Category: Excuses

Cake in the breakroom - a workplace eating disaster (I need your help)

9/30/2013

I got in a discussion with a client this morning which has sparked some synaptic firings that will end in me asking for YOUR FEEDBACK (so please e-mail me or post a comment below or on Facebook with your thoughts).

My conversation was about the prevalence of “shit” in the workplace. Now, let me clarify that this was not pertaining to modern day personnel issues (that’s a topic for a whole other blog post), but to the incidence of candy, cake, cupcakes and other sweet goodies that are brought into our work environments.

More and more I hear about the stuff that rolls through the door at peoples’ offices and as I sit here isolated in my little cave, my jaw hits the ground. I hear the rationale behind bringing it in – leftovers from Little Johnny’s birthday party, Suzy in HR’s birthday, “Marcy was having a bad day yesterday so I thought some cupcakes would cheer her up”, etc… then I wonder, if people can so readily consume that stuff and think that “a little treat” is okay once in a while… okay… everyday… okay, okay…. every time I walk by the tray on the table in the entranceway, what will the consumption be like if the “treats” are then deemed healthy.

Let’s take a quick break from that train of thought and look at what’s ahead of us. Firstly there’s the devilishly sweet-friendly Halloween extravaganza in the month of October and half of November as we so conscientiously remove the candy from our house and take it to work – so sneaky! That’s followed up by Thanksgiving feasts – “mmm, Aunt Jenny’s pecan pie is to DIE for” – you know that isn’t making it to work. Then comes Christmas and the New Year – “I can’t wait to set those Resolutions, lose these few extra pounds and stop eating sugar”. Oh, and if your birthday is stuck in the middle of all this, I hate to say it but you’re screwed!

All right, back to my synaptic firings. Please don’t get me wrong, I think the act of workplace sharing and wanting to make co-workers happy is a wondrous thing and may create amazing cohesion in the workplace (it may also be related to those personnel issues mentioned above but we’ll let Suzy in HR take care of that after she snaps out of her sugar coma).

Evidently, I don’t know about “the modern working environment” as I pretty much work alone, and I can only imagine how tough it would be to change this environment and acceptance within the workplace. But no one ever said that change is easy! We’ve managed to implement ‘Scent Free’ policies, nut and allergen policies and we’ve pushed smokers further and further away from the building. So I wonder, why can't the same courtesies be applied with regards to food choices (sugar was just named above cigarettes and alcohol as the 'most addictive and dangerous substance' of our time).

So I now ask for your help… how can the “crappy" treats be removed from workplace culture, the happiness and social dynamic brought about by sharing something “yummy” with others be maintained, and the consumption of low fat, gluten-free or organic snacks (all perceived as healthy) not go off-the-wall (and the calorie consumption exceed that previously consumed in unhealthy treats)?

(I am serious in asking for your thoughts as to what works/ might work, so please comment below, or on Facebook or drop me an e-mail with your thoughts.)

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9 Lessons from Mud Hero

7/15/2013

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Last weekend, Nova Scotia experienced its first mud run/ obstacle race. Mud Hero toted a 6km long run across diverse terrain, 16 obstacles along the way including walls to scale, slides and fireman’s poles to descend, beams and cargo nets to traverse, all covered with lots of mud… and let’s not forget that this all took place on a ski hill.

In the past few years, obstacle racing has experienced a rate of growth that may be unprecedented in the history of participatory sports, and registration for this event was so popular that a second day of racing was created to meet the demand.

Their website states that:

“Mud Hero is the ultimate place to scale new summits. Conquer your fear of muck, madness and mayhem and embrace your love of friends, fitness and fun. Crush your inner wimp as you crank your adrenaline to push yourself and your fellow Heroes to the finish (without spilling over laughing).”

I, of course, was somewhat of a sceptic. The first ever mud run… at a ski hill… it’s going to be a clusterf@#$. Parking. Too many “keeners” jacked up on too much Redbull. Absolute chaos with all the different starting "waves”. Backlogs at the obstacles along the way. It’s going to be a nightmare. BOY WAS I WRONG!

EVERYTHING that I've heard following the event has been overwhelmingly positive. I am thoroughly impressed, and tip my hat to the event organizers at Crazy Canuck Events.

As I listened to the recaps of last Saturday, I began to think of all the subtle life lessons that could be taken from this muddy, gritty experience:

Lesson 1
Sometimes life gets a little messy. That's okay. Make the most of it. Don’t let a little muck get ya down. Pulling through the other side of a mess it what growth and learning are all about.

Lesson 2
It’s not always the obstacles that are hard – sometimes it’s the journey in between. I’m sure climbing over those walls was a son-of-a-gun, and sliding down the fireman’s pole was nerve-wracking for some... but I bet none of them compared to running up and down a ski hill.

Lesson 3
The obstacles in our way may not be as tough as we envisioned… or how we view them from a distance. We create visions of daunting obstacles and devastating obstructions along our journey and when we finally get there... they're actually not that bad. Stay positive.

Lesson 4
“There’s more than one way to skin a cat”. We often look at a situation and see two solutions: follow the masses and plow through it or avoid it all together. Far too often we can tackle these situations with a little creativity (or craziness) - we can go over, go under, stray a little from the pack and create our own style or “hells yeah”, take the bull by the horns and plow on through – we don’t have to get stuck in the black-and-white. Sometimes we can conquer a fear or prove that we’re a little stronger or better prepared than we thought by overcoming that barrier…

Lesson 5
… or sometimes going around is the wise decision. Now, as much as I’m saying “buckle down and overcome”, there are times when the wise, excuse-free choice may simply be to circumvent an obstacle. This might change our course a bit and may make our journey a bit longer, but the important thing is that we end up back on track headed forward in our journey. Be honest with yourself when answering the question, “why can’t I do this?”

Lesson 6
Don’t be afraid to reach out for a helping hand – you might be surprised. You’ll be shocked at the camaraderie that some of those seemingly super-serious, GoPro-sporting, Camelbak-toting, Vibrams-wearing super-studs (and I use that term in a gender-neutral manner) display. Don't be afraid to ask for help (and don’t be afraid to be that person who glances over their shoulder to see if you can pull someone over when you reach the top). Karma’s a son-of-a-gun!

Lesson 7
Sometimes all the mud won’t come clean and you’re left with a little reminder. Despite how much you scrub or what chemicals you use, that nice white t-shirt is always gonna be a little off-white and the eyelets of your sneakers will always have a bit of mud caked in them as a permanent reminder of your journey. It’s okay to wear those badges with pride – you were brave enough to step up to the start-line and to get a little dirty.

Lesson 8
The correlation between our efforts and the results attained is a valuable one. The preparation that we put into something is pretty much guaranteed to be reflected in the outcome that we achieve.

Lesson 9
It’s not always about speed (and those of you who know me, can attest to how tough that is for me to write). The fastest competitors completed this event in a little over 33 minutes. The slowest.... well .... who cares? Not only were they brave enough to start, they were strong enough to finish – and who am I to talk, I didn’t even put my sneakers on!

To all those people who completed this event… Congratulations. I'll see ya next year!

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Love... it's a health thing.

2/14/2013

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I’m not a huge fan of Valentine’s Day, in fact I’m not a huge fan of any Hallmark-exploited festivity – but I might as well use whatever opportunity I can to make a point.

I’m the last guy that anyone should turn to for relationship advice, but I have been in the fitness game for a while, and I realize that a romantic relationship(s) has a lot of close similarities to the relationship we have (or should have) with our own health and fitness.

1.       There has to be some commitment – one-night-stands tend to be unrewarding. Making a healthy choice once in a while just doesn’t cut it.
2.       We seldom experience “love at first sight” - it usually takes a while to nurture the relationship;
3.       You have to respect your health. It too can go “all crazy on your ass” if you don’t take care of it;
4.       Either relationship can elicit a heart-poundingly good time (both of which can improve health… wink)
5.       There are gonna be some ups and downs (no pun intended) – the key is working through them and coming out better off on other side;
6.       Things do get easier as you go along;
7.       Sometimes you need to spice things up a little;
8.       Worse case scenario for both… death.

… and a few differences between romantic relationships and our relationship with our health:

1.       Breaking up with your health is not an option (well I guess maybe it is but we typically call that something else);
2.       Your health won’t run a key down the side of your car or throw your shit on the front lawn when things go to hell;
3.       Diamonds, flowers and candy don’t help your health - the anatomical heart is not for sale (at least not legally);
4.       Your heart won’t be with anyone else – it’s yours for good so take care of it!

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Resolution Road Trip - The F' Word (Day 9 of a 9-Day Series)

1/8/2013

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Well this is the final installment of my Resolution Road Trip, and today I’m going to be “that guy” to talk about the elephant in the room when it comes to goals and resolutions – failure.

You might remember the scene from G.I. Jane where Flea busts his knee in SERE training and Instructor Pyro asks him if he is hurt or injured. Hurt means you walk it off and keep going, injured means that you give up and quit.

Well, I have a similar question when we lose sight of our goals, “Is it failure or is it a setback?”

Failure is simply a matter of perspective. “One man’s failure is another man’s setback!”

A setback is the “hurt” of our road trip. A point where we’ve veered off-course from our Plan of Action: you became distracted and goofed; your willpower was challenged and you succumbed to pressure; your schedule has become overwhelming and you’ve strayed from your PoA, but you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and forge forward to see a new day.

A failure indicates finality. “I’m done, I’ve failed, and that’s that!”

A setback allows you to revisit The 7 Tips (they seem so official when I write that in capitals), maybe tweak your goals and re-work your PoA to something which is more manageable at this time.

A failure allows you bury your face in the pillow, only after taking your goals and PoA, balling it up and throwing it in the nearest garbage can along with the handful of Kleenex.

Suggestions for minimizing “setbacks”
Call these my “Bonus Tips” for success.

Be honest with yourself. At numerous points along our road trip there were questions to ask ourselves, gut-checks to be had, and if at any one of these points we’ve been dishonest, then we’re fooling ourselves into believing that things are better than they are. If things aren’t better… admit it and do something about it. If these attempts don’t work… admit it and do something else. If you’re struggling and you need help… then admit it and ask for help. Things will not change if we don’t do something about it! If we reach the point where we lack any forward momentum, then we’ve been tricking ourselves for a while thinking that things were going okay and we’d pull through it. Be vigilant in looking at your progress, be honest.

Don’t worry about others. I find that very frequently, when I talk to friends and clients about goals, objectives and their progress towards these there are a lot of references to what other people are doing or what presumably has worked for other people. Who cares!? Facebook statuses lie! They’re not you. They don’t have your life. They don’t have your background. Honestly, what they’re doing probably doesn’t even impact your life. Concern yourself with your set of circumstances and the steps that you are taking (or not taking) to make that better!

No excuses. YOU set a goal! YOU developed a Plan of Action! YOU were responsible for implementing these action steps! The bottom line is that the onus lies with YOU to bring this to fruition (or at least to re-evaluate and make an adjustment so that YOU can). And if things don’t go as planned, then YOU fell short of the expectations that YOU set for YOURSELF. That’s the bottom line, so stand up, take responsibility, and move forward.

Suggestions for turning “failures” into “setbacks”
Remember, setbacks aren’t fun, but the important thing is that we keep moving forward and maintain some of that momentum, however little of it remains.

Try to find the positive and learn the lesson. From every bump in the road there is the potential for a lesson to be learned. What went wrong? What were we doing right at the time of impact? If the bump is a repeat, how was our approach to it different than before and was this approach BETTER?

Tomorrow is a new day. Despite setbacks today, tomorrow is a chance to start again with fresh outlooks, a modified game plan and renewed interest in success. Don’t delay… don’t “wait ‘til Monday” to start. Start tomorrow with a clear mind and ready to meet your challenge head-on.

No excuses. Much like my “Bonus Tip for Success”, you can’t project sub-par performance elsewhere. All of the reasons lie within. Here’s a re-post of little video to put this in perspective.

Smile more! That smile will help control your emotions. It’ll keep things a little more positive and a little less glum. It’ll keep the outside world (who are ready to make themselves feel better with someone else’s shortcomings) from fueling our feelings of failure or our instincts for excuses.

So as we proceed forward and begin to evaluate the “success” of our road trip, remember, having the courage to start is in itself triumphant.

Some say that if you’ve never failed, you’ve never lived. With life we innately accept some risk, and with risk comes a heightened potential for “failure”. It’s how we recover from the “failures” that determines our success in life.

This wraps up Road Trip Resolution series with My7 Tips for Successful Resolutioning. I hope that they have provided some thoughts towards making this year, and the ambitions that you have set out for yourselves a success.

If you’ve missed a blog or two, or want to recap I have provided links to them below:
Day 1: What Lies Ahead
Day 2: Hit the Gas! [Tip #1 Start Now]
Day 3: Directions [Tip #2 – Set Goals and Make a Plan]
Day 4: Smiles and Laughter [Tip #3 – Enjoy It]
Day 5: The Long Haul [Tip #4 – Think Long Term]
Day 6: That’s Better [Tip #5 – Don’t Think “Perfect” – Think “Better”]
Day 7: Pit Stop [Tip #6 – Rest and Relaxation]
Day 8: 9-1-1 [Tip #7 – Get Help]

Please feel free to comment below, on my Facebook Page or on Twitter (#ResolutionRoadTrip).

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Resolution Road Trip - Hit the Gas! (Day 2 of a 9-Day Series)

1/1/2013

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Didn’t think I’d be back huh??

Well, like I said yesterday, over the next week, I’m going to delve a little deeper into each of my 7 thoughts for successful resolution-making.

So without further ado, here’s Tip #1

TIP #1 - START NOW!

I know you all want to hear my thoughts and read all about the 7 fantastic tips that I have for making your resolutions a success this year (and I appreciate it), but my first piece of advice is this: “Don’t wait – start now!”

Figure out what it is that you really want to achieve. Write it down. This begins a working document of sorts that you can begin to tinker and tailor throughout the upcoming week and beyond. Writing these ambitions down makes them more than just a thought.

Start to think about how you are going to bring these to fruition… and as you do this, think about implementing these action-steps NOW! Maybe it’s on a smaller scale than intended, maybe it’s a little different than you thought the important thing is that you start!

Don’t wait to find time to go shopping for a new outfit, or for the most up-to-date issue of Mens Health to arrive before starting your routine. Don’t wait for the next pay-check so you can join the gym. There are things that you can do right now to begin working towards your goals.

“But my goal is to go to the gym 3 days a week and I don’t have the money to join right now”.
Start working out at home! Set aside the time that you were allotting for the gym and use this to do some exercises at home – form the habit of including physical activity into your week. And hey, this foundation you are laying might serve you well when it comes time to transition into the gym.

“I’m waiting for my first issue of Runners World that Uncle Johnny gave me for Christmas. The January issue always has great beginner tips in it.”
I’ll pretty much guarantee that one of the first tips is to run! So go for a jog. See how it feels. Take it easy if you’re worried about overdoing it, but you know what… you’ve just taken the first step towards achieving your goal of running. Okay, okay, you run to the mailbox everyday to see if the magazine is there – I get it.

You can come up with every explanation in the book as to why you can’t or shouldn’t start immediately. BAD START, and very few of them are legit (even though you'll convince yourself that they are). When your new magazine or fancy workout gear arrives, you can see if changes can be/ need to be made. Continuously putting off starting doesn’t help you get any closer to where you want to be. Take that first step – you won’t regret it!

Please feel free to comment below, on my Facebook Page or on Twitter (#ResolutionRoadTrip).

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Resolution Road Trip - What Lies Ahead (Day 1 of a 9-Day Series)

12/31/2012

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Well, the world was supposed to end on December 21st so na na na na boo boo to the Incan calendar and Nostradamus (yeah apparently he predicted that when “Gangnam style” hit a billion views, it’d be lights out planet Earth – Google it, you’ll see).

Well, we made it, and holy shitballs it’s January 1st!!!

Doesn’t the act of putting up the new calendar necessitate us getting busy making resolutions?

I’m definitely not a descendant of any ancient Andrean civilization nor am I of de Nostradame lineage (am I Dad?) but I’ll make a little prediction (actually I’m poaching someone else’s research here) in stating that only 8% of people who make new year's resolutions will be able to succeed at them entirely to their satisfaction.

Statistics from a 2012 study by the University of Scranton:
·   Losing weight is the #1 most common resolution;
·   46% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions;
·   76% maintain their resolutions through the 1st week, 46% go past 6 months;
·   39% of people in their 20's fulfill their resolution, while only 14% over the age of 50 do.

We do it year after year… in fact we’re encouraged to do it, but why do we so commonly fail at fulfilling our resolutions?
(I’m going to continue by being a little more specific to fitness “resolutions”, but I do feel that these same thoughts are applicable to resolutions in other facets of our lives as well).

1.    We don’t set our goals appropriately. Either we aim too high or too low. We set out with an “all-or-nothing” approach, leaving us feeling deprived and frustrated, or we allow ourselves too much leeway, excuses creep in and before we know it we’re right back where we started.
2.    We proceed with too much gusto. You’ve heard the expression, "Rome wasn't built in a day"? Well our goals aren’t going to be achieved overnight regardless of how gung-ho we are.
3.    We lack knowledge. We think that the internet and/ or a subscription to [insert magazine title in the area of interest here] will garner us the knowledge that we require to achieve our goals.
4.    We don’t see results fast enough. Results take time and consistent effort. It’s a marathon – not a sprint.
5.    We have no concept of improvement. People fail to objectively monitor their progress. Small improvements become overshadowed by the fact that we haven’t met our goal yet.
6.    We lack true conviction. The word “resolution” is defined as the act of resolving to do (or not do) something… the making of a firm decision, and undertaking this decision with determination. But I think we’ve come to place some mystical power in the word. We’re led to believe that “if we say it out loud, then it will come to pass” and this gives us false hope and removes the need for the determination which is engrained in the definition of the word. January 1st rolls around and “Oh, it’s resolution time again… hmm… what do I want to do this year?”

Unfortunately, changing a habit(s) takes effort – there’s no easy way to make it happen, no genie will pop out and grant us our wish, and ultimately the question arises, “how badly do you want it”? Unfortunately, far too often, not badly enough.

I was recently asked to write down 5 tips to help succeed in achieving your goals in the New Year… well, I didn't stop at 5 and I came up with what I feel are 7 valuable suggestions to help you set off on the right foot, beat the Vegas odds, and hopefully achieve what it is you’ve said you want to do.

My 7 tips for successful Resolutioning:

1.    Start now.
2.    Set goals and make a plan
3.    Enjoy it
4.    Think long-term
5.    Don’t think perfect… think “better”
6.    R&R
7.    Get help

Over the next 7 days, I will discuss each one of these points in a little more depth, so stay tuned...

Please feel free to comment below, on my Facebook Page or on Twitter (#ResolutionRoadTrip).

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Success: Lessons from Stanley

9/26/2012

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I watched a pretty cool video yesterday. “A Toy Train in Space” documents a father and son sending the boy’s favorite toy, a toy train named “Stanley”, to the reaches of space. With the use of a weather balloon and a box that housed a mounted HD camera and an old cell phone for GPS, the toy train took an hour long trip to the stratosphere and then, once the balloon burst, he took a quick 20 minute free fall back to Earth for the father and son to retrieve 27 miles away from their original launch site.

I’m not sure how the correlation was made in my head (ask my clients, synaptic firings often leave me a bit perplexed) but I began to think of the journeys towards health and wellness that we embark on.

After our initial idea, the journey typically starts out with some deliberation and planning following which we develop something of a loose flight plan. We figure out our strategic approach to moving towards our selected objectives, regardless of what they are. We do some reading and ask some questions. Maybe we put pen to paper and do a bit of fine tuning to our original strategy. Then hopefully we put this into action and set it free. We start journaling our food intake, maybe even do some food preparation. We join the local fitness centre, maybe we actually go. We get some personal training sessions or buy some DVDs. We sweat a little and curse a lot, and eventually start to gain some momentum.

Hopefully this flight path continues. Unfortunately far too often we reach the metaphorical 18 mile mark and our balloon bursts and all of the progress that we’ve made comes crashing down – usually a little ways away from our original starting point (a few pounds heavier, a few more injuries or a little uncertain about what we just endured and what began as a solid game plan – how could this not have worked).

But from here we have a few options:

1/ Pick ourselves up and resolve ourselves to being content where we’re at. Shit, we tried didn’t we? “Maybe I’m just not cut out to [insert goal of choice here]”!

2/ Find another weather balloon and try all over again to see if we can get a bit higher this time. Well, we might, but chances are that at roughly the same proximity to the sun, that balloon will burst. And after a few weather balloons, this game will just get plain ol’ tiresome. Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again yet expecting a different outcome.

3/ Look at other ways to get our train into space. There is more than one way to skin a cat after all? (is it still okay to say that or am I going to be condemned by animal rights activists?) Maybe we try the approach of Icarus and mold wings with wax and feathers – maybe it’s a slower ascent, maybe we can’t go as high, but perhaps our goal was too lofty in the first place. Perhaps we spend a bit more time planning and take the approach of the Wright brothers.

And here’s where I move away from my train-in-space analogy...

With respect to The Law of Gravity, Newton was right in claiming that “what goes up must come down”. But as with space travel, we are able to move beyond gravitational pull and we can align our efforts to exceed any forces or urges that we experience that cause us to plummet. We can call this triumph... SUCCESS.

Yes it takes planning. Yes it takes perseverance. Yes it may even take some time. But it is possible. What stands between you and your dream is the willingness to start, the courage to move ahead and the faith to finish.

Suggestions:

1/ Dare to dream.
2/ Develop your game plan.
3/ Follow your game plan to the best of your ability... no half measures, no excuses.
4/ If you don’t meet your objectives, re-evaluate. Honestly. Did you follow your game plan? Did you give it your best shot? Was your initial goal too lofty?
5/ Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Be strong in your conviction to achieve greater heights.
6/ Become addicted to constant and never ending self improvement.

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Attitude

4/29/2012

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I've been chomping at the bit for the past three months, eager to spew out some thoughts and let my fingers do some talking. Ever since I posted “Choices” on November 17th, I’ve been wanting to write a sequel – come on, trilogies are the big thing aren’t they? So finally, a culmination of reading, personal reflection, and a number of recent readings have led to this...

“It's too hard, only if you think that it is...”

Our behaviour depends on our attitude. It’s as simple as that! There are loads of books and articles out there on success and positive thinking. I don’t care. It’s my turn!

I’m going to go a bit beyond the whole “when you smile the whole world smiles at you” thing here. I’m going to push some buttons and tell you to get out of your own way, exit the pity party in which you convince yourself how rough things are, and change your attitude – your success depends on it (and this applies to all facets of life – not just results in the gym)!

London 2012. The Summer Olympics are upon us and I love it. Every four years you find yourself spending an afternoon watching equestrian jumping and wondering what advantage cocaine would give the rider (Eric Lamaze reference). But amidst the doping scandals come some of the most amazing stories of success amidst injury, illness, loss and hardship. In recent Games: Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette skating to bronze days after her mother died of a heart attack; or Slovenian cross-country skier Petra Majdic, who fell into a three-metre deep ravine while on a training run breaking four ribs, puncturing a lung, and goes on to win a Bronze medal. What is it that enables some people to preserver and conquer adversity?

They breathe the same air as we do. They hurt like we do (probably even more). They bleed the same colour blood as we do. They have feelings like we do, and laugh and cry and get disappointed like we do. I’m sure they even think about quitting. But somewhere they’ve learned to push all of these things aside and focus on what they really want. Whether through relentless training of their bodies and minds, or through the trials that they have had to overcome in their lives, they have developed the ability to focus, and think about nothing but success.

There are all kinds of numbers thrown out there as to how much more capable we are than we actually think we are. The bottom line is that WE ARE! Our brains are SOBs that dictate how we respond. If something’s tough, our brains say “Ouch! Okay enough. You should stop now!” They really are our downfall.

And yeah, I know some of you are sitting there thinking “Come on, these are Olympians! How can you even use them as an example?” But right there, in that simple thought process, you’ve given yourself an excuse to give up. You have processed what you read and come out thinking “I can’t”, and that is the biggest roadblock to achieving what you are truly capable of. “I can’t” is, at best, an assumption which limits the actions that we are willing to take and can easily translate into “I don’t want this bad enough”.

So yeah, you know what? You do have to change your mindset and force yourself to adopt a more positive attitude.

“Lose the ‘tude dude”

This is something that my father used to say to me when I was growing up, when I was acting a bit too big for my britches and it was time to be brought back to reality. Well I’m gonna use it here to tell you to eliminate that negative thinking.

If you're like most people, you've endured some tough things in your life. Jobs, moves, relationships, births, deaths – all of these fit the description. In reality, you ARE able to deal with hard things. So instead defaulting to “this is too hard” or “I can’t do this!”, or, seeing slow progress and speedbumps as signs that you aren’t succeeding or can’t do something, remind yourself, "Of course it's going to be hard, but I've done other challenging things in my life (insert specific event here), and this isn't any different.” Whenever you start thinking “it's too hard" - to stick to my plan, to finish this last set of my workout, to turn away from that plate of desert, think about some of challenges you've faced in the past – yeah, those ones... the ones that have got you to where you are today.

“Fake it ’til you make it”

If ya can’t rationalize and convince yourself that YOU REALLY CAN DO THIS – hell, then trick it!

-    Laugh! That’s right, find some humour in what you’re about to endure. “1 more set (insert uproarious laughter here)... all right... here we go!”
-    Enjoy it despite how tough it may seem. Enjoy the feeling of hard work. Know that the reward at the end, the satisfaction that you will feel is worth every bit of hardship that you’re about to endure. Feel the reward already building.
-    Develop a positive mantra or positive thought pattern that overrides the negative. I’ve vowed that if I ever run another marathon, I’m going to write in black Sharpie down my arm “Oprah did it”. It might not be the most positive line, but I guarantee it’ll keep me going.
-    Exude positivity! This differs from cockiness. Stand tall, smile proudly. This will tell your brain that YOU ARE IN CHARGE! Flopping to the ground, gasping and groaning like you’re about to die communicates to your brain that you are done – good luck recovering from that.
-    Go Zen! Don’t fight whatever it is you’re finding tough, flow with it. Find grace in it. Become one with it. (okay, maybe a little too much at the end there).

“Embrace the suck”.

This is military jargon translated into “the situation is bad... you might not like it... but deal with it”. Why? Because right now, in this situation, quitting is not an option! “I WILL NOT QUIT!”   Do you really think that the last set of burpees is going to kill you? It might feel like it, but likely it won’t.

“Success is always sweetest when effort is the hardest.” Most things are deemed valuable when we have to pay a lot for them... the same goes for hard work.

“Pain is temporary; quitting is forever”... or at least until next time.

Quitting is setting up that room for future excuses. Do it once and it becomes so easy to do it again. Somewhere your brain has to say... “I’m not giving up”. I am dedicated to this cause – whether it be a workout, a weight loss endeavour, business or a relationship. It’ll push you beyond what you thought possible and reset that standard for the next time you feel like quitting.

“See it to believe it”

I’m a big fan of “the mental video tape” aka visualization. Play a quick movie in your head of you doing the task at hand. See It. Feel It. And then achieve it.

I recently stumbled across Rachel Cosgrove’s “Fit Female Credo” (I’m not sure where it’s been hiding the past 2 years). If you change a few of the words it’s a list of 16 fantastic gender-neutral “rules” that can be applied towards getting some great results from training (and life):
     #1 Act as if you are fit (I’ve changed this from “Act as if you are a fit female”)
     #11 Think about your thoughts!
     #12 Attitude is everything!
     #16 Stop rationalizing and making excuses!

What do you want? The change is really up to YOU.

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Resetting the scales

1/1/2012

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The human body has an innate need to maintain a relatively constant internal environment and has an amazing ability to maintain this equilibrium. Every cell, organ and system in the body relies on a stable environment to function and this is accomplished through a number of pre-programmed feedback mechanisms and every system in the body contributes to this “homeostatic” environment. Receptors throughout the body sense changes in our internal and external environment and send messages to the brain; it responds by telling the appropriate organs to restore equilibrium. Body temperature, pH, blood sugar, blood pressure, the list goes on and on.

That’s our inner workings, and it's bloody amazing!

It’s that time of year where we become introspective and begin to set goals and challenges for ourselves (I loathe the term “Resolutions” so avoid using it). Lose weight. Run more. Run farther. Eat better. Look better.   Feel better. Quit this. Decrease that. These are great (although in most cases I ask the question “why did you wait until now to start?”)

I was leaving the gym the other day, dressed in my “standard" winter attire of shorts and sneakers (albeit I did have my winter jacket on). As I was brushing a rather generous dumping of snow off my car I got talking to a lady in the parking lot who was rather excited about the snowfall. I explained that I didn’t share this excitement, passing it off as me not being “a winter person” and sharing the excuse that I grew up overseas. As soon as I jumped in my car it hit me and I said to myself, “you f’in dumbass, THAT WAS 18 YEARS AGO!!”

Over the years I’ve talked to a lot of people about change. Where they’ve come from and where they want to go. I’ve talked goal-setting and game plans. I’ve monitored and followed up on their progress.   And amidst these interactions I’ve noticed something – the same thing I caught myself doing the other day - we spend a lot of time and energy focusing on who we were and what we used to do.

“I used to be this”. “I used to do that”. “I used to eat this”. That’s great! My question... who are you RIGHT NOW? What are you doing RIGHT NOW and is this in sync’ with who you want to be and what you want to achieve?

You are not defined by your past!

Yeah, you’ve probably learned some valuable lessons along the way – hold onto these and use them as you forge ahead!

You might not wanna go back to where you were – so don’t! Set your sights on the road in front of you and follow your plan to get there (if you don’t have a plan – make one)

You might be in a better position than you were (“better shape”, skinnier, happier) – be proud of this dammit! But don’t get caught using this as an excuse or justification for straying from your current plan to achieve the goals you’ve set (if you don’t have a plan – see above).

The past guides our choices – it doesn’t make our choices for us. Fixating on the past is like traveling with baggage – the lighter you pack, the easier the journey.

Unlike the inner workings of our body, we do not want to achieve a state of equilibrium. We want change. We strive to become better, healthier, happier people (I hope).

Newton's First Law of Motion states “a body at rest will remain at rest unless an outside force acts on it, and a body in motion at a constant velocity will remain in motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an outside force” (argh... physics).

Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

In order for us to experience the change that we are looking for we have to do SOMETHING, and we have to do something DIFFERENT than we’ve done before. We need to create an environment of change. We need to put our bodies under some form of “stress” in order to create this change, much like a diamond is formed from a lump of coal under very high pressure (barf).

Suggestions:

Take ownership.   Reset your scales to today’s values. Today is your starting point. Take the lessons you’ve learned from your progress to date and past journeys and use these to plan for your future and stop looking over your shoulder (and as you proceed down your Road of Achievement, don’t forget to reset the scales again – you’re not gonna be the person you are today!)

Wishing you all a very successful and rewarding 2012 filled with NEW beginnings.

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Choices

11/17/2011

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I had absolutely no intention of writing anything until the weekend, and even then I had only been toying with the idea of writing a proper introductory blog as I kind of got right into the heavy stuff on my first post. You know, a blog to let potential readers get to know a little bit about me and what the purpose of these ramblings might be. Then I landed upon two YouTube videos which got me thinkin’... FUCK I HATE WHINERS! (sorry Mom)

Okay, there! The elephant’s out of the room. Any of my clients who read my first, and now this blog have just been waiting for me to drop an F-bomb – it’s a bit of a thing with me.

This first video was a preview for a book by Dr. Lee Lipsenthal entitled “Enjoy Every Sandwich”. Dr. Lipsenthal was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in July 2009 and after a subsequent recurrence accepted his diagnosis, illness, and treatment. He discovered that rather than fear, the realization of his own mortality actually brought out a calm reflection, one which enabled him to provide insight, aptly portrayed in the title of his book, he advises us to “Find the joy in the simplicity of life”. I know... a bit heavy!

The second video was much lighter - a clip of Michael J. Fox playing Johnny B. Goode (yup, a re-enactment of Back To The Future, complete with red guitar) at his recent charity benefit held last Saturday (November 12th).

So... just how the heck did these two videos elicit that emphatic statement noted above?

Here’s two men, whose lives are dramatically affected by medical conditions. How easy would it be for either of these men to pack it in, to simply say, “why bother, I’m dying”, or “I don’t think I can, I kinda got the shakes today”? “Hmmm, I just don’t feel up to it today”? No one would think twice. Yet they’re not. They’re at peace, they’re thoughtful, they’re raising our awareness, they’re helping, and they’re LIVING. Even in death and sickness these two men are living - excuse free!!.

How many of us... how many people do we know are so consumed with excuses, rationalizations and justifications for their own suckiness that they can’t get out of their own damn way? We search for any reason possible to justify our complacency, “I’m tired”, “I’m just really busy”, “You have no idea how difficult it is”, “Something just came up”, "But they're not doing it" (referring to someone else's lack of action).

STOP IT ALREADY... seriously!

Take a look around you. For the most part we’re pretty damn fortunate (if you disagree, listen to the news). Most of us have our health (and a choice of whether we take care of it or not). We have a roof over our head, food to put on our table (and a choice of what to buy), and a cozy bed to climb in to at night. The basics, right? Choices, right?

Either we choose to get up off our asses and pursue our dreams and goals, or sit their drowning in our sea of excuses. You pick!

"Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure."
~Don Wilder and Bill Rechin

Suggestions

1/ W.I.N. – What’s Important NOW! De-clutter your life and focus on the things that will really make a positive impact in your life RIGHT NOW!

2/ Lose the “buts” and “can’ts”. Any explanation that begins with “But...” is simply an excuse, and “I can’t” just means that you don’t want to badly enough. Lose them! Remove these words from your vocabulary. Either you want to or you don’t!

ONE LIFE! ONE CHANCE! NO EXCUSES!

(check this video out if you're still in doubt)

And maybe, just maybe embedded somewhere in this blog post is the intro I had thought about writing. Maybe this explains that amidst my profanity and no bullshit approach there’s a simple desire to see people make a change in their lives and in turn, for them to help others.

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Resetting the scales

Choices

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