Do It Yourself

Home > Do it yourself > Goal Setting

The power of positive pressure is an amazing thing. When was the last time you set yourself a goal out of your own volition and really went after it. How did it feel? For most of us, not setting ourselves any goals and simply "going with the flow" is seemingly the best way to go about our lives. However, for the few of us who understand that goal setting does not add to our stress levels or set ourselves up to be disappointed, goal setting is an exciting way to keep us motivated and challenged. Imagine waking up in the morning dreading to face your boring old life versus getting up energized and excited to work towards goals that you have set for yourself.

I am a believer in the power of goal setting whether it be in my personal life or professional life. There are 3 key aspects in goal setting that you must keep in mind when setting a goal for yourself:

1. The goal should be very specific and it should be measurable. " I want to get fit" does not fit the criteria. "I want to have a 30 inch waist" does.
2. Attach a time frame to your goal. The power of positive pressure propels you towards achieving your goal. An example of a goal with a specific timeframe might be "By my next birthday, I will be in the best shape of my life and do a photo shoot with a professional photographer"
3. Set a goal that will make you stretch out of your comfort zone. I call these STRETCH GOALS. Sure, the little goals will help boost your life and your enthusiasm. But it is the stretch goal that will change your life. Set yourself a stretch goal, give yourself a timeframe to achieve it in and then really go for it. Stretch goals are not goals for ordinary people. These are goals that extraordinary people achieve. For those who are afraid of being disappointed in themselves, look at it this way, "Even if you achieve ½ or ¾ths of what you originally planned, you will be in good shape. Just imagine yourself actually hitting that goal through hard work, diligence, and planning. Wouldn’t that be a tribute to the person who you are and what you are capable of?"

Stretch goals that are certainly within your grasp if you are a true believer and have the desire to achieve them. Again, set your eyes on the big picture and the little details along the way will simply fall into place. Examples of stretch goals could be the following:

• By a certain date (could be a birthday, a special occasion or simply a date that you choose), I want to have a flat stomach and defined abs
• By a certain date, I want to fit into a size 6 pair of jeans
• By a certain date, I want to run a 10K the whole way (and go ahead and sign up for that 10K right now)
• On a certain date, I want to do a professional photo shoot with a photographer in my swimsuit (this might sound ridiculous and maybe vain, go ahead and set up that photo shoot with the photographer 3 to 6 months down the road and see what it does to motivate you every day)
• By a certain date, I want to be in single digit body fat percentage for a man and in the teens body fat for a woman.
• In 12 weeks, I will send my official Body for Life entry packet with my 12 week before and after pictures for the Challenge (http://www.bodyforlife.com)
• By a certain date, I will take part in a physical activity that I have always wished to do or did a long time ago, and never been able to do it since. Possible examples could be climbing a mountain, hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon on foot, finishing a triathalon, playing a sport with your kids, playing the sport you used to be good a long time ago etc. The possibilities here are endless. Just make your goal measurable.

Goals give you the power to dream. Go ahead and dream. Dream vividly. Visualize yourself actually achieving that dream. Then live every day to make that dream a reality.

Return To Top

Home > Do it yourself > Overcoming Obstacles

If things came by easy, then maybe the results would not be so rewarding. Face it, life is hard. Whatever you do there will be obstacles that come your way. Sometimes they just knock you flat on your face and all you can do is get yourself back onto your feet. But sometimes you see that obstacle come your way and you feel that surge of inner strength well up within you. You know you can beat it. That feeling of confidence in yourself in the face of an impending adverse event is your true character surfacing.

So what are your obstacles to you getting in the best shape of your life?

• "I hate morning workouts"
• "Weights will bulk me up",
• "If I stop exercising, all that muscle will turn to fat"
• "I have to entertain my clients at fancy restaurants"
• "I don’t want my social life to suffer"
• "I like going out to bars and having a few drinks with friends"

• "I like that beer after work"
• "In my culture, eating a small portion is disrespectful"
• "I can’t sleep early",
• "I travel for my job 4-5 days a week"
• "I don’t have time to eat multiple small meals a day"
• "My schedule is dependent upon somebody else"
• "I have to take care of the kids"
• "I like food too much",
• "I don’t have a gym to work out or can’t afford one"
• "I don’t like artificial food",
• "I can’t eat small portions",
• "I’m too tired to work out at the end of the day"
• "I injured myself previously or while working out"

These are all real obstacles. I do not call these excuses because to each one of us, these roadblocks pose a serious hurdle to our path to fitness. For each one of us, the key lies in finally facing your fears and limitations head on and knowing how you are going to deal with them.

Return To Top

Home > Do it yourself > Facing your fears

Sometimes facing your deepest fears and insecurities gives you the greatest liberation of all. I have had so many times in my life when I talk to somebody about something very personal and then I realize, "Hey, maybe it’s really not that bad as I thought". Maybe you are holding yourself back in one area because of something completely unrelated, or so you think. The path to action and being accepting of yourself is facing your fears and your limitations. Uncover these deep rooted insecurities that prevent you from living the life of your dreams. Write them in your journal. Share them with somebody that you trust. Get liberated from them. It is never too late. Then get on a path of action that will banish these insecurities for good.

I for myself used to be insecure about the way I looked. I was not unhappy with myself but just wished things were different. I wished I were taller. I wished my legs were leaner. I always wanted to weigh 10 pounds less than I did. I wanted to show restraint around food could never really figure out how. I took a deep, long, hard look at myself and can attribute each of these insecurities to certain events or comments or they way you think society judges you. And I punished myself for not having these perceived "perfect" attributes. They haunted me deep within. They held me back. I was outwardly very confident, but inside I was riddled with deep rooted insecurities.

Have I overcome all of these fears and insecurities. No way. Have I become a little more comfortable knowing what these insecurities are and realizing that these are normal? You bet. I have made a conscious choice to choose action over words. What I can change, I spare no effort in trying to change. What I cannot change, I try and accept. I share the message loud and clear with the people around me.

"Know what you want and go after it. At the end of the day when you have given it your very best effort, be content and be happy. You did a great job."

Home > Do it yourself > Take Action

When was the last time you read something motivational and did something about it? I write not with the intent to motivate you, I write with the intent of helping you help yourself.And the only way to truly start helping yourself is by taking action . Meditate on those thoughts and aspirations floating around in your head. Go ahead and write them down. Take a time out from your life – this time spend that time out on yourself. Commit to something big. Then start following through. I nor anybody else can truly be your cheerleader. When the going gets really tough and the obstacles seem insurmountable, you will turn to yourself for answers – and you will find them. The answers to life’s hardest questions are within you. You just have to give yourself the chance.

Return To Top

Home > Do it yourself > Fitness Checklist

ARE YOU READY TO TAKE ACTION AND GET ON THE PATH TO FITNESS?

"How do I start on the road to fitness?" The simple answer is set a big goal and then TAKE ACTION. I can bury you with details, motivational quotes, inspirational pictures, multiple workout routines. Remember that no action equals no results. There are just too many talkers around there, not quite so many doers. Be a doer first and foremost.

The Body-for-Life weight training programs have been outlined for both men and women on the bodyforlife.com website. The cardio program is only 20 minutes. This program really does work. Have some faith and hit the gym.

Return To Top

Home > Do it yourself > Stuck In A Rut?

Sometimes you might feel like you are doing everything that you possibly can and you are just not seeing results. Do you need to work out more? Do you need to eat less? Maybe you should try those fat-burners that you hear about on the radio? You are just in a rut and you are getting very discouraged. Sounds familiar?

There are many ways that you can look at this very depressing situation. Some people go on a war path. Double-up workouts, eat less, supplement more. Others just quit. They just don't believe anymore and are at the end of their rope. And there are still others that just act like a bulldozer and keep doing what they are doing and hope for the best. Which category do you fall into?

Think back to a little while ago. You started out so enthusiastic about the possibilities. Now your enthusiasm is starting to fade and realism is setting in. And reality is not always that great. The natural reaction is to look outside for an answer. "There must be a quick fix. Somebody please help me." The not so obvious answer is to look within yourself for an answer. "Am I honestly living the lifestyle that will dramatically change the way I look and feel?" Only you can answer that question. Do you still have that inner fire to succeed no matter what? Or is that fire a little dim now? When you go to the gym do you put in that little extra to give you a new high or have you been stuck at the same high-point for the last two months? Ask yourself why? Are you afraid of hurting yourself? Do you not believe that you are that strong? You don't want to get real bulky? When you are doing your cardio, do you try and be a little better than last time? Do you do that machine that you are afraid of? Do you push yourself a little beyond what you think you are capable of? Why not? Are you afraid that you are going to get pass out? Get a heart attack? When you eat, are you really being true to a lifestyle of a caloric deficit to enable you to lose weight? Or is it that you slip in a little something extra to reward yourself? How often do you do that? What goes through your head at 11pm at night when you are hungry and need to have a little something before bed?

It really is a lot harder to look within than to look outside for answers. Ask yourself the question why this all matters? It is not all too uncommon to expect too much too soon. In the final analysis you need to understand yourself first. Analyze what you are doing and what you are not doing that might be slowing down your progress. More importantly, understand where you are weak and what you are afraid of, for only then can you become strong. Attack those weaknesses like they are the plague. Hit that stairmaster no matter how scared you are of it. Run fast on that treadmill. Pick up those weights you have never before dared. Go to bed hungry and prepare to be amazed that you still wake up (trust me you will). Learn to control food and not the other way around. Look within and work on your weaknesses. Any program is only as effective as your inner desire to change. And most of all, be grateful. You are doing an amazing job and you are a true role-model to everybody around you.

Return To Top