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.