The Golden Ticket to Create a Healthier You

I had an epiphany many months back and it’s changed my life.  It was subtle; yet profound enough I’d like to share this with you.
 
Every year, most of us create some New Year’s resolutions or intentions BUT that fact is 99% of us never see our resolutions through to fruition.  Then we feel horrible about ourselves and internally sense we are failures.  
 
When 99% of students fail a test do we assume most of the students are failures, or it is more likely that there was an issue with how the lessons were taught?  
 
Why the heck aren’t we talking about THIS ultra common phenomenon, rather than continuing to set these silly resolutions for ourselves year after year?  
 
Something isn’t quite right.  
 
The fact is, we can become or do or get almost ANYTHING we desire if we truly set our minds to it. So then why don’t we?  
 
Why do we set ourselves up for failure?

 
How Tennis Changed my Life
 
I was on a call with my mastermind group (a wonderful thing to be a part of, if you have never done this) and someone was talking about their love of tennis.  Tennis drives this person to GET STUFF DONE at work so they have more free time to play the sport they love.  
 
I’m horrible at tennis, but I did take some lessons back in the day and I remember the instructor (a super handsome man named Philippe, it should be noted) driving into our heads the idea of “follow-through”.  The concept of physical follow-through is not reserved for tennis.  Basketball, baseball, football, you name it.  

When I didn’t use the concept of follow-through, I immediately knew it was going to be a dud of a hit. The racket made contact with the ball with a deadening “thump” sensation and the ball dropped to my feet.     
 
HOWEVER…when I concentrated on follow-through, I felt a change mentally just as much as I felt a change physically.  My intention became different from the start.  In my head, I was already moving my arm across my body after the ball hit the racket, but before I ever hit the ball.  You see?  My body then followed suit.  
 
And this, my friends, is the golden ticket.
 
The contact with the ball then held a vastly different quality.  Low and behold, the hit was perfect.  I could FEEL it was going to be good before the ball even made its way to the other side of the court.  
 
If you have ever felt this, you know what I’m talking about.

 
Back to my Epiphany…
 
I realized I could use this concept at work and in my personal life, not just in tennis.  I could use this golden ticket any time. 
 
You can too.  
 
The next time you desire something or set out to accomplish a goal, set the intention of the end result, moving through and toward the end goal as if you KNOW it’s going to happen.  

Your intention for follow-through gets you to that perfect sensation, you are in the zone. There is no way you won’t accomplish your goal.  It is complete at the same time as it has begun. 
 
If you find yourself worrying about failing to accomplish the goal, you know you have put on the breaks before you have even started.  You are not using follow-through.   
 
Simply start again, focusing on follow-through.  

This is a very different way to think about New Year's resolutions.  As  Stephen Covey says,  "Begin with the end in mind".  
 

One More Thing

Make sure your goals are something that you truly want, not just what you think you should be, or do, or have (that is a common reason for resolution failure).  
 
True Desire + Follow-Through = Goal Attainment
 
Have some health goals in mind for this year?  Make sure you share them with me on social media! I’d be honored to hear about them.