Resolve to achieve your New Years Goals

I am going to take a wild guess and say that you may have made a few New Years' Resolutions before.  I will also go out on a limb and say that they are probably eerily similar year after year after year...

Well, 2012 can be different.  As Einstein said - "You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it."

This means that if you are creating the same Resolutions and are going to go about your Resolutions in the same manner that you always have... well... you will most likely get the same result.

Insanity - Doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result.

Change is hard.  Do not fool yourself into thinking that because you made a decision to change that you will not sabotage yourself or that massive, long lasting changes will come to you without discipline and consistency.  You will only end up dissapointed again.
Here are 5 tips to insure you can break your failure cycle and begin to reach your goals:


Get Specific and avoid "vague" goals.
Weight loss is a very poor goal. Stop smoking is a poor goal.  These are too general and lack passion.
The more specific you get with your goals the more likely you will be to reach them.
How much weight loss?  What is your time frame for reaching these milestones? What are you absolutley willing to do to achieve these results?


Focus on what you are gaining, not on what you are giving up.
If you are focused on restricting items from your day or life and viewing improving fitness levels/exercise as a chore, or, you are focused on eliminating foods from your life - how long do you think you will have the willpower to hold out?
A better strategy is to list out all of the things you will gain by slowly and systematically making changes to your habits.  Improved energy and self-confidence would most likely happen first.  Self-pride and the ability to stick with your goals and plans would surely follow.


Get into the process and out of the outcome.
Change takes time. Be patient with yourself.  No one makes a decision and magically changes.  Everyone makes mistakes and takes missteps.  Understand that a mistake is not the end.  Get right back on track and get going.  An "IFSism" that I use all of the time is -

Habits X Time = Results

Improved Fitness and Reduced Weight of any substantial sum is most likely a 12-18 month process.  There will be plateuas and setbacks.  How you plan for and deal with these setbacks will make all of the difference in your success.  You WILL NOT experience smooth sailing.  And, if you do, you will not maintain it for long.
Use history as a teacher - if you were losing weight and as soon as something derailed you, you gave up because progress stopped - I would challenge you to alter your perception of what is actually happening.

Focus on your schedule.  If you schedule it, you will do it.
This seems pretty simple, but, for many people sticking to a schedule is difficult.  The habit of procrastination sets in and what I refer to as "The Tomorrow Syndrome" becomes a rally cry. If you will always start tomorrow and you justify your lack of commitment to your health and goals you certainly will never reach the goals that you set.
Schedule your exercise and stick to your schedule.  Make your Fitness a non-negotiable priority.  If you do not you will not achieve the desired results.


Avoid "All or None" thinking.
Focus on Progress, not perfection.  If you are moving more than you have been before and eating better than you have been then you are making progress!  Congratulate yourself.  You are doing great.
All or none thinking (as in - I need to eat perfectly and exercise everyday or IT is not working) only derails success and makes happiness unattainable.  NO ONE eats perfectly and exercises everyday.

There you have it.  An altered perception of your goals and how to reach them can help to make 2012 your most productive year to date.

Get the help that you need here - My Dynamic Life

90 Days to a New You. - Weight Loss Day by Day

Yours in Health,
Robert J DeVito

Measure and Reward your Success

Measure Your Success!  
Not by the scale! Weight loss is a slow and steady process. To truly achieve and maintain your ideal or goal weight it realistically could take months to a year. You must find alternate methods to measure your successes that are not scale related.  Pick some non-gym goals and keep track of how your exercise plan helps you increase your ability to succeed in multiple ways. Examples can be cutting strokes off of your golf game, running and chasing your children without becoming winded or carrying object(s) (laundry) upstairs or feeling better about yourself and having improved energy.

Reward Your Success
Give yourself nonfood rewards.  For example, buy yourself new clothes in smaller sizes or sign up for a massage.  You will soon realize that rewarding yourself with food is not necessary and oftentimes not as enjoyable as a lasting reward.

Yours in health,
-Robert

Slow and Steady

Steer clear of attempting to tackle everything at once.
Often, we take on too much and end up disappointed because we are unable to achieve all of our goals at once.
Change takes time.  It is a process.
Get Dieting Help Here
Choose 1-2 things that you can change in your eating patterns this week.

1. Perhaps, you can be sure to eat breakfast 2 more times than normal this week.
2. Maybe adding in 2-3 more glasses of water daily would help.
3. Reach for Fruit and Veggies before a treat.
4. Buy a Better BAD Version of your favorite treat(s).

Slow and Steady wins the race.

IFS Healthy Holiday Party and Holiday Gifts

IFS/OHW – Healthy Holiday Party

Wednesday December 28^th – 6:00 – 9:00P

IFS and OHW are throwing a “Healthy Holiday Party”.  We would love for you to bring your healthiest, best tasting dish to share.  Please provide Robert with the recipe beforehand and we will make copies available to everyone. Bringing a dish is optional, but, please let us know if you plan to participate.

Everyone is invited!  Bring your family (children too!) and friends.  This will be a casual, fun, love fest!  Everyone has made such amazing progress this year and we want to celebrate!

IFS will be doing year end awards and there will be raffles and giveaways.

 

Muscular Dystrophy Association

IFS will be collecting donations for the MDA. There will be a donation box at the party. All donations are appreciated.  We know that times are tight but, please, give what you can.                  

Eat Smart Nutrition Scales

IFS’s own Karen Welby has secured a 15% discount for the holidays towards any Eat Smart scale.

The 3 that we recommend are:

Kitchen Scale -  $21.25

Nutrition Scale:  $59.45

Get Fit Bodyfat Scale: $46.70

http://www.eatsmartproducts.com/products

If you would like to order please have your order and payment to Robert by 12/24.

IFS Gift Certificates

We have Gift Certificates for sale in any denomination for your Fit Holiday Gifts.

Bonus: If you purchase $100.00 in Gift Certificates you will receive an additional $10 certificate good towards products.

My Dynamic Life

On December 15th the website www.MyDynamicLife.net launches.  It is an online Personal Training website filled with tons of free workouts and education.  A partnership between IFS and Dynamic Health and Fitness of Oswego, NY has made this a reality.  We believe with the guidance from IFS and additional support provided by MDL you will experience even better, faster results.  Log on and sign-up for the free content.

Thanks and have a GREAT day!

-Robert

Thriving through the Holidays!

Bring a friend and they will receive a 14-day pass for our Group Training program to navigate the holidays and stay on track!
You will receive a 30-Min. Coaching session!

Back to the Business of Losing

Post Holiday "Back to Business" Strategy

We know that the average Thanksgiving meal alone (reported at approx 4,000cal+) can do some serious damage. The holiday, combined with a long weekend can throw even the most committed and dedicated of us off track. Here are some no-nonsense tips to get back to business NOW:   Think short-term. Commit to one week of cleaner eating to rebound from the holiday splurge. Start TODAY. Be sure to maintain your food log for one week to reset healthy habits.  Increase your water intake. MOVE MORE - be sure to get your Strength Training in 3x this week. NO EXCUSES. Plus, increase your cardio by at least an hour over the course of the week. Clean out your kitchen cabinets and fridge! Give away or throw out all of the unhealthy leftovers in the house. No one in your family needs them and if they're not there you won't be tempted by them.  Eat more fruits and veggies.  You will feel better and feel better about yourself. Follow these tips and you'll be back to feeling like your healthy, motivated self in no time! Even Santa is PRE-Burning a few Holiday Calories.  he knows that cookies are coming.

Thanksgiving Eating Tips

Thanksgiving Eating Tips

A1+ - Remembering what your Goals are and Why you are trying to accomplish these Goals will help to keep you on track throughout the holiday season.  Temptation is everywhere and "slipping up" only takes a few seconds to consume a few hundred extra calories.

Why are you eating what you are eating?

1. Decide what you are going to eat each day before you start. Have a plan for your food. No one says you can’t have a snack, then dinner a while later and then dessert a while after that. Often we have "soup to nuts" meals multiple times per day.  

2. Get some exercise right after you get out of bed. This will help you focus on your fitness and make you aware of how your body feels. Make mini bouts (5 mins) of exercise a priority for the day.  Play with the dog, chase your kids, do squats and jumping jacks every 30 -45 minutes.

3. Drink lots of water throughout Thanksgiving day. We all know how important it is to drink water and to stay hydrated. Water will fill you and keep you from feeling hungry throughout the day. Begin by setting a Water Goal for the day.  Track your intake and drink BEFORE you eat.

4. Eat a small breakfast to set up a slow eating day. Do not make the mistake of "making room" or starving yourself in preparation for the feast.  You will consume substantially more food and calories that way AND feel awful.

5. Load up on the Veggie Tray. Carrots, Celery, Peppers, Broccoli, Cauliflower.  If you are not hosting the festivities, find out from who is if they will have a Veggie Tray.  If not, bring your own.  I guarantee you that if you load on on low-calories veggies first, you will not eat as much throughout the day.  Make this choice even better by bringing a low-calorie ranch dip.

6. "Cheat Well".  There are foods that you are really looking forward to and there are foods that you do not really care for.  Eat the ones that you really want.  Ignore the ones that you don't.  Often, in holiday/social situations we eat impulsively and re actively. Be sure to Stop, Think, ChOose then Proceed with your eating by making a choice that you really want.

7. Go for another walk if the weather is good. The worst thing to me is that after having a great Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner there is no energy outlet so you end up just sitting and almost falling asleep. Why not take a little walk around the neighborhood?

8. Kinect with the Wii.  Have an interactive game to play. What you want to do after dinner and dessert is keep away from the regular habit of snacking even though you are full. Set up a tournament with your family to get moving!  Have fun and bond together!

AVOID Holiday Self-Sabotage

Prepare for a Healthy Thanksgiving

Before you go shopping for your Thanksgiving meal, plan ahead with these substitutions: 1. Instead of sugar, use cinnamon and vanilla. 2. Skip canned cranberries and prepare fresh with orange juice. 3. Use low fat broth instead of cream in soups. 4. For casseroles use skim milk and low fat cheese instead of cream and  high fat cheese. 5. Make a stuffing using whole grain bread and turkey sausage. 6. Serve fresh vegetables or fruit as appetizers and skip the fatty chips and dip spread. 7. Use as many fresh vegetables and fresh fruit as possible. 8. Bake sweet potatoes instead of sweet potato pie. 9. Be sure to complete 30-minutes of Movement/Exercise in the morning so you feel good about yourself and sticking to your Exercise Regimen. 10. If you are going to cheat - CHEAT WELL.  Don't just grab based on temptation and impulse. Decide if you really want what you are about to eat. You can be stronger than the holiday "bingefest" that usually occurs.  You control your choices.  Have fun, make great choices, enjoy your food and feel great about yourself! Yours in health, Robert

Create a new Attitude for Success

An Attitude for Success! Part I

Do you alternate between being “good” at sticking to a sensible eating plan and being “bad” when you slip? It’s a frustrating but common cycle for most of us, especially when we consider the self-defeating attitudes that labeling and acknowledging our “badness” create when it comes to food.  Many psychologists know that behavior modification strategies--rather than diets--can help us break this self-defeating cycle and make lasting lifestyle changes.

What is behavior modification? It begins with a change in self-talk and thought, which helps us change our attitudes about our eating, our bodies, and our weight, which helps us change our behavior. In terms of weight loss, our behavior will be reflected by how we feel inside, which will be reflected in how we appear on the outside. When we feel good about ourselves, we can’t help but be attractive to others. THIS is the ultimate goal—to feel better about ourselves inside, so that our bodies and personae will reflect confidence and light to others.

Be Supportive, Not Critical.
People lose weight at different rates. Weight may drop off quickly at first and then plateau, or vice versa. Your body composition may change, although your weight may stay the same.  The important thing is that long-term healthy behavior gets results.
Reassure yourself that you are working hard and remember that hard work pays off. Don’t judge your progress by your weight; instead, acknowledge that during the day or week you engaged in behaviors that will be rewarded down the road.

Set a Game Plan
You may know exactly what you want to achieve but not have a set plan to achieve it.
This is where I see many people fail.  They have great intentions but lack the action steps and action for success.

1. Set your Goals
2. Make you Plan
3. Take Action

This is an emotionally healthy start.  Have a great day.

Stay Motivated to Exercise

How Do I Stay Motivated To Exercise?

The reasons for exercising vary person to person. Studies have indicated that individuals motivation is either driven from within (internal), or driven from outside influence (external). This must be identified to create strategies for oneself to stay motivated to exercise. Individual's can become demotivated from exercise for various reasons:

• Boredom
• Lack of Results
• No support system
• Program not appropriate for the user
• Pain

Possible Strategies:

Variety is the spice of life!
Suggestions for either internal or externally driven individuals is variety. Your program should be built to create modifications in your program either daily, weekly, or monthly. Both types of individuals could benefit from incorporating environmental changes (outdoor, indoor, at home, at health club or PT studio are examples.)

Go for a check-up!
For the externally driven individual, hearing your doctor give you positive or negative feedback can motivate you.  Most people have higher regards for their doctor. If the doctor tells you to move more or eat less that will most likely get you moving. The same can be said if the doctor says great job, keep it going.

Seek A Pro!
Hire a professional coach to help guide and design a program that is just for you. There is no one program that fits all, a coach can match you, your goals, and tasks to the appropriate program.  For the externally driven individual, another voice is in your ear.

Jay Morgan, FAFS

Dynamic Health and Fitness/

My Dynamic Life

Better Bad Food Choices 

Dieting is hard so we recommend that you do not do it! 

Most diets are focused on restrictive methods of calorie control, or tout eliminating certain foods or food groups to achieve desired weight loss.  Most individuals cannot be successful with these methods long-term. The “Better Bad” system is designed to enable you to make better (relatively) food choices and control your food intake in a Realistic, Progressive and Maintainable way.

Trimming a little bit of calories here and there can do wonders for your weight and health.  It is not always about eating less; sometimes it is about eating smarter.  Skimming off calories is easier than you think.  Challenge yourself to implement one new strategy everyday for eating and one for exercise. All it takes are several small efforts to help trim excess calories. Choose a few strategies and you will eat approximately 100 calories less daily. Burn 100 calories more daily by walking for 20 minutes and that adds up to ½ pound per week.  This may not sound like much, but, it all adds up to 20 pounds in a year.

The more BBFC’s you incorporate the more calories (pounds) you will lose.  Small changes will yield HUGE results.

A few methods of a BBFC are:

Portion Control – Eat the same foods that you have been but reduce the amount by 10%

Food Switch – While at a restaurant or fast food establishment make a different selection based on taste, health needs and calorie needs.   A great example would be if you are in the habit of choosing an 800 calories Double Cheeseburger, your choice would be a Fried Chicken Sandwich at 600 calories.  This is not a perfect choice, but it is BETTER by 200 calories and most likely lower in sodium and Total Fat.

Food Frequency - Track the poor food choices you make and the frequency that you eat them.  Your goal is to eat fewer poor choices and decrease the frequency of their consumption.

This can be performed for liquids too.

Application: What can you choose differently while eating away from home this week?

Better Bad Food Choices

Surprise Exercise

Minimize Damage

90 Days to a New You 2012 - Includes the BBFC System.

Measuring Fitness and Weight Loss Success

How can I measure my fitness success?

The most successful people I have seen in fitness and weight loss plans fully understand that weight loss is a slow process and that their patience muscle must be flexed regularly.  Inevitably, weight loss will slow down and/or stop.  It will always happen at a slower pace than you wish it to and if you do not have numerous methods to gauge progress you will end up frustrated, demotivated and even potentially give up before you achieve your success. Also, I have found that most people are successful when the focus is not fat/weight loss but complete wellness/fitness improvement.  Weight loss can be part of the goal, but, if it is the sole focus, failure is imminent.

There are multiple ways to measure success. The more way someone uses to recognize progress the better.

• The physical methods will be:
• body weight and body weight range
• body fat percentage
• circumference measurements
• how your clothes are fitting 
• your ability to perform your workout activities 
• more efficient activities of daily living.

• The psychological measures will be:
• how much better and more confident you are feeling about yourself
• the improvements to your self esteem and your quality of life are endless when proper eating and exercise become a part of your life.

• I would strongly urge you to take ‘Before and After' photos. Photos can be an extremely positive way to provide positive feedback. The day to day changes are incrementally small but when seen over the course of 1, 2 or more months, the visual aid can be staggering.

The improvements to your self esteem and your quality of life are endless when proper eating and exercise become a part of your life.

How long will it take before I start to see results (i.e., changes in my body composition)?

• You should begin to feel better and more energetic within a week or two.
• You should begin to see results in the way your clothes fit and measurement changes within a month.
• Each pound of body fat is 3500 stored calories. If you create a deficit of 500 calories daily, you will lose about 4-5 lbs. monthly for the first few months.

Create your "success" list.  Your motivation and commitment will be much greater.

If you need one, grab it here:

90-Days-New-You-Transform

Are you a Scale Watcher?

Scale Watching

Many people are guilty of watching the scale every day, or even a couple of times a day, when they are following a diet and exercise regimen because they want to see immediate results. However, the effects of changing your eating habits and being more active are not instantaneous. It usually takes a couple of days or weeks before you can see a significant drop in your weight if you follow a healthy diet plan. If you weigh in everyday, there is a big chance that you will be disheartened because of the slow progress when it comes to shedding pounds.

Additionally, most people do not have a steady weight but rather, a body weight range.  It is normal to fluctuate +/- 2-5 lbs every few days.  This is extremely important information  for a dieter to understand as you are in control of some of the factors that cause the fluctuation and not in control of many others.

Keep in mind that there is 3500 calories in 1- pound of body fat. So, if you gained or lost 2 pounds from day to day it is HIGHLY unlikely that you created a 7000 calorie surplus or deficit to achieve the weight fluctuation.

Scale usage should be utilized for watching your weight trend.  The best method is to begin by finding your body weight range.  To do this - weigh daily for 5 days and mark the lowest and highest weights.  This is your natural body weight range.

As an example if Monday you weigh 167 lbs, Tuesday 164 lbs, Wednesday 166 lbs, Thursday 167 lbs and Friday 165 Lbs. Your body weight Range is 164 - 167 lbs.  Every time you step on the scale you should expect to see a number in that range.

While creating better food and fitness habits you will lose weight slowly.  If your are losing 1 lb of fat per week your body weight range would shift at the end of 1 month.  That means it would go from 164 - 167 lbs down to  162 - 165 lbs.

If scale watching has you in a good mood because the scale moved down or worse... a bad mood because it rose, you need to recheck how you are defining success.  The scale will move regardless of how well you are eating or working out.  Put the #'s in perspective by understanding the components of body weight.
Be aware of your weight range and watch your BW trend for true. long-term results.

Get the 2012 Edition of 90 Days to a New You

If you think like this - you WILL NOT succeed.

Critical Thinking or Thinking “Critically”

I have found that most of the successful people that I know are

critical thinkers, while most of the people that consistently struggle for success think critically of themselves, others and circumstances.

Critical thinking is using your Knowledge, Experience and Common Sense to create a SOLUTION for challenges and obstacles. Thinking Critically is the opposite.  The type of person that consistently finds the challenge in the challenge and always seems to find him or herself embroiled in controversy at home, with friends and at work is Thinking Critically.  They have trained themselves to find the worst in people. Chances are high that this person spends a great deal of time trying to convince people, that their way is best and that everyone else is either bad or wrong.  You cannot be focused on the issue and the solution simultaneously.

Begin to notice when you are Thinking Critically and then apply critical thinking to the situation.  Discover your patterns and obstacles and break them.  Critical Thinking delivers solutions from a logical standpoint.  

Critical Thinking allows you to view a situation of its own accord, without interference from past feelings or biases. 

If you are the type (or know the type) of person who is exceedingly difficult to please, that never can find the positive in what they have done, that always belittles everything and everyone (finding fault), and generally is unpleasant and dissatisfied with life then THIS person is THINKING CRITICALLY.

If they are emotional, reactive, persist in unhealthy behaviors and generally just are a real downer - then THIS person is THINKING CRITICALLY.
In nearly 20 years of practice, I have not know many people that are able to attain and maintain any type of progress and satisfaction in their lives.

The type of person that is successful in achieving and maintaining success and happiness are those that do find the progress in the progress, that are process driven (not outcome driven), that set high standards for themselves but also understand the necessity of flexibility and that setbacks exist. The type of person that is truly successful long-term is persistent and tends to FIND reasons to smile.

The person who stops to think of the path to the outcome they desire and sets off on that path is the person that succeeds.

How are you behaving?  Which behaviors need to be continued and which need to be discontinued?

(excerpt from Personal Development Made Simple)

Critical Thinking is Solution Based Thinking.  
 Clear thinking = Good Outcomes.

Personal Development Made Simple

Getting out of a "rut"

A question posed recently from an attendee at a Personal and Professional Development seminar that I was honored to speak at was "How do I get out of a rut?"

The answer is a simple one: Do something/anything different than what you are doing now. Upon further discussion we came up with a few challenges that this person faced in attaining a level of satisfaction and happiness in life:

1. They were either without goals in some areas of life or had made such monumental goals that they were overwhelming.
2. They were falling into an "excuse machine" habit. This person could justify inaction for just about anything. 
3. The goals that were set were not attached to a reason or purpose.  They were very general and hence, not stimulating.
4. When this person took action they simply repeated what they had already done and expected a different result.
5. The very general goals (What) were not attached to an Action Plan (How). 

The solution presented was for the individual to get a clear sense of what they wanted and to create a list of their habits (Helping and Hurting) so they could clearly see what they were and were not doing.

Second was to create an environment for success by choosing an Action Plan that is stimulating, achievable and rewarding.  By deciding to alter 1-2 habits at a time, succeeding and then choosing more habits to change you gain momentum.

Remember:  Action precedes Motivation.

Your duty to gain the success you desire is to figure out if it is a skill that lacks, desire that is missing or knowledge/information to help get you there.

If you need guidance and support to achieve your goals then come visit us!

Just Do It! by: Karen Welby

Just Do It!                                                       Meet Karen  

Everyone knows that regular exercise is essential to living a healthy life.  But look around – how many people do you know with endless excuses about why they don’t work out and can’t remember the last time they worked up a sweat?  Working out doesn’t mean spending hours in the gym lifting heavy weights or running miles on a treadmill.  Small exercises, or simply 10 additional minutes of activity per day, will have a positive impact on your health.

As personal trainers, we have to look deeper to identify what is holding people back.  Doesn’t everyone want to live a healthy life style with more energy and less pain?  The answer should be a resounding “YES!”  Unfortunately, until something big happens in their lives, simply “knowing they should” is not enough to take action.  A hundred excuses can be made and justified before someone commits to an exercise plan.  When they finally run out of excuses, a personal trainer is there to motivate them and support their exercise goals.

The sooner you decide to take action, the sooner you will begin feeling better.  The first couple exercise sessions may leave muscles achy and sore, but like anything else, you have to start at the beginning.  Before you know it, you’ll feel revitalized and have newfound energy to take on the day. Regardless of age, anyone can benefit from moving more!

  

Initial One on One Session

I witnessed an initial “One on One Session” between Robert and a new client.  She explained that she has had her fair share of negative experiences with trainers and gym memberships.  So Robert started small – no intimidating equipment, no nitpicking her stances, no having her do an exercise until failure.   The goal was not to kick her butt and leave her feeling sore for 3 days.  The goal was for her to gain confidence performing basic exercises (that anyone at any age or fitness level can do) and enjoy doing them.  The 1-hour session flew by and in the end she burned calories, increased her heart rate, stretched neglected muscles and left with a sense of accomplishment.

Personal trainers are available to create customized workout plans according to your individualized needs and simply hold you accountable to get the work done.  As Robert’s new client becomes more efficient at the “easy” exercises, her workout plan will be adjusted to continue increasing her fitness level.

Bottom Line

Any movement, no matter how small, outweighs the alternative of no exercise.  Stop making excuses and just do it!

                                                                               Meet Karen

Stay tuned for information on our 5K running program beginning in September.

Successful People

Character Traits of Successful People

1. They are hard working.
There is no such thing as easy money. Success takes hard work and people who are willing to do it. Successful people realize the sacrifices that they must make in order to achieve the results they truly desire.

2. They are honest.
Those who are successful long-term are the honest ones. Successful people are honest with themselves regarding their strengths, needs, opportunities and true production.  Successful people realize that lying only delays results.

3. They persevere.
How many success stories will go untold because they never happened? And all because someone quit. Successful people outlast everybody else. Successful people prepare for the hurdles to come, accept that there will be hurdles, plan for the ones they know will arise and plan to overcome the unforseen hurdles.

4. They are friendly.
Have you noticed that most successful people are friendly and people oriented? This endears them to others and enables them to lead others to accomplish the task.

5. They are lifelong learners.
Successful people are people who stretch themselves and grow continually, learning from all areas of life, including from their mistakes. Successful people surround themselves with people that will support and challenge them, they will seek out advice and education from the people they admire.

6. They over-deliver.
The old statement of under-promise and over-deliver became famous because it made a lot of people successful, including the richest man in the world - Bill Gates

7. They are Positive.

Successful people do not allow themselves to be dragged down by small problems.  they realize that life is filled with challenges, that there is good, bad and ugly that occurs to everyone in differing amounts at different times. Successful people put negativity in perspective and rebound quickly from setbacks.

8. They seek solutions in the face of problems. 
Problems are opportunities to do the impossible, not just complain. Successful people are the ones who
find solutions. Successful people do not view the issue/obstacle as the end.  They are solution based and action oriented.

9. They seek assistance when it is needed.

The most successful people I know seek out the guidance of a coach to get a different perspective, ask the right questions and aid them in getting "un-stuck".

10. They BRING IT ALL. EVERYDAY.

Successful people do more and give more than the average person.  Successful people have set goals and have created a plan to achieve them.  Successful people wake up and TAKE ACTION.

Thanks to Thomas Plummer for teaching me this years ago.