This is the question that has launched thousands of magazine covers. I’m not sure what your situation or desired results are, so I won’t give you advice directly. Since it gets to the heart of self influence, I’ll give myself advice instead. I need it, and maybe my plan can serve as a model for you.

Like many of you, I have the long-term desire to be fit, but I give in to the short-term pleasures of lying on the couch. Or, to phrase it more charitably, I’m too busy with serious work to indulge in something as self centered as exercise. I’ll use the principles from our book, Influencer, to make sure my influence plan is effective. In this post I’ll draw on chapter 2—Find Vital Behaviors.

Measurable Results. I’m going to focus on one long-term result and three specific short-term ones.

• My long-term result is to be safe and able to have fun. I recently read the book, Balance: In Search of the Lost Sense, by Scott McCredie, and he convinced me that fitness becomes increasingly important to our safety as we age. I also love hiking, cycling, and skiing—and these activities require a basic level of fitness.
• Short-term results: I’m signing up for the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Half Marathon June 8th, I want to weigh 180 pounds by then, and I want to summit two of the highest peaks in Utah this summer.

Vital Behaviors. I have two vital behaviors so far. I don’t really want more than two, but these two might change some as I work on them.

• I will do 50 pushups every day. Did any of you read Tara Parker-Pope’s article on pushups in the New York Times? If Jack Lalanne and his wife, Elaine, can do pushups at 93 and 82, then so can I at 53. I’m on my fourth day, and it hurts. I did 50 the first day, then cut back to 25. I plan to do 30 today, and be up to 50 by the end of the week.
• I will do an hour of some kind of aerobic workout at least five days a week. This will be the tough one. There’s a lot of snow on the ground right now. I like to ski skate, so that works when I’m not travelling. When I’m travelling it’ll probably be walking and running on a treadmill while listening to a book from audible.com.

Here’s a challenge for you: Identify the fitness results you’d like to achieve. Think in terms of long-term and short-term, and make sure the results are measurable and time-bound. Then, read or re-read our chapter on Vital Behaviors—especially the summary on pages 41 through 44—and see if you can identify two or maybe three vital behaviors you think might work for you.

As for my plan…I’m very confident the Vital Behaviors I’ve come up with will accomplish the Results I care about—if I can get myself to stick to them. But that’s a big if. So, I need a powerful influence strategy to get myself moving. Next week I’ll begin to outline the Six Source Influence plan I’m creating for myself. You overachievers out there might want to review chapters 4 and 5 to prepare.

See ya ‘till then. I’ve got to go do some pushups!

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Posted by David Maxfield on March 25, 2008 10:39:00 AM MDT #