Excellent advice for kicking off the New Year from Chip Eichelberger!

Excellent advice for kicking off the New Year from Chip Eichelberger! Chip will help you “Get Switched On!” in 2011!
It is a little longer than normal because preparing yourself to have a GREAT year is essential. It is a worthy goal to create a great 2011 and not settle for a good year (or worse). My belief is that it is not likely to happen without proper preparation on your part. We need to take some time to THINK! We are all busy and this process is worth the effort so I will keep it simple.
Is it worth a hour NOW to achieve extraordinary results in 2011?
1. Review what happened last year – take a ten minutes to reflect on what you are proud of, what you accomplished. Write it down no matter how small. What were the specific results you achieved? Did you have a goal list from last year? Next, where did you let yourself down? What were your biggest disappointments and what did you learn? If you don’t learn from the past, you’ll repeat it. This is a good place to start for thinking about next years goals.
 2. Get clear where you are now – you need to make an honest assessment of your progress so far. Take a quick look at the results you are currently getting in your relationships, career, health, money, passions. Are you enjoying your life?  Where are you winning? Where are you letting yourself down?
 Example: get clear on how much money you have, where it is invested, what return you are getting, how much you owe, how much you want to make this year, how much you will save, how else could you generate income etc.
 Example: how much do you weigh, how much do you need to lose/gain, what is the fat content of your body, cholesterol level, BP, # of workouts a month, energy level, # of fruits and vegetables a day (Nat’l Cancer Institute now recommends 7 for women and 9 for men), # of soft drinks you drink a day etc.
 Bonus Tip: the number one source of calories for Americans according to the CDC is soft drinks! The average American drinks 746 – 12 ounce cans a year.
 One extra soda a day equates to additional 2.3 pounds in weight gain a MONTH! If you want to lose weight or get your kids to lose weight – get the soft drinks and high sugar drinks out of your home and workplace!
Down load two copies of the Winner’s Workout Schedule. Print it out, determine your workout goal, sign it and place it on the mirror in the bath room. As you will see, you set a goal and an actual result to achieve and then track your results.
 
Follow the Tips for High Energy, Health and Vitality on the Winner’s Workout Schedule. Those are five easy action steps you can do for yourself and to set a better example for your family that will make a measurable difference this year. Drink the Get Switched On smoothie 4 days a week at least.  
Remember, you can never make up for on a treadmill, what you can put in your mouth.
 Why – Because it takes so long to burn a big number of calories working out, it is not and efficient way to lose weight. There are about 840 calories in a Whopper (much more with the fries/soda). You only burn about 220 calories in a fast walk on a treadmill in 30 minutes. You do not have time to do 2 hours on a treadmill to burn off a Whopper! The only effective way to lose weight is to cut your calorie input.
 3. Decide what you really want this year – what specifically would make it a great year? Dream and scheme, and then dream bigger! I recommend you get your family involved in this process, especially if you have kids. Think about those key areas listed above. This is goal setting 101 – you must write them down! Some of the items may be for immediate completion, some in a month, some this year and some longer term. Take a good look at your list. What are the top specific, measurable outcomes for those time frames? Make sure you have each of the key areas represented. It is not the quantity, but the quality of the goals you set!
The next step is to display them – I recommend you laminate the list and put it in your shower!
 Break down your yearly goals into monthly chunks to make them more digestible. The format is up to you: mind map, incorporate pictures, a simple list in each area with a time line designated. It does not matter how you do it, just do it! Set up a system to track your progress. That is why the Winner’s Workout Schedule is so successful. If you are in sales or have a business, you must have a plan of action and a way to track your progress too.
 Example: How many non-fiction books will you read this year? Set a goal and fill in the titles of the books as you complete them. Check out my recommended reading and listening list – The 4% Solution.
 4. Decide why you will make it happen – you must make a decision that this is your year. Do you believe in yourself and your ability to make it happen? That’s the first step. Believing leads to doing, and taking consistent action gets results. Take the time to write down why you are committed to make it happen right now. Who is depending on you to make it happen?
 
5. Turbo charge your progress – if you want to make it happen quickly, baby steps will not cut it. You will need to make a radical change. Why? The radical change will yield quicker results and get you motivated faster. Making a slow gradual change takes too long! This is even more true if the hole you are trying to dig out of is deep. Most the people I have spoken to over the years who quit smoking did it in a moment.
 If you need to, hire a personal trainer and work out 20 days a month. Start every day with at least 20 minutes of oxygenating your system with an aerobic workout.
 If you are in sales, call every person you did business with last year in the next 10 days. Renew the relationship – how can you add value – ask for referral – send the a card after the call. 
 If you are married/in a relationship, ensure you have a special date night every week this year. Take turns planning the night and make it a surprise!
 If you (or your children) are seriously over weight, ordering the Diet Pepsi with the Whopper will not have a big impact. Cut out soda entirely. Starting eating your 9 fruits and vegetables if you are man – 7 for women, drink the smoothie every day. Start bringing a small cooler with you in the car and to work so you have quality food with you all the time.
 There is a big difference between committed and interested. You must have clear reasons why you will not fail yourself and your family. Write at least a paragraph to yourself – what kind of person do you have to be – how will you behave? What do you need to believe? Who will support you? How will it make you feel becoming the person you will need to become to achieve your goals?
Remember, you will typically overestimate what you can accomplish in a year and underestimate what you can accomplish in a decade.