Sometimes people laugh when I say that NBC’s The Biggest Loser is one of my favorite TV shows. It’s okay, I get it; it’s a show about a bunch of really fat people trying to lose weight. But before you dismiss The Biggest Loser completely, if you have ever tried to lose a few pounds, you know the sacrifice, discipline and hard work it takes to be successful. These contestants work their butts off (literally!) to lose the most weight each week, stay in the game and change their lives. Since we here at YSN.com are all about SUCCESS, allow me to point out some of the lessons learned and strategies used by the show’s contestants that you can apply to your life and career.
- Don’t let setbacks or repeated failure derail you from your overall goal. No matter what change you’re trying to make or goal you want to achieve, you need to commit to it 100 percent in order to be truly successful. Most of the contestants failed multiple times to lose weight before going on the show, and every week, one person is voted off and sent home. But that doesn’t stop them. The booted contestants have a chance at the end of the episode (and in the finale) to show how their lives and bodies have changed. They continue losing weight on their own because they committed to changing their lives.
- Fear is an excellent motivator. The contestants know their lives are at stake. They’re not just fat, they’re obese and many have diabetes, high cholesterol or young children at home. But not only do they fear dying prematurely, they fear feeling “like this” for the rest of their lives: unhappy, unfulfilled and knowing that their life could be better, more enjoyable if they could just make the change.
- Prove all the naysayers wrong! This season’s winner was actually booted off the show after the first four weeks and had to earn a spot back in the house. As a result, Ali Vincent became completely focused on becoming the first female Biggest Loser and proving that she deserved to be there! 112 pounds and $250,000 later, she was! One of the joys of success it being able to prove to everyone else that you could do it – including yourself.
- Don’t be afraid to “cut the fat”: Whether you’re trying to lose weight or take your career to the next level, take an inventory of your life and cut out whatever is holding you back. It could be bad food choices, poor decisions or negative people. Sometimes you need to nix ties and lighten your load in order to get what you want even faster.
- Expect the ups and downs. One week someone loses 15 pounds and the next week the same person loses 2, despite having worked twice as hard. Achieving success is a constant battle and, chances are, it gets even more challenging the closer you get to your goal. There are some things you just can’t control. Just keep reminding yourself that you’re in it for the long haul.
Check out some of the other success lessons you can learn from popular TV shows!
Success According to… HOUSE
Success According to… GREY’S ANATOMY
Success According to… HEROES
