Thursday, February 28, 2008

Thursday 28th February - Men - do we really think that we understand women ?

Now if there was ever a Blog to get me some emails this will be the one (smiling).

I happened to be with a few friends during the week having a coffee (yes we all know that I have my vices), and one of the girls was lamenting over her last "near" relationship. That is the one of those that near-ly gets there but just falls short. The guy being spoken about had from the "male perspective" done nothing majorly wrong but the "female friends perspective" had him shot, killed and burned at the stake.

This support of the "girlfriend network", then prompted a few others to talk of their "relationship" experiences (although some of them barely qualified for any type of relationship that I had heard of), and how the their actions were justified.

This went on for a while, and like all males present, I never said anything but occassionally gave the other males a look that said "who hasn't been in that situation before and had no idea they were skating on thin ice". One guy present even seemed to be getting uncomfortable with the girl sitting beside him describing a scenario but he kept his head down and said nothing. Possibly wise.

After another story I interrupted.
All eyes fell on me. The males at the table panicked. The girls all turned their bodies to listen to the "interrupting male's point of view".

I smiled "at the enemy" (**winks) and thought it fair and time to step into the ring and take a few punches for MAN-kind. I decided to try to explain how it really wasn't the fault of most men but I can't save you all and some of you don't deserve saving. With subdued silence falling over our table I ventured into the dark void that is a female coffee chat.

I sought an analogy that would allow both parties (males and females) to not feel threatened and get me shot. I used the Dragonslayer and Damsel story.

Here is what transpired :
Men are "wired" differently and try to do things with good intention (often) but often fail (unintentionally) through their actions and the subsequent consequences or result.

The girls asked me to give them an example. The guys who were in relationships with girls present were still looking at me with total fear on their faces. I smiled and tried to allay their fears. I am after all a DragonSlayer Master (haha).

I began by reminding them that most boys upbringing include superhero stories and that most men still think of themselves as having to ride up on a white horse (or fly) to save the damsel in distress. It's our HERO COMPLEX.

We believe through a conversation with a girl (and normally seeing tears) that there is a problem that needs fixing. So we then valiantly ride off into the steamy depths of a place called "Trouble Town" to vanquish the issues or problems by solving this (or as we think of it - killing the evil Dragon). With our quest complete and the problem solved we then come back to you to get our reward(s).

We work well with praise from female affection or even a simple WELL DONE (and being handed OUR favorite drink and the TV remote)

Play by play of this in action :

You have said - This is upsetting me (maybe be tears present)
We hear - I need help YOU and so we vow to fix the problem

YOU actually may have just wanted someone to "vent with" or even just listen to what is troubling you. But WE males are "hardwired" to think that we can solve EVERY issue, as there surely is a logical and non-emotional answer to deal with this.

Then we report back that the "Problem is solved" = Issue fixed

We say - Never fear again - I have killed the dragon
You hear - Your PROBLEM is solved and I am YOUR saviour

You say - What have you done and why
We hear - YOU are an insensitive idiot. Why don't you keep your nose out of my business. If I wanted help I would have asked for it !!!

We say - NOW hang on a minute - I have fixed YOUR problem - be thankful
You hear - YOU needed fixing and I have done it so - be thankful and thank your saviour ...

Subsequent Action and Result = yelling (with tears), doors slamming, phone calls to friends for coffee !

I look around the table and all the girls were smiling and one girl was outright wetting her pants with laughter. The guys were sitting there in rapt silence NOT knowing if they were in massive amounts of trouble or if their lives were going to be less complicated.

One of the girls then asked me "OK, so why do you think YOU need to fix US ?"

I explained "we don't want to fix YOU, we just want to be USEFUL". We don't know any other way to be helpful (our definition), and YOU being unhappy is unacceptable so we will try anything to fix this (even if it is eventually the wrong option).

By now ALL the girls were laughing (and agreeing with the Dragonslayer analogy) and agreeing "that men really aren't that smart and need clear guidance". The boys were starting to relax and even smiling.

I further explained "Yes, that is exactly how men work best. Give them exact instructions and we do well. Why do you think men love sports. Their are CLEAR rules and guidelines. It's a no-brainer. We get IT."

The guys present were now starting to get their confidence and being in familiar territory (sports) even voiced their approval and supported that rules work for them. Their partners were very attentive to this. I would love to see the "Rules Lists" that will be emerging out of that coffee chat.

I had text messages from many people present who have told me that I should blog this story as it is helping their relationships no end or even just to supply everyone a laugh.

So there it is - my work HERE is done
(Gets on his white horse and rides off into the sunset - Hi Ho Silver AWAYYYYYY)

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Sunday 24th February 2008 - Nature vs Nurture in the Human E.C.O. System

It has been quite interesting seeing the interest for my "knowledge is power" theory from the blog I wrote a few days ago. I've had emails ask me what they could do to learn more about their bodies.

My first response is to actually learn to listen to what your body is telling you about your lifestyle. Now this seems obvious and easy, but it's not.

Listen to your body signs and not the usual ones that most of us recognize, such as I'm hungry or I'm thirsty but the more sympathetic signs such as becoming more aware of your breathing and how that affects so many different elements of your Human E.C.O. System. This isn't as easy as it sounds.

Try to breathe slowly in and count for four (4) seconds, and the slowly breathe out for four (4) seconds. Do this for a series of seven (7) breathes with your eyes closed. This breathing pace will slow down your heart rate, which in turn relaxes the tension in your body which eases stress, and also sends signals to all your muscles to relax. All because you just listened to your breathe. Try it and let me know how you go.

Now for today's blog I wanted to talk about relationships. No I am not going to give you advice on how to be the perfect partner but more the love / hate relationship most people have with their bodies and food.

This topic came about because in the last month I have met some amazing people in many forms of the business world (including health experts) but there often seemed to be a real lack of ability for the successful people to be healthy where as the healthy people were desiring more business success.

I have spoken in an earlier blog of what I see as the perils of working in the fitness industry and it's long term proposition for financial success due to limited fee that can be charged and this is then impacted upon how many hours a week you can train clients so now let's focus on fixing what we can and get everyone healthy.

Today I am going to speak of the many "clients" that have shown interest in getting a clearer and more successful path to health by "cleaning up their Human E.C.O. System". Doing the breathing exercise everyday (and especially in times of stressful situations will definitely help).

Business people of today are working longer hours, most against their best intentions; spending less time with family and friends which is not their preferred choice; eating out more often and snacking "on the go" unhealthy caloric laden foods (high in sugar and fat); drinking more socially with work events and conferences, which all places definite stress on their health.

This means in a nutshell that their success results in getting healthy are slim and in all likelihood will fail. This adds to their displeasure at making the necessary changes required next time they try.

The majority of people all over the world are consuming less quality nutrients, topped up with nutrient empty calories, high levels of IN-activity, longer work hours, tension and stress filled lives and moderate to high levels of unhappiness.

There really is no excuse for blaming others when it comes to controlling what goes into your mouth. YOU are responsible. Step up and start to own your choices - good or bad. I have heard time and time again over the 20+ years of being a trainer / consultant how a client had no choice but to eat what they did.

Please that is such a load of garbage (literally).

I no longer smile nod my head and feel sorry for them. Empathy yes, sympathy no. Why, because for the last four years I have worked in an office environment and had to PLAN each day so that my personal first priority (my health) was taken care of. Before I left for work each day, I had my energy shake which mostly meant getting up 10 minutes earlier, packed my meals or high quality snacks in my bag dependent upon the day's activities and where I would be. You most likely never leave home without your mobile phone, your house/car keys and your laptop so it's all planning.

There are always excuses, no time, too hard, don't like, don't want etc etc but in reality being healthy is work. Ask the model whose body you aspire to have, what they do everyday and it's simple. They will most likely tell you that they have to work hard at looking good because it's their job.

The same levels of application (notice I didn't say dedication) because it isn't always a passion filled job but becomes routine and sometimes boring. Think of it this way, you sit in your office, they sit on the exercise bike. You attend meetings, they attend fitness classes. You grab a snack from the vending machine or a fast food option, they make an energy shake or consume a nutrient bar. Life is all about choices and actions.

It is the nature of mankind to make bad choices when it comes to our health. They are easy. This needs to change so that we nurture our Human E.C.O. System and allow it to function efficiently.

With this level of intent for "self-help leading to self-health" it would directly impact and reduce the overwhelming levels of obesity related diseases from polluting our Human E.C.O. System.

It's your choice - It's YOUR LIFE !!

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Thursday 21st February 2008 - Knowledge is Power

How often have you read in a book, heard someone say or even thought that "knowledge is power" ?

Do YOU really believe that. If so, what are YOU doing to maximize your chances of great health. Not the things you can see in the mirror but by learning the real workings of your Human E.C.O. System - the nourishment and nurturing of the human cell.

As a fitness trainer over the years I have often been asked - what is the best way to train; what is the best thing to eat, how much and when should we eat these great nutrients ?

These are, and always will be common questions that Trainers get asked. When I asked a few of my friends (who are also trainers and peers) they all seemed to agree that everyone is curious about the answers we give but they too felt the same way I do.

That we can never get enough education. That is why I spend time giving YOU this information for FREE. I get nothing from it other than to constantly learn, update, challenge, re-affirm what I am doing and make sure that I am doing what is required for MYSELF.

Am I doing the right thing to maximum my health - YES I AM.
Is it always easy, no and in fact sometimes I don't even feel like doing it. It is those times that I draw upon my "knowledge" of how good it is for my E.C.O. System, how good I will feel later and how important it is for me to "just do it".

So that being said I would encourage YOU to spend some quality time and learn more about your own body. Knowledge of the body’s complexity is now being broken down to be more user-friendly all the time. Nutritional habits constantly change more often than the interest rates for a home loan and are dependent upon what the individual's goal is trying to achieve.

Still, fitness rates as one of the two best ways to combat obesity so get up off your butt and do something !

Now there is no better time to become part of your own health plan success. I ask everyone to try to imagine what the “most valuable muscle in the body” actually is ?

It’s not anything you can see in the mirror - it’s the brain.
Yes, more important then your bulging biceps, your six pack abs or your tight glutes and by supplying the brain with quality information and then the necessary nutrients to maximize it's function and performance, YOU will be helping yourself get onto the right path.

What do you know about your body ?

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Saturday 16th February 2008 - It's far from rocket science in fact it's just plain wrong that we are eating so much

I was presenting at a Nutrition Conference late last year and in the preparation of my session I was reminded that there exists a major disparity in the amount of calories (fuel for your body) that most "experts" recommend in comparison to the amount of calories most people are using (through activity).

Now I am not a nutritionist nor do I profess to be but I have prided myself on learning as much as I can about the human body to assist others achieve their goal to lose bodyfat for improved health. This has been a long process of education, awareness and then implementing the various regimes of eating (nutrition) to see if they work. Some have worked better than others and some are a waste of time but ALL added to my knowledge and helped me to form the basis of the current eating regime (diet or whatever you want to call it), that I follow.

It's not rocket science but it works. It is based upon consuming "green" plant based foods with a lean source of protein and good fats. This supplies me with a nutrient dense intake of calories that are focussed on anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals. These are required to assist any other health goal that I have !

Of course when I developed the Rainbow Nutrient Refuelling Plan it was then checked and assessed by nutritionists and dieticians (nothing like ticking all the boxes to make sure that it works and is safe). Then what I had to do was to develop an activity regime to compliment this nutrient plan which is my AfterBurner Workout Programs that I will be releasing shortly for FREE. Again after 20+ years of being a trainer it's not based on anything other than increased calorie burning "work" - sorry it's that simple.

So back to my issues with calories.
Let's assume you are a fitter than average individual and are consuming a lot less calories than most of you actually are. My reason for this is to show just how our current recommended or suggested eating intake from "experts" will FAIL to get the chosen outcome for even the fitter people that try it.

NOTE - Now to do this we will have to make a few general observations so read and digest this fully before you dismiss what is below. There will of course be some slight variations for gender / genetics / body status / fitness etc.

If you are consuming (eating etc) an average of 2000 calories per day (this is recommended by many eating plans), then this will be enlightening for your fat loss (weight) goals. Now remember that a lot of people watch the calories that they eat BUT forget about the calories that they drink from any source (which is crazy because they all add up and count) but then go to workout and try to match this "number eaten" which is destined for failure.

Food Intake - 2000 calories (now this is used as a guide)

Sustain normal body functioning - 1000 to 1300 calories to sustain life on a daily basis (again I am going to over-estimate what the average person will burn daily; and the higher the lean muscle and fitness levels the higher this number will be in total)
Activity / Working Out - 500 calories (this is probably way higher than most people achieve but giving the benefit of the doubt for our scenario)

That leaves a deficit (in the RED) of about 200-500 additional calories PER DAY. That means in a week (IF you are working out hard every day and most aren't doing it daily) that you have consumed at least 1400 additional calories. This means that at best scenario this person is adding 5,600 calories each four weeks / month.

FACT - 3,500 calories is a kilogram of fat calories.

And we wonder why we have an obesity plague sweeping the masses.
Again these numbers are put together for a possible scenario that may or may not be the reason that we have a problem.

I personally have adjusted my fuel intake (calories from food and drink) to be a strategic option to increasing my health and it is working really well. This is NOT a push for a low caloric intake but a high quality fuel intake that gives my body what it needs and allows me to get leaner and healthier.

You decide what is best for you !

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Thursday 14th February 2008 - Its Valentines Day

Well for those that have read my blogs over the last few days, you will know that I am single (by choice currently), so today has less impact on me either emotionally or financially. To those that are celebrating love - shine on.

Now that I have acknowledged the event I want to get back on point to the Human ECO System and issues of the heart (and diseases).

I often get angry when I see the reported results of ground-breaking "stupid research" and know that our tax paying dollars are responsible for some moron telling me the obvious. I have included a few of the precious facts below. Seriously are you telling me that no one knew these facts ?

Weight loss by diet or exercise benefits heart
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Shedding excess pounds may restore some of the heart's youth, whether the weight loss comes from eating less or exercising more, the results of a small study suggests. It did not appear to matter whether the weight loss was achieved through diet changes or exercise, the researchers report in the American Journal of Physiology.

New Study Shows Fitness Trumps Fatness in Determining Risk of Cancer Death in Men
DALLAS, Jan. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cooper Institute, a research and education nonprofit located at the world-renowned Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas, announces a new study published in Obesity showing that fitness trumps fatness in determining risk of cancer mortality among men. Cancer is the second leading cause of death among U.S. men.

Obesity Linked To Reduced Productivity At Work
Employees who are moderately to extremely obese have reduced productivity on the job, even compared to overweight or mildly obese workers, reports a study in the January Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

Then we have the financial costs associated with these preventable conditions. I am talking about Diabetes type 2 and Coronary Heart Disease through obesity related conditions. The numbers below of statistical problems is incredible and the financial cost is enormous.

Diabetes' Health Toll Hits $174 Billion Annually - Costs climbed 32% since 2000
FRIDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Diabetes-related medical and economic costs in the United States hit $174 billion in 2007, a 32 percent increase from 2002, a new study shows. The research, commissioned by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), found medical care costs for people with diabetes were about $116 billion, and a disproportionate percentage of those costs resulted from the treatment and hospitalization of people with diabetes-related complications. About one out of every five health-care dollars in the United States is spent caring for someone with diagnosed diabetes. Last year, diabetes caused more than 284,000 deaths in the United States.

Scottish Government Allocates Additional 40m Pounds To Tackle Obesity Epidemic
Diabetes UK Scotland welcomes the recent announcement from Nicola Sturgeon, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing that additional funding is to be given to tackle Scotland's obesity epidemic. In the Scottish Parliament, the Government announced an £40 million package over the next three years to drive through health improvements, with a particular focus on obesity.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Wednesday 13th February 2008 - New disease - Fitness Instructor Intolerant

This morning I woke up, grabbed a quick cup of coffee (hey I need my vices too), then headed out for my workout. Got home, showered, made and drank my morning energy shake, then booted up the computer to see what the rest of the world was doing.

I clicked "send/receive" and had the usual influx of emails.
What I hadn't expected was the 25 email newsletters on improving health and general lifestyle issues from friends and peers. I read them all to see if there was anything new or ground-breaking. There wasn't but that is no surprize because all these "trainers" have the best intentions for YOU. They aren't selling you a piece of equipment with one, two, three easy payments that promise a money back guarantee.

They have however, researched and found time to supply you with FREE information to help you get the most out of your life. It does take time to put this together and they get no financial return. It reaffirmed for me that there are a lot of passionately committed "trainers" out there doing everything they can to help others but having little success at stopping the "masses".

So I am wondering if there is a NEW disease. Fitness Instructor Intolerant. That means these people we want to get our message don't seem to "hearing or understanding" what we are saying. They don't "feel" like doing what we need them to, and they definitely aren't following "our" advice.

With so many well intentioned people out there why is the world getting so unhealthy with so many trying to help ? Because it is definitely getting fatter. And these health and lifestyle problems continue to get worse each and every day, week, month and year with no end in sight.

Are these people who are overweight and placing their lives at risk from preventable conditions just tired of hearing the same old ways to get healthy ? You know what I mean, the hard work of breaking the current unhealthy patterns of doing too little activity and not watching what they eat.

"We the converted" know that it will involve making some lifestyle changes by reducing alcohol and partying, adopting healthier eating patterns, getting off the couch and doing some movement based activity. Not all that sexy but that is the bottomline prescription.

Sure we will try to adjust the "pitch" to make it sound more appealing but it will come down to the fact that there is no substitute for hard work. All those people that the "masses" want to look like have done it. The "trainers" out there promoting it have done it.

I think we need to make more noise with clearer more compelling messages. Stop letting our message go unheard, and most importantly find a way to work together to promote healthy, fit, lean athletic bodies as the normal, and finally stop the rot.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Tuesday 12th February 2008 - Dehydration is like Global Warming in the Body

How many times do you hear that most people are not drinking enough water to stay hydrated ? I hear it a lot and then the follow up question I get is, "so how many cups do I need to drink ?". I tell people to aim for 8-10 glasses each day.

However the point of "the message to drink more water" doesn't seem to be resonating to anyone. For me it came as a surprize as I was doing a presentation to children who always have a way to be able to guide "us adults" to clarity.

During that talk I needed a way to convey the importance of choosing and then drinking water over any sugar laden (including juices) drinks or caffeinated laden drinks. No easy task when you consider the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on marketing these products which makes it hard to compete with any other form of liquid for the body especially water.

I realized that the perception by a lot of the children I had spoken to was that these products were "cool to drink"; "consumed by their sporting and celluloid heroes"; and "highly recommended by their peers".

The school group where I was presenting were doing a course on Planet Earth and the environment and for me it was at that moment that my clarity was attained. I decided to adjust ALL of the teachings that I had been doing for the body, to design and create a way that made it inclusive of the Human ECO System (now you know where my book title came from).

I was asking what they had learned about Global Warming and their interest and excitement went off the charts. They had not only learned these important points but their concern for the damage that we as human beings were doing to the planet was amazing and they wanted to change the problems. They collectively had begun to create ways to implement and adopt the necessary steps to save their world.

The synapses in my brain were on overload (see where the A.D.D. kicks in) and so I asked them about what they drank when they were thirsty and why. The usual well rehearsed parrot answers from the marketing dollars spent were heard time and time again.

Adopting my new philosophy and mission, I then proceeded to adjust their knowledge compass and "interest in the body to their new love and concern for the environment". Now before you start emailing me with manipulation claims let us think for a moment about how and why I did this.

Ask yourself this question.
"Do you drink enough water everyday ?"
Normally I hear "Yes" from people who exercise regularly.
Then I need to point out that the water they drink when exercising isn't part of their daily requirement but is important to the exercise phase.

This point is mostly met with "what are you talking about ?"
So I advise them that water consumed when exercising is just for that demand a tthat time and the rest of the day it is equally important to assist the body to function efficiently. Water does this.

If you said no, then change your path.

For the children I pointed out that if you are dehydrated (or not consuming the necessary water to help your body to function optimally), then your body has to work harder to do it's tasks. This additional work causes the body to heat up.
Like the planet when it gets warmer than it needs to be, the optimal growth doesn't occur and elements in your body can be damaged.

It was at that point in the presentation that the children began to ask could they get a drink of water. Which began a "flood" as the children ALL began to drink some water, and then come back to sit down quietly to learn more. My immediate reaction was total amazement, first that they wanted water and then their interest was maintained. They wanted more knowledge !

Now I hadn't even gone into the damage that overloading the body with sugar can do and how this often affects the choice of other quality nutrients. This reaffirmed to me that if you make the knowledge contextual and relevant, then the likelihood of "the message to drink water" being understood was more likely to be happen.

So does Global Warming happen in your body each day ?
If so, you now know what you need to do. Drink more water and save your Human ECO System from damage.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Saturday 9th February 2008 - My Life as a Fruit Salad Plate

DISCLAIMER - This blog is a bit of a personal sharing experience so thought that I would let you know that up front. You can either turn away, change the channel or read on. I hope that it resonates with you as a way to show that evolution of your personal self is possible through insight experienced by someone else.

- - - - - - - - - -

Strap yourself in, here we go :-

I have found that when I do PowerYoga that this form of exercise or activity tends to force me to try to "stop thinking" while I am sweating, and in doing that I try to actually do what the teacher advises and focus on my breathing. Breathe in / Breathe out.

This is easier said than done for me as those that know me will tell you, that I work at full speed and full on most of the time - it's my nature (or it's my habit). I am trying to learn a more efficient way to be a "fuller person" and this will involve me adopting other patterns to live by and how this Blog came about.

I believe that we could all benefit to evolve and grow and this means different things for different people. For me it will involve changing some aspects of my life that when they have been present have limited who I could be, so in order to do this I must first "recognize the past" and then proceed to change it.

This morning I left my PowerYoga session feeling recharged physically, a little drained mentally (there was some self reflection that I pondered) and definitely hungry. I walked by a fruit shop and decided I felt like some fresh fruit to enrich my soul. I purchased some peaches, apples and oranges and headed to home.

After the cleansing shower (you need one after 1.5 hours in the heated sweatbox that is the PowerYoga room), I then chopped up the fruit and sat on my balcony to just go over the last week and review my next one. The last week had been productive but slower than I would have liked and I smiled to myself knowing how impatient I am to get things done and realized that others don't always work by the "Tony Clock".

I looked down at the plate of fruit and realized subconsciously that the fruit had been chopped as follows :
Peach - in two segments
Apples - in four segments
Orange - in eight segments

For some strange "a.d.d." reason this sent my synapses firing (brain electrical storm with thoughts). I then recalled some points that I had been reflecting while doing Yoga - yes I should have been breathing in but we were in "frog pose" and my mind was letting go of "issues" :-)

I mused that the fruit was a direct reflection of parts of my life that I was now trying to evolve through and be the person that I want to be. Now this process isn't always pleasant and isn't always what we want to think we were. It does however reinforce that no one is perfect and that in being more accepting of ourselves and our flaws could allow us to be more accepting of others.

Back to the fruit platter.
The Peach cut in two kind of reflected my 20's in that I may have been firm to touch on the outside but also a little hard on the inside. Trying to find out who I was and not really knowing. I am sure that I was less of the person I am now and to anyone that I upset I apologize.

The Apple cut into four was more a reflection of my 30's in that I was not as hard on the inside but I was pulled in different directions. You can be sweet in parts, not so sweet in others and your core can be "sometimes good" and "sometimes bad". There is a saying I have heard "that one bad apple doesn't spoil the bunch" which could mean that we get to choose our own destiny through out actions. Hope that mine were less damaging to others and more an example to follow.

The Orange broke into eight segments (honestly) and I hope it is more a reflection of my 40's (yes I am over 40), in that I am trying to be more open and working on increasing that aspect of my life. There are more "emotional and spiritual segments" to who I am now and I would like to think I am also trying to be abundent and rich with a sweet aspect to my being. My core is now much softer and in fact is only hardened by the "pips or seeds" that life throws at me.

How I deal with these is up to me and I should remember that when we plant these "pips", they have the opportunity to grow into another organic tree. Much like the life lessons I need to share and learn to benefit who I am.

Life for me now is definitely like that Orange. The outside skin is both a reflection of how we present ourselves and also a form of protection but when you take off that skin to bare yourself it can be delicate and vulnerable. When treated well it will yield sweetness and joy but when bruised it is bitter and nasty. Be brave and shed your skin occassionally.

As a rule maybe we should all try to plant good things in our soul that allow us to grow and spread nourishment and always try to enrich our lives and the lives of those that we love.

Please feel free to respond with your comments !

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Saturday 2nd February 2008 - Making a Game Plan

Well it is now the start of February 2008 and this is a great time to evaluate what HEALTH goals you want to achieve this year now that the party season is over.

By now nearly everyone has resumed or returned to their normal everyday lives; people are back at work from holidays; kids are starting or returning to school; this means that there is a clear and present danger to fall back into your old bad habits and again this year not get to that place you desire = better health.

Let's review our current status.
Did you make New Year Health Resolutions and stuck to them ?
Are you thinking NOW would be a good time to get healthy?
Has the partying and celebrations finally slowed down ?

These obvious questions we need to address when building a plan. Equally you need to take an honest appraisal as to why YOUR plans have failed in the past and see if YOU are committed to making the necessary changes required.

Yes there will be changes required.
All too often the beginning of the year seems like a great time to "change your life" when in fact this may not be the case. Ultimately, the best time is when you are focussed enough to do this.

One of my favorite motivational lines for "sticking to a game plan" that I personally use all the time is: Have the courage to finish what you start !

This simple message has been my personal mantra at times when I have been challenged to complete different tasks and I use it on myself much like when I am trying to motivate a friend to try that little bit extra to achieve a major goal.

Remember the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is just a little "extra" effort.

Recently during the 24 hour charity bike ride in New York, the mantra presented a different kind of aspect for me. After 10 hours of "Spinning" my left knee had started to ache (I have patella or knee-cap tracking issues) which means that my knee alignment places additional burden on surrounding muscles that it shouldn't resulting in pain and I started to question if I would be able to go on.

Now I was faced with facing the reality of not being able to finish a goal. This was not mental question of "can I do this ?" when the mantra works perfectly but was in response to a physical one of dealing with the pain aspect. Fortunately I was able to cope with the pain and went on to complete the 24 hours straight. I had the courage to finish what I started.

Normally I use the mantra when "thinking" about obstacles I'm facing. You know what I am talking about. That voice that doubts your abilities and with that doubt often comes procrastination. Then creeps in a fear of failure or "what if .....(fill in missing words for you)...?"

Bottom line is that you might fail but so what if you do fail.

Really are we talking about world peace here.
Normally, it's just our own built up patterns of doubt that someone might know that we are not perfect ...... (say that last line out loud). No one who is really your true friend will ever think you are perfect. They know that you have faults and are still your friend because when it comes to faults - WE ALL HAVE THEM !

Now if you listen to that voice of doubt, I bet you can come up with a million reasons why giving up is the easy option. Think of past times when you have been aiming for a health goal that didn't succeed. All too often that old famous excuse of "I'm busy" gets in the way. Read my last blog and you will see that being busy doesn't mean that you are either being productive or being focussed.

The hardest decisions we have to make affect us personally. With work or friendship it seems to be a "no-brainer" when we have to make tough decisions, but put them into a personal context and we really only battle with our inner demons over potential failure.

Try this next time those voices speak up.
Imagine that YOU are a friend who has come to you for support.
Would you say "mate just give up, just in case you fail" or is it more likely that you would be a friend to this person and encourage them regardless of the potential failure option or even the outcome.

Remember also that there is the success option.

Fear holds many of us back from setting out on a path that will definitely have challenges but also positive rewards. Building a game plan and sticking to it will ensure that all you are doing everything right for achieving your 2008 health goal.

But not trying because you might fail is the greatest tragedy of all.
Have I failed before ? Many times but it is each time that I succeed that I use for motivation when I am next faced with a hard choice or challenge.

Make 2008 your best health year ever !