Be About It

- by Jaime Willis

"Don't talk about it, be about it."

I spent most of last week in Michigan enjoying the holidays with my family. Before I left yesterday to fly home, I spent some time at the hospital with my Grandpa, who was admitted earlier in the week for surgery to help alleviate some of the intense pain he has been living with over the past several weeks and months.

Grandpa was doing much better when I visited him, which was definitely a great way to end my visit. I had to chuckle to myself, though, when I read the "family notes" on Grandpa's whiteboard. "Don't talk about it, be about it," wrote my cousin. Even at 81, Grandpa can certainly use the motivation to keep fighting against the cancer that is ravaging his body.

Just like Grandpa, you can also "be about it." See if any of the below statements resonate with you.

I'm not sure what I want to "be about."

Are you having trouble seeing beyond your daily challenges and circumstances? Do you know that you aren't living the life you want, but aren't sure what you do want?

Focus on discovering your core values. When you can define what values are most critical to you and prioritize those values, figuring out what you want to do in your life becomes a much simpler process.

I just want to be happy.

You may already know what is important to you and know how you want to feel, but you don't have any idea of how to get there.

Focus on creating a vision for your future. We encourage our clients to write down an incredibly detailed 'painted picture' of your life three years from now. Starting with how you want to feel in the future, figure out what relationships, experiences, career paths, etc. will help you achieve those feelings.

I already have a goal (or several) in mind.

You can't "be about" your goals until your goals are SMART. There is a big difference between 'wanting to lose weight' and 'I will lose 20 pounds and 2% body fat by June 30, 2011."

Your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Time-Bound (SMART). SMART goals give you a clear win and will allow you to start planning your route to that win.

I can't "be about it" because I don't have (time/money/support/courage).

You aren't alone! Lots of people fail to achieve their goals because of what they perceive as lack of resources.

In our class, we talk about the importance of priming yourself to succeed. We know you need to be emotionally ready to tackle the challenges you'll face in achieving your goals. We also talk about how to easily either get the resources you need to make your goal happen or work around the lack of resources. For our goal-getters, no challenge is too big to surmount!

I need help.

Well, you aren't the only one. We *all* need help in achieving our goals. Matt and I started Velocity because we wanted the opportunity to help people like you achieve your dreams.

We would love to have you join us at our upcoming workshop in Washington, DC on Saturday, January 8th, 2011. Sign up now using the coupon code "Goalgift" for 60% off our normal course tuition!

No matter where you are in achieving your personal goals, we know you can be successful! Join my Grandpa and "Don't talk about it, BE about it!"