People almost always say they are committed to their success, but rarely do they actually put it in writing. Putting your thoughts or goals in writing makes them seem more tangible and helps keep them in your conscious thoughts. This is most effective when your written commitment is kept where it will frequently be seen. The more you see and think about reaching your goals, the more likely you are to succeed.
This commitment will essentially be a contract listing behaviors or actions for which you will hold yourself accountable. You should treat this contract as seriously as you would any other important contract.
A great way to make this even more effective is by sharing your goals and even your written commitment with your family and friends. Research has consistently shown that people who make their goals public are more successful at reaching their goals. The people you share your goals with help hold you accountable and serve as an additional source of motivation. Of course, this only works well when the people you tell are supportive and encouraging.
As for the written commitment/contract itself, the actual content will influence its effectiveness. You definitely want to clearly state your primary goal(s), but you should also go beyond this and include important steps you need to follow to reach your goals.
For example, if your primary goal is to lose 20 pounds of fat, you should include objectives such as "I will engage in at least 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity 3 times per week" or "I will eat 5 or 6 small meals per day instead of 3 large meals." Try to include every behavior or activity that you feel is integral to your long-term success.
Now that you have your list of goals and the steps necessary to reach them, as stated earlier, be sure to put it somewhere where it will be seen multiple times each day. Also, if you like to use lists, make a daily or weekly checklist with each item on your contract and check them off as you complete them or at the end of the day. This will provide you with a sense of accomplishment and help keep you motivated.
After you finish your initial commitment/contract, it should not be set in stone. From time to time you should update your contract to make sure the goals/objectives are still appropriate and beneficial. For example, if you have an initial goal of walking 2 miles 3 times a week, after a while that goal will be too easy and you will stop seeing positive results. Then you should create a new goal to reflect your current fitness level.
Using written commitments to yourself will help keep you motivated to reach just about any goal you have. Whether you want to lose weight, start a business, or improve a particular skill, written commitments are a great way to improve your results.
Ross Harrison, CSCS, NSCA-CPT is a certified personal trainer, strength and conditioning specialist, and nutritional consultant who teaches people how to lose weight, get in shape, and improve their quality of life with exercise and nutrition. For more information or to sign up for his free health and fitness newsletter containing tons of useful information, visit http://precisionhealth-fitness.com/.
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