Imagine your perfect day.
The happiest version of yourself.
What are you doing for work?
How is your relationship with your family and friends?
What do your fitness and nutrition habits look like?
Think about the smallest of details.
Isn’t that a pretty picture?
What if I told you that you could live that pretty picture?
What if you could have your perfect day?
You can!
The secret lies between your ears.
Making your vision a reality requires you to build a resilient mindset. It requires that you
make changes to the way you think about yourself, your goals, and the environment.
It’s easier said than done; however, if you begin to implement these 13 strategies, you can begin to fill in the missing pieces of your perfect day and make your vision a reality.
Your Imperfections Don’t Define You
Are you perfect?
Am I perfect?
Is anyone or thing actually perfect?
NO!
Everyone and everything has its imperfections, and as much as it kills me, they’re inevitable.
By nature, I am a perfectionist. I’ve been told that’s a good and bad thing. I’ve come to the decision that its just a thing. It’s a part of what makes me, me.
But being a perfectionist doesn’t define me.
I am SO MANY more things than a perfectionist.
Just as a I am not only a perfectionist, I am not only my imperfections.
Your imperfections don’t define you.
They’re a part of you, but they don’t HAVE TO BE the biggest part of you.
Your imperfections become the biggest part of you when they lie at the center of your focus. When you ONLY see what’s wrong with you, you cannot clearly see what is right with you.
Acknowledge and recognize your imperfections because that will allow you to work with and around them, but keep your focus on the positive parts of you, your strengths and high qualities.
Not only will those be more visible to yourself, but also to others.
Do What Is Meaningful
My guess is that the vision of your perfect day didn’t have the extra B.S. and busy work in your day. That’s because in your perfect day, you’ve eliminated the meaningless things.
Think about all the things in your day that don’t serve you or your purpose. List them out! Include EVERYTHING!
Now start to circle the things you could eliminate from that list right now. Then circle or star the things you can eliminate down the road.
The reality of your vision starts by eliminating the meaningless things because in order to truly make your vision a reality, you need everything in your day to serve or bring you closer to making that vision a reality.
I love the 1% Rule. If you don’t know what that is, it’s doing everything in your day with the intent to get 1% better that day.
It’s the expectation to either find meaning in what your doing or eliminate it from your day.
Do you enjoy running errands for your boss? Probably not, but it’s bringing you closer to a promotion or helping you gain experience to apply for your dream job.
Do you love to cook, clean, or do laundry? I don’t… But it helps to keep me nourished, organized, and clean so I’m a better spouse, friend, and professional.
Do what is meaningful, and be sure all you do in a day is taking you AT LEAST 1% closer to your vision.
Control What You Can Control
I’m a coach of adults and kids, and one of the most repeated phrases is “control what you can control.”
There are only three things in life that you have complete control over – Attitude, Effort, and Preparation.
Not one of those is your spouse, your boss, your car, or your personal trainer 😉
They’re the easiest to blame, I get it; however, no matter how much blame you throw their way, you will never be able to control them.
Be an honest evaluator of your attitude, effort, and preparation. Make it a part of your journal practice, meditate about it, or rate it at the end of each day.
Regardless of how you evaluate yourself, the most important piece is that you are the evaluator.
I am the biggest proponent of accountability here, but no outside source can really be the judge of this.
Once you’re able to look at this on a daily basis, you’ll be able to remind yourself of this on a moment-to-moment basis.
It will always be easier to blame the environment around you, but the key to making your vision reality is to focus on approaching each day with the best attitude, effort, and preparation.
View Challenges as Opportunities
Think about how you respond when faced with a challenge.
Slouched shoulders, head hanging, and disappointed about what’s behind Door #1?
OR
In your best Wonder Woman (okay, dudes you can have Superman) pose with your shoulders back ready to bust down Door #1?
I recently connected with a chiropractor who my client has sworn for some time that we are the perfect pairing. We were talking on various topics, when suddenly she said two words that rang like music to my ears – “Challenge Accepted.”
Now, she also loves Harry Potter and uses a Wonder Woman water bottle, but those two words were the only words I needed to hear to know that we were a good pairing.
Those words told me that challenges are simply opportunities in her mind. It told me that she views challenges as opportunities to utilize her skills, learn, or gain experience.
People who live with the “Challenge Accepted” mentality create their own success and make their vision a reality.
Study How You Learn and Grow Best
If you were to ask me how many all-nighters I pulled in college, I couldn’t even venture a guess.
If you asked me to pull an all-nighter today, I would laugh at you as I tucked myself into bed.
The difference lies in the fact that in college I had no idea how I learned best. Since then,
I’ve taken the time to study and understand how I learn, and I am 100% more effective and have no need for that all-nighter crap.
This might come as a surprise to you, but I like to move around. Sitting at a desk is REALLY hard for me. I fidget, so much so that as a kid I remember sitting at the counter trying to do homework and my mom would yell from across the room “STOP FIDGETING!”
Hi mom, I love you and I’d still vote you as one of the best, but as soon as I stopped physically moving (AKA fidgeting) my brain began to fidget. All focus was gone, and so was all learning.
Then I had another chiropractor (these people are so great, and not just at cracking your back) who pointed out that my kinesthetic nature makes me better suited to learn while on the move.
After that, I tried out a bunch of different ways to move while writing or studying and IT WORKED!
Now, instead pulling all-nighters because I have to read something four or five times to understand, I cut that down to once or twice and get to bed at a much more reasonable time. Heck, I wrote this entire blog wall walking around or standing at my desk.
Think about how you best pick up information.
Is it by doing? (Kinesthetic)
Is it by hearing? (Auditory)
Or is it by seeing? (Visual)
Once you understand how you learn best, find ways to put yourself in position to learn in those ways.
Value the Process
If you don’t love the process of working to make your vision a reality, your vision may always be just a vision.
The process takes WAY LONGER than the result, so it’s important you learn to value and enjoy the process.
I’ll use myself as an example.
I would love to say I ran a marathon.
I can see myself crossing the finish line.
Life is great.
I’m smiling, and still upright.
But the process to get there requires running (Duh?). Running and I don’t quite gel, and that would be a long, unhappy process to get to that short exhilarating moment in my vision.
Now, I’m not saying I cannot do it, but it wouldn’t be a process that I would value or enjoy.
This requires you to look at your vision a little bit deeper, and to ask yourself what it takes to make that vision a reality.
If the process is filled with things you don’t enjoy, then maybe you need to refine your vision to make the process enjoyable and valuable to you.
Your vision is your vision, so if it’s something you REALLY want then I’ll coach you through it. But remember how long the training or practice to get there is.
Invest In Yourself
Before you run off changing your vision, it’s possible you just don’t know the best way YET.
You might just need to invest in yourself and spend some money on coaching, programming, equipment, etc. to make that process more doable for yourself.
Our in-person business is unique in that we serve both the kids and parents – it’s a one-stop shop to promote the community and family aspect of health.
It is incredible to watch parents invest in their children through strength and conditioning, private lessons, and top of the line coaching.
What’s also incredible is how reluctant parents are to invest in themselves.
We have had parents bring their kids for their work out and run/walk outside of our building.
We’ve also had parents who run their kids from place to place and tell us how they just cannot find time to workout for themselves.
Hello, let me introduce myself.
Now, I don’t know you or your goals, but if you’re one of the parents above, let me ask you this – what are you teaching your children?
That once you have kids that you can no longer invest in yourselves?
Now, I know that’s not your intention, but if you have a goal or a vision that you want to be a reality, you might need to invest in yourself!
By no means is this a plug for myself or my company.
In fact, this is a plug for YOU.
I want to help you find the right way to invest in yourself, so you can come back later on and tell me your vision is real and you’re living the life of your dreams.
Stop Seeking Approval
Your vision is your vision, and your process is your process.
WHO CARES WHAT ANYONE ELSE THINKS!
I say this as a person who cares very much what other people think – major imperfection of mine – but if starting my own business has taught me anything, it’s that
you’re wasting your time seeking the approval of others.
Last week, I had a woman all but say she thought our business was going to crash and burn.
For a moment, I thought about dropping a bowling ball on her foot (we were at a bowling alley), but then I reminded myself that 1) she’s not anyone I really care about because she’s not a family member or friend 2) she will never be a client or employee of mine and 3) she’s probably unhappy in her own life and as a result takes pride in bashing others.
The point is that no matter how lovable or successful you are, you will NEVER have the approval of everyone so STOP LOOKING FOR IT!
Be passionate about your vision, surround yourself with people who support it, and continue on the journey of making your vision real.
Consistency Is Key
If you’ve followed me long enough, you know I believe all your health and fitness goals rely on consistency.
Truthfully, I don’t even believe it stops there.
Everything relies on consistency!
If you showed up to work sporadically do you really think you’ll get that promotion or even keep your job?
NO!
Same goes for making your vision a reality.
If you’re not consistently visualizing it, planning out the process, or working toward it, you’re only getting further and further away.
Bring it back to the 1% Rule, and find SOMETHING to make that vision even the slightest bit clearer.
Place Effort Before Talent and Results
“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
If you’ve ever been in the world of athletics, you’ve probably heard this quote, and boy, does it ring true when you’re working on your vision!
There will always be someone more skilled or talented than you, and when you’re working your butt off, that can REALLY hurt.
When friends, spouses, or family members start working with me together this is the perfect example.
I’m going to use my two favorite evening ladies right now 😉
One is sore after nearly every workout.
The other has only a little lingering soreness and stiffness.
It’s not to say either is working any harder than the other, it’s just the way the body works!
Someone else may reach his or her vision before you do, but that’s not to say you’re not working as hard or that you have less talent.
Your results will come so long as you continue through the process and avoid the temptation to compare results to others along the way.
Cultivate Grit
Growing up, I thought grit meant dirty, so the last thing I wanted was grit.
Coaches told me how important grit was and that if I wanted to be a good player I needed to be gritty. Then came the day where a coach called me gritty…
I was offended because I thought my coach was a dirty player!
HAH! Oh how I was wrong!
Grit is a strength! It’s courage and resolve!
Just as coaches asked that of me as an athlete, I ask you to have that in pursuit of your vision.
The journey will be tough and at times, the vision will be dark, but that’s where you need grit.
If you are going to give up at the first sign of struggle, your vision will never have any clarity.
Why even start?
Never, ever, EVER give up on your vision!
Work Past Fear
Think of the last thing you were afraid to start?
How did it turn out?
Did you ever even start?
Fear gets in the way of nearly everything in life.
It’s the root cause of procrastination, stress, busyness, and not living up to your potential.
If you truly want your vision to become a reality, you need to be living up to your full potential; therefore, procrastination, stress, and busyness need to be pushed aside.
It’s likely that you look at your vision and the distance that stands between creates a sense of insecurity and fear.
Do you know what? THAT’S OKAY!
Your vision requires change, personal growth, and facing a challenge. All scary things.
Your fear is not abnormal or a problem.
The problem arises when fear clouds the picture and slows or stops your progress.
You can’t stifle the fear.
Acknowledge it.
Then begin to work through it.
If you’ve seen the show This Is Us, Randall and Beth love to play the ‘Worst Case Scenario’
Game when facing adversity. They take turns listing out the worst possible thing that could happen when faced with the given challenge.
I LOVE THAT GAME!
It acknowledges the fear, but it completely works through it by also acknowledging the irrationality of the fear.
Visualize or talk through the worst-case scenario of you moving forward with your vision.
Most often, it’s no worse than the place you currently sit.
Do you want to know the true antidote to fear?
According to Luka Hocevar, it’s love.
He vows that if you do everything with love you will cast off your fear. If you’re loving every step of the journey instead of fearing every step, the process begins to flow and before you know it so does success.
A Goal Accomplished is a New Goal Set
Last but not least. The best for last.
When your vision becomes a reality or your goal has been accomplished, that is not the
end.
Too often clients reach their goal and quickly revert backwards.
Why?
Because they never took the time to think about what is next. A new goal or vision was never created.
What is it that you want to accomplish next?
Start painting the picture.
Start charting the course.
About The Author
Jordan Davies is the Co-Owner of Complete Performance. Jordan has her B.S. in Exercise Science and Psychology, and her M.A. in Holistic Health Studies. She is a CSCS certified strength and conditioning coach, and a PN-1 and NCI-1 certified nutrition coach. She loves to study how the human body needs to be moved and nourished and making that fit to your unique lifestyle. Click Here Now to Apply for Coaching with Jordan.
