What Good Are Goals Anyway?

I am just like you. Sometimes I struggle to find the motivation to train. Sometimes the desire just isn’t there. Sometimes I’m tired, fatigued, don’t have the time or any other number of rationalized excuses. Lately I have been going through just such a stretch where I have been busy, working long hours and just plain unmotivated to train. Yes, even though I work in a gym it can be challenging to get my workout in.

“If you are not moving forward, you are moving backwards.”

So during these times, what motivates me to get back on the horse and moving forward again? Today I realized that I have been floating along without a goal, getting my workout in here and there and doing whatever felt good on any given day with no desired outcome or particular direction. I have heard it stated many times that if you do not know where you are going, then how can you expect to get there? This afternoon that message hit home as I came to the realization that I have no flippin’ idea where I’m going. That, friends, is about to change!

As of Monday there will be six weeks left in 2012. For those 6 weeks I am committing to a training split consisting of 2 days on and 1 day off until January 1st. During this period I will complete 6000 KB swings, 3000 push-ups and 1500 pull-ups. On my days off I will sprint, hike or bike.

That’s 6 weeks to recommit to my health and well being by practicing what I preach. I am doing this because I am tired of being tired; no more excuses! Exercise reduces my stress, increases my productivity and makes me strong, confident and healthy.

What are your goals for the final 6 weeks of 2012? Will you limp into 2013 with the empty promise of a New Year’s resolution or will you attack life TODAY and take no prisoners, accept no excuses and roll into the new year on fire; a better, healthier and even more completely awesome version of your current self? I know my answer! Who’s with me?! Ready … Set … GO!

“Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.” ~ Plato

I am ALIVE!

This is a blog about belief, passion and desire. Have you ever experienced the feeling of knowing that you left it all out there, that you pushed your body as far as it could be pushed, that you gave all you had to give … and then some? Have you ever pushed yourself to the edge and then jumped off only to find that you could fly? Have you ever hit the wall only to realize that you had a metaphysical hammer with which to smash your way through to the other side?

Now I’m not referring to that radiant glow you have after the group hug at your Zumba class. I am not waxing poetic about the high five your buddy gave you at the end of the softball game before you inhaled a six pack. What I am talking about is the, "I just kicked my own a** and pushed past what I used to believe was my max effort only to find the STRENGTH of will to set a new benchmark and redefine my self imposed limitations." I am referencing the moment you’re gasping for air, ready to collapse when you realize, holy s**t, I just did that?! Don’t grab your knees, don’t fall over in a pile of sweat, instead STAND UP, raise those arms up into the air and celebrate! Congratulations and welcome to the other side of the human condition, you are ALIVE!

I read a post today by one of my mentors, Martin Rooney, on the topic of sprinting. Fast forward two hours, an endorphin rush, an adrenaline dump and nine rounds of Hurricane Sprints and I know what it means to be alive and I am FIRED UP! Have you pushed yourself to this level lately? Now I don’t care if you’re 25, 75 or anywhere in between, I’m not referring to my level, I’m referring to your level. My question is when was the last time you pushed yourself to and beyond what you believed your limit to be? When was the last time you felt honestly, truly, totally, passionately ALIVE? If you can’t answer this question or it was so long ago that the feeling has become no more then a distant, vague, meaningless memory then I’m challenging you to get off you’re a** and start living again.

When it comes to health and pushing our physical limits I believe in a few things. First and foremost I believe that we were designed to move, FAST. To that end, I believe that we were designed to sprint. I believe that we were meant to spend as much time in nature as possible, running, jumping, climbing and swimming. I believe that we were meant to perform challenging physical labor such as picking up heavy objects and moving them around. I believe that the true measure of physical strength and vitality is relative strength or how strong you are for your bodyweight.

Please do not challenge me on any of these points because you will be wasting your time. Quite frankly I don’t care what you believe. This is not about you; this is about MY beliefs, MY passion and MY desire. If you’re not on board with the above beliefs you are welcome to your opinions, just know that if it ever comes down to it, I will run faster, move quicker and hit harder then you. I will win, not because of what I believe, but because I’ve already pushed myself to a place of being comfortable with being uncomfortable. I know my limits because I have pushed them and I am constantly striving to set new ones. I am ALIVE.

That's Uncomfortable! (and I love it)

Have you ever done something that caused the hair on the back of your neck to stand on end? Have you ever given more then you thought you had to give; pushed yourself beyond the point that you believed you could go? If you haven’t, for heaven’s sake man, get out of that chair; stop reading this blog and go experience life! For those of you who just got a “rise” by immediately flashing back to that very time and place and reliving the exhilaration of that memory, fan-friggin-tastic! Embrace that feeling and start making plans to do it again. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. This alone could be the single biggest difference between living a ho-hum daily existence or blowing the doors off your dreams and ambitions.

Given enough time we can talk ourselves out of most anything; there are always excuses to be made. For every reason there is to avoid something there are likely just as many reasons to do it. That is the yin and yang of life, the shadow and the light, the push and pull which keeps the world going round. Funny thing is, some of the most fantastic and rewarding experiences of my life have been those moments when I threw caution to the wind and just went for it. When I pushed myself to do what I did not want to do. When fear had me by the short hairs. When I was too tired. When I had every reason to stay in my comfort zone, I stepped up, stepped out and had the time of my life. Stop asking, “Why should I?” and start asking, “Why shouldn’t I?”

I am challenging you to look at your life from a new angle, find your edge and then purposefully step beyond those self-imposed boundaries. I want you to get radical, go rouge, get inspired and tell the status quo where to stick it. Go do something that someone thinks is absurd. When was the last time somebody told you were crazy? Don’t lie; it felt pretty darn good didn’t it? You were invigorated. You were impassioned. You were ALIVE!

Okay you wild and crazy guy, it’s time to start living the unabashed, vibrant, take no prisoners, you only live once, life you were born to live. Step outside the box, dream wildly and act passionately; remember, life is like a bank; you only get out of it what you put into it!

 Summit of Mount Shasta, 14,179'

Mentally, emotionally and physically the hardest thing I have ever done and one of the most energizing, rewarding and life changing moments of my life.

"Until you have pushed yourself beyond 

where you believed your limits to be, 

you have no idea how far you can go."

Go BIG or Go HOME

I am always amazed and blessed by the synchronicities of life. During my workout today a song popped onto my iPod at a most opportune moment and gave me the motivation to push through and dominate a particularly challenging set. It also served as the motivation behind this very post. It’s time to rise up, man up and Go BIG or Go HOME!

About to embark on your first ever exercise plan? Don’t grab that old pair of sweat pants that have been glued to your backside watching Oprah for the last three years. Please do not put on that old faded tank top from your vacation to Cabo five years ago. By no means should you wear those sneakers from your days playing high school basketball. Get to your nearest sporting goods store and buy some new fitness apparel and fresh kicks posthaste! Now head to the gym, pay for the year up front and hire a coach.

Why? Because you are going to Go BIG or Go HOME! You’re not going to back into your new fitness plan, you’re going to meet it head on and crush it! Buying new gear is not only fun, it raises your anticipation, level of excitement for what is to come and initiates a feeling that this is different then the same old, same old. I want you to show up at the gym looking like a million bucks because even if you don’t feel that way now, you will soon enough and until you’re there, fake it until you make it baby! Paying for the year up front helps to negate the urge to bail out before you’ve reached your goals. Hiring a coach will keep you accountable and inspired to reach those goals safely and effectively. It also stands to reason that the more you invest, the more likely you are to stick with your new plan and the higher your return on investment.

Starting a juicing plan? Go buy the Ferrari of juicers and a recipe book. Going for a job interview? Show up in a new suit. Want to run a marathon? Get fitted for new shoes and join a group. Always wanted to play guitar? I bet the music shop has one that makes your pulse race. (and I’m guessing it’s not the beginner model) Invest in yourself, invest in your success and you will reap the rewards.

As you embark upon your new journey, remember two things, Go BIG or Go HOME and always, no matter what, come back for more!

Back For More,

Five Finger Death Punch

Let's get it on!
It's time to get in the game,
You gotta fight 'til it hurts and then you do it again
Let's tear it up!
I'm staying straight to the core, 

ain't no room for second place, go big or go home!

It's time to rise up, man up, get back up, 

never been and won't be broken
Dust off and then come back for more
You've gotta reach down, dig deep, and break ground,
Show them all you won't be beaten
Brush it off and then come back for more!
Come back for more

Sharing Is Caring and Other Gifts of Inspiration

I had a most interesting epiphany this afternoon. I quite enjoy inspiring others to be their best and I seem to have a knack for it. I have been a personal coach, helping others to be their best physically for nearly two decades at this point. Lately I've begun to notice the distinct relationships between our physical, emotional and intellectual realms. It seems that it is nearly impossible to effect one without in some way, no matter how minute, effecting the others.

If you move, your emotional state improves and your mind starts to churn. As your mind begins to churn, your emotional state once again improves and you have the urge to move. As your emotional state becomes euphoric you have the undeniable sensation to move even more and your brain goes into overdrive. What a beautifully designed and complex organism we are!

If you have read my previous blogs over the last few days I have been asking the question, "What is your WHY?" During the process of writing these posts I have been riding the wave of inspiration and figuring out my own WHY. By doing my best to help others I have been discreetly helping myself. By doing what I could to help others improve their physical, emotional and intellectual states I have actually improved my own. I can't sit still, I am happy and motivated to expand my knowledge! =)

I have heard a quote that states, "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach," and I am here to tell you that this is not the case. Just because you were born with an innate ability or talent does not mean that you have explored that gift to its fullest potential. Until you have taught that skill or passed along that knowledge to another you have done nothing to enrich this world. You have effectively wasted what you have been given in this world. You have forsaken your gift. Until you have spent time with and helped another with your gift you will never be able to fully appreciate or understand the breath of that gift. Here's the kicker, by doing so, you're gift will become more pronounced and powerful then you could ever have imagined.

Take the time today to stop and reflect upon what gifts you have been given and how you can share them with the world. I can guarantee that from the first day you do so your life will be forever changed for the better. Imagine the world we would live in if each and every one of us shared our gifts with those around us every day, living our lives to their fullest potential and spreading our light! Do not waste what you have been gifted, share it today with everyone you can. You owe it to your loved ones, you owe it to your community and most importantly you owe it to yourself!

Life is a journey, enjoy (and share) the ride!

Your Road Map To Resolution Success

Welcome to part three of your new approach to making your Resolutions a reality in 2012. If you missed the first two parts of this series, check them out here, Are you asking the wrong question? A New way to approach your resolutions in 2012 and It’s Time To Get Defined. Let’s review, you have discovered the WHY behind your original resolution, established an emotional connection, and defined that why. Now comes the easy part, how are you going to make this happen?

You may have noticed I said this was the easy part and while many of you may be thinking, that’s easy for him to say, hear me out. You have already done the hard part. You have delved into and defined your resolution to a degree that few others ever bother to uncover. You know your WHY, what it means to you and when you will get there. Writing out your plan or “map” is simply a process of backing your way out from the finish through simple and achievable small steps and daily habits.

Your resolution up to this point looks like this, “I want to get into shape so that I have more energy to play on the monkey bars with my kids for 30 minutes without being tired or out of breath.” Obviously if you can not currently do this for more then five minutes you can’t just do this tomorrow because suddenly you have decided it shall be so. This is where we break this down to small, easily attainable steps until they have become habit and you have completed your goal and achieved your resolution.

There was a study done that concluded that in order for a new behavior to become a habit you must repeat it daily over a twenty-one day period. For the sake of this exercise you are going use this three-week time period to reach your goal. To begin your journey you are going to break this down again into three, one-week periods.

Week 1: You are going to play with your kids for 4 minutes on day number one and then add one additional minute every day until on day seven you’ve reached a total of 10 minutes. It doesn’t matter what you are doing or if you can go the whole time without stopping, do whatever you can, just have fun and don’t sweat the outcome. Make sure on one of those seven days you go to the park and make friends with those monkey bars.

Week 2: Great start, now upward and onward, 14 minutes on day number eight and then add one additional minute every day until on day fourteen you’ve reached a total of 20 minutes. Follow the same pattern as last week even if you need to break it down to two, shorter sessions. You are on your way, now attack those monkey bars two times this week and notice how much more comfortable it feels and how much easier it is then the week previous.

Week 3: It’s go time, finish strong, 24 minutes on day number fifteen and then add one additional minute every day until on day twenty-one you’ve reached a total of 30 minutes. You guessed it, in this your final week, you’re dominating those monkey bars three times! Get after it! You’re now giving your kids a run for their money and both of you are loving it!

Congratulations, you have stuck to your resolution for 21 straight days, it has now become a habit and everyone with whom you come into contact from your family and friends to your coworkers and casual acquaintances have probably started to notice the positive change in all aspects of life. It is now time to formulate a maintenance plan, but before we go there let’s look at where you have been and how far you have come.

You started 2012 with the resolution of “getting in shape.” You then took it one step further and found your WHY. You made an emotional connection to why that was important to you and how making that change would positively affect your life and those around you. You defined exactly what that goal meant so that you would know when you got there and you established a plan to follow to make sure you stayed on track.

Your once well meaning, but ill-conceived resolution now reads as such, “I want to get into shape so that I have more energy to play on the monkey bars with my kids. By doing so I will foster a stronger connection with my children, which will make me a happier, healthier and more patient role model. This will make my relationships with my kids stronger since we will be spending more time together, I will be less stressed and have more energy. I want to play with them for 30 minutes without being tired or out of breath. To get there I am going to start out playing with them for four minutes and will increase that amount of time every day over the next 21 days until I reach my goal of 30 minutes. At this time I will reassess my goal to maintain my newfound vitality while continuing to foster a deeper relationship with my children.”

Wow, how is that for an impactful change? Where in your life could you use some positive change? It’s 2012, find your WHY, define it and create a plan to achieve it!

It’s Time To Get Defined

In my previous post, Are you asking the wrong question? A New way to approach your resolutions in 2012, I finished by posing the question of, “How will you know when your resolution has been completed?” The answer is rudimentary, unless you defined your WHY with an exact goal, you won’t know. How can you get to where you want to be if you do not know where you are going?

Let’s use our example from my last post of, “Getting in shape so that you can have more energy to play with your kids.” Now that you have your WHY and you have made the emotional connection to why this is important to you, it’s time to define exactly what having more energy to play with your kids really means.

What does having more energy mean to you? I know what it means to me, but it might and likely does mean something completely different to you. Does it mean being able to walk around the block, playing on the monkey bars or riding your bike on the local trails without being out of breath or falling behind? Take a few minutes and think about your answer and then write it down on the same sheet of paper as your WHY.

Okay, so using the examples from above, let’s give your new direction a destination. If you would like to walk around the block, how far is that? How long would you like to be able to play on the monkey bars? How far do you want to ride your bike? Once again, think about your answers and then write them down. Got it? Good!

So let us take a step back and look at just how far you have come from your original ambiguous resolution of “Getting in shape.” You now know WHY you want to get into shape, how you will feel when you are in shape and where you will be when you get there. Your new and improved definitive resolution reads like this, “I want to get into shape so that I have more energy to play on the monkey bars with my kids for 30 minutes without being tired or out of breath.” Excellent job! Gold Star! Are you beginning to see the power behind this new way of making resolutions?

Now that you have your new emotionally connected and defined resolutions down on paper, how are you going to get there? It’s time to bring out the map! Tune in tomorrow for the final part of this three step process towards your realized resolutions in 2012.