Christian Community Networking

 By Aaron Rosendary

What you must complete before you begin any diet or exercise.

The most important thing in your fitness goals, even though it has nothing to do with calories, protein, carbohydrates, fats, cardio, weights or anything else related to nutrition or training. You see, there is a simple, but critical procedure you must complete before you lift a weight, jog a mile, start a nutrition program or even set foot in the gym. If you plan for your goals the nutrition and training will come easy and a lean body will soon follow. If you ignore to plan – like most people do – you are destined to fail no matter what you do or how hard you try.

This crucial first step is goal setting.

A lot has been said and written about goal setting – entire books have been devoted to the subject - but the truth is, most people never decide exactly what they want. Some people give their goals a fleeting thought, but most never get specific and commit their dreams and desires to writing. Most people spend more time planning a party, studying the newspaper or making a Christmas list than they do planning their lives. This is unfortunate because the number one reason for failure in losing body fat –and in life - is the lack of clearly defined, written goals. Not having a goal is like shooting at a target with a blindfold on. How could you possibly hit a target you can’t even see? If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re probably not going to end up anywhere. Action without planning is the number one cause of failure.

I’d like to share with you the most powerful goal setting formula in the world, but before

I do, you first need to understand the hidden reasons why goal setting is so important.

The difference between knowing what to do and doing what you know. Nutrition and exercise can be confusing subjects, so when you first get started, the initial challenge is that you don’t know what to do. Now that you have this tool in your hands, knowing what to do will no longer be a problem. However, gaining knowledge is only half the battle. The far greater challenge for most people is applying that knowledge and putting it to work. There is a big difference between knowing what to do and doing what you know. Goals are the bridges that span this gap. Goals create energy and motivation. Goals get you out of bed early in the morning and into the gym. The secret to staying motivated all the time is to set emotionally charged goals – in writing - and to stay totally focused on those goals day and night, without taking your eyes off them. A goal with a purpose is the fuel that propels you forward. You might think that you’re in total conscious control of your behaviors, but it’s really your SUB-conscious that controls your behavior. If you know what to do, but you can’t seem to get yourself to do it, you’ve probably been giving negative or conflicting messages to your subconscious mind. The behaviors that are produced by subconscious conditioning are more commonly referred to as habits. Fortunately, you can re-program your subconscious mind with positive instructions and become a creature of positive habit, just as easily as you can become a victim of negative habits. It all begins with a conscious decision and written goals.