The 7 simple steps to making it happen

Run Faster

Getting more done and achieving our life goals can be one of the most important things for us to do in our lives. From improving our health and fitness to making our business grow, our outcomes need to be chipped away at every day through consistent and disciplined action to make them happen.

So how do you go about getting consistent results from your action?

I use a simple to follow, 7 step process, that works every time. It’s not rocket science or complicated, it’s not expensive or hard to do. It just takes action on a daily basis.

Here is the magic formula:

1) Define your outcome in as much detail
2) Write down why it’s important to you and feel the emotion
3) Raise your standards about who you are so this matches this new outcome
4) Create an action plan that will get you to this outcome in the time scale required
5) Now brainstorm how to make it happen 5 times quicker and write that down. This focuses the mind as the shorter deadline creates a sense of urgency
6) Take immediate action towards making this happen and continue taking massive action on a daily basis
7) Review your outcomes daily and track progress at least once a week. Tweak your strategy if it isn’t working

To make it even easier to follow, here is the process applied to a real-world outcome that I have just set for myself:

1) Define your outcome in as much detail
I want to run a half marathon in 4 months time in less than a 7-minute mile pace (total time under 1 hour 31 minutes and 30 seconds. My current best time is 1 hour 47 minutes which is a 8:12 pace)

2) Write down why it’s important to you and feel the emotion
I want to understand how far and how fast I can run an endurance event. I am passionate about being as fit and healthy as possible and running makes me feel incredibly happy and free.

3) Raise your standards about who you are so this matches this new outcome
I am now an athlete and must eat and train like an athlete every day to achieve my outcome. My standards are that of an Olympian athlete and training is incredibly important to me.

4) Create an action plan that will get you to this outcome in the time scale required
I must run 4 times a week including 1 day of hill sprints. I need to reduce my average mile pace by 4 seconds a week. I need to lose half a stone in weight to help me to run faster. I need to hire a trainer to improve my body structure so I can avoid injuries. I need to eat foods that will supply my body with the optimum amount of nutrition. I will create a schedule for all of these things so they are real and locked in.

5) Now brainstorm how to make it happen 5 times quicker and write that down. This focuses the mind as the shorter deadline creates a sense of urgency
I need to reduce my average mile pace by 10 seconds a week. I need to completely eliminate any negative foods such as sugar and alcohol and I need to add in variations of sprints such as 400m timed sprints.

6) Take immediate action towards making this happen and continue taking massive action on a daily basis
Go for a run today focusing on my eventual outcome. Call a trainer to get guidance on how to get my body in the best shape. Go food shopping and get stocked up with healthy foods that will improve my athletic performance.

7) Review your outcomes daily and track progress at least once a week. Tweak your strategy if it isn’t working
Read out loud my outcome every morning and create a spreadsheet with my training times so that I can log all of my runs and refer back to ensure I am on target.

There you have it, that is how I am going to run a half marathon in a time that is significantly faster than anything I have run before and that exact same method can be applied to anything you want to achieve. 7 simple steps to an instant improvement in standards, and 7 simple steps towards making things change in your life.

When do you get started, now would be a good time