INSIDE-OUT???

When trying to decide how to rename my blog, I knew I wanted something that was the essence of my fitness philosophy, even though it may not be exclusive to me.

I have personally grown more in the last 16 months than I have in the last several years. This growth has not only been physical, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as well. I have received a lot of comments about my physical transformation, but, in my opinion, my inner transformation has been much more impressive. I can honestly say that, had I not started this journey with an internal commitment, I would be reaping mediocre results from mediocre effort.

Beachbody has a simple formula: DECIDE, COMMIT, SUCCEED…

-DECIDE-

I first started the P90X program in June of 2007. From the beginning, I never fully committed to the program. In essence, I made a list of things that I was going to continue to do, even though there were specific guidelines in the program for these items. Needless to say, the results of my first round were less than impressive, FAR less than impressive.

For the next several months, I started and restarted the program, going fairly strong for a week or two, then falling out of the routine. It wasn’t until we were on vacation in August 2008, that I decided to be honest with myself and call myself out for my lack of commitment. I saw the new infomercial for P90X and realized that I had never given the program the shot it deserved. The longer I watched, the madder I got at myself. I saw all of the new success stories and knew that I had wasted almost a year and a half because I DID NOT COMMIT! Without commitment, the formula is not fulfilled…

-DECIDE (The Sequel), COMMIT-

I made up my mind that I was going to fully commit to the program: nutrition plan, workout schedule, online support, the whole nine yards! I knew that I wouldn’t be able to know how successful I could be unless I tried it the right way. I set the date (8/6/08), made my plans, set my schedule, and most importantly, set my mind. I honestly didn’t know if I would be successful, but I was going to see for myself if this P90X thing really worked or not! It didn’t take long to get my answer…

-SUCCEED-

The different aspects of the program worked together to greatly impact me. Even though the aesthetic changes are what most people (including yours truly) are interested it, the changes I could FEEL were what really took hold of me and it was that FEELING that created a craving in me for more and more of it! I never considered that I would feel as different as I was feeling. It was a truly magical moment for me!

Even though the program has all of the bases covered, I could not have achieved any measure of success without a commitment to changing my fitness philosophy. I had to realize that “my way” was not giving me the results I wanted and that I had to change in order to create change. The definition of “insanity” is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. That’s the rut that I had found myself in. I wanted to have better health, but I wasn’t willing to change the things that had to be change to give me what I desired. During the first round, I went into it only willing to change a couple of things. I may have wanted to see how much I could get for a little effort and I found out! Until I was willing to change the way I thought, I had no chance of being as successful as I wanted to be.

To be successful in any undertaking, you’ve got to count the cost and YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING to give what is necessary for success. This may not seem fair at times, but life isn’t always fair, or is it? Life and nature respond to “deserve” not to “want”. You have to sow before you can reap. And you can’t reap potatoes if you sow onions. As a TBB Coach, I have met some people that were hoping for a “magic pill” in that they could give minimal or conditional effort and get world-class results. I’m sorry to report that it doesn’t work that way. All processes are perfect. Whatever the inputs are in your process, they will give you their perfect outputs. The outputs may not be what you want, but they will definitely be created by what you put into the process.

The first things you should work to change are your thoughts…

Change of thought makes your behavior change.
Change of behavior makes your habits change.
Change of habits makes your personality change.
Change of personality makes your destiny change.

I truly believe that success at anything comes only by first changing your philosophy. Once you change this, anything is possible! Beginning today, start to look at everything from the INSIDE-OUT. You will be surprised at just how much you can accomplish!

http://www.beachbodycoach.com/bcp90x

OPPORTUNITY

We are given a gift each time our eyes are opened to a new day. This gift is the opportunity to make a difference in our life, in the lives of others, and in our world. It is not meant for us to merely “go through the motions” each day, but to be actively pursuing our dreams and to fulfill our purpose in life!

We have more opportunities on some days than we do on others, but, if we are given the day, we have at least one opportunity. Some may seem trivial, but I’ve found that those can be the most rewarding and the ones that can have the greatest impact!

DO NOT WASTE YOUR OPPORTUNITIES! MAKE IT HAPPEN TODAY!

http://www.beachbodycoach.com/bcp90x

REAL WORLD DURABILITY!

Today's workout was supposed to be Insanity: Max Recovery, but since we were fortunate enough to receive a pile of snow overnight, I subbed 3+ hours of Snow Shoveling-X today! I had been going at it for almost 2 hours when I noticed my heart was pumping pretty good, so I decided to do what any Team Beachbody Coach & Spartan would do... I strapped on my heart rate monitor just to see what kind of a workout I was getting. For the last 1½ hours, my heart rate averaged 128bpm and my max was 147bpm. The body was very exhausted when I finished, but I know for a fact that I couldn't have even made it through an hour of work like this before Beachbody, P90X, and Insanity! As I worked, I thought of something Tony talks about during the Core Synergistics workout: "When you get out into the real world, you are less vulnerable, you are more durable. I like being more durable out in the real world." I COULDN'T AGREE MORE!!!

THANK YOU BEACHBODY FOR GIVING ME THE TOOLS TO HELP ME MAKE MORE OF AN IMPACT IN LIFE!!!

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS???

It’s that time of year again! Time for New Year’s resolutions… Why don’t we try something different this year? Here’s a thought:

1) Make a list of all of the resolutions you want to make in 2010.
2) Be sure to include the changes you want to make in YOU that will directly impact the lives of others.
3) Rank your resolutions in order of importance. (The changes in YOU should be at or near the top of the list!)
4) COMMIT TO YOUR RESOLUTIONS TODAY! DO NOT GIVE YOURSELF ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO PUT OFF WHAT YOU KNOW WILL BENEFIT YOU, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR FRIENDS, & YOUR WORLD!

Just a thought…

ACCOUNTABILITY

In most cases, when I hear the word “accountability”, it is in reference to someone being held accountable for their actions by someone else. Webster defines accountability as “an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions”. The actual definition of the word indicates that accountability begins at home, so to speak. Sure, I am accountable to others for my actions, but my true accountability should begin with ME holding MYSELF accountable. If I truly hold myself accountable to established standards or expectations, I won’t have any problem measuring up to those expectations that others have for me.

Accountability is a key factor in all aspects of my life. I am accountable for my actions to God, to my family, to my friends, to my employer, to my coworkers, to the laws of the land, and the list goes on. Even though I am accountable to all of these, I am also still accountable to ME. I have the responsibility to hold myself accountable to the highest standards possible.

When I decided to fully commit to P90X in August 2008, I was accountable to myself to stick with the program and be dedicated to it for the 90 days. After a few days, when I started to FEEL my health improving, it made it easier to stay committed and to stay accountable. Soon after that, a funny (and very unexpected) thing happened. I started feeling a strong sense of accountability toward those that were close to me, those that were seeing the changes that were happening in me. I knew that if I wanted to see my family and friends get motivated to change their lives, I needed to make sure that I kept my nose to the grindstone and pushed harder EVERY DAY!

During this time, I found a source for great motivation and accountability: The Team Beachbody message boards. There, I was fortunate enough to meet lots of caring folks with inspiring stories. I knew they would be able to push and encourage me as I would them! One day, a friend of mine posted a short, direct statement at the end of his message. He said, “BRING IT in all that you do tomorrow!”. “Bring It” is a term that is synonymous with P90X. Basically, it means to “do your best and forget the rest”. By making that statement, he was encouraging all of us to apply this philosophy in all aspects of our lives. He couldn’t have been more right! Since then, I have tried to keep that thought in mind and to make a conscious effort to put my best foot forward in all that I do. Am I successful every day? Of course not. Has this caused me to be more focused and motivated in my life as a whole? ABSOLUTELY! If I don’t give my best at a task, I feel I have let others and myself down and have squandered an opportunity to improve something or someone.

Since becoming a Team Beachbody Coach near the end of last year, my sense of Accountability has increased with each person I've met, with each customer and Coach I gain. It’s sometimes a little overwhelming, but ALWAYS rewarding! I want to be a positive impact on everyone I meet and that’s the fuel that keeps my fire burning! When I feel that I have made a difference, I feel even more accountable to keep SHARING THE HEALTH! It’s definitely a gift that keeps on giving!

ATTITUDE

Unfortunately, there are very many things in life that we have no control over. One thing we all have control over is our attitude. Your attitude determines your attitude. That may sound a little strange, but when you think about it, it is absolutely true.

Each day, when we wake up in the morning, we set our tone for the day with our attitude. We can each start off the day with a good/positive attitude, or we can start it with a bad/negative one. It’s our choice and it’s one that we make every day.

I have found that, the attitude I choose in the morning will be the driving force behind most of my day. There are additional opportunities for me to change my attitude during the course of the day (thankfully!), but that initial switch that I flip when I get up sets my direction. I’m sure a lot of you are the same way.

I have also found that if I stop and take a moment to assess my situation, count my blessings, and put everything into perspective, I can move forward with a positive and optimistic attitude. I would encourage you all to do the same. If you are like me, there are enough things that you encounter each that drag you down and put a strain on your attitude. If we start on a good note, we will be better equipped to handle those situations.

Remember, whether good or bad, positive or negative, attitudes are contagious! Here is one of my favorite quotes:

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

DO YOUR BEST AND FORGET THE REST...

For many of us, this is a saying that we have heard, and probably quoted, numerous times. It is very sound advice, but I recently found that I was hearing all seven words, but only listening to the last four...

I realized that I was getting into a "cruise control" mentality after performing a workout routine several times. I was not striving to do my best, but settling for what I thought was my best and then immediately quoting "and forget the rest...". I was using that sage advice to permit the acceptance of mediocrity. I was cheating myself, and not only myself, but I was cheating my family, and any customers or Coaches that were (and are) looking to me for inspiration and motivation. That was a true reality check!

Please don't make the same mistake as I did! Before your workout, actually, before anything meaningful that you're getting ready to do, focus on the first three words "DO YOUR BEST"! If you do this, and then honestly fulfil it, you won't have to worry about the last four...

BRING IT IN ALL THAT YOU DO EVERY SINGLE DAY!

DO IT NOW!

Now is NOT the time for procrastination...
Time is SHORT...

It’s time to make a difference in YOUR HEALTH!
It’s time to make a difference in YOUR LIFE!
It’s time to make a difference in YOUR FAMILY!
It’s time to make a difference in YOUR COMMUNITY!
It’s time to make a difference in YOUR WORLD!

You’ve missed too many opportunities...
You've been given another opportunity...
Use it wisely and DO IT NOW!