Nailing my writing, health and business goals over the next few months means working hard. And making those targets realistic in the first place also meant working hard. It’s never-ending.
Before starting my 100 Day Diet Challenge, I thought about the things I’d need to crack to keep myself in line. I mean, I have a lot riding on this. If I don’t complete the Challenge, I won’t have content for the book I’m planning to publish afterwards. I’ll have to go back to the drawing board with ideas for The Writing Struggle. And I’ve put myself out there in public; defeat wouldn’t be ideal.
Clarifying the steps to success wasn’t just sensible in the ‘what I stand to gain’ sense; it was imperative to limit the risk of ‘what I stand to lose’.
-
PLANNING
It’s no good just saying I’m doing a diet or writing a book. I need to know what I’m eating, how I’m cooking it, what my back-up options are, where I’m writing about it, and so on. If I plan ahead in small stages for the whole 100 days, it makes the Challenge far easier to adhere to. The writing and business goals flow from here.
-
DOING
Planning is one thing but taking action is even more important. I could have the best, most elaborate plan in the world but if I go to McDonalds every lunchtime instead of eating those delicious homemade peri peri chicken thighs I brought in to the office in a container, I’m not going to get far.
-
ROUTINES
Planning x Doing = Routines. My maths isn’t great but, for the purposes of the Challenge, this adds up.
-
CONTROL
I’ve got to be in the driving seat for the duration of the Challenge, steering myself in a direction which ensures I get to the correct destination. If I’m following the right routines by planning and doing what I set out to do, I’ll be like a Tesla on Autopilot mode; the car is doing most of the work but I can put my hands back on the wheel at any moment. Elon Musk riches may have to wait, though.
-
ADAPTABILITY
Anything can happen in 100 days. Some things I try will work, others might not. I need to be quick to make changes if I’m not getting where I need to get to. Following the car analogy earlier: if Google Maps tells me another route is better, I ought to follow it.
-
LOSING WEIGHT
This is the main purpose of the Challenge: I want to lose weight. I’ll be hard pushed to write a book about it if I don’t succeed here.
-
FAILURE
Accept it, learn from it and move on. This goes hand in hand with adaptability. It also means if I slip up, I must ensure this does not derail the entire Challenge.
-
REWARDING
Moving in the right direction by following my plans means I will, hopefully, be successful with my main objectives. If I reward this success and discipline often, it will further motivate me to keep going.
-
DISCOMFORT
I’m out of my comfort zone publishing this article, and every article before it. I’m going to have to go even further by writing, and releasing, my book. And marketing that. And the Writing Struggle. Doing new things can be uncomfortable, but it’s the only way to move forward with what I want to be doing.
-
ENJOYMENT
I’m determined to enjoy this process as much as possible. I love cooking, eating and writing! The Challenge shouldn’t prevent me from doing things I enjoy. This isn’t about being miserable; if I don’t like it, I won’t keep doing it. So smile, work hard and remember every day is both an achievement and a step in the right direction.
The Challenge is well under way now. I’ve stuck with it because I spent that time thinking about the ways I might not succeed, and worked backwards. And I’ve worked hard. No messing about.
If you were doing a 100 Day Diet Challenge, what steps would you take to make sure you were successful? Get in contact via the About page or let me know on Instagram.
Read more about my 100 Day Diet Challenge here:
Do You Want to Lose 48 Pounds in 100 Days? I Did it by Creating my Own 100 Day Diet Challenge. Here’s How.
My 100 Day Diet Challenge: An Introduction
The Rules
50 Days: A Review of the First Half of My 100 Day Diet Challenge
All Recipes Published on The Writing Struggle
Thanks for reading this article. If you enjoyed it, please feel free to share it using one of the buttons below.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE WRITING STRUGGLE VIA EMAIL.