Setting goals during the COVID-19 crisis
Apr 2, 2020, 10:30 AM
Do you have the inner desire to be more? Let’s Get Moving Host Maria Shilaos speaks with former Olympic athlete and motivational speaker Tim Taylor about what it takes to be successful. Taylor says setting goals starts with finding something you really want, breaking it down into bite size pieces and blocking out the negative messages that are especially present during the current coronavirus crisis.
What is important about goals?
“You can change everything you do by just having a goal in your life: straighten out. It will all come together,” said Taylor.
“Human beings are goal-driven people, they have to have goals,” Taylor stated. “You have to have a goal to get out of bed. You have to have a goal for that day.”
According to Taylor, goals can be everything from getting up in the morning, to where you want to go and what you want to do in life.
Setting realistic goals
Start with the little things, Taylor said.
According to Taylor, when you start with the little things, all the little things will become big things.
Take losing weight for example: dial the numbers into what it means to hit your goal day by day.
“40 pounds over six months… 10 pounds a month… divide by four weeks and divide it by seven days… the goal becomes bite size at about half a pound a day,” Taylor explained.
This trains your brain to focus on the smaller goal at hand and not get overwhelmed by larger goals that seem out of reach.
Mindset matters
“If you look at things as a way of life instead of a diet, that is your mindset,” Taylor said. “Being in that mindset of right here, right now will take you where you want to go.”
How to start the plan
“The biggest thing I have people do is make a dream book,” said Taylor. “Once it is on paper, what your eye can see, your mind can achieve, so once you can see it, you can achieve it and get to it, but you have to be able to see it first.”
Setting goals every single day is something Tim Taylor says is effective among his own employees.
“Start with where you want to go, start with the things you want in life… and just start putting them down,” he stated.
How do we find motivation?
Taylor explained that motivation is an inside job and has to come from the heart.
“You have to have that inner desire, that inner willingness to want more for your life,” said Taylor. “You will never know what you have that is inside of you that you can pull out and make better.”
How to keep motivation through negative scenarios?
Taylor explains that working through the negative to push to higher motivation within yourself is a great tool he has used in his own life.
“I took that negative motivation and made it positive. I wanted more for my life. I wanted to achieve something,” said Taylor.
He advises constantly talking to yourself to remind yourself that you want more. Keep it in your head, Taylor said.
Don’t wait, start today
“Set your goals so you can see it, break it down into bites, and start chomping,” said Taylor.
“It just starts with today, right now,” Taylor stated. “Don’t look at the goal at the end of this road, look at today and what you want for today.”
The important thing to remember is to be an achiever and set a goal for everything that you do, he said. When everything boils down, it all starts with you and what you believe about yourself.
Taylor’s bottom line: Even though we all may be uncertain about things due to COVID-19, it is important to stay motivated and get started on setting goals for yourself today.
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How To Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 Coronavirus
COVID-19 coronavirus is transmitted from person to person. It is a virus that is similar to the common cold and the flu. So, to prevent it from spreading:
- Wash hands frequently and thoroughly, with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds.
- Don’t touch your face.
- Keep children and those with compromised immune systems away from someone who is coughing or sneezing (in this instance, at least six feet)
- If there is an outbreak near you, practice social distancing (stay at home, instead of going to the movies, sports events, or other activities.)
- Get a flu shot.
Local resources
State of Utah: https://coronavirus.utah.gov/
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Utah Coronavirus Information Line – 1-800-456-7707
National Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Commonly asked questions, World Health Organization
