I got this idea from Jorge Cruise, a fitness and nutrition guru, currently out promoting his book, The 3 Hour Diet. Wayyyyy back when, I read his book, 8 Minutes in the Morning for Real Shapes, Real Sizes. One of the ideas in there was so useful to me that I still use it and/or variations on it.
Make a Power Poster
You can make this “poster” however you want. The goal is that this is something you can reference at least twice a day. Once when you wake up, and once before bed. If you can reference it more often fine, but guarantee yourself twice. I’ve used 8.5×11″ paper in one form or another, and I’ve used 3×5 cards. I’ve used a web start page. In all cases, it worked reasonably the same.
This is a Reinforcement Tool
On past posters, I’ve written things like:
- My decisions matter, good and bad.
- Drink 4 32ounce bottles of water a day.
- I am proud when people notice my efforts.
- Working out early means there’s less chance it gets scuttled.
And so on. The point is to write down five to ten things that, when you read them, will be powerful reminders of what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, or anything else that you think will help you move the needle forward positively.
You Don’t Have to Share Them
My power poster is personal. I don’t share it with anyone but my wife. But that’s because it’d only benefit me to read anyhow. It’s like a mission statement. If you write it out, it’s only good because it reflects your roles, goals, and what you’ll do to attain those goals. Share if you want, but be frank and honest as to what you need.
Remember to Phrase Things in the Positive
Don’t think of pink elephants. It’s always trickier to bring change about if you’re still mired in the past. Think about how things will be when you’ve achieved what you seek to accomplish, and then write things out from that perspective. That’s useful, you know.
“I’m running five miles while carrying on a conversation. I run daily, and not because I have to.”
That’s SO much better than, “Don’t eat junk food.”
Which flag would *you* rally around?
Get Creative
When I was at my fitness and nutrition prime, I made myself two huge power posters and hung them up at work. They were basically collages, made from magazines, including all kinds of images of fit people trail running, rock climbing, bicycling, etc. There were some quotes sprinkled in (mostly from the magazine’s own copy), and nothing on the sign was overt to what my goals were, but boy, those posters got me out to run every day for a long while.
You are in control of how you make 2007 turn out. You’re the CEO of this year. How will you staff it? What time and effort will you spend on what? What if your power poster served as your own personal roadmap to success?