Why is it that the majority of us who set personal goals never really achieve them? Is it because we have unrealistic expectations? Are we weak minded individuals? Do we just give up too easily? Is it because of our surrounding environment? Are there too many distractions for us to remain focused?

Maybe. Or maybe these are just excuses.

In my opinion the reason why most of us don’t achieve our ultimate goals is usually due to a lack of motivation and absence of discipline or desire to follow through on what we’ve set out to accomplish.

As someone who works with people who for the most part are in desperate need to transform their own lives for the better, I see this on a regular basis. Most people who come to see me always start out with the best of intentions. Whether their goal is to lose weight, gain muscle or just improve their overall quality of life, they are usually willing to do anything that I tell them to do that will help them achieve the results they desire…..at first. But then slowly some people start to creep back into old habits. It first starts with a missed workout due to a poor sleep. It then turns into a few missed workouts due to a busy work schedule. Finally it turns into weeks upon weeks of missed workouts combined with a poor diet that leads the person to either settle for mediocre results or even worse quit their training all together. And as such, their ultimate goal of becoming more healthy and fit in this particular case does not occur.

Now, I do understand that we are humans. And as humans we sometimes react through our emotions. Whether we are stressed, depressed, tired, angry and/or sad, our emotions can have a significant impact on whether we achieve our goals regardless if they are  fitness, financial or family oriented. This is a fact and one that must be dealt with in my opinion before someone decides to set a goal. But how exactly can a person prepare to deal with an emotion that may or may not occur?

Shit Happens

I’ve always believed that’s it important to prepare for the worse case scenario in any and all situations. Life can be hectic and unpredictable. Tomorrow may not be guaranteed however that doesn’t mean that you should not expect it to happen. Whether your goal is to pay off your mortgage within the next 5 years, have your own family before you reach 40 or lose 20lbs before your next birthday, you need to prepare yourself for the obstacles and barriers that will try and throw you off course along the way. So how exactly do you do this?

Understand

I always tell my clients that there will come a time throughout their journey to achieve their fitness goals where they will want to quit. It’s important that my clients understand this and learn how to deal with their feelings and emotions when this time arrives. If they don’t prepare themselves for the risk of failure then they most likely will fail. There will be people who tell you that you cannot achieve your goals. Ignore them. There will be times when you are too tired or too stressed to train. Learn how to work through these emotions. Finally, you will experience soreness, pain and discomfort both physically and mentally if you are trying to achieve anything in life. Deal with it.

Tough Love

Okay, so I’ll be the first person to admit that my answers for achieving your goals might be a little rough. However I stand by them 100%. When I set a goal for myself I try my absolute best to achieve it. If I don’t accomplish what I set out to achieve then it will not be due to a lack of effort. And I can live with that. What I can’t live with is not achieving my goals because I was “too tired” or “too busy” to achieve them.

If you want something bad enough you will always achieve it or at least try your absolute best to achieve it. And if you know you’ve given something your all and still have not achieved what you had hoped to accomplish, you will at least still be able to live with a sense of satisfaction knowing that you gave it 100%.

Be Fearless

If you want to achieve your goals then implement them into your lifestyle. Stay committed to them. Fight through the goods and the bads. Remember, the bad times are always better for the good times. I believe that you have to fail in order to succeed. So don’t fear failure.

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
Paulo Coelho

 Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove