Five key steps to make an Extreme Transformation.

Learn how to apply five key steps from Extreme Transformation. 

I read Extreme Transformation: Lifelong Weight Loss in 21 Days during the holidays and realized many of the principles could apply to any type of transformation. I recommend reading the book and “going all in” if you’re trying to loose weight. The diet and exercise principles were developed by Chris and Heidi Powell after years of helping people loose extraordinary amounts of weight.

Five key steps to make an extreme transformation:

1/ Identify your what and why.

Think about the aspects of your life that could be better. Aspect refers to a particular part or feature of something. So you could think broadly about the different aspects of your life such as Financial, Health, Relationships and Spiritual and then break each aspect down into more granular features such as Career, Investments, Physical, Mental, Community, Social, Family, and Spiritual. Continue breaking down the details of each aspect until you figure out your WHAT.

When you know WHAT you want to accomplish, figure out the WHY. How will improving that one thing improve your life. A friend and I were talking over the holiday about whether he should loose 20 pounds or not. It sounds like a lot of weight but according to his doctor, the excess weight is not posing any immediate health issues. We talked for a few minutes about the benefits to even his joints and back but by the end of the conversation, he wasn’t convinced. Why? He valued certain aspects of his social life more. So even if he were to add a goal of loosing the 20 pounds to his resolution list, it’s highly unlikely that he will achieve it. He’s simply not motivated to do it.

If you’re struggling to figure out your what and why, think about any pain in your life and what it would take to eliminate the pain.

Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change. ~Tony Robins

Once you know your WHAT and WHY use the SMART framework to write your goals. SMART is an acronym for a framework used in project management and personal development. For a goal to be SMART it needs to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time Bound. If my friend was serious about loosing the 20 pounds, his goal might be “I will loose 20 pounds in 60 days”.

2/ Make promises.

Did you know that promises are one of the single most powerful forces in any transformation? I didn’t. When you make a promise to yourself, you’re putting your dignity on the line. When we keep a promise, our dignity grows from feeling complete, fulfilled and satisfied.

It works. Over the holidays, I promised to ride [aka: cycle] at least one day every week. Even though some days were grey and chilly, I rode. Promises are compelling and fulfilling a promise to yourself just feel goods. Plus riding enhances my health and relationships when I ride with friends.

What promises are you going to make to achieve your goals? Set yourself up for success. Think about what you’d like to do and then what is feasible given your other commitments.

3/ Believe in yourself.

Change is scary for most people. For many it requires a leap of faith – faith in the process and in others for support until you believe that you can do whatever you can to achieve.

“When you believe, the light switch for transformation get slammed into the on position and you excitedly put for the effort to achieving your goals and dreams. The moment you question yourself or stop believing that you can, the switch slams off. And just as quickly, your behaviors can revert back to their old habits and patterns.” ~Chris and Heidi Powell

To believe in yourself, make a list of your past accomplishments and/or look to others who have accomplished similar goals, learn from them and let them be your motivation.

Don’t let your fear or the fear of friends and family create doubt or hold you back. FEAR is just False –  Evidence – Appearing – Real.

4/ Learn to fall not fail.

Success is not linear for most people. Circumstances change, events happen, a ball gets dropped and you fall off the wagon, the horse or just get knocked down. It happens. You must have heard the old adage by now that it doesn’t matter how many times you fall down, it only matters how many times you get up. It’s true. Just get up, dust yourself off, confess your sins, reassess your path and keep going.

The Journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step. ~Lao Tzu

5/ Focus on the payoffs versus immediate satisfaction.

Give yourself time to think about what it will be like to achieve your goal. How will you feel, what will you be able to do differently, how will it enhance your relationships and/or how will it improve your health? Think about that in comparison to how you will feel if you give into your old habits that reward you with some sort of immediate satisfaction.

Healthy Portions:

This is one of the tools from the book, that I really liked for learning portions. Use your hand to learn the correct portions for maintaining a healthy diet.

1/ Protein – Palm
2/ Carbs [Grains & Fruit] – Clenched Fist
3/ Veggie Carbs – 2 Fists
4/ Fats or Sauces – I Thumb