Did you see the story of Joan McDonald? It’s truly an amazing story and one you can checkout right here.
Here is the quick summary. Joan McDonald, who at 70 years old, 5’3” tall and weighing 198 pounds made an incredible body and life transformation over a period of three years. It was at the time Joan found herself in the doctor’s office in bad health, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and acid reflux. She needed to make a change – higher dosages of medication – right? Wrong! – A real change, a life change. Luckily with her daughter, Michelle, a professional weight lifter and owner of Tulum Strength Club by her side, Joan embarked on her epic journey. Soon she started going on walks for cardio, doing yoga and lifting weights. Now some three years later, she is down 62 pounds. The weight is gone, the smile is big and she is loving life. What’s more, Joan says that if she can do it, so can you.
Inspiration and Motivation
The story of Joan McDonalds body and life transformation is inspirational and motivating. What she did was simply amazing. However for every Joan out there who succeeded in achieving something really big, there are another thousand that did not make it. Big changes are never easy, they are often times hard. Well, very hard. Though we all know, nothing worth well ever comes easy, the path is always difficult.
I had a coach in high school that would tell me when the training got tough, “if it were easy, everyone would be doing it.” It’s true, success comes to those who preserve or hang in there during the tough times.
Tips to Succeed
What can we do to ensure success and create the outcome that we want? There is a definite formula for success that needs to be followed. It’s not new or revolutionary. It’s been done for years and you can do it too.
# 1 – Make Your Mind Determined to Succeed
First you need to get your mind ready and determined to succeed. My daughter was having trouble learning to ride her bike. She was giving up and saying she couldn’t do it. I told her that her mind likes to lie to her, telling her that she can’t do it. I told her she needs to tell her mind to step aside because she was going to succeed. With a little determination she was able to ride her bike in a short period of time. She overcame the negativity in her mind and when she did, she was able to succeed.
It’s true and I am a strong believer that you can get your mind to do almost anything you want it to do. You are the boss and you need to get your mind to work for you, not against you.
Next time your alarm goes off early in the morning and tells you that you are too tired to get up. Tell your mind to stop and get up. Soon the mind will learn that it’s time to get up when that alarm goes off. It might sound quirky, but it works.
# 2 – Have a Plan
Next you need to have a plan to succeed. You cant wing it, it wont work. The plan can be as simple as I wake up at 6:00 a.m on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and go to the gym and do these excerises. It’s simple, but it’s a plan and one that can be enhanced over time.
I liken it to a lack of a plan when going to the grocery store and having no clue what you are going to buy. Then getting there and just randomly buying things. When you get home you have nothing to make a meal with and the trip seemed wasted. Don’t waste your time, have a plan, even a simple plan.
# 3 – Persevere and Be Super Determined
Lastly, you need to have guts and toughness. There is no way to sugarcoat it. If you want to succeed you need to be determined that nothing can stand in your way and nothing will deter you from success. You need to know from the start, its going to be tough and hard but you are going to do it and you are going to succeed.
My grandmother was a lifelong smoker. As kids we use to hide her cigarettes and when she found out that we were hiding them she got really mad with us. Honestly I never thought I’d see the day she would ever stop. However after meeting with her doctor once, he told her she was going to die if she didn’t stop. She stopped cold turkey. One thing to know about my grandmother, she was very tough, tough as nails. She had navigated poverty and hardship for many years, taught herself to drive, taught herself another language.
Finally – You Can Do It!
Yes you can do it. It’s just very simple. Any goal you want to get you can attain if its means enough to you. If it doesn’t mean enough you wont accomplish it.
Now go out and attain your goals.
