“We create the future, we create the present, and you can’t live in the past.” -Matt De La Cruz
Inspiration is temporary. You might hear a great speech or listen to a podcast episode and be ready to take on the world only to realize 10 minutes later, you’ve been distracted, or worse, you’ve talked yourself out of it.
Having the ability to take your dreams and turn them into actionable items is what we all desire. Take your inspiration, and turn it into a goal. Turn that goal into even smaller, daily goals, and achieve every day. Plan your success.
That’s how Matt De La Cruz transformed from a homeless beach bum to an entrepreneurial success story.
Matt De La Cruz is the Founder and CEO of The Winning Minds Group, a John Maxwell Certified Coach, Teacher & Speaker, and World-Renowned Leader in the Personal Development industry. He’s the king of setting intentional goals and crafting a successful mindset.
Here are some of his tips from episode 29 on My Dream BIG Club’s podcast:
Mindset
It all starts with the mind. Anything that we want to do or think we want to do has to come from the mind first. Matt shares with us four things that are 100% in our control that we can use to better shape our mindsets.
The first is our thoughts. Even if they try, nobody can tell you what to think. The second is our feelings. How you think controls how you feel. “If anyone else makes you feel mad, sad or glad, then you’ve been had,” Matt says. The third is perception. These are your beliefs and what you choose to see. Do you see the beautiful sunset or do you see the spots on the window? The fourth, and what Matt says is the most important, is our actions. We either do it or we don’t. It’s your choice.
New Year Goals in November
Start goal setting in November. For thirty years, Matt has taken three days following Thanksgiving to plan all of his goals for the upcoming year. His philosophy is that he then has a whole month to practice and refine before hitting the ground running in the new year. “Bring a new you into a new year, you’ll have a great year,” Matt says. “Bring the same old you into a new year, you’ll have the same crappy year.”
Take three days to plan and thirty days to refine in December. Then, come January 1st, your plan is concrete and you’re ready to go.
Breaking Bad Habits
We have good intentions, but we have some bad habits. When it comes to reframing our bad habits, Matt breaks down the psychological steps that we need to remaster to become our best selves.
The first step is inception. This is your initial inspiration, when you’re excited to change. But our brain doesn’t like to be uncomfortable, so within 24-48 hours you’ll start to talk yourself out of it. This is the self-sabotage step, where we deceive ourselves into thinking that we can’t or shouldn’t do something so that we can remain in our comfort zone. But if you can push through, then you’ll start to transform and people will begin to notice your outward changes as well. Matt tells us that this step can last thirty days until, finally, we’ve crafted a new identity. You’ll no longer have to set that goal to eat healthy or workout because it has become part of your identity.
“Here’s the key to it that people miss: it’s 66 days straight,” Matt says.
“You don’t get weekends off.”
You have to start.
You’re not going to get to that destination until you start to dream big NOW.
To listen to the full interview and learn from our previous guests, follow our podcast here