Periodization and Transition Phases

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“The dream you are living is your creation. It is your perception of reality that you can change at any time. You have the power to create hell, and you have the power to create heaven. Why not dream a different dream? What not use your mind, your imagination, and your emotions to dream heaven?” –

Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements, Love More, Fear Less

Chris Oemler recently shared this quote in one of her classes at the Leesburg studio. I often think of life in terms of training periodization cycles – here’s a very simple picture to visualize how training periodization works (simply put, purposeful waves). There are cycles of grinding and maxing out, testing your limits – but to grow and optimally perform, these challenging times must be followed my rest, relaxation, and recovery.

In yoga, sports and life this occurs on macros and micro levels – the “micro” rest at the end of each yoga practice or the “down” periods (transition phases) in life (like having a nice Memorial Day week vacation!). These take the form of rest and reflection, allowing one to process absorbed knowledge and experiences, realize what you’ve even accomplished, and take a moment to learn from the past. If you push too far without this rest, hard work and training will be wasted; you risk injuring yourself, you burn out, and you simply become over-trained, not yourself and no longer engaged and benefiting from the process and practice.

Of course, no surprise…like many of us do, I approached last week with ambitious intentions – the business plans I would write, the personal projects I’d complete, etc. Yet, the moment I finished those final exams and completed the long trek home…all I could do was sleep (and eat). Like myself, many of us are unaware how exhausted we’ve become.

Three years ago, when I was forced to do nothing but think while recovering from my hip surgeries due to over-use injuries (something I never paused and stopped to do), I promised myself that I would intentionally plan time for this in the future. As stated earlier, this rest is essential for growing or else you burn out, or get sick, off-track, etc. and eventually are forced to stop.

Often our greatest ideas, insights and intuitions come after we’ve taken a break – whether that’s meditation, a step away from the office, a walk, or vacation. Like a taper from training, at first, we feel ‘off’ or may question if we’ve even put in our best work…especially if we are letting ourselves rest. Was ‘my best’ good enough? Could I have done better? Will it pay off in the end? In sports and life, there’s uncertainty between the point of hard work behind us and not seeing results. However, along the way you trusted in this process, so shouldn’t you believe in the outcome?

In sports periodization, after a week’s rest, our bodies hit a point where rest kicks in and our body can perform optimally. The accumulation of learning, work, and training experiences…and we realize “we still got this”…we’re on the right track. This “performance test” extends beyond a sport competition but comes in many forms – often life’s challenges, ideas or direction for what’s next.

In training and in life, it’s hard to stay in your own lane, or even your own mat. We all have different goals – but we often get wrapped up in what is going on around us. There’s a balance to be found between surrounding ourselves with people who challenge and support us with while also maintaining focus of our own training strategy.

Ruiz also wrote, “Imagine living your life without being afraid to take a risk and to explore life. You are not afraid to lose anything. You are not afraid to be alive in the world.”

It’s only after these tests you realize it was irrational to have ever worried or questioned yourself. This emotion of uncertainty or fear is purposeful – because without out any sort of discomfort, we would casually go about life, perhaps not attentive, without anticipation, never feeling the extremes, no satisfaction or appreciation.

“Imagine living your life without fear of expressing your dreams,” Ruiz writes. “You know what you want, what you don’t want, and when you want it. You are free to change your life the way you really want to. You are not afraid to ask for what you need, to say yes or no to anything or anyone.”

The following of a challenge or test of performance is an essential time to redirect our focus and make changes to the next cycle according to what’s working and what’s not working (and also what you may want to try experimenting). Whether you are approaching summer, a new job, the end of a school year, or any transition phase – it’s a great time to refocus and align with our goals. Remembering to rest, dreaming the life we want to live, following what we love, acting in alignment with our long-term goals, serving other’s, and fearing less.

 — Amanda Presgraves

Amanda is a recent business graduate from Wake Forest University with her B.S. in Exercise Science from James Madison University. As Division I collegiate swimmer, life-long athlete, and entrepreneur – Amanda is an advocate of health and personal growth, on a constant pursuit to optimize life and inspire others through her commitment to healthy living. If you can’t find Amanda bouncing between projects, the gym, kitchen, her mat, or volunteering, you can find her online as she continues to lead and motivate others towards a happier and improved life through article contributions, newsletters and community motivation. (@amandapgraves, linkedin).

Lift – Are You Mentally Ready?

Lift – Are You Mentally Ready?

“It does not matter how much weight it is to lift. If I’m ready mentally for it – then I’m ready” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

Sure is motivating when Arnold Schwarzenegger (bulging out of the very shirt he is trying to sell) is convincingly screaming – “YOU CAN DO IT TOO!”

That you too can be strong. That you can be fit.

Who better to follow than the swole-master himself?

However, don’t let this “movement” give you the idea that if you aren’t a body builder then you aren’t doing it right. You don’t need to be tan, defined, and aesthetically perfect to be obtaining the benefits of exercise. Certainly don’t let it be the definition of your success either.

The benefits of lifting extend far beyond increased muscle mass and an unrealistic bicep circumference – increasing mood and bone density, lowering your risk of diabetes, depression and heart disease, and overall improving your quality of life!

At COR we actively support the movement of fitness for everyone – starters, experts, big or small.

So come with us if you want to be lift. DO IT! Because, we too are trying to make the world healthy – concentrating on fitness for everyone.

Strength training also plays a key part in something new we are bringing to you. We have another little trick up our sleeve with a program we’re introducing – hiking …and we can’t wait to share with you next week.

What are your thoughts? Is lifting moving you toward motion or away from the gym?

A College Student's Mentality to Exercising (that actually got people exercising)

A College Student's Mentality to Exercising

“Men ought to know that from the brain and from the brain only arise our pleasures, joys, laughter, and jests as well as our sorrows, pains, griefs and tears. … It is the same thing which makes us mad or delirious, inspires us with dread and fear, whether by night or by day, brings us sleeplessness, inopportune mistakes, aimless anxieties, absent-mindedness and acts that are contrary to habit…” – Hippocrates

How might we put children in situations where they come to value and enjoy being physically active?

The better question is, how is this different for adults? Is it?

Last week we touched on the importance of getting our children to work out ..and how – but as adults, are we any better?

When kids hit adolescence (12-19 y/o ) the percentage of kids meeting activity recommendations significantly drops to from 42% of kids to 8%!

8% in adolescence…do you think that miraculously improves once they became an adult with a career and kids and school and everything else happening?

“Only 3.5 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 59 do the minimum amount of physical activity recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services (150 minutes a week of moderate activity).

Take a guess…it must get better after 59?

Over age 60, the percentage is even lower…2.5 percent

Children who watch TV for 3+ hours a day have65% higher chance of being obese than children who watch for <1 hour. We give children a hard time for being attached to their screens, but ask yourself how many hours a day you are staring at your computer during work. I challenge you to track yourself this week. You’ll discover the results can be brutally alarming. 

It’s easy it is to sit back and kick in on the couch after a long day. Moving is exerting. As a recently retired collegiate athlete, I now have the option to set my schedule like the average college student.

So what did I do last week – I put this to the test.

Playing. 

Three college roommates took it upon themselves to conduct a personal experiment. Each evening would end as it would circa 2000. The activity varied by day – kickball in the street, biking, going to the park, rip-sticking (all for the sake of science, right?). They played outside after school under dark.

The Results: We need to change the focus of where we find pleasure in the experience. 

I had the honor of speaking and listening to one of the leading researchers in the topic of the exercising brain this week, Dr. Rod Dishman, to better understand the interaction between physiology and psychology.

With over 200 publications of research on the effects and interactions between the brain and exercise, he’s discovering support of exercise in more ways than we once realized – but what good does knowing these benefits do unless we can apply it to making changes in our health?

I had the chance to ask Dr. Dishman how we can take the ground breaking neuroscience of exercise and apply it to public health through motivation. His unique experience applying the science to behavior through motivation is game-changing.

We forgot how to ‘play’. 

‘Play’ get’s lost as we grow old – we forget the enjoyment in a game of kickball with our neighbors, or rollerblading on a nice spring afternoon.

“Exercise is like hitting our hand with a hammer, it feels good once you stop” – Dr. Dishman

What does it all come down to? Our experience. 

We need to figure out how we can change our perception and interpret “feeling good”….via the exercise experience we have and the enjoyment we take from it.

It’s our nature to seek beneficial experiences. Of course, we know there are many benefits to exercise – but we can’t feel our bone density increasing, BDNF releasing from our brain, new blood vessels forming, our blood lipid levels changing.

Let’s use one of the best examples in science – fatigue. Of course your first reaction when tired isn’t “Wow! I should go run…maybe I’ll have more energy!”…that’s nuts. Why would running GIVE you energy…it’s exerting.

The act of exerting ourselves seems counterintuitive. However, people who exercise regularly can attest to the differences in energy level and know when they feel sluggish, while it might be hard to get off the couch – it increases feelings of energy and decreases feelings of fatigue.

This is how we need to look at exercise.

We can notice adjustments in our sleep, our mental clarity, our behavior – these are obvious changes if we become mindful of them.

We must find ways to enjoy the experience and further find pleasure in the results – such as feeling good after a workout or improved productivity. As we become aware of these benefits, we will soon anticipate that pleasure and associate it with activity.

HOW:

“Broaden the menu” – Reintroduce ‘play’. Surround yourself with an energizing community through a fitness class. Associate activity with a ‘break’ not exertion. Take the dog on run, or the kids for a bike ride. Make activity your solution for a long day that leaves you ready for bed, clears your head, and maybe energizes your brain to get out that last email before you decide to call it a night…even more – see the long-term benefits. Play.

How are you finding ways to incorporate breaks of activity in your day? Do something this week to bring back play

3 Simple Ways to Never Work Again

3 Simple Ways to Never Work Again

“I find that the harder I work, the less I call it work” – Thomas Jefferson

The more energy you apply to your work, the more meaning you place on that work.

“Workaholics”get a bad rap, but research has found a large difference exists amongst types. Typically someone with an uncontrollable need to be constantly working ends up burnt out, stressed, dreading what they do, and sick. This study found the opposite for some folks.

What was the differentiating factor between workaholics?

Enthusiasm.

Jefferson was right – the harder one is working and caring about what they are doing, the more engaged they become, and the less they consider it work. “Work” becomes something they enjoy.  Involvement, drive and enjoyment were directly related to positive engagement and health as well as decreased stress and burnout.

“An acquired positive expectancy, therefore, is related to positive motivations and health. This theoretical stress framework suggests that if the enthusiastic “workaholics” are enthusiastic due to positive outcome expectancies we expect low stress levels, low reports of “job stress”, and good health.”

“If the nonenthusiastic “workaholics” have low enthusiasm due to low expectancies of success(helplessness, hopelessness), CATS predicts higher stress levels, more complaints of “job stress”, and health problems.”

Our expectation of our experience, and further the motivation to “get work done”, is nothing more than our semantics and neurology – it doesn’t have anything to do with what we are actually doing, other people, the situation – rather, it’s the meaning and value we place and our interpretation of it. The research found that if we expect a positive outcome, and therefore go into the work with increased enthusiasm for that result, we respond accordingly.

This directly applies to YOU and the effect of this Monday Motivation. Sure, I can move you to action with these weekly newsletters (a girl can dream, right?) – but how you stick with it is up to YOU. Have you stayed discipline in your pursuit to make this the most manic and mad March you’ve ever lived? Do you see value in your work and go after your day with enthusiasm? This newsletter may be the start – but the rest is on you to make it happen.

It’s about having enthusiasm and a positive outlook on your “work”.

“I have to go to work”

“I need to work out”

“This is hard word”

Why do our days revolve around “work” that we “need” to do? The negative connotation of the word “work” itself often entails an arduous task – something forced upon us that will be spent in misery.

There exists three simplistic ways to drastically change our perception of “work”:

– Find value

• Blur the line between work and life…and make your life a piece of work! Create it, be in control of it, and have ownership in the choice that you have to make it your own.

– Establish a routine

• Establish a routine and this whole “motivation” thing becomes irrelevant.

– No more excuses

• Lastly, cut the excuses. Just be done with that option.

If you’re taking part in the March Madness Mania (and if not, I’m sure you’ve experienced this on your own) – you are half way through our challenge and by now you’ve found that getting to your workout is second nature. You walk up to COR, check in at the desk, set your keys down in the cubby, start foam rolling…the rest is history. The need for motivation goes away when you make this part of your lifestyle – yet you maintain enthusiasm and drive to continue.

Something can motivate you to action but to sustain that purpose, YOU must find the value behind what you are doing.

What are you doing this week to turn your “need to work out” to “I can’t wait to work out”? What about your work – whether it be your exercise fix, your job, or chore – fuels you?

Improving Your Physical, Emotional, & Spiritual Health

Improving Your Physical, Emotional, & Spiritual Health

“We live in a world where the yellow brick road has many forks and can take us on many incredible journeys … But this is exciting news. It means we can choose the life we want for ourselves. You choose that life by doing the best you can right in this moment. Right now. By being bold in this moment. Right now. There is no other moment to wait for.” – Dick Costolo’s Foreword from James Altucher’s, Choose Yourself

When do we ever truly know the outcome?  We don’t. But we can choose right now to do the best we can and make the most of the moment.  You can choose to be bold. To ‘choose yourself’. James writes an entire book on how he turned his life around from a point of dark failure, depression and poverty by following 5 key principles.

1. Improve your physical health (focus on exercise and diet)
2. Improve your emotional health (be around people that you love and trust)
3. Improve you spiritual health (always expressing gratitude)
4. Capture your brilliance (write down ten ideas every day)
5. Give without expectation (give your ideas away)

This TED Talk sums it up in 10 minutes, but let’s highlight the first principle that that James emphasizes.

Improve your physical health

“From that internal health the rest will come, whether it’s business, art, health success”

Before we want to succeed at anything (which is defined entirely by you), the very first thing that we must get together is ourself. The quickest and easiest way to see results is through exercise and diet. Beyond the many physiological changes that occur, exercise not only guides us toward a healthier and happier lifestyle but also one where we are more driven and optimistic. Doing this one thing for yourself, in return improves your sense of livelihood and influences those around you as well.

The book defines this in very basic terms – exercise, eat healthy foods, drink lots of water, and get plenty of sleep.

As for the second principle – surround yourself with awesome people…we make that one easy too

“There’s no one path. There’s every path. Every path stars with this bold moment. Did you choose yourself for this moment? Can you be bold?”

What is part of your daily practice to #chooseyourself?

The Everyday Holiday Training Mindset

The Everyday Holiday Training Mindset

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Not only is this quote fitting as we enjoy the holiday training season, but it doubles as a reminder of what we need to hold on to every day.

Holidays resonate with many for various, meaningful reasons. The typical accompanying sense of gratitude and joy shouldn’t only be embraced once a year, but every day. Those moments of defeat, frustration, and dread…the days where we want to be any where but where we are right then and there (*cough cough* work on Friday at 3pm, holiday training trip, traffic, insert your daily complaint here)…why wouldn’t we latch onto this holiday mindset every day?

It isn’t only during the holiday training season that we are presented with moments to be grateful and the chances to express those – it’s every day.

Through our work, thoughts, moments of giving, skills possessed, conversations, routine activities, passions – each waking day is a chance to live fueled with this joyful spirit, enjoyment and gratitude.

Nothing in life is guaranteed. We are given the gift of 24 hours. To not do everything in our power to make those the greatest 24 hours would be a shame. As we take the time to revel in the joy, giving, and optimistic goal setting of the season, realize this doesn’t need to happen one day a year.

Make this a part of your day. Every day. Starting today.

Sometimes it takes missed opportunities, adversity, cherished memories, or lost loved ones before you recognize the chances that you had and continue to have daily.

This video is a reminder to “focus not on what you can’t do…but focus on what you CAN DO…and be the best you can be“. Something as simple as the gift of playing a sport, what many of us take for granted, can be taken from us at any moment…just as it was this young boy. When faced with one option, he took it to places no one expected and became an athlete who defines today’s message.

“This is the only thing I can do – I’m going to become great at it”

Again – choose not to focus on what we can’t do, but focus on what we can do…and be the best we can be.

1. Can’t do something? Find something you can. There always exists the strength within you to test new limits. Offer your greatest self to others, and use this as an opportunity to grow in new ways.

2. Hold on to this...be grateful for those opportunities and those memories with friends, teammates, and families; for that chance is something not everyone is allowed, and can get taken from you in a blink of an eye. How easy it is to become preoccupied with the rush, stress, and daily annoyances…but keep in mind the little things…the reasons behind what you do each day, and the meaning behind your actions.

Recognizing the opportunities presented to us amidst our most troubled times empowers us with perseverance and energizes us with gratitude. Treasuring what we have, had, and what’s to come – with our valued memories, the unique abilities we possess and our excitement for even greater things ahead – allows us to remember what we have to cherish.

Treasure the moments we have with loved ones and the opportunities presented to us all the time – through our sports, in our community, at home, while working…no matter the struggle or glory. A resilient quest to be our best self, paired with gratitude, was a lesson a former teammate exemplified throughout his years of swimming. This contagious attitude and mindset is one we can all exemplify.

Live each day carrying out this lesson of gratitude and resilience. With every chore, stroke, word, repetition, gift, and step this week – make it your absolute best. You have the ability to, don’t take it for granted.

How do you plan on living out this week’s message? What are you grateful for this week?

Become the Placebo, Believe in Yourself

Become the Placebo, Believe in Yourself

“Virtually nothing is impossible in this world if you just put your mind to it and maintain a positive attitude.” -Lou Holtz

It’s cranking out that last rep when there is nothing left. Rounding the final home stretch of a 5k. The last of 20×100 sprints off the block.

Anyone who’s exercised has experienced that surge of energy that pushes you past what you thought was possible.

In the tiring moment when you could collapse, just as you are about quit…you find that notch and crank it UP. Physiologists believe that our brain sends out these “quitting signals” as a protective mechanism before every fiber, tissue and muscle in our body has been exhausted. We reach this “limit”, when perhaps we may still have a physical reserve available to us…if we can find a way to tap it.

Research data (and anyone who has first-hand experience competing in a sport) has already made it obvious – most performance is enhanced in a competition setting. In addition, the performance improvements of a placebo have been made evident.

So what about the effects of a placebo when you are already at your max, such as during a competition?

At a time when you are already tapping into your last reserve of physical capacity, is there still more physiological wiggle room?

New research suggests that a placebo improved performance by both reducing perception of effort and increasing potential motivation –  both cognitive and noncognitive processes appear to have influenced placebo response. Runners thought they were receiving a performance enhancing injection, when it was actually salt water! Their performance improved from placebo intervention more so than in response to the control…at a time when these runners were pushing the greatest of the limits [checkout this interview Dr. John had with the main investigator of the study Dr. Ross].

If we can experience these benefits for changes outside of ourself (i.e. injections, pills, treatments), we can induce the same change with out a pill or change! It’s already been concluded that there remains a physical reserve in us and the placebo (aka strong belief) proves extraordinarily powerful…and serves as that extra edge.

Engage in that and become the placebo.

Researchers have found “that placebo treatments—interventions with no active drug ingredients—can stimulate real physiological responses, from changes in heart rate and blood pressure to chemical activity in the brain, in cases involving pain, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and even some symptoms of Parkinson’s.”

As Lou Holtz says:

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing.”  (Showing up each time and putting forth an honest effort…which we learned is more than we think is possible)

“Motivation determines what you do.” (*cough cough* some Weekly Monday Motivation…let this email fire you up!)

and

“Attitude determines how well you do it.” (BELIEVE you can do it…and have a reason why you can!)

You don’t need something outside yourself – all it takes is a belief in the possibilities with an equally strong commitment to do the work in order to create the conditions for change.

Be the placebo and create the extraordinary experience you want – you’re the best performance enhancing drug!

What are you going to believe in this week? Comment or e-mail us!

Resilience: Learning to Bounce Back

Resilience: Learning to Bounce Back

“To be something we never were, we have to do something we’ve never done.” – USA Navy Seal, Eric Greitens

At some point, we’ve been comforted by the typical, “it’s not about how many times you get knocked down, it’s about how many times you get back up“, silver-lining. Sure, this timeless, pick-me-up serves as the simple condolence filling our voided spirit with optimism…but the emerging scientific evidence proves this universal truth extends beyond your simple interaction with a challenge.

In the past decade, the concept of resilience, and it’s links to improve well-being continues to be on the rise. …and the most important predictor of resilience –  a positive outlook.

Are you the one who grows after trauma or the one who gets swallowed by it? 

Resilience isn’t only for the hero on the frontline or the most decorated Olympian –  we each are exposed to high levels of adversity throughout our life…even our day.

Think back to the last time you experienced a setback, difficulty, or loss. Did you respond by dwelling and venting on the disappointment, or did you find the spark of meaning amid the darkness?

How quickly did you bounce back? How resilient are you?

If you want to know more why this affects your life and your chances of growth, and how to incorporate it into your life..keep reading (link to article)! ( *hint* it’s much more than the gains you make despite an injury or life’s daily annoyances…but your family, health, and overall well-being)

Perhaps we don’t choose to be in the current situation, but what’s more important is how we handle it. Treasure the challenges, and recognize these opportunities for growth that serve to your benefit…make this a great week!

 What challenge are you maximizing in order to reach your dreams?

4 Ways to Build Strength with Resilience

4 Ways to Build Strength with Resilience

Realizing you can handle life in the face adversity in only a thought away, and allows you to maximize a challenge. The growing interest in resilience among mental health care providers globally has created a need for a simple way to consider the complex interactions that predict adaptive coping when there is exposure to high levels of adversity. Ranging from performance plateaus, mental illness, violence, natural disasters, losses, and daily conflicts – un-ideal situations are inevitable. Rather than dealing with the repercussions and associated negative emotions, what if we were prepared to be more suited for our experiences?

Why are strength and resilience important and how do you get it?

We each experience our own challenges, and it isn’t the loudest complainer who has it the most difficult. Each of Fredrickson’s studies demonstrate resilient participants experience the same level of frustration and anxiety as those less resilient; their physiological and emotional spikes were equally high. This reveals that resilient people aren’t a rare human species, immune to negativity… they simply let go of the negativity, worry less, and shift their attention to the positive strength more quickly. Resilience serves beyond a reactive skill-set advantageous in the face of adversity, it’s these same characteristic traits improving our well-being, physical and mental health, and ultimately enriching our lives. The best way to cultivate this – experience.

1. Stay Up

Positive emotions are the most important predictor of resilience. Research concludes positive emotions can undo the effects of a stressful negative experience. This isn’t suggesting you acquire a delusional, brightness-blinding life, but rather have a positive outlook in difficult circumstances.  People who are resilient tend to be more positive and optimistic, better able to regulate their emotions, and can maintain their optimism through the most trying circumstances compared to those less-resilient.

2. Snap Back

It’s all about how quick you can “bounce back” from stressful experiences and effectively using those positive emotions discussed above to rebound from, and find positive meaning in, stressful encounters. The experience of positive emotions contribute to the ability to achieve efficient emotion regulation and find positive meaning in negative circumstances. Further research demonstrates that resilient people are even able to change their responses to match the demands of our frequently changing environmental circumstances.

3. Write Down

A conscious focus on blessings may have emotional and interpersonal benefits. A study conducted using subjects with neuromuscular disease were randomly assigned to either a gratitude condition or a control condition. Guess who thrived. The gratitude-outlook groups exhibited heightened psychological and physical well-being across several of the outcome measures relative to the comparison groups, including strength. These results not only reinforced the importance of a positive outlook, but also concluded that gratitude has a positive impact on optimism and goal-orientation.

4.  Build Out

The British Psychological Society suggested a strong link between confidence in yourself and resilience. Strong confidence yields greater resilience when a setback occurs, knowing you are capable of a better outcome. Developing resilience through youth sports can benefit a child’s overall success in academics and life, as well as in athletic achievements. Combine the involvement of attentive parents, coaches and mentors, with the increased intellectual stimulation from physical activity and skill-work, and it allows children who participate in sports to reap social and emotional benefits. Teaching children resiliency and strength within their athletic program at a young age can boost their self-esteem and future well-being. COR works with a range of ages, helping foster these in our KADP, high school strength program, and even our adult boot camp!

Perhaps we don’t choose to be in the current situation, but what’s more important is how we handle it. Treasure the challenges, and recognize these opportunities for growth that serve to your benefit.

Scared to Exercise? 5 Steps to Banish Doubt and Eradicate Fear

Scared to Exercise? 5 Steps to Banish Doubt and Eradicate Fear

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit at home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”

– Dale Carnegie

Going out, taking action, and making the first step is HUGE. How do you expect to trust in your abilities if you are sitting on the couch being scared of exercise? Being active in the moment (even if that is “failing”) brings you one step closer than when you were doing nothing…surprisingly you soon get to the point where you say, “hey, I’m actually capable of more than I realized”.

Fear arises from situations that could yield failure, suffering, success, isolation, foolishness, disapproval, etc. Fear of exercise makes sense, for years and years it’s promoted survival! Nowadays you may not be concerned with running from lions, but while the stimuli has changed it still serves the same purpose. Instead of fighting for our lives it’s now a spot on the podium or a job at an office. Fear is a natural response, it should be welcomed, appreciated, accepted…and it’s OK to feel…what we’re concerned about is how it’s originating.

DOUBT.

Most times people have fear of exercise and doubt when venturing into something new, uncomfortable, or with previously undesirable effects – it’s to protect us from getting hurt…but these are often exaggerated and acquired by expectations based on our experiences.

So how do we dissipate fear? How do we approach the next step with vitality, reassurance, excitement, and purpose?

We banish doubt. 

“Fear dissipates when doubt is banished” 

It’s easy to go with what’s comfortable, accept defeat, or live in fear of exercise where we don’t need to take action, but that fosters a life of inaction, stagnation and lack of purpose. To banish doubt you must TAKE ACTION – be willing to forego security and stability to step into the unknown and take a risk.

Everything you do produces a result – no matter the place, time or position – it’s what you do with those results that counts! Eradicate fear by knowing you have it what is takes. Results (no matter the outcome) yield experience and knowledge that enable growth. As soon as you acquire the 100% trust in your ability and an unshakable belief, the idea of possessing even the smallest ounce of doubt is long gone. You’re ready and soon won’t be able to think otherwise.

Taking action can be reflection, it can be going out and creating something tangible, or preparing for the future. Various methods exist to build the courage and confidence in yourself to tap into your potential. Realizing you CAN do what you are capable of given your particular skills, at a certain time and under certain conditions is empowering and enables us the strength rise to the challenge (and even seek them!).

Stop doubting and start living! 

1. Get out there! Experience! Internalize the good! Performing and gaining experience prepares you to be better it. No matter the outcome..switch your mentality to not see it as failure but GROWTH that prepares you for the future. Practice that speech for you presentation, nail your 3-pointers…it’s easier to focus on the reasons we will fail than all the reasons we are ready so log all these steps you’re take toward being better and think back to them!

2. Expose yourself to others overcoming similar challenges. This will transform the expectations you see in yourself. Finding these positive outcomes in those with shared commonalities and experiences enables us with the understanding we can achieve the same thing! #inspired. Surround yourself with people who are striving to bump up the weight at gym, overcoming an injury or ending world hunger too – follow those people doing great things that you want to achieve as well!

3. Simply DREAM IT! Think about the times you rocked out, draw a picture of the future, visualize the game winning shot.

4. Pep talks! Keep reading these newsletters  we are influenced by what others say about us and believe for us. Encourage others to explore and challenge themselves as well.

5. Our physiological and emotional state can easily put us out-of-whack. A broken pencil is now a life-ending tragedy. Lack of sleep, nutritious food and physical activity has the power to completely alter our perception and ability to process a situation. Increased fatigue and decreased cognition is not what we want…stay up on sleep, pack your plate with colors, and stay moving. Put yourself in the position to be the best you.

Feel confident, ready and fueled with a purpose to go out and conquer the week! Have unshakable belief! Bandura stated, “People see the extraordinary feats of others but not the unwavering commitment and countless hours of perseverant effort that produced them”. Focus on the possibilities…not the limitations!

What are you doing to prepare, take action and propel with readiness to produce the desirable outcomes? Are you practicing, taking risks, or believing?

The Determining Factor of Success

The Determining Factor of Success

“Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.” -Winston Churchill

How do we choose success?

A tight correlation has been recently discovered between a person’s perception of their health and their actual health status. This study found that those who believe that weight is outside of their control have less healthy BMIs, make poorer food choices, and report lower levels of personal wellbeing than those who don’t.

Why? Because if it is outside of their control and if they “don’t even have a shot” of course they are going to engage in behaviors that are rewarding in the short term!

The ability to focus on solutions in the face of adversity, to see growth – that is the determination of success.

Dr. Jason Selk speaks on this in 10 Minute Mental Toughness – “We humans are better at seeing problems than we are at seeing solutions. This itself is a problem, because what we dwell on expands“.

Those that think they are stuck with what they have – whether that be athletic performance, career, body type, poor eating, personality ticks, behavioral habits – are less likely to make an effort to change and often become distressed.

When we begin to focus on problems, our brain releases neurotransmitters that cause us to feel ‘not so hot’, they significantly limit your intellectual abilities and creativity. This is all occurring biologically and comes down back to how we perceive ourself, our control, and that overall image. It makes sense that we generally give up on hopeless causes…they wouldn’t be advantageous and our biological tendency is to focus on problem centric thoughts.

However, the second you cross the barrier and search to focusing on solutions – you release a whole new set of neurotransmitters that cause you to feel better, increase your memory, mental capacity and creativity.

“Being focused on solutions means keeping your thoughts centered on what you want from life and what it takes to achieve what you want, as opposed to allowing thoughts of self-doubt and concern to occupy the mind“, Selk’s research found most solution-focused people achieve this 40% of the time, but RELENTLESS solution-focused people replace 100% of undesirable thinking with thoughts emphasizing solutions.

You possess the ability to achieve success. The first step is believing it’s in your power to change. The second is to choose to be relentlessly focused on the solutions and seeing growth.

1. Have the choice 2. See the solutions

That’s what this is all about! Want to be pleased with your efforts and progress? It doesn’t matter if you are striving for an Olympic gold medal or cleaning the kitchen – if you have a growth oriented mentality and focus on solutions you will be satisfied!

You have two choices – believe you have the capacity AND fight to overcome the challenge or let problems intimidate you and slump to defeat.

What is on thing you can do differently to make this week better? What is in your control?

The Cyclical Science of Happiness

What makes us happy? I’m talking about a passionate, unequivocal sense of zest and love of life.

It’s not something you wake up one morning saying “You know what? I think I’m happy. I made it.”

No.

Happiness comes from within. Work your butt off to get the perfect beach body, but guess what? You’ll never feel like you have the “perfect” body if you aren’t happy with yourself. As humans, we always want more, but happiness isn’t an end point kind of deal.

It comes in many forms. Almost all of which can be traced back to self-confidence. When you are confident in yourself you see success in your actions, the progress, not results. You recognize your hard work towards these changes, credit your body with love, and express self-gratitude. You emanate inner strength; a testament of your relentless efforts.

We are always making changes, buying the next greatest technology, thinking, “This is IT. This will finally be what makes me happy.”

No, it has to come from you.

By now, most of us have been conditioned that if we start eating better and we will feel better.

It’s not that easy.

Ask anyone. I would be the first to advocate healthy eating. No matter how much I ramble on the life changing benefits and fear striking facts, why would someone make the effort to go through the troubles of eating healthy if they don’t have a deep respect for themselves to provide their body with the absolute best?

This is the brutal truth and unfortunate side to the awful, perpetuating cycle of an unhealthy lifestyle.

When was the last time you saw a sad, weak, and physically unhealthy person leaving the gym?

It’s not the bodybuilder who just maxed out at the gym or the ambitious 10 year old who just beat her mile time you see double-fisting chocolate cupcakes.

No. You see the fit, perky, lively can-doer speed walking out the gym with an apple in their hand (most likely pursuing the next big feat they are motivated to accomplish and spend their very productive day doing). They are all sorts of fueled – physically and mentally. These are the ones moving a mile a minute, getting work done, and loading up at the salad bar.

Go ahead and start a diet, but you’ll never be satisfied if you aren’t first happy with yourself. Let alone, if you don’t possess the tiniest ounce of faith that you are capable of so much more, how far are you really going to get? You’ll only crave results. Let’s be real – five pounds less is never enough. You got your a six-pack? I wanted an eight-pack!

It’s never enough.

No wonder we crave a cheat day, and even worse, straight up quit – this external, result derived happiness leaves us feeling even worse from when we set out begin this ambitious lifestyle change. Now you’re left feeling even more hopeless than when you started. I’ll take that second slice of cake for my piteous efforts…healthy eating and exercise just ain’t my thang (even worse, yo-yo dieting).

So then, where to begin?

First, find your place to derive motivation and confidence.  

For me – EXERCISE. WE ARE MADE TO MOVE – the benefits are endless and it’s something we should all be doing. I’m not saying that because I’m some fit, bias, endorphin addict athlete – these are the facts of human nature and any research can back me up. Being active works in our favor in more ways than one – increasing our sense of well being and pushing our body to its physical and mental limits.

The second we start being active, we start to care. We start to see changes – we don’t want to lose that hard work.

We respect ourselves.

Think about a person you really respect – you would do anything for them. They radiate strength and kindness. They’ve work hard to never let you down. They serve as a foundation, source of relentless dependency…c’mon, how could you ever do them wrong?

That’s the relationship you start to have with your body.

Exercise is an evolving process that brings enjoyment as we grow and continually strive for more. Not because we aren’t satisfied with what we’ve accomplished, but because we start to believe that we truly are capable of so much more. Along the way, maybe even discovered we posses a slight purpose beyond the daily rout of life?

Never mind all those happy hormones, social benefits, and physiological changes that come along for the ride – that’s a nice little bonus.

With that being said – when you feel good about yourself you eat better.

Why? It makes perfect sense. People who invest energy and time into their health and personal well-being care enough to not screw it up.

Not until we value ourselves do we care enough to treat our body with love. The funny thing is, when we start eating better we feel good about ourselves.

We don’t always make sense, but this is the way we function as ridiculous as it may seem.

Exercise is a way to push us to limits that before were unfathomable. We begin respecting ourselves a tad bit more – I mean hey, you did make the effort to get off the couch anyways – that’s at least worth something.

The person who is still in bed at 1pm, stayed out drinking all night, and just kicked off the day watching Netflix, cracking open a Coke for breakfast, doesn’t care because they are already unhealthy – why not just go all the way?

Yea, yea…we’ve all done this at one point or another *cough cough vacation season*

Society doesn’t help with the abundance of environmental triggers, media, lazy outlets, eating temptations – making it easier than ever to just go down the path of fast food, living vicariously through a digital screen, and never needing to walk a step again. Our expectations of “healthy” are often skewed – we assume it must be painful and require unnecessary disciple that we don’t have. Our day is ruined by a disgusted hour of suffering and we are deprived of any palatable foods.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Finding an activity you enjoy changes everything.

Exercise is no-doubt, always the highlight of my day. Except for when I encourage others to experience that too – that tops it off. No one can be controlled, whether it’s your spouse, kids, or a client. But if you work to be the the best you can possibly be – striving toward optimal health, expanding your knowledge, opening your perspective, learning from others– you can provide the best of yourself in a way that inspires changes in others.

Stay active, eat whole foods, drink water, get some shut-eye, and have a balanced lifestyle…I can promise you for the most part you will be just fine. If we care enough to treat ourselves the absolute best, (and if you want to take it this far – thus the world around us) we actually start acting on it.

I’m not saying the key is to start working out first and then eating better, or vice versa – I’m saying if you first and foremost do something that motivates you to be better and brings you joy then you will treat your body with respect, nourishment, and want to be healthy. You simply can’t have one without the other.

What comes first – exercise/dieting or self-confidence? People change their eating to lose weight so they feel better about themselves. But people who feel better about themselves usually are more active and eat better.

So where do you begin? I think that’s a question only you can answer.

The answer doesn’t reside in these outcomes but in yourself, which you find through the process of being better – whether it is by eating or exercising. It’s a cycle, not straight line with beginning to end. See your improvements in whatever it may be, build your confidence by recognizing your gains. Embrace that feeling. Let your body be inspired and driven toward improvements.

We want to be motivated! We want to be better!

Think about it, if you don’t respect your body and possess a sense of worthiness, why the hell would you take the effort to fuel it.

Start respecting yourself and all your potential. Start pushing your limits. Start working out. Start eating better. Start being happy.

W.I.N.

W.I.N.

“You can’t TRY to do things, you must simply DO them” – Ray Bradbury

What’s Important NOW. W.I.N.

So many people desire greatness, but declaring a goal doesn’t mean it will automatically happen. Whatever “it” may be – you must always show up with the time, energy, heart and soul.

Don’t’ feel like it? What does “feeling” like doing it have to do with anything? So what if you don’t feel like it. Show up and do it. You made a promise. It is called discipline.

Discipline yourself to develop a sense of mastery and the ability to swap your inner dialogue when deciding what you need to do from “how do I feel” to “what’s important now” –  take the necessary actions right now to get the job done. You aren’t just going to “try”, you are going to “do”.

Take the action right now to DO IT!

When ‘you don’t feel like it’ this week, what is the one important action you can take right at that very moment to help you reach your goal?