt, find love, whatever it may be, write it down.
Goals that are not written down are not real.
A study done by Gail Matthews, a Psychology Professor at Dominican University in California found that people who write down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them than those who don’t write them down. 42% more likely just by simply taking a moment to write down the goal. Wow!
The reason for this is that it forces us to think about and define our goal, exactly what it is, and what it looks like so that we’re able to write it down as a single word, a single phrase, or in a sentence. It goes from being just a random thought that isn’t defined to an actual idea that’s written down.
In addition, when we write down our idea, our goal, it no longer resides just in our minds or in our thoughts. It’s now real, defined, written down, looking back at us, motivating us to take action.
Goals That Are Not Written Down Are Just Wishes. They’re Not Real.
Step #1 – My Personal Experience
Over the past 12 years or so, I’ve made it a point to write down all of the goals I would like to accomplish during a given year. It always amazes me as I look back through these lists to see what I’ve written down throughout the years and how I’ve actually accomplished what I’ve written down. It may not have occurred in the same year I wrote it for, but it ultimately did happen.
In 2008, I wrote down that I wanted to travel extensively throughout Europe. Although I did not complete this goal in 2008, I did complete it in 2010, two years later. In 2004, I wrote down that I wanted to start a health & fitness business. It didn’t happen in 2004, but it did happen in 2005. Whether it was in the same year or a year or two later, the goals that I’ve written down for myself I have seen happen time and time again.
STEP #2 TELL SOMEONE ABOUT IT
Whatever goal you wrote down in step one, tell someone about it immediately after writing it down. Tell someone. Whether it’s family, a friend, a colleague, your spouse, a blog where you have readers, whatever or whoever it may be.
Declare it publicly.
By telling someone your goal, you’ve created accountability for yourself because now you’re not the only one who knows about your goal and your intentions. Someone else or several others know about it now.
Telling people your goal keeps you talking about it and therefore thinking about it. In addition, when you tell others your goal, your commitment, what you’re after, and they see you’re excitement, confidence, and commitment to make it happen, they won’t be able to help but be excited for you as well and want to help see you succeed and accomplish whatever it is you’re after. Even if they personally can’t help you, they’ll feel compelled to refer to someone they may know who can help you.
Tell A Friend. Tell Family. Declare It Publicly
Step #2 – My Personal Experience
About eight weeks ago, I completed my very first Spartan Race. If you’re not familiar with what a Spartan Race is, it’s a four mile run with a series of obstacles to be completed along the run. It was by far a lot tougher than I thought.
The day before the race, my girlfriend Kristen had family in town visiting us. We went out to dinner that evening which was great. What wasn’t great is that I had more than my share of adult beverages that evening. Needless to say, I woke up early the next morning, race day, feeling terrible. I could have made the decision that I just wasn’t feeling good enough to make it to the race that day. The reason I didn’t, is because I had declared it publicly that I would be running this race. I had declared it to to the entire Wellness Bucket community. I knew that I would be asked about it come Monday morning. I didn’t want to have to tell people that I didn’t complete the race or worse yet, the reason why I hadn’t made it.
By declaring it publicly, that I would be completing this Spartan Race, was all the accountability I needed to get it done, regardless of how I felt that morning, and I assure you, it wasn’t good.
STEP #3 TAKE THE FIRST STEP
Take action. Take that first step. Start…. just start. You must take action and start immediately. It doesn’t have to be a giant step either. It’s not about how big the step is. What matters most is taking that first single step, regardless of how big it is. Just take that first step.
Set the wheels in motion.
If you’re looking to lose weight, don’t worry about what gym to join or if you have the right workout clothing. Instead, focus on taking immediate action such as cutting out all sugary drinks going forward or taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator.
If you’re looking to run a marathon, don’t worry about having the appropriate six month marathon training guide. Instead, head outside and run. Run around the block, once, twice, three times, just start to run.
If you’re looking to write a book, don’t worry about knowing how to edit or publish a book, just start writing. Take a single piece of paper and just write, something, anything, just write, just start.
If you’re looking to find love, don’t worry about when or where it will happen, instead, begin attending get together’s, dinners, happy hours, social events, putting yourself out there. Whatever it may be, take that first step, take action.
Regardless of what it is you want, remember that none of us have to be great to start, but we must start in order to be great. We must start in order to have all of the things we want for ourselves. Start, take action. Take that first step.
An Ounce Of Action Is Worth A Ton Of Theory.
Step #3 – My Personal Experience
Before ever writing a single post here on The Wellness Bucket, before there was even a site, before the name ever even existed, I started by taking small baby steps. Steps I thought made sense to take that were in line with my ideas, my thoughts, my goals. I had no idea if they were the right steps or the wrong steps, it didn’t matter. What mattered is that I was taking action, I was moving forward, trying, learning, and getting better. That’s still the process I’m currently in now.
Before ever running my first marathon, I started with running 3-4 miles a few times a week around the city.
Before my health & fitness business in San Diego ever came to be, I started by creating fliers that I distributed and handed out offering my services. Services I hadn’t even created yet. I offered free seminars throughout town not knowing what I would even say or offer during these seminars if someone had said yes to me. I didn’t know exactly what I was doing, but I started. I started taking those first few steps. They weren’t perfect, but I learned, and learned, and got better, and better.
All learning comes from doing.
When you write it down, when you tell someone about it, when you take that first step, all it is that you want will slowly, but surely, begin appearing. Don’t believe me? Give it a try. What do you have to lose? 🙂
What is it that you want?
What is it that you want to do? What do you want to create?
I just told you how to create it. The question now is, when will you create it? When will you take action to create all it is you want, all it is that fulfills you, that makes you happy? That’s for you to decide.
And if your answer is “someday”, just remember….
There are seven days in a week, and “someday” isn’t one of them.
Which of these three steps have you used in the past? What’s been your experience? Can you share one goal with me that you’ll apply these three steps to make it happen? I would love to here all about it in the comments below.
Image Credit: Catpix
Another great article, Mike! I love these points. I’ve done (and do) all 3 of them but it took some time. I was a chronic secret-committer. I’d set a goal for myself, I’d write it down and take action but without that accountability, I usually fell flat. Because I’m a competitive person, once I noticed that declaring it not only held me accountable but it fueled me too, it’s changed everything. Thanks for sharing your awesome advice!
Thanks Anne! Accountability sure is everything isn’t it? We can commit all we want but if we’re not following through on what we commit to, we’re no better off or further along than we were before committing. Declaring our goals publicly certainly does help motivate us to get them done, by adding that level of accountability. It makes all the difference.
Mike, I can’t believe you ran the Spartan race hung over! Step #2 must be really powerful indeed!!
Cheers,
John
Thanks John! 🙂 It wasn’t easy and I certainly do not recommend doing that. A powerful and quite nauseating lesson indeed. A commitment is a commitment, accountability at it’s finest! Thanks again John, cheers!
Love this 3 Step Process and hearing about your adventures with each step! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your comment Kristen, I appreciate it! It’s the adventure along the way with each step that makes it fun. 🙂 Cheers!