evolve: What are you REALLY prepared to do?

evolve: What are you REALLY prepared to do?: "The Chain to Success At Evolve we have a banner in our training center that reads, 'What are you REALLY prepared to do to achieve your goa..."

What are you REALLY prepared to do?

The Chain to Success

At Evolve we have a banner in our training center that reads, "What are you REALLY prepared to do to achieve your goals?" This is quite an interesting question. Let's think about that.

I have spent better than 15 years of my life observing, coaching, and mentoring athletes at some level or another. In those years I have noticed one consistent trend. Almost everyone wants to be successful but very few are willing to do what it takes to achieve success. Of course there is that 1% out there that are completely happy with mediocrity or have success due to luck but this is by far the exception and not the rule.

I have dealt with parents, youth athletes, fringe athletes, elite athletes, fighters, and adults wanting to change their lives. The difference between success and failure are the following steps.

Set a goal-Formulate a Plan-Execute-Be Consistent-Overcome Adversity-Improve-Set new goal.

Plan: What I have found is that the vast majority of people are able to set goals. This is simple. Anyone can say "I want to run a marathon," or "I want to lose 25lbs." What is evident is that as the average person progresses to each new step the failure rate grows exponentially. Most people lack the skill or knowledge to formulate a plan. This step usually requires research or outside professional help which most are unwilling to seek out. What I have seen here is the "shortcut" stage. This is when people look for a quick solution or gimmick to by pass the planning and head right into the execution. This is due to our natural lack of patience and need to get results NOW! The saying, "Fail to plan, plan to Fail," is quite true.

Execute: For those that do seek out help or educate themselves enough to develop a plan that works the next step can be more difficult than the previous. As natural procrastinators we find excuse after excuse to put off things, especially new ventures or things that are unfamiliar. I hear the same thing all the time, "After the first of the year, or when my knee heals or when I get more time." You must execute. For those that do make it a priority to execute their plan the next step stops most within 2-4 weeks into the plan.

Consistency: With work and kids and school and TV and Internet and everything else out there screaming for our attention being consistent towards a goal is incredibly difficult for most. This is where the greatest percentage of goal seekers will fail. There are just too many negative stimuli out there that pull us away from the hard work and focus needed to stay consistent. The 2 most consistent things in our lives are breathing and heart beat. The same thing happens to your goal as would happen to you if you were no longer consistent with these two things! For those of you that have the courage to stay consistent the thinning process continues with the next goal stopper!

Overcoming Adversity: During your journey, the best laid plans often hit deep pits of quick sand and hurdles 10 feet high. Those that have the tenacity and discipline to continue to drive on toward their goal and drudge through these pits and leap the hurdles are a rare breed in this culture. The majority again will curl up and quit at the first site of trouble. Again making excuses that prevent their success. The rare few that can suck it up and drive on will see that the process begins to ease and become natural to them. The more hurdles and hardships I have overcome in my life the easier it is to overcome.

Improve: You must Improve. Which, if you have made it this far you already have. So many people have convinced themselves that they are happy where they are but this is really not true. The human always needs to be improving, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. We crave this. If there is no improvement there is a problem in the chain chances are your plan needs some work or you need improvement in one of the links. During your quest for SUCCESS you will need to go back and reevaluate, redevelop and tweak your plan in order to reach your goal.

Set new goals: Once you have attained your goal it is time to set new ones and the process repeats. The good news is once you have completed the chain it becomes easier to complete the next. Bigger goals take more time and effort but you have trained yourself to follow the plan. Once you can do this, you will see that your life will be more enriched and rewarding.

I know this blog was a bit long and sometimes negative, but I want to make a point that reaching realistic goals is a process. Anyone can say they want to be the best, but only very few can accomplish it. The majority want to have financial, competitive, athletic, relationship and spiritual success but VERY FEW are willing to do what it takes. I have given you the blueprint for success, but are you really prepared to do it?

*Since the beginning of Major League Baseball less than 18,000 people have played an inning in a game. Think about that!

John Cook

owner, Evolve