Push THROUGH the End

Welcome to Movement Monday!  This started as an email I sent weekly to my customers and clients designed to motivate continued action to achieve a desired goal throughout the week.  My mission is to provide the "want to" when it comes to reaching YOUR goal because the "how to" is different for every body and every goal.  When you are constantly seeking the truth, you will find exactly what you need.  Each email contains a subject, practical suggestions or encouragement surrounding the subject and powerful quotes that support the weekly theme.  After a big shift in my life, I am motivated to share my email with everyone!  My email subscribers will still receive an abridged version with a link to the full details here

If you're like a good number of people, you've already given up on your 2016 goals, especially if they involve anything with your health and fitness.  I've seen steadily dwindling numbers in all of my group exercise classes since Halloween and I know in the last two weeks of the year the gym will seem like a desolate place.  The holidays seem to be the perfect time to take a break or give up altogether, with the idea that you'll rededicate yourself in the new year.

"Integrity is keeping a commitment even after circumstances have changed." -- David Jeremiah

Going through such dramatic changes is the perfect ingredient for disaster.  Don't fool yourself into thinking you can flip the switch on January 1.  The goals you set for your life should change your life.  Have you heard the words, "It's a lifestyle change," when it comes to reaching your ideal weight?  Well that statement really applies to any and every goal you are setting.

"You're always a student, never a master.  You have to keep moving forward." --  Conrad Hall

Yes!  You will have to overcome some tough challenges to reach your goal.  These tests are meant to mentally prepare you to accept the reward you wish to attain.  Remember, the reason the current you does not yet have want it is you want is because you are not mentally or physically strong enough to accept it.  Giving up now with the intention of starting again only proves that you are not ready to receive what you so desperately wish to have.

Regardless of the goal, you can still make progress during this time of year.  This will make the transition into the new year a smooth one; building on the momentum you set now.  Use these ideas to help you push through the end of the year.

1. Remember, all progress counts!  One of my virtual mentor's stated that "Life Is Movement."  Think about it.  Things are constantly changing and moving.  As long as you are living, your body continues to change.  You cease to change when you die.  Does this mean that when you refuse to change or when your stop changing, you are dead?  Well, essentially, yes!  It doesn't matter how fast you get there, as long as you get there.  Keep placing one foot in front of the other until you reach your destination.

"Even if you fall on your face, you're still moving forward." -- Victor Kiam

2. Push Harder!  It always gets tougher at the end or just before a big breakthrough.  When reaching your goal gets tough, it's time pick up the pace and renew your enthusiasm. It's time to revisit why you want what you want.  Ask yourself what achieving your goal will allow you to do.  Visualize what it will look and feel like to finish!  Use this to help you push harder.  Don't be afraid to fight for your goal. 

"You have to keep pushing towards those dreams no matter what setbacks happen." -- Anthony Hamilton

3. Get focused.  Staying focused may be difficult during this time of year.  With the changes in schedules and the addition of new or different activities, it can definitely be a challenge to stay on task.  Multi-tasking is a myth.  Your brain can only manage one thoughtful activity at a time.  Attempting to multi-task only leaves you exhausted with fewer accomplishments because you spend more energy trying to "context switch" between tasks that require though.  Instead of trying to tackle a lot of different important activities at the same time, try to set small increments of focused time to tackle the important items on you list.  Schedule small breaks in between tasks to allow for your brain to recover and pick it back up again.

"Never give up, and be confident in what you do.  There may be tough times, but the difficulties which you face will make you more determined to achieve your objectives and to win against all odds." -- Marta

The holidays are a great time to celebrate life.  Remember this as you consider quitting or taking a break from the work required to reach your goals.  It's fun to celebrate the life you have, especially while working to build the life you want.  Imagine the celebration next year as you continue to push through the end of this year.  Give yourself the best opportunity to truly enjoy that celebration by building momentum now.

"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you don't stop." -- Confuscius

Celebrate Now and Celebrate Later

Welcome to Movement Monday!  This started as an email I sent weekly to my customers and clients designed to motivate continued action to achieve a desired goal throughout the week.  My mission is to provide the "want to" when it comes to reaching YOUR goal because the "how to" is different for every body and every goal.  When you are constantly seeking the truth, you will find exactly what you need.  Each email contains a subject, practical suggestions or encouragement surrounding the subject and powerful quotes that support the weekly theme.  After a big shift in my life, I am motivated to share my email with everyone!  My email subscribers will still receive an abridged version with a link to the full details here

I truly appreciate those 'random acts of God' that help to keep me on track and save me from myself.  You may think I'm terrible when I tell you why I'm so thankful and that's OK, because I know there are some folks out there right now who, like me, are concerned about keeping their health on track during this season where so many have every excuse to overindulge at their fingertips.  It seems that every organization uses the end of the year to celebrate this year's accomplishments as we certainly should.  It's just the way in which we celebrate that leaves me, in some ways, to feel like a scrooge.

"The only way to live is to accept each minute as an unrepeatable miracle, which is exactly what it is: a miracle and unrepeatable." -- Storm Jameson

Last week, I was ecstatic for my excuse to avoid my office's end of year sugar-fest disguised as a holiday/year end celebration where everyone is encouraged to make their favorite holiday sweets to share.  We then gather right after lunch for two hours of sugar and games during the work day to 'celebrate' our accomplishments for the year.  Although the organizers included the option for 'healthy' treats this year as to not appear to force people to choose unhealthy desserts, it's historically been a dessert-fest and that's what people bring.

"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." -- Mae West

Ecstatic may be the wrong word, because I was definitely not feeling well.  I was feeling a tad under the weather.  I believe I was just feeling run down as I have a difficult time keeping a reasonable sleep schedule.  I noticed my body was feeling much colder than usual and although we were experiencing a change in temperatures, my body was signaling me to take a rest.  So I listened and celebrated all my hard work for the year warmly nestled in my bed, instead of doing double damage with immune-system-weakening-sugar-filled treats I would have succumbed to had I chose to go to work and attend the treat fest.  

"Self sabotage is like a game of mental tug of war.  It is the conscious mind versus the subconscious mind where the subconscious mind always eventually wins." --  Bo Bennet

Believe it or not, many of the events we attend during this holiday season with the purpose of celebrating create a perfect storm for self-sabotaging behavior.  There is always an abundance of high calorie food and drinks, especially those loaded with sugar.  Even if we manage to keep things in check, attending these events may add to our busy schedules causing us additional stress or will cause us to sacrifice other activities we may normally participate in.

"Just imagine how much you'd get done if you stopped actively sabotaging your own work." -- Seth Goden

 

Self-sabotaging behavior is any behavior that gets in the way of long-standing goals. Many times, people engage in this type of behavior simply because they do not believe they are deserving of success. Here are a few ways to avoid turning celebrations into sabotage so you can truly enjoy the Holidays now and still celebrate later:

1. Make a workout schedule and stick to it. If you find you have an especially busy day, plan for a couple short times to get moving. No one needs to workout for hours on end. 30-60 minutes will do, but if you are particularly busy 3-5 10 minute activity sessions beats nothing at all. If you don't have access right now, get 30 days of free streaming workouts through Beachbody On Demand.  Planning and sticking to your workout schedule will not only provide you with the mental and physical energy you need to get through your busy days, but will also give you at least one thing you can have control over.  During this busy time of year, we need to feel in control of something in our day to avoid feeling burned-out or let down.

2. Get good sleep. We all know that it's hard to keep your stress and emotions in check without proper rest, but do you understand how minimal sleep disrupts your hormones? Studies show that even one night of poor sleep raises your insulin levels. If you're over indulging in sugary treats on top of that, you are keeping your body in a high stress state. This encourages your body to protect its vital organs by storing fat.  

3. Celebrate by focusing on the company and not the food. To do this, avoid showing up to events hungry and drink more water while you are there. Plan for any treats you may encounter at the event. It's OK to be a food-snob, or as I call it a "fit foodie." Enjoying great food is great, just make sure it truly IS great.

To celebrate yourself, you have to be your biggest cheerleader and avoid self-sabotaging behaviors. You must believe you are deserving of success. The best time to start getting in the best shape of your life for 2017 is NOW! It's not the time to toss your workouts until the new year or over-indulge in foods that will not benefit you. So many people attempt to hit the ground crawling once the New Year rolls around as they struggle to pull themselves out of bad habits they slid into during the holidays. It is difficult to pull a complete 180 and go from overeating and overindulgence to eating clean and exercising within a matter of a few days, even for the most dedicated individuals. Now is the time to truly celebrate yourself and set yourself up for more celebrating in 2017.