T is for Time.

“Crock pot mentality always defeats microwave mentality.”

– Dave Ramsey

I don’t believe in get rich quick. I’m not just talking financially either. I don’t think that any goal worth achieving can or should be done quickly. There’s a reason that long-term goals are called “long-term”... they usually take a long time to achieve. Yeah, this sucks a lot of times. When Bethy and I finished our first week of Financial Peace University, we were constantly saying, “But I want financial peace now!” Now we’ve been through the 13 weeks of FPU and, although we’d still like to be financially peaceful now, understand that it will take some time to work through the Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps. We now have goals set and a plan in action and it no longer seems so bad.

Going through P90X will take another 13 weeks. Admittedly, I have that same kneejerk reaction: “But I want to be in the best shape of my life now!” But I know it will take time to get there. I can’t start lifting weights today and tomorrow have bulging muscles and be totally ripped. As nice as that would be, how long would they stick around?

They say that people who lose weight quickly and in an unhealthy manner are likely to gain that weight right back and then some as soon as they come off their diet. Why? Probably because a lot of people go on crash diets, don’t learn effective eating habits, and go right back to the way they were before they started losing weight. I’m sure that isn’t the case for everyone, but I can say this… In order to start a new habit, you have to first break your old habits. This takes time. You can’t do it overnight. Quitting cold turkey might work for some, but not for everyone.

You have to take things slowly, one step at a time. You can’t skip steps or you may fall down (and might roll back to the bottom). I don’t want to discourage anyone with this message – it’s kind of just a reality check. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if you give your goals the time they need to come to fruition, you’re going to come out with the results you want.

I just realized that this post is a little longer than my first couple. If you’ve read this far, you’re on the right track!

~CLP

T is for Target.

“If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.”

– Zig Ziglar

Goal-setting is probably the most important part of your transformation. You have to have a target to aim at or else how will you ever know when you’re where you want to be? Another good Zig Ziglar quote states that once you’ve set your goal, you’re already halfway to achieving it.

I have not always been the most forward-thinking person. As Bethy (my wife) will tell you, I have pretty much always lived in the present. That’s not to say that I’ve never had any goals; it’s just that I never had a working plan to achieve my goals. I would say something like “Someday I want to [blank].” That’s more of a hopeful aspiration than a real goal. A real goal is followed by the saying “Here’s what I need to do to do that.”

Having a well-laid plan is like having a good road map. You wouldn’t decide to take a road trip around the country and then just head out the door, get in your car and start driving. That would be stupid. No, instead you would (or should) sit down and figure out all the sights you want to see, decide how much money you’ll need (for gas, hotels, souvenirs, etc), and determine how long the trip will take and when the best time to take it would be. Making changes in your life must have the same planning phase. More than just deciding what end result you would like, you have to figure out what you need to do to get there.

At some point, I’m sure I’ll go into a bit more detail about coming up with goals and creating a plan (maybe I’ll have Bethy write that one), but for now just remember that goals and planning are the first keys to transformation and change.

You must have a target to aim at, otherwise what are you shooting for?

~CLP

Welcome!

Hello and welcome Casey's 4 T's of Transformation, a blog about life and improving it through positive transformations.  These transformations can include anything from dieting and exercise (i.e., physical transformations) to financial, job/career and other life changes.  My goal is to discuss these transformations as they occur in my life so that you can get a real-world perspective of someone going through these changes.  Occasionally, my wife or another guest will post some helpful and relevant writings on subjects that I have been discussing or wish to discuss.  Please be sure to follow my wife's blog, Spiral Notebooks, to get inspirational messages to help motivate you through your life and transformations.  Also check out Spiral Inspirations for inspirational jewelry and other merchandise.

At this point you may be asking, "What are the 4 T's of Transformation?"  That is something that I hope you will stick around to learn about.  As you can see from the banner at the top of this page, they are Target, Time, Tenacity, and Triumph.  In the next few days, I will go into each in a little more detail and they will be the backbone of my writings.

Next Monday (6/7/10) I will begin my first round of P90X and I plan to blog daily (and occasionally use video) on my accomplishments and struggles with this intense exercise program.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog.  Check out my About Me page if you want to learn more about who I am!

~CLP