Making a New Year’s resolution can be a little like setting a date to have lunch with a friend that always cancels. Sometimes we don’t really believe we are going to have to make good on it. In our series ‘Transforming in 2019’  we are taking a serious look at the things that keep us from doing the things we want to do. In week one we talked about The Mind Game. How to get in the right frame of mind for success?  In week two   our conversation focused on Dealing With Stumbling Blocks. What are those things that always trip us up? How can we identify them ahead of time and increase our chances of success? In week three we talked about Creating an Action Plan.  They say if you want to succeed at anything you create a plan and work the plan. Bob gave us some of the elements every good action plan should include.
 
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On this weeks show we are talking about Dealing With Setbacks. They are going to happen. My dad used to look at all of the romantic endeavors of his children and say, “the course of true love never did run smooth.” That can be applied to just about anything we set our minds to do. It’s never Point A to Point B. When the setbacks happen, how can we deal with them so they do not derail our goals? Bob Thompson,  founder and CEO of Legion Transformation Center’s has led thousands of people to better health and fitness.  He specializes in helping those who want health and fitness but don’t particularly love exercise or eating right. Along the way he has learned a lot about human nature.  Here is Bob‘s advice on dealing with setbacks.

* Understand from the onset that there will be setbacks.  Enthusiasm will wain. You might become ill. You may be asked to work overtime at work and that will interfere with your action plan.  There will be situations you can’t control that will trigger you to fall back into old behaviors.  From the onset, identify ahead of time what things might be waiting in the wings to trip you up. Be ready for them when they happen and don’t let them become an excuse to quit.
* When the setback happens, focus on what you can control and let the rest go.  Put your energy towards the things that will bring you back to your starting point. The food you are eating. The money you are spending. The people you are hanging out with. These are all things that you have control over. Hit the reset button as soon as possible.
* Do the next right thing. Take action that will turn you back toward your goal.  Do not allow yourself to become comfortable in the “old self.“  Do not beat yourself up. Don’t allow yourself to become demoralized. Call a friend and ask for encouragement. Find a member of your tribe and share what you are dealing with. Try to think of the setback as a pause button. Press unpause and move forward.
* Go back to the action plan and work it.  Remind yourself of what your “why“ is. Take the bigger picture here. Do not hyperfocus on the thing that is making you pause but instead pull back and look at the big picture.  Focus on the finish line and not what it is taking to get there. Behave like a long-distance runner. Don’t think about how much your feet hurt. Think about how great it’s going to feel when you cross the finish line.

Making lasting changes requires rethinking the systems we have in place. In our final installment we will be looking at staying in it for the long game.