Be Part of the 20%.

This is the week where about 80% of New Year’s resolution makers start to fizzle out and lose their focus. Over half of the people who have a goal for the new year, choose to lose weight and get into shape, that’s why we always see a huge influx of people at the gym come January 1st.

Why do so many people, 80%+ to be exact, lose their motivation less than 2 months into the new year? It’s because of that exact reason: motivation. Motivation is not a long-term tool. It’s usually driven by emotion, and when people’s goals are driven by emotion, they are almost always going to fail. The emotion fear is one of the biggest motivators… fear of being unhealthy, fear of being broke, fear of finding love, etc. Fear is also one of our most uncomfortable emotions, and when something makes us feel uncomfortable, we naturally tend to move away from fear and closer to our comfort zone. Think back to the time when you first stepped foot into the gym, most likely you were nervous, or maybe the fear of stepping foot inside a gym is what kept you from starting in the first place. Motivation driven by emotion is a short-term objective, not something you can count on for long-term.

But what can help us to become part of the 20%? That answer is simple, discipline. Discipline is being able to do what it takes to succeed, even though it may be the hardest thing to do. It’s doing what you NEED to do and not what you WANT to do.

How to become disciplined:

1. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Knowing your shortcomings can help you prepare your plan of attack to keep you focused on the prize.

2. Remove distractions. Simply removing temptations (“out of sight, out of mind”) can be a game changer for your success. If you want to eat healthier, remove bad foods and drinks. If you want to be more productive, turn off your phone and don’t go on social media. If you want to get in shape, have your gym clothes ready and make your workout a scheduled appointment on your calendar.

3. Have a plan of attack. Don’t try to go after goals without some type of plan. Write out small, achievable goals every month that will ultimately lead to your ultimate goal. “Eat the elephant one bite at a time.” Don’t forget to plan for hiccups along the way because they will happen. Having something in place will help you get right back on track for when those times do come.

4. Create daily habits. Discipline means doing the same thing over and over again. Having daily habits scheduled will help keep you on track and focused. Things such as not hitting snooze, working out every day at a certain time, turning off your phone an hour before bed, going to bed at the same time every day, etc. will all keep you focused on doing things consistently.

5. Keep moving forward. There will be times when you fail, but that doesn’t mean throwing in the towel. Learn to have grace and forgiveness with yourself, so that you can get right back to where you need to be to move forward.