In the movie City Slickers, Curly explains to Billy Crystal’s character that the secret to life is “one thing.” When he asks what the “one thing” is Curly says, “That’s what you have to figure out.”

When it comes to making 2012 the best year of your life, the secret is the same, figure out the “one thing” that if you achieved it, would change your life so dramatically that it would make for the best year of your life.

Identification

In my Living Your Best Year Ever program (you have one for 2012 right??) I take you through a process that vets out your entire life: your core values, strengths, weaknesses, ambitions, fears, purpose and inner most passion to try and help you discover your Top 10, then Big 3 and then the ONE goal that matters most in your life.

Action: That’s your first challenge: figure out your ONE THING that if you achieved it would make this your best year ever.

 Now let me help you achieve your one thing…

Motivation

You will be tested. You will encounter obstacles. You will experience pain. It will suck at times. You will want to quit. So, you need a significant reason WHY you want to forge ahead and continue to pursue and persist through the pain, obstacles and sucky stuff. (resource: watch this video or read pg 3 of this article: Finding Your Mojo-Your Why-Power)

Action: Figure out your unique WhyPower.

Execution

Behavior
In the LBYE program I also reveal my Massive Transformation Formula. One of the steps in that process is: List the one key behavior most important to accomplishing your goal, your “one thing.” You are one key behavior away from a massive transformation in any area of your life.

Think about it: Improving your marriage could need just a few consistent behavior changes to transform your current connection and intimacy. Your sales results? A few consistent behaviors could massively transform your results. This is true in your health, parenting, networking, leadership… any area of your life. (Resource: Living Your Best Year Ever)

 Action: Figure out the one behavior most important to accomplishing your “one thing.”

Habit
Of course for that behavior to add up to anything it needs to become a habit. Habits are those things you eventually do without thinking about them. One of the key strategies to developing new habits is to install that key behavior into a routine—something in a predictable sequence that removes thinking from the equation. (Resource: The Compound Effect, free Habit Assessment)

Sticking With It read more »

For those of you who keep in touch with me on facebook, over this past year you have witnessed me logging sunsets I have captured from many corners of the globe. Many have wondered why. It’s actually a very powerful goal achieving tactic. I’ll let you in on it now and report the results.

The goal wasn’t about sunsets at all. It was actually a tactic for me to gain leverage over me and my weaker tendencies.

I am a self-afflicted workaholic. I’d rather be working than doing most anything else. I don’t consider this a bad thing (good for you too since I’m usually working on something you’ll benefit from!). However gaining some separation, getting away from the constant busyness, calming the frenetic energy and quieting the mind is an important productivity component. But I am an addict.

So the real goal was to spend 30minutes a few times a week just quiet and still. Well that lasted about 8minutes once.

That’s when I brought in the first goal achieving strategy…

ANCHOR: I needed a goal that wasn’t the goal, but would be something tied to the goal that would force me to do the goal. Documenting sunsets was the anchor. A sunset happens at a particular time each day. To actually catch it at the right time you will usually spend 30 minutes or more watching it. THAT is when I spent my 30minutes of calm, uninterrupted, quiet time.

Then I brought in THE most powerful tactic to all goal achieving…
read more »

Last week I discussed the half-dozen ways people stumble on their New Year’s resolutions and goals right at the starting line. It generated a healthy discussion and I appreciate everyone’s contribution.

This week I’d like to offer you the half-dozen ways you can explode off the starting blocks and set yourself up to not only stay in the race (this time), but actually finish victorious!

1. Big 3

If you are using Living Your Best Year Ever, it guides you through making several goals in all 8 key areas of life. It then helps you reduce your plethora of goals down to your Big 3. I know you will want to accomplish ALL your goals, but it is critical you reduce it down to just 3 to supremely focus on.

Pick the 3 goals that are most important to you and would have the most dramatic impact on your life and lifestyle. Resist the urge to chase after other shiny objects that come into your field of vision.

2. One Thing

As Curly in City Slickers said, “Find your ‘One Thing’.” In this case, it is the one key behavior that is most important to you accomplishing each of your Big 3 goals.

Examples:

Goal: Liberate 20 pounds to become ideal weight of 180.
Key behavior: 45 minutes of exercise, 3 times per week at a sustained target heart rate of 175.

Goal: Earn $200,000 in sales income.
Key behavior: Collect 5 “no’s” 5 days a week.

Goal: Deepen intimacy with spouse.
Key behavior: Say something appreciative or acknowledging 3 times per day, (at least) 6 days a week.

3. Installation

You can figure out your Big 3; you can even identify your One Thing that will be key to making it come true, but remember this very key point: read more »

Have you made New Year’s resolutions or set goals before and failed?

Have you entered a new year beating your chest and proclaiming your magnificent transformation from every mountaintop only to have it dwindle to a whimper by the time January gets torn off the calendar?

What went wrong?

In my experience, there are about a half a dozen ways you can trip yourself up right at the start. Let me help you avoid these common trip-ups:

1. Too Many, Too Much

You try to tackle too many goals, change too many ingrained behaviors and attempt too much too quickly. Look, you have probably been building, developing and reinforcing a poor habit for 10, 20, 30, maybe even 40-plus years. Breaking one poor habit and trying to install a single new success habit is tough enough (and worth it). If you try to do too many, you won’t do any.

2. Too Tough, Too Soon

Remember Richard from The Compound Effect? He had never worked out in his life, but then started working out 2.5 hours a day, 5 days a week. I told him to back it down to 45 minutes, 3 days a week—something he could maintain for the next 50 years. He swore up and down he could maintain this and was committed to his new plan. By the time the book went to press, he had just started this program. Guess how long he works out, and how many days a week today? Zero and zero. He set himself up to fail and he did. Don’t be a Richard. (Suggestion: refer to “Ease In” section, page 80 of TCE).

3. Too Hardcore

Is there such thing as too much discipline? Yes and yes. Yes, if you want to have any levity, fun and joy in life. And yes, particularly in the beginning of a transformation. Too much discipline too quickly will send your emotional and psychic system into a state of shock, then meltdown. Willpower fails, eventually, every time. Can you hold your breath indefinitely? Neither can you hold your willpower indefinitely.

4. Too Rigid

Give yourself some room for error. You will be off course 80% of time. Life will happen. You will fall. Just don’t stay down. Get up and get back on. Over and over and over again.

read more »

Are you feeling a little bummed or even disappointed in where you are in life right now?

Did you think you would be doing a little bit better and be a little further along in life by now?

Are you a little down on yourself about how you have let your body go… or your relationships wane a bit… or maybe you’re frustrated about the fact you aren’t doing better in your job or business… or you haven’t been the parent you wanted to be?

Maybe it’s even worse and you have recently filed for bankruptcy… or maybe you are recently divorced or just suffered a heart attack or some other serious health condition?

If so, it’s time for a turning point.

You’ve probably heard the definition of insanity—doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. You’re not insane are you? If you want the next year to be different than the last year, then now is the time to do something different.

Here is a very inspiring realization: No matter what your past has been, you have a spotless future.

When you wake up tomorrow the canvas of your life is blank. You can paint a completely different picture tomorrow than you have ever painted before. Your past does not equal your future. You can hit the reset button to your life at any time. I want to suggest you hit it today.

I want to help you. I can show you how to achieve in a few months what it takes others an entire lifetime to achieve. If you’ve got the ambition and the passion to radically redesign your future

Please enjoy the final video in this series below.

Do you want to make THIS year the year you not only set big goals, but actually achieve them? read more »