“You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.” ~ Zig Ziglar
I’ve learned by traveling the world as a motivational speaker that you have to know where you’re going before you can get there. When I left for The Biggest Loser in 2009, I knew two things: God gave me this opportunity, and it was my responsibility to act on it.
180 pounds was my destination – quite a long road from 430 pounds! But if I never set the destination, how I would I ever get there? There are two things you must know to navigate to your destination: Where you are and where you are going. The first step is to acknowledge where you are, which we talked about in last month’s column. The second step is defining where you want to be. Only then can you “map” the road to success! I had less than 7 months to get there, so I had to devise a plan!
First, games weren’t in the plan. My job was hard work and staying on the ranch! I was going to help everyone I could while keeping my nose to the grindstone! Second, I learned about losing weight! Let me explain.
I learned that 3,500 calories equaled a pound. I made a goal of losing of 1½ pounds per day – a 5,250 calorie deficit. If I ate 2,000 calories, I would need to burn 7,250 calories per day to reach my goal. This gave me a mark to hit – a target! Some days I would fail, some days I would succeed, and other days I would exceed the mark! The show’s nutritionist Cheryl Forberg and Trainer Jillian Michaels taught me what to eat, and Bob Harper and Jillian taught me how to burn calories – SWEAT! Then I hit GO on my GPS.
When you are in debt it can seem overwhelming. I know this. We owed $62,700 of unsecured debt just a few years ago. Darci and I paid off that debt in just a few years – WITH A PLAN! At my YouTube channel, you can see the video of Darci and me seen on Joyce Meyer earlier this year describing our journey! It took a plan and self discipline to get there.
In marriage, it is wise to counsel with your fiancé and learn each other’s goals BEFORE saying I do! Then you can know where you both presently are and where you both want to go – and you can agree on plan to get there. In whatever area you are looking change – health, finances, marriage, parenting, any area – you must devise a plan. I urge you to find wisdom from good people who can help you such as your pastor, a counselor, or a trusted friend or support group. Then follow that plan to focus on the future you want, not the future you might happen upon! As Benjamin Franklin said, “If you fail to plan you are planning to fail.”
Yesterday I heard something that really made me think. Van Crouch, an incredible speaker, told me that the first thing I needed to possibly do is to “clarify.”
Revisiting your “mission” in life and the “reasons” for doing something is a must. Doing this helps us clarify why we are doing what we are doing. Often, we get sidetracked and forget why we strive for something in the first place! With years between me and my “Biggest Loser” win, I have had to revisit my reasons, or mission for my life. I have had to realize that it is NOT about me. It is about others! This is “WHY” I must stay healthy, “WHY” I must not waiver, “WHY” I must realize that although while on the Biggest Loser is was about me, now it is not.
My new “WHY” is not to become a stumbling block for the millions of people I have been blessed to inspire to better their lives…to continue to motivate people and make them realize that they have NO limits…that I broke THROUGH my barrier so that OTHERS could rise to their best.
What is your “WHY” and might it have changed since you started? Have you lost that initial FIRE that got you off the couch and into the game? Maybe you need to CLARIFY your WHY. Spend the next few weeks CLARIFYING WHY we need to finish what we started!
There was always one memory from Hawaii that stuck with me and it made me feel pretty good. We had been living in an apartment complex at the time, though I couldn’t tell you where anymore (we moved so many times that each place has become like one major blur over the years.) The groundskeeper at this particular apartment complex used to hang out with all of the kids in the community.
One day he invited a bunch of us up to a waterfall. It was a good hike through the woods to get there, but we were young and energetic and gung-ho. Five or six of us made the five mile hike and when we broke through the clearing, we watched these older kids and young adults jumping from the waterfall, screaming and laughing all the way down, until they hit the water, this narrow pool of water maybe fifteen feet wide by fifteen feet long.
This groundskeeper bet me a Big Mac at McDonald’s that we wouldn’t jump from the top. When you’re a kid, everything looks much taller, higher, or bigger. That waterfall might as well have been on the moon for as high as it looked. But a Big Mac to me, with parents who had no money, was like gold. I set my sights on that waterfall and climbed my way to the top.
I didn’t take too long, because I knew that if I thought about it too much, I would probably back out. I just ran and jumped as far out as I could. I was not able to see the water from where I was, because the edge of the cliff stuck out about 10 feet. However, I heard someone yell from the bottom, you have to jump out as far as you can, so you don’t hit the rocks. I had to trust what he was saying was true, if not… Well I may not be here today.
When my ten-year-old self took that leap, I remember a sudden moment of complete and utter terror. Suspended animation as I looked down and saw nothing for the longest time. My arms waved and my hands grasped for anything to hold onto, talk about give it your all, your committed at that point buddy but there was nothing there. I plummeted for what must have been ten years and then hit the water.
If you’ve ever jumped from a considerable height into water, then you know that if you don’t protect your arms, or your feet, the impact can give you a nice red whelps. I smacked that water hard, and the pain hit me before my head broke the surface again. The image I thought of was when Fred Flintstone would hit the water and just sit there on top for a little while, then start sinking. That’s how it felt. But I didn’t care. I had earned my Big Mac. I was going to savor it.
This was a moment of trusting someone else for what was right for me paid off. Someone else had a better perspective than I did. I listened and moved on what I heard.
Is there an area in your life where you need to trust someone else and just take a leap?
Did you know that over 50% of people who ask for a raise get it?
Here are a few tips on how to get a pay raise when you know you deserve it.
Talk value, not need.
Most of the time your boss doesn’t care that you’re finishing school, that you’re supporting another child, or that your spouse just lost his job. Don’t lead with why you need more money. Instead, make a case for how you’ve helped make the organization better. Have you taken on responsibilities that added value with measurable results? If you’re responsible for increases and have knowledge that is critical to the operation of the business, then your boss will likely be favorable toward the idea of compensating you for your contributions.
Timing matters.
When you ask is important. Some favorable times include:
- When the company releases higher-than-expected quarterly earnings.
- When you’ve been publicly recognized for a job well done.
- When your boss is in a good mood.
Someone on my team pointed out that I am always in a better mood when I am wearing a white shirt. I didn’t know that nor do I know why that may be true, but it was a great observation on her part!
Get another offer.
The bottom line is that you are worth what someone is willing to pay you. This can ultimately only be proven by actually having someone offer you more. Only use this approach if you’re willing to follow through by leaving (or staying based on the strength of the counter-offer). Sometimes its worth discovering what someone else would pay to know what you’re worth in your industry.
