“She never lets a session go,” he says. “Every single set and every rep matters. There’s no fluff.”

This quote is from Alex Bunt, fitness trainer of Lindsey Vonn, the most decorated World Cup ski racer in United States history.

At 33, think of all the reasons she could have, “called it a day” & retired from racing:

• multiple ruptured knee ligaments
  
• fractured right humerus
  
• a concussion and an acute facet spinal-joint dysfunction

And yet just last month, she won her 79th World Cup race, becoming the oldest woman to win in downhill.

What is it about people like Lindsey that keeps them fighting, persevering, competing, overcoming, training, racing, and winning after multiple ‘setbacks’?

What exactly is ‘transferable’ to our situation & how can we leverage it to stick with, hit, and surpass our goals in 2018?

Let’s look at the 3 elements that will propel you into your best year ever:

Sounds simple, right?

Writing down your goals has a HUGE impact on your odds of transforming whatever it is you desire to be, do, have or give into your reality.

According to Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at the Dominican University in California, “you become 42% more likely to achieve your goals and dreams, simply by writing them down on a regular basis.”

The likelihood that you’ll transform your desires into reality goes up even further if you share your written goals with a friend who believes in your ability to succeed (what I call a “partner in believing”).

She states:

“Just the act of writing down your dreams and goals ignites an entirely new dimension of consciousness, ideas, and productivity to the powerhouse that is your subconscious mind.”

This simple act also opens your subconscious to “seeing” opportunities that simply can’t be observed if you’re tied up with THINKING about your goals.

If you do nothing else after reading this post, go for it & write down your goals and see what happens!

The second key element is just as important:

How surprised are you to hear that Lindsey’s trainer states of her that, ‘Every single set and every rep’ matters to her?

How surprised are you to hear that there’s ‘No Fluff’ in Lindsey’s workouts?

Have you ever noticed the margin of victory in a downhill ski race?

In the last Olympics, less than one second separated the top 4 racers…

We are talking hundredths of a second separating Gold, Silver, and Bronze.

Every sit up, every squat, every stretch, every everything contributes to one goal: Be the FASTEST!

It ALL contributes!

Maybe you are reading this thinking to yourself (or tempted to think to yourself), “Yeah, that’s what you expect from an Olympic Athlete…that’s what they signed up for & that’s what it takes to win”.

I know I can definitely go in that direction. Thinking, “Good for them!”

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” ~ 1 Cor 9:24

Although I am not a downhill racer looking to take gold in the Olympics, it does not mean that I’m not running in my own kind of race.

I am called to run ‘my race’ in a certain way – in the way that the person who wins runs it…

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” ~ 1 Co 9:25-27

I wonder sometimes, how seriously am I taking this race that I am running?

How in touch am I with the concept that I am ‘running’ for a crown that lasts forever?

I have learned over the years that the answer to that question is found in my ‘Training Program’ or my ‘Plans’.

Too many times I have lacked a clear strategy and found myself ‘beating the air’.

One passage of the Bible that both inspires and challenges me is found in Isaiah 32,

“But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands.” ~ Is 32:8

Noble.

How intentional am I when it comes to nobility?

It comes down to my plans – are they noble? Thought through? Vetted?

Are my plans executed and is action taken? What kind of action?

Being a noble plan maker is truly an upward call, but so is winning.

What are your goals? Are they written down?

What are your plans to meet that goal? Are they written down?

How do you track your progress?

For YEARS I have found myself overwhelmed when it comes to planning!

I am not sure if it is a ‘guy’ thing – my wife is so much better at it than I am…

Here’s the good news, it does not have to be overwhelming!

Someone told me that I should read the book, ‘The Slight Edge’ by Jeff Olson, and I am SO GLAD that I did…

In this book, he debunks the notion that success is a born trait that you either have or you do not have; that change happens all at once.

He breaks down what it takes to change, plan, and grow – to live nobly & stick with what you commit to.

Here are just a few examples:

• “Success does not happen in a sudden quantum leap”
  
• “Successful people have formed a habit of taking some simple actions every day, that, over time, accumulate into huge gains that lead to their success. These simple everyday actions are easy to do; but also very easy to ignore and not do.”

• “Those little things that will make you successful in life, that will secure your health, your happiness, your fulfillment and your dreams, are simple, subtle, tiny things that nobody will see, nobody will applaud, nobody will even notice. They are those things that, at the time you do them, often feel like they make absolutely no difference… like they don’t matter. They Do!”

• The difference between successful and unsuccessful people is in the simple choices they make every day. Successful people take simple and positive actions that are repeated over time. Unsuccessful people do the exact opposite: they make simple errors in judgment that are repeated over time.”

When I am not fully conscious or careful, I can jump to negative conclusions about myself when I am not seeing the progress I wanted or expected.

I have learned over time that what I really need to do in those moments is concentrate on the moment and stick to the plan.

Make the small, deliberate choice, to do the action that may seem insignificant in the moment.

Repeat it over and over again, day after day!

It will eventually lead to the successful outcome you are going for; ‘Every set and every rep matters!’

Follow through on ‘noble deeds’ (which so many times have been self-labeled as ‘mundane’) and eventually you will see the growth, be able to stand, and enjoy the victory of accomplishing your goal.

What is it that you have determined to accomplish in 2018?

How clear, deliberate and intentional are you about what you are going after?

What are the tiny ‘reps’ repeated day after day, that are going to get you to where you want to go and give you the edge?

How can writing down your goals, writing down your plans, and writing down your choices, help you to achieve your goals and make this your best year ever?

One month down, 11 to go!

Please leave me a comment on what you are shooting for this year. How is it going?

Off to a rough start, but looking to turn it around? Email me at dave@davemitchellcoaching.com if you would like to discuss.

Run to Win,

Dave