Yep … That's What I Intend To Do

Fatty Boomballatti. Ever heard of it? Probably not. It’s what four of us guys in my neighborhood call our annual weight loss competition running from New Years through Good Friday. We define our weight loss goal (mine is 13 pounds), share it with each other, weigh in every other Friday and support each other with advice and tips along the way. It’s fun and we spend some quality time together. AND, it’s intentional. We even chart our progress on individual graphs – yep, geeking out as three of us are engineers!

See, here’s the thing. Goals are tough beasts to slay sometimes; often because you define targets that are perhaps unachievable. To be successful in reaching your goals, you gotta be intentional. When you are intentional, you will define your goals very specifically. That specificity creates true clarity of your destination. And clarity promotes motivation and inspiration to keep fighting and finding ways to reach your goal.

Intentionality à Specificity à Clarity à Motivation/Inspiration

And, when setting goals with clarity, you not only have to know what you want to do but why you want to do it. Knowing why is often the most important part of the equation! Really, it is. I’m not kidding ya. What would lead you to do something if you didn’t know why?

And goals don’t need to be achieved in one big step. Goal progression is often how we get there. For example, my weight loss goal breaks down to a little less than one pound per week. I can do that! Little steps make it more realizable and gives me many chances for mini celebrations along the way.

So, I’d like you to ask yourself two things when setting your intentions:

What does this goal mean to me?

How is it going to change my life?

As you think of a goal in your mind, ask yourself these two questions. Clarity in your goals and in your life gives you direction. It allows you to move forward 100% towards your goals and towards leading the life you want to live. And clarity will motivate you – does that make sense to you?

But, how do you motivate yourself? When no one else can hear you, what do you say to yourself? What messages do you give yourself that no one else can hear? Are they positive, or are they negative? Only you will know. If they are negative, STOP! Make them positive.

MY GOAL IS: Lose 13 pounds by Good Friday and sustain this weight loss throughout all of 2014. I intend to achieve this by better dietary practices and a daily workout combining cardio and strength training. My fellow Fatty Boomballattants will support me and I will support them in return. And I want to achieve this goal because I am not at a healthy weight right now and it is preventing me from living an optimal life.

Now that’s what I call intentional! What do ya think?

Right now, define your goals. Gain your clarity. Choose a direction and lead yourself towards success. Go ahead, dare to be amazing!