Michael Port, marketing expert and best-selling author of Book Yourself Solid wrote a post on his blog about the possible side effects of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. And he's got some interesting point.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is one of the most popular and successful primetime shows on television. Like Michael said, the show is "an extraordinary display of reality television and Big Business American Benevolence". I've watched it several times myself, and it always made me cry. It's very moving to see how the show and the community go out of their way to help the families in need, and to see how appreciative & happy those families were when their new homes were unveiled to them. It's an unbelievable gift from the TV network and the community.

However, just like Michael, I was often shocked at how extravegant these "gifts" are.


The Dream House

The houses are often enormously bigger than what the family had (sometimes from about 900 square feet to 9,000 square feet or more), fully-loaded with state-of-the-art appliances, custom-made cabinets, light fixtures and window treatments, etc.

Michael said, he was worried about the side effects of having your home remodeled by Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. he was worried about how those families could afford the property tax, home insurance, utility and all the upkeeps of such big houses.


The Side Effect

It's a legitimate concern. The property taxes may go through the roof, and the AC & heating bills alone could be 10 times or more than what they had before.


Happily Ever After???

To tell you the truth, as much as I enjoy watching the show, personally, I often wonder if they really lived happily ever after.....

I think the situation is similar to when people go to self-improvement seminars and get all pumped up, and then two days later they are back to their old reality & their old ways.

If they don't have someone to support them & keep them going afterwards, they are mostly likely not going to succeed.

By the same token, it's not enough to give these families this one-time help or gfits, no matter how generous the gifts are.


Sustaining Your Success

To make dramatic life changes like that, and to sustain the success, you really need long-term support.

That's why it is so important to make sure you have a strong support system, when you try to make long-term life changes and/or achieve major personal or career goals.

Depending on your goals, the support you need might be as simple as enlisting a friend to take daily walks or go to the gym with you. Or you might want to join a mom's club, a book club or a support group of any kind. Perhaps you need a professional organizer to help you finally straighten up your closet or paperwork. If you tend to abandon your goals, you might need a professional life coach to keep you accountable and motivated until you achieve your goals. Or, maybe all you need is a circle of friends with whom you can vent and have fun together!


Get Support

The important thing is, get the proper support you need to ensure your own chance of success. Research shows that, when you write down your goals, your chance of achieving them improves by 70%. When you tell others about your goals and ask for support, your success rate will be greatly improved.

You don't have to go it alone. Really.

To help you "zoom in" on your Top 3 Goals, visit my website to take a 5-minute goal-setting quiz, and you will receive your personalized Free Goals Report. If you would like to email me or call me (973) 664-0446 (US Eastern Time) to discuss your goals, please do not hesitate to do so. My door is always open.

I am here for you, whenever you are ready.

Labels: accountability, commitment, empowerment, getting support, giving, goal-setting, making changes, personal development, success