SYFIT FITNESS AND MOTIVATION

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Focus On Results And Transform Obstacles

When visualizing a goal, it’s natural for your mind to immediately bring up all the obstacles that stand between you and the achievement of your vision. This, in and of itself, is not a problem.

The problem arises when people let these obstacles become a source of fear, frustration, or overwhelm, to the point that they put the goal aside, telling themselves they “just can’t think about that right now,” even though the result of achieving that goal would be a major win.

Here’s the good news about obstacles: All those things that seem to oppose your goals are actually the raw material for achieving them. If we stay focused on the result, really zeroing in on the measurable, tangible ways things will be new, better, and different when we get there, it’s easier to broach the obstacles with a sense of purpose.

The first step is to acknowledge as many obstacles as you can come up with and tell the truth about how things are—which may conflict with how you want things to be, how you can imagine they could be. This brings me to something else I often say, which is, “All progress begins by telling the truth.”

Looking at them one at a time, the obstacles are not as daunting, and it’s easier to strategize solutions.Because you’ve clearly articulated them, you can also enlist the help of others more easily. Staying focused on the result reminds you and others of what the payoff is for this effort.

This kind of thinking eventually becomes habitual once you do it enough.

When this happens, obstacles no longer stop you, and any angst associated with them goes away. In fact, you look forward to getting them all out so you can create a plan. They just become material to be used to help you move forward.

How to Dream the Big Dreams

Step 1: Allow Yourself to Dream

The first step to tapping into the ability to create a compelling and exciting goal is to give yourself the freedom to dream. Many consider it wishful thinking or wasteful daydreaming, but chasing a dream is at the heart of a richer, more rewarding life.

If you don't personally choose a future, chance will do it for you. And with the way chance works, things most likely won't turn out as you would have liked them to.

Investing your time in the act of dreaming for more than you have now is not a luxury for those who have spare time; it is for anyone who wants to live a better life. If you can meet that requirement, you have every right to dream--and dream big.