In Ask Coach Tony, you can put my Operation Melt coaching to the test by asking me questions about how to achieve your goals.
Because a question asked by one is often a question had by many, I am regularly sharing these answers via the Operation Melt blog.
Amuse Bouche
Before we get to today’s post, I offer you this light “amuse-bouche” to entertain your mind before we get down to business. Like any other amuse-bouche, you may hate my “dad joke,” but it is worth every penny you paid for it, right?
What’s worse than a box full of snakes? A box that was supposed to be full of snakes.
Ask Coach Tony: How Do I Keep Winter From Freezing My Goals?
Coach Tony: There was snow this weekend… yuck! That means winter is on its way, and the temperatures have already started plummeting. In the winter, I tend to get pretty negative and just want to hibernate, and my goals suffer. How can I make this winter different?
It is that season, isn’t it? Our trips to the lake are over for the season. All the leaves are off the trees, and I see snow flurries as I write this. Plus, I just walked to get a cup of coffee and was chilled to the bone.
While some people love the winter, I am not one of them. There is nothing I’d like more than to start a fire, put on comfy clothes and stay in the house for the next few months.
Alas, that isn’t in the cards.
Like you, I have goals and responsibilities, and I have to avoid falling into hibernation.
If you want to keep your goals out of the deep freeze, make sure to follow my six Operation Melt goal success best practices.
- Set SMART Goals
- Build a Plan that Works for You
- Measure Progress Every Day
- Plan Ahead for Problems
- Don’t Go It Alone
- Enjoy the Journey
Here are some specific ways to use these best practices to help keep your goals warm.
Set SMART Goals
By following the process I have laid out in my Goal Success Quick Start Guide, you can create goals ripe for success. Especially by dedicating the necessary time to figuring out your way and writing your vision for the future, you can conquer hibernation mode.
When your goal is emotionally important to you, and the future is crystal clear, the goal will help keep you motivated when times get tough.
Your Plan
Once you set a goal, your plan to get there is critical. If you build a plan that doesn’t fit your preferences and lifestyle, you will likely fail.
For example, tons of self-improvement experts say that you should set your alarm for five in the morning and get out there and work on your goal first thing. This may work for some people, but that doesn’t mean it is the right plan for you. If you hate those cold winter mornings, you will be smacking that snooze button and hiding under the covers.
Find what works for you and use it.
Measure Progress
I have written many posts about this point, so I will keep this brief.
You high-achievers know that numbers talk. By measuring your progress daily, you will see if you are succeeding or slipping. The story that your numbers are telling you might be all you need to turn up the heat and get moving.
Plan Ahead for Problems
You know below-zero temperatures, inches of snow and school and business closures are on their way. On those days, getting to the gym may not be an option. So, how are you going to get your exercise on those days?
The time to react to inclement weather, or any other issue, isn’t on the day it happens. Think ahead, have a contingency plan and make the tools you need are ready to go.
Don’t Go It Alone
Have you ever said the words, “I am going to skip today, nobody will notice”? Of course. It is so easy to skip out on commitments to ourselves. When you are the only one looking, you can quickly justify why missing one day isn’t an issue. Then it becomes two days. And you know how the story goes from there.
You are far less likely to hibernate when you know someone else is looking. Having a workout buddy is an excellent way to avoid missing that workout; you don’t want to let your buddy down. Working with a coach is another good strategy to keep you from losing sight of your goals.
Enjoy the Journey
The final tip is all about changing your perspective.
There may be many things about this season that you don’t like. But that doesn’t mean that it is 100% bad. This cold season has beautiful light snow, Christmas, college basketball and other heartwarming activities. Instead of focusing on the things you hate, maybe focus on those other things.
Giving your brain a healthy dose of positivity can immediately help dilute the crappy parts.
There you have it! Following these six goal success best practices can help you keep the frostbite off your goals and feel the warmth of success. You’ve got this, I believe in you, and we are all in this together!
Ask Me Anything!
Do you have a question you would like to submit for a future Ask Coach Tony post?
- Do you want to know more about me?
- Do you want to know more about my weight loss journey?
- Do you want to know more about my books or my creative process?
- Do you have a question about how to achieve your goals?
- Do you want to know more about coaching?
Whatever your question, I am here to help. Ask Me Anything!
If you want to have a deeper conversation and get more one-on-one help, click here to learn more about my Operation Melt coaching services.
Beware of the Robots!
Was this post helpful or interesting to you? Do you want to read more? Don’t trust it to the social media algorithms.
Defeat the robots by joining my email list below and get these posts delivered directly to your inbox every week.
Meet Coach Tony
My name is Coach Tony, and I am a coach, author and project manager on a mission. I am working to build a world where no goal ever dies of loneliness.
I almost allowed one of my biggest life goals to die without ever being attempted for forty years. My goal almost died, not of failure but of loneliness. But, I took a risk and leveraged a simple, logical process that helped me wildly exceed my goal.
I transformed my life, and you can do the same with the help of Operation Melt.
Operation Melt provides engaging, practical content and hands-on coaching to inspire, motivate and equip project managers and other left-brained high-achievers to pursue and accomplish their biggest goals.
