Trust Your Gut

-by Matt Leedham

“There is no such thing as a normal human being.” – Benjamin Carson, M.D. (ground-breaking pediatric neurosurgeon)

By nature, we are extraordinary. We have in us the ability to do amazing things. Stop thinking so much and trust your gut. Then act.

Research indicates you’d be more right than wrong if you just went with your first instinct. In fact, it is believed that humans have learned how to make quick decisions with limited data as a necessity for survival. Maturing as a species over centuries and generations we have become quite good at this.

There is a word for this phenomenon: heuristics. These are methods used to find a solution that is good enough when a more detailed search for information is not practical. Examples include “rule of thumb”, educated guesses, and common sense. (paraphrased from Wikipedia).

So think about where you see yourself in one year. Think about the goals you are setting for yourself. Are you trusting your gut? Are you asking too many questions and getting bogged down in the weeds? Have you always wanted to do something special but talk yourself out of it? Are you denying yourself the use of your innate heuristic abilities?

Trust your gut and take action. Do one thing you believe in today. The world will thank you for it.

Mission Commitment

-by Jaime Willis

"Pike had focused on a goal and would drive forward like a relentless machine. Back in Cole's Ranger days, they had called this mission commitment, and Pike's mission commitment was off the charts."

"The Sentry" by Robert Crais

First things first -- I read. I read a lot. I've been a prototypical nerd pretty much since the pampers stage. What may surprise you, however, is that I read a lot of pop fiction. I'm ok with my 'pop' fiction addiction, and it was reading one of the latest from a favorite author, Robert Crais, that I was inspired to write this post.

Joe Pike is one of the main characters in Crais' book series. His talents as a Marine, an L.A. Police Officer, and former mercenary aid him as he runs a gun shop in LA and co-owns a private investigation firm with his best friend Elvis Cole. Pike is literally a silent partner--he rarely talks and when he does, it's as if he's being charged by the letter. Pike is recognizable as the tall, well-built, brush-cut blond in aviator sunglasses, a sleeveless sweatshirt, and jeans driving a pristine Jeep Cherokee. And, if you didn't notice before now, you'll likely also remember him for the two bright red arrow tattoos on the outside of each arm that point forward. Forward is the only direction Joe Pike knows. (Since I can't post a picture of a fictional character, here's a pic of WWE superstar John Cena, also a former Marine. Imagine him with sunglasses and red tattoos, and without the WWE trashtalk and the "jazz hands" bit, and you've got Joe Pike.)

Even though he's fictional, Joe Pike's relentless pursuit of his goals is inspiring to me. When I read the quote I excerpted at the top of the page in Crais's latest book, I actually stopped reading to digest that a bit.

"Pike's mission commitment was off the charts."

I thought to myself, I wonder where my mission commitment is on the charts? When I am pursuing a goal, am I doing so relentlessly or haphazardly and half-heartedly? Am I, like Joe Pike, constantly moving forward?

For those of you who would rather be inspired by a real life hero, look no further than Carl Brashear, the first African American master diver in the Navy, and the inspiration for the movie Men of Honor starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. When Brashear was injured on the job, his injury should have permanently derailed his goal of becoming a master diver. But Brashear's mission commitment was so high, he chose to get his leg amputated and begin vigorously training to get reinstated to full active duty. In addition to being the first African American master diver, Brashear was the first amputee to return to full active duty as a Navy Diver.

Folks who are successful are frequently so at the cost of a lot of other things. Olympic gymnasts forgo 'normal childhood' activities to spend hours a day training in their sports. Bestselling authors got through hundreds of manuscript rejections before becoming an 'overnight success.' Actor Will Smith talks about his mission commitment when he says he is not afraid to "die on the treadmill." Brashear chose his goal to become an Navy diver over keeping his leg--that's mission commitment in the extreme!

The relentless pursuit of your goal in spite of any and every obstacle is mission commitment. Take a look at what you are trying to accomplish and ask yourself how committed you are to your mission. My guess is there is a one-to-one correlation between your level of commitment and your odds of success.

Get a Grip!

-by Matt Leedham

We are entering the 3^rd week of 2011. How are your goals or resolutions for the New Year coming along?

This is the make it or break week for many goal-setters. Research by Dr. Maxwell Maltz indicates that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. What this means is that if you have been consistent from January 1^st, and you keep going for another week, you will have engaged in a new routine that will propel you forward for weeks to come. And in my personal experience, it’s after three weeks that you begin to see results, which is its own greatest motivator.

Get a grip on 2011! Grab it before it slips away. Stay focused on what you planned to do. Here are a few tips to keep you on track:

Recommit to your goals – many times, when we first set goals, we do so in an excited state – one filled with optimism and enthusiasm. After a few weeks, we can lose that feeling, and with it, momentum. Take a half-day or morning to recommit to your goals and get excited about them again. Go somewhere beautiful or inspiring and choose to re-engage.

Visualize success – start with the end in mind. If you’re like me, the end looks pretty darn good! Start there by visualizing success. Once you’ve accepted this, the outcome is no longer in question. It simply becomes something you must do.

Review your goals regularly (e.g. every morning) – writing down and reviewing your goals has an incredible effect on your subconscious mind. You will more clearly see opportunities and unknowingly make decisions that put you closer to achievement.

Phone a friend – ask for help. Working with a friend on a goal will not only help you stay accountable to your plans and push you toward higher levels achievement, but it may just bring the two of you closer together.

Try something new – shake things up! My friend let me borrow the P90X program on DVD recently. Their methodology is all about “muscle confusion,” which means doing a variety of different exercises each day so that the body does not adapt and plateau. Sometimes you can “plateau” on a goal and things become stagnant. Shake things up and try something new to reinvigorate yourself.

Stay focused in 2011 and make it a great year! Be in touch with questions as you achieve great things.

Martin Luther King Jr's Legacy

-by Jaime Willis

"But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness. And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant."

From "The Drum Major Instinct" sermon by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. While we remember the great legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., I challenge each one of us to live his legacy today. King's legacy is one of service and of compassion.

Cory Booker, the Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, and probably the most prolific political Tweeter, asked people this weekend to share how they make the world better in small ways. Here are a few of their suggestions.

@SelkieBlue I sometimes anonymously leave box of non-perishable food on stoop of my 93yr old neighbor lady. Its 2 hard 4 her 2 shop

@dwaynetodd just saw a man leave a bag of lunch next to a sleepitwitng homeless man in DC.

@alycyamiller I compliment some1 when I sense they're feeling down

@MzCaliRich: tell grocery bagger thank u or bank teller have a nice day acknowledge ppl who seem invisible smile & look in the eye

@DanielleinDC: shoveling snow for my elderly neighbors

@rainbowlite: I donate old books, magazines , CDs and DVDs to library. I let someone w 1 or 2 items go in front of me at the store. #MLK

@hsmaury: Volunteer at your local animal shelter. #MLK

@hsmaury: Move errant shopping carts out of the parking lot so cars don't get hit. #MLK

@PhilNobleSC: I pick up resturant tabs for service people, especially at airports.

@jenbrentano: my daughter and I get bagels and coffee and bring them to our local fire department.

@mcrumr: leave hidden notes of appreciation for a person to find

I know that I will be spreading the legacy of MLK today, and I hope that this attitude of service lasts longer than today for us all!

TGIF: Amanda Vega

Good morning, Achievers! It's Friday, which means it's time for another episode of This Goal Is Finished. Today, we are excited to introduce you to Amanda Vega, who is an extremely talented social media maven. Although we could discuss any number of great successes she's had in her professional career, she has graciously opened up about a personal goal she's recently accomplished. Read on and get inspired!

I am Amanda Vega, the CEO of Amanda Vega Consulting, a firm that has been around for 11 years specializing in PR, social media, compliance, and web related services. I began my career over 20 years ago as the 22nd employee of AOL where I was a chat moderator. This is my second company (sold the first one to Ogilvy before the age of 24) and I now have offices in NYC, Phoenix, Dallas, and Shanghai and staff all over the world. I’ve written a book "PR in a Jar" and also contributed to "The Social Media Bible."

Usually I don’t get asked about personal goals, so this is a nice change. I adopted the concept of vision board building about 4 years ago and every New Years actually host a vision board party. In 2010, the main set of goals visually represented were related to becoming healthy. Not to be mistaken for weight-loss (though that was part of it,) the goal was to get my body into as good of shape that my lifestyle and likes would allow in order to hopefully successfully get pregnant with my first child.
I have been working on my career since I was 15. My life has been full of crazy hours and stress, and adventure that is enviable to most. But as I neared 35 I realized that I now had a strong marriage and wanted to explore the next part of my life, which was family: something I had never prioritized before at all.

I felt that if I were going to go down the road of bringing a child into the world, I was going to approach it with the same tactical and focused/informed mind that I do my business projects. And everything I read and saw pointed to the fact that (a) getting pregnant, (b) having a healthy pregnancy, and (c) having the healthiest child possible was all related to a healthier lifestyle (exercise, clean food intake, relaxation, flexibility, limited alcohol and no smoking) than I was living. So the goal was imperative.

The first step was committing my mind to the process without feeling that I was somehow giving something up. I had to focus on the positive rather than the “look what I have to sacrifice” point of view.
It’s the same for everyone I suppose. I attend a lot of parties and host a lot of parties. I truly enjoy decadent food and truly hate doing cardio. I found obstacles on every plane ride and business trip (either bad food choices, or my complete lack of discipline when it comes to fine dining.)

I had to embrace the fact that I have a certain lifestyle and work within it. With the help of my trainer, we set up a pretty standard list of foods that I like and that I pretty much eat 5 days per week. Food goals became make every MEAL count, instead of every DAY count. That way, if you can have 4 of your 6 meals per day be healthy, you are doing much better than the average person.

I found that I really enjoy doing weights, boxing, etc. So I vowed to never miss the weighted workouts with my trainer. But the cardio is where I have peaks and valleys. The goal really became then moving for 30 minutes per day.

Midyear I invested in a BodyBugg and took it totally seriously. Okay, I was obsessive. And it really did work. Having something obnoxious on your arm that hinders your outfit choices and stares at you like a reminder to do the right thing really helped me.

Weighing myself everyday motivated me. New clothes did as well. Feeling better and more energized was good.

Brian Peitz at Fuzion Fitness in Phoenix – a trainer that isn’t a meathead and that listened to MY lifestyle and worked around it. (No wine isn’t a possibility for me.)

The BodyBugg.

My husband getting on board helped as well.

My friends knowing to keep telling me it was working.

Well, we certainly celebrated. When I found out I was pregnant my doctors first reaction was that the original 30 pound weightloss was certainly what made it possible. Then it became a game to keep on track and keep losing while pregnant – something they said was impossible.
My advice is this: you are a different person than everyone else. You have to find what’s right for you and it’s seriously the most simple formula ever: calories in/calories out. Carbs, proteins, times of days to eat, etc. are merely tools to help REFINE weight loss, not requirements to lose. Take it slow -- plan on losing just 1-2 pounds per week. And don’t remove things you enjoy. You can have cake (or wine) – you just have to make sure you offset the intake by moving.
Well, the next goal will be to continue on the journey when the baby comes in February. I still had 20-30 pounds to go toward my goals and have lost another percent of body fat while pregnant. So it will be fun to work with a new set of challenges and also keep going.

Rules for Accountability Partners

-by Matt Leedham

In our goal setting workshops, we stress the importance of having accountability partners or groups. Having someone hold you accountable is a great best practice that many successful people use. But not everyone knows what it means to be an accountability partner – it’s not a skill they teach you in school.

Has someone asked you to be an accountability partner? Looking for tips to give your challenge buddy to be more effective? Keep the following in mind:

Ask a TON of questions. Goals do not exist in a vacuum. Goals are (or at least should be) connected to something deeper. If properly designed, goals should be aligned with both the achiever’s core values and personal vision. So, dig deep. Understand the “why behind” the goal. It will help you keep the real reason in the forefront. For example, losing weight is not just about shedding pounds – it’s usually about health, confidence, love, family, etc.

Ask permission. What type of coach is needed? Do we need the drill sergeant or the therapist? Or do we just need a friendly voice in our corner? The accountability coach should ask permission up front to have the uncomfortable conversation if necessary, and to confront situations that need to be addressed. Having this permission alleviates miscommunication and increases the effectiveness of the relationship.

Set up check-ins. We’re all busy. The worst thing that can happen to accountability partners is infrequent communication. Set up a time to meet regularly (e.g. every week or every other week) to check in on how the achiever is progressing. Set alerts to text or email the achiever with quotes of wisdom and positivity. This is a great indirect way to push them along.

Be generous. Offer up all of your resources and networks. An accountability partner needs to be resourceful and generous. You have agreed to be responsible for the achiever’s success or failure, so pull out all of the stops and help them get it done. Between the two of you, you likely have what it takes to make the goal a reality.

Celebrate the wins. This is the fun part! Celebrating the wins (even the smallest victories) helps create momentum and confidence. And confident momentum will propel anyone forward to keep achieving. Be a part of the celebration and keep cheering your partner on!

Being recruited as an accountability partner is a great honor. Accept it humbly. You are now co-responsible for someone’s personal success, achievement, and happiness. You are a critical piece in helping us build a community of achievers!

Jaime's Big Goal

I, Jaime Willis, will run fifty 10-kilometer "races" by the end of 2011.

Like everyone else in this universe, I always, always have a goal about my body for New Years. Lose weight, gain muscle, eat healthier, etc. And, over the last several years, I've been pretty consistent about achieving those goals. It seems like its that last little bit of weight that is always the hardest to lose (or to keep off). Although good health is ultimately a lifestyle thing, having the same "weight" goal year after year is boring.

So this year, I'm switching things up a bit. I still want to lose a bit of weight, but I want to do it by challenging myself. So, in the style of Eddie Izzard's marathon extravaganza, but scaled down to minimize injury to my creaky hip and knee joints, I am going to be running 50 10Ks (6.2 miles) this year. That's one a week, with room for just a couple of whoops weeks.

My rules:

1) The entire distance has to be run at once. No adding all the walking around for the week.

2) Walking, jogging, running, and ellipticalling (totally a word!) all count as "running."

Starting when? Actually, starting last week! I've run two 10Ks so far, and have 48 to go. While most of my 10Ks are going to be gym races, I will be doing a few road races as well. Want to join me?

Sunday, May 15, 2011: Capitol Hill Classic, Washington DC.

Saturday, June 11, 2011: Lawyers Have Heart, Washington DC.

Saturday, June 25, 2011: Reeds Lake Run, East Grand Rapids, MI.

If you have a 10K road race you'd like to recommend I run, please email me.

One way to stay motivated to keep working on a goal like this one that is going to take ALL YEAR to finish is to create a reward chart for yourself, so you can see the progress as it happens.

Above is the chart I've made for my 10k project. Make your own chart on powerpoint, or buy one that fits your needs. Never underestimate the power of stickers to motivate you!

Great Motivation Chart/Tools:

• Life Calendar. Create a smiley face for each day of the year. You decide what you are going to do to earn a smiley face.
• Hand-drawn Chart. Maggie Mason colors in a square for every 15 minutes she exercises.
• "X" Chain. The productivity secret that Jerry Seinfield uses.
• Stickers and Charts. An entire website devoted to making goal charts for kids.
• Stickers! Oriental Trading has more cute stickers for your chart than you'll know what to do with.
• Joe's Goals. Keep track of multiple goals online or on your phone!

Keep plugging away at your big goal!