When it comes to accomplishing your goals, do you feel like you are in quicksand? Like everything is so hard, and you aren’t gaining any traction? If so, I gotchu! The 50% rule is here to help you take your game to the next level.
Before I explain the 50% rule, I have got to know, how did you like last week’s anthem? Did you make one of your own? Did you get inspired? I hope you found it helpful; I know it has helped me!
Okay, back to the 50% rule.
Pick One goal
First, I want to warn you, the 50% rule isn’t the typical advice that you would get on goal setting, but it’s realistic. I want you to hear me out on this before you decide if it’s for you or not! First and foremost, pick one goal that you want to accomplish. Only one. Do you want to pay off debt, run a 5K, get organized, or start a business? I don’t care if you write a list of your goals, but make darn sure you prioritize them. Today (and until you accomplish that first goal), you are only sticking with the number one goal on your list.
When you split your attention to multiple things (goals), you lose. You probably think (like I did), that if you do a little bit of everything, you will be an all-star. I’m here to tell you it doesn’t work that way. If you want to feel like a boss, believe me when I say, you have to focus on just one thing. Concentrating on one goal, became blatantly apparent to me when I followed Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University plan to tackle my finances.
I had over $106,000 in debt, and never paid the minimum payment on anything; I always added 10 to 100 dollars to the minimum payment. This led to confusion and frustration, because I had consistently paid over the minimum amount, yet I felt like I was drowning in debt.
While I took Financial Peace University, I learned to pay off your smallest debt first and pay the minimum amount on everything else. I did it because I had been failing for so long, and thought I might as well follow people had been successful. Guess what? I did it! It actually worked! I paid off $106,000 in under two years.
Before starting that journey, I would have said it was impossible. Constant consistent action towards one goal is what made the difference. Not only was I focusing on one debt, but I was focusing on one goal. If I had tried to pay off debt and start a business at the same time, I wouldn’t have been successful. My attention would have been diverted.
Most of us think multi-tasking is a great skill to have. The truth, it’s not. You’re constantly switching tasks, and it’s a waste of your time. If you don’t believe me try this video and exercise with Dave Crenshaw
Let me know in the comments how that exercise turned out for you!!!
I realize you may not be able to quit everything, and you might have to do the bare minimum. That’s okay! Say, for example, you choose to focus on your financial goal, over your goal to get organized. You likely will still want to clean up the house from time to time. Do that, just don’t take on the task of re-organizing the whole house yet.
What is the 50% rule, and why should you do it?
I want you to go all-in on your one goal, 50% of the time. Are you confused? It’s okay; we will get there. That one goal is going to require a minimum of 50% of your effort or 50% improvement.
For example:
Cut your frivolous spending in half.
Cut your eating of fattening foods in half
100% effort and improvement is just too much pressure, and it’s not realistic. Nobody can give 100% all of the time. Often times when people go all in, all of the time, they will eventually get worn out. When they get worn out, they are in a worse place than where they originally started. For example, have you ever done an extreme diet? Where you followed the plan to its extremes. You got worn out because there weren’t any built-in exceptions for life, and you gained more weight. I’ve been there. Aim to keep your goal maintainable for long-term success.
Pick your one goal, and go at least 50% in. Take consistent action towards that goal.
No pressure.
No overnight success.
Apply 50% of your effort towards your one thing. One thing only. You can choose to go balls to the wall if that feels like something you wanna do. But that doesn’t have to be the norm.
If you fail, no judgment, stay on course. The rule is u don’t get to beat yourself up if you give it 50%. Matter of fact, don’t even bother beating yourself up at all if you do nothing one day (or one week). We all fail. Focus on how you will bounce back!
Consistent action is what matters here. You will go through ups and downs. Some months you will feel like giving up. Other months you will be on fire and want to give 100% effort. Go ahead and ride those waves. When you feel on fire, go for it. When you don’t, try to give it 50% effort. It is normal to have up’s and downs, just be clear with yourself that you are on a mission, and you will accomplish this goal.
Put your goal, somewhere you can review frequently
Consider putting it on the dashboard in your car, or on a wall, or a mirror
Exercise
Ask yourself, what would it mean to accomplish this one goal?
How would you feel?
How would it impact you?
Please comment below and tell me what goal you are working towards! You can also reach out in the Ordinary to Badass Facebook group, where there is a group of like-minded women to grow with you and support you!!!
Pro tip: For 5 minutes every day…. imagine yourself accomplishing that goal. Imagine how it would feel, what it would mean for you and your family if you achieved it. Where would you celebrate? Who would be there with you?
Marie
P.S. Today: Pick one goal and go 50% in using the 50% rule.