There’s a common theme here…other than the obvious time factor…they’re all fleeting thoughts.  They are not real goals.  This is why so many people that embark on a weight loss journey fail.

Fleeting thoughts are like criticisms.  Anyone can criticize, it’s easy and takes no effort.  People who criticize are too afraid to put themselves in situations where they can fail.  And that’s why they never succeed.

I already know that people who have unrealistic expectations (and demands) aren’t in it for real.  They’re just merely voicing their temporary thoughts.

It’s easy to quit when you don’t invest anything into it.

“Nothing that’s worthwhile is ever easy.  Remember that”  - Nicholas Sparks

If you want to achieve a goal…any goal…you need to put in the time and effort.

“In fact, researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours.”  - Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success

It’s simple math.  Time + Effort = Success

But let’s put this number into perspective…especially for those that think 2 - 3 weeks of hard work is actually a long time.  If you break up 10,000 hours into your average 8 hr per day, 40 hr/ per week schedule.  That comes out to 250 weeks or just shy of 5 years!

“Once a musician has enough ability to get into a top music school, the thing that distinguishes one performer from another is how hard he or she works. That’s it. And what’s more, the people at the very top don’t work just harder or even much harder than everyone else. They work much, much harder.”  - Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success

As the old saying goes…“Nothing beats hard work”

Of course most of us don’t have that much time to dedicate to a specific goal, BUT I’m not talking 10,000 hours to become an expert.  I’m merely talking about putting in the necessary amount of work it takes to achieve your goal.  Some goals may take longer than others, but the bottom line is, you NEED to put time and effort to make it happen.

Brandon is a great example.  He proves that no matter what your goals are, there’s nothing that you can’t achieve, if you put your mind to it and dedicate the time and effort it takes to get reach your goal.

Brandon had the right mental fortitude to achieve his goal.  Do you?

Before you ever take any physical steps towards your goal, here are 5 questions you need to ask yourself.

1. Is this just another fleeting thought?  Or are you really serious about making a change.

2. Are you willing to make the time needed to achieve your goal?

3. Are you willing to give it your best effort, not matter what the outcome may be?

4. If things don’t work out the way you planned it (...because often times they don’t) are you going to quit?  Or are you willing to find a way and make it work.

5. How many times are you willing to fail before you succeed?

These are some thought provoking questions that you should ask yourself, if you really want to achieve something great.

“Every day, people settle for less than they deserve. They are only partially living or at best living a partial life. Every human being has the potential for greatness.”
- Bo Bennett