Make up your mind to take action

Rachel Hollis was the keynote speaker at the recent Beachbody summit and I feel like her message sparked something in me: You can’t just know something; you have to actually take act on it in order to be effective.

We all know what we need to do in order to move the needle on our business, our health and fitness journey, the quality of our relationships and more. But we spend more time planning what we’re going to do to make that action perfect that we don’t spend enough time or energy on the action itself.

I know a friend who knows he needs to work on himself in order to improve relationships with key family members and friends. And he’s dedicated to doing the work. But he’s also spent weeks and months trying to find the perfect therapist, instead of going to the therapy he wants.

It’s that constant strive for perfection that holds too many people back. This friend has wasted too much time waiting for the right moment and therapist, when he could be doing the actual work while continuing to look for the perfect therapist. And who knows? Maybe the therapist who seems less-than-perfect on paper might turn out to be ideal in person.

Taking Actions With Goals

It’s important to set goals if you want to grow personally and professionally. But when those big goals are the end-all, you’re in trouble.

Let’s look at it this way: Big goals take a lot of time. Weeks, months, even years. And as you work on them, you’re growing as a person and professional. By the time you reach your big goal, you’re likely already thinking about and strategizing around the next big goal. You might find yourself a little discouraged or even feeling very womp – womp about meeting your big goal.

Sadly, this practice can limit you. I think you need to celebrate along the way. If your goal is to lose 100 pounds, celebrate every 10 pounds you lose. If your goal is to pay off student loan debt, celebrate every milestone you hit on your way there. That makes goals feel more attainable and like you’re making more progress along the way. Looking back on your accomplishments is a big part of the journey. Don’t skip this part.

It’s like the fitness programs I start–and don’t finish. I focus on getting through the 60 days, instead of celebrating the day and week that I was able to stick through it. I think that’s why I have a hard time following the program the whole way through.

I’m dedicating myself to a new mindset. I’m dedicating myself to taking action on what I know to be the right path. And I’m dedicating myself to setting little goals for myself and celebrating them–with my family and with you. You can follow my daily accountability to fitness and nutrition on my Instagram @immorethanamom

What can you do to move the needle and reach your own goals?