Resolutions.

Posted By Cliff Tuttle | December 29, 2009

Posted by Cliff Tuttle, but…

Written by Jeffrey Gitomer, the great salesman’s salesman:

What does it take to commit? Can’t buckle my belt.

I’m too fat.

I found myself with an extra 20 pounds. It didn’t happen over night, it just crept up on me when I wasn’t looking. An ice cream cone here. Creme brulee there. Yeah, give me extra mashed potatoes with that! And before you know it, my trim 34-inch waist has become a spare tire at a tight 36. Rats.

In high school and college, at 6 feet and 150 pounds, my friends referred to me as “skinny.” When I was asked my weight for my first drivers license (1963), I put down 150 when it was actually 135.  But three days ago, I tipped the scale at 201, and panic set in. I started to haunt myself with thoughts of fat. Fat arteries. Fat cholesterol. Fat stomach. And the ever popular…”Does this make my butt look big?”

I’ve had it. And I am about to take action. But before I do, I want to affirm my commitment. In order to achieve any worthwhile goal, you must make a commitment to yourself, and make an action plan for its achievement. I have done both. And telling you about it is not the important part. But it certainly will make me appear to be less of a person if I don’t achieve my goal. No pun intended – I am putting my ass on the line.

What does it take to make a commitment, and then follow through with actions that allow the goal to be achieved?  Well, I don’t know that there is an actual formula, but let me share with you what has worked for me. Making the commitment is part one. Living up to it is part two through twelve point five.

Here are the 12.5 steps to getting past commitment to achievement:
1. Today, not tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes, especially where change or breaking a habit is concerned.
2. Develop a passion or an anger about your present situation. The only way to make the goal a reality is to get determined and create the inner energy.
3. Do it for the most important person in the world…YOU! Don’t do this for or against anyone but yourself. 4. Write down your exact plan. Detail both the actions you must take, and the rewards for achievement.
5. Set a time frame. The end is as important as the beginning.
6. Determine the daily dose. Just figure out what you need to achieve each day, and do that.
7. Look for substitutes (placebos or pacifiers). If you have to quit something, get a diversion to take your mind off of temptation.
8. Don’t quit just because you slip. If you fall off the (achievement) wagon, get back on.
9. Post your goals and achievements. Post-it note your goals on your bathroom mirror. After you achieve them, take them down and post them on your bedroom mirror. Look at your success every day.
10. It’s a day-by-day process. And if you do your daily bit-of-achievement, the passing weeks will bring you the prize.
11. Change other habits, so that one is not overpowering the other. Goals require change. Take the opportunity to make a few more. 12. Celebrate your victory. Ring bells, drink champagne from the winners cup, PARTY!
12.5 Grim reality is having a crisis occur that forces the commitment to be made. This can be anywhere from bombing the World Trade Center, to having a massive heart attack. Where crisis is not the best place to have commitment occur, it is certainly the best place to show how to take immediate action.

My personal goal is to be a svelte 179. I seek to achieve it in 90 days. All I need to do is lose a few ounces a day. I can do that. But ah, could you pass the bread, I’m starting tomorrow.

What are you looking to achieve? How angry or passionate are you about its achievement? How many times have you told yourself, “I can quit whenever I want to, I just don’t want to.” How many times are you justifying your lack of starting, with some excuse like: kids in school, kids not in school, before the holiday, after the holiday, after I graduate, before I start work. Who is kidding who?
Commitment is something to relearn every so often. And I have committed myself to student status, until I have achieved my goal of pants I can fit in to.
Happy healthy prosperous new year to all. Resolve to commit and achieve. I’ll be here to cheer you on.

Want some sales inspiration for the New Year – quotes and insights to help you achieve success? Go to www.gitomer.com and enter the words INSPIRE ME in the GitBit box.

Another approach to the same subject, habit building, was posted recently in the Motley Fool.

Happy 2010.

CLT

Welcome

CLIFF TUTTLE has been a Pennsylvania lawyer for over 45 years and (inter alia) is a real estate litigator and legal writer. The posts in this blog are intended to provide general information about legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus. However, this information does not constitute legal advice and there is no lawyer-client relationship created when you read this blog. You are encouraged to leave comments but be aware that posted comments can be read by others. If you wish to contact me in privacy, please use the Contact Form located immediately below this message. I will reply promptly and in strict confidence.

Subscribe to our feed