Day 28: Steps to success
Posted on: July 27, 2012
When my alarm blares that dumb iphone harp noise almost every morning and almost always before 7:30am, I rarely welcome the electronic instrumental cacophony. Each Tuesday and Thursday it sounds at 4:52am, and all other days I usually set it with the intention to run around 7am. Funny thing is, the only time I hop up with intention is on Tuesday and Thursday–when I rise before the sun. On those days, I teach a Cardio Fusion class at 5:30am and know that I have people counting on me to give them their solid sweat for the day. The other 5 days it is always a gamble whether or not I will actually get up at the time I planned. Similar thing with these blog posts–I told you all I will finish and blog about these 30 days; so, I am. Build a fortress of accountability and you will succeed in your goals.
1. Get a success buddy. You have a goal? I bet you know someone with a goal. Propose to them the idea of keeping one another accountable. Maybe you would like to start a blog and your friend would like to build an online business? Starbucks has wifi; have a working coffee date. You want to lose ten pounds and your boyfriend wants a six-pack? Do your cardio together. Log your workouts and food on myfitnesspal. Ok, those are totally both examples from my life; my creative example-generating skills are clearly off today. Whatever your goal is, find a goal-oriented friend and take on to-do’s together!
2. Keep a written record steps along the way. Food journals, to-do lists, measurement recordings, and success diaries are all perfect for tracking how you’re doing and identifying where to go next.
3. Make a public proclamation. HELLO INTERNET! I AM TELLING YOU NOW THAT BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR I WILL HAVE A SICK-NASTY (THAT MEANS COOL) FITNESS AND HEALTH WEBSITE WITH 500 SUBSCRIBERS AND WILL WEIGH UNDER 140 LBS! Something like that, or something less obnoxious will do. Don’t keep your goals a secret. Because then your successes are a secret; and secrets are no fun unless they involve birthday presents or parties.
4. Make a contract. This, to me, seems only necessary if you REALLY need a push. If so, write your goal, when you plan to achieve it, a reward for when you achieve it, and a consequence for the slight chance you don’t.
5. Join a like-minded group. Feeling less than fit? Join a group fitness class. I’ll skip the preaching about benefits of group x because you probably know that this will turn into a 1000-worder if I’m not careful. Need to boost that GPA? Find or form study groups, and actually study. It is so empowering to be surrounded by people who share your goals, passions, and desires (this is the main reason I love endurance sport events; not because I am ultra-competitive, but because I love the positive fit-minded atmosphere).
6. Use social media. I just used my blog to tell you that I WILL achieve my goals, and I use it to update you on my progress. When I am done writing this, it will go straight to Facebook and Twitter. Share your goal-related thoughts on the same forums where everyone else shares their last meal and current geographic whereabouts. I care more about you getting an ‘A’ on a paper or making it to the gym than I do that some girl I graduated with not enjoying her shift at 7-11. Delight me with positive posts, pretty please.
Follow these steps and make things happen!
I am making things happen, by the way. In the next week, my site will no longer be iAMincharge.wordpress.com. I officially purchased a domain and will be claiming my own space on the internet. Stay tuned.
iamincharge 
Any thoughts?