One of the biggest reasons people fail in achieving any goal is because their goal isn’t big enough. It doesn’t excite them. It doesn’t compel them to take action. Their goals aren’t on steroids.
When we have goals that are “ordinary” such as, “I want to lose 10lbs,” or “I want to get bigger muscles,” it takes the juice out of the goal.
Sure 10lbs off will make you look better at the beach but does it get you super excited to achieve? Is it breaking new ground of human athleticism?
If it does (for you), great!
But if you have even greater aspirations in life than you need a goal that’s jacked up.
Here’s an example of a goal that’s on steroids that I have written on my daily planner, “I can do a 30 minute Handstand-Tai Chi routine with a 100lb weight vest on.” (This “Handstand-Tai Chi routine is a concept I talk about here where I basically combine planches, handstands, pistol squats, human flags, etc. into one flowing, slow moving, Tai Chi-like routine).
Its a pretty lofty goal.
How do I achieve it? Well, I have to start off with handstands and basic calisthenics. Practicing handstands for long periods of time sucks. Falling over countless times is frustrating.
But its not the goal of doing a handstand that gets me through the difficult times. What gets me through the pain & sweat is the vision of my extreme goal.
Is there something in your life that you have always wanted to achieve? When you think about it do you get a little bit scared? Do you wonder how you would ever be able to pull it off?
Good.
That’s the type of goal we’re looking for.
Are You Living Your Life As A Lion… Or A Lamb?
I used to be quite a risk-taker (my wife would say I still am). As a teenager and young adult I frequently found challenges that made me feel more alive. For example, one time I watched my MMA idol Rickson Gracie take an ice bath in a river and decided I wanted to try it. So the next time we were at our cottage (during winter) I broke the ice and sat under water as long as I could.
I made it about 60 seconds and came out with skin color a mixture of dark blues and purples.
My mom would frequently ask me, “Why do you do such crazy stuff like this?”
I would usually answer, “Mom, I would rather live one day as a lion than a 1,000 days as a lamb.”
When you live as a lamb you may experience more days, technically speaking, but are you truly living?
In Revelation 3:16, it says, “So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
I don’t know about you but this scares me. God detests luke-warm things.
He tells us to be passionate.
Dream big.
Push the boundaries.
Expand your limits.
How Do You Create A Goal On Steroids?
I have a very simple formula for creating a compelling goal.
Step 1: Create A Big Hairy Audacious Goal
A BHAG (as it is commonly known as) is a goal that compels you to take action. It is a goal that is perfectly inline with your values and inspires you. When you think about the completion of this goal it gets your so excited that you immediately want to start working on it.
Here’s a definition of a “corporate” BHAG. Its provides a good reference point for our personal ones.
“A true BHAG is clear and compelling, serves as unifying focal point of effort, and acts as a clear catalyst for team spirit. It has a clear finish line, so the organization can know when it has achieved the goal; people like to shoot for finish lines.”
—Collins and Porras, from Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
Make sure your goal gets you excited. That’s the most important element.
Step 2: Write It Down In A Place Where You’ll See It Every Day
It is surprising to me how quickly our minds will forget goals that we have set just yesterday. If you want to achieve something remarkable than you must right it down.
I have a form that I use every day that helps me stay focused on my goals. Click here to see an example of it.
The form allows me to see my vision that I have created for my life as well as my Big Hairy Audacious Goals.
Here are a few of my BHAGs…
1. Be able to do a 30 minute handstand Tai Chi-like routine with a 100lb weight vest on.
2. Be helping 1 million people with their fitness goals through A Shot of Adrenaline.
3. Own a beautiful home on a lake with a huge yard and endless swimming pool (I’ve wanted one of these for almost a decade now).
4. Be ranked as the top entrepreneur in Success Magazine.
All of these goals get me super excited and compel me to take daily action.
Now its your turn. What is your “Goal on Steroids”? Create your own and share it below in the comments.
-Todd
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