Choose Growth

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

We've reached the end of the first month of this new year and I've watched so many people have flipped the switch.  There is something special about the new year that encourages people to get a little more focused on improvement.  I've noticed the flip!  I've seen more participants in my group exercise classes and I've seen more bodies at the gym in general.  I've seen an explosion in activity in the online fitness and running communities I am a part of and more information and advertisements in my news feed online and on commercials on television.

"Ignorance is always afraid of change." -- Jawaharlal Nehru

Sometimes these changes stick, but more times than not they don't.  When they don't, people feel frustrated and eventually become jaded, causing them to give up on attempting to change altogether.   They'll mask their annoyance at failing by deciding that attempting to change is admitting that something is wrong with them, or that they're not grateful for what they do have.  Anything to avoid facing up to the facts that they are dissatisfied with the results they achieved the last times they attempted self-improvement.


"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situations because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality, nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit." -- Christopher McCandless

This post is not here to motivate you to change.  I'm not going to encourage you jump on the New Year's bandwagon, if you haven't already.  I don't want you to get back on, if you've fallen off already, cause so many have.  I don't want you to just get over your failure frustrations and keep trying what isn't working for you.  All I want to say is that whether you try or not, you will be a different person this time next year.  It is inevitable that life changes us.  Time changes us.  All the past 'failures' are there to show us, not that we can't change, but that we can't control the exact outcome of of that change.  Although we aren't in control of the results, we are in control of our actions and therefore our direction.

"Without change there is no innovation, creativity or incentive for improvement.  Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable." -- William Pollard

Even though the sheer numbers of people attempting a lifelong shift during this time of year may seem overwhelming, it's actually a great time to do it.  Actually, any time of year is a great time to reach for something you want.  But, if you are a person that relies on strength in numbers to stay focused or get motivated, use this time of year to get you started.  So many more people are motivated during this time of year than any other because they realized they've picked up some new disagreeable health practices over the holidays and if they shift back to more beneficial health practices, they can prevent from forming bad habits that are even more difficult to overcome.

"It is not necessary to change.  Survival is not mandatory." -- W. Edwards Deming


However, be wary of unrealistic change that typically starts with absolutes like, "I will never..." or "Every day I will..."  If it didn't work for your life before the new year, it won't work now.  You want to find small shift that enhance your life and your mood, not take from it.  More times than not, giving into absolutes leaves you in a worse position than you started and nearly guarantees failure.  For example, I saw someone attempting to exercise through an injury just to say they worked out every day this year, not realizing that this may set them up for disaster in the long run.  

"Goals allow you to control the direction of change in your favor." -- Brian Tracy

For those of you who are opposed to change, I want you to focus on reaching a goal, because it is the pursuit of the goal that changes you.  Break your big goal into small mini-goals that you adjust to over time.  Check on your progress at regular intervals to see how you are progressing towards your big goal.  Finally, when you've reached the deadline for the goal, instead of being disappointed if you didn't get the results that you hoped for, how about rejoicing that you forever made a shift in the direction your life was heading because we have created new and beneficial habits that we can build upon.

"If you don't like how things are, change it!  You're not a tree." -- Jim Rohn

You never have to live life in frustration.  I don't know a single soul who wants to live a life of stress and disappointment.  You can make changes in your life that serve you if you do it for the reasons you want and in a way that works for you.  There is no "one size fits all" when it comes to your life.  Avoid comparing what you're doing with what others are doing.  Educate yourself on how to get what you want and tweak it so it works for the life you have now.  Bottom line, be a better you at the end of this year than you are now.  Choose to grow!  I know you can do it!

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.

Movement Monday: Speak the Life You Want

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

"What you radiate outward in your thoughts, feelings, mental picture, and words, you attract into your life." -- Catherine Ponder

Do you believe in the Law of Attraction?  It's considered one of the more powerful forces in the universe, yet most people do not understand how to use it to create the life they desire.  Perhaps you've used it without realizing.

The Law of Attraction says, What you think about, talk about, believe strongly about, and feel intensely about, you will bring about.  You are a culmination of your thoughts, which form your beliefs which lead to your actions.

The Law of Attraction is not new, although the naming of it may be.  Christian's are commanded to "pray without ceasing," in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.  Praying causes you to speak what you want.  It shifts what you dream and believe into the tangible.  There are many biblical scriptures that relate to this truth.  "And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." - Matt. 21:22

Understanding this simple truth will work wonders in your life.  So how do you use this simple law to get what you want in life?

First, you must ask for what you want and not for what you don't want.  This is more difficult than you think because our brains are trained to avoid the negative.  It's easy to say "I don't want to be ____," or "I don't like ____," but speaking about what we don't want leaves a lot of ambiguity as to what it is we want.  Plus, it gives energy to what it is we don't want and believe it or not, we are more likely to receive exactly what it is we did not want.

An affirmative thought is 100 times more powerful than a negative one.  I remember having a conversation about speaking in the affirmative with my son while he was recovering from knee surgery during his Freshman year in high school.  He was afraid to lose his opportunities to participate with the varsity football team in his Sophomore year; an opportunity he had worked diligently for the last year until he was injured.  I encouraged him to speak about what he wanted and to remind himself of it every single day.

We need to be clear and speak on what it is we want.  When we understand exactly what we want, we are more likely to seek the information to bring it into existence.  This leads us to the next step.

Believe that you'll get what you want, then take action.  This is why the first step is so crucial.  It is easier to believe and take action on something that is distinct.  For example, a lot of people will say they want to lose weight, not realizing how vague this statement is.  They may succeed in losing some weight, but do it is such an unhealthy way they've left their body in a worse state than they started.  The weight they've lost may have been mostly muscle mass leaving them weaker and unhealthier than they started.  Their lost muscle mass leaves them with a slowed metabolism leaving it more likely for the 'lost' weight to be found again.

“You don’t get in life what you want, you get what you believe.” -- Oprah Winfrey


Once you believe in your concrete desires, you must take action.  Taking the actions that will create your desired result affirms your belief that what you want is within reach.  It adds to your expectation.

Lastly, receive what you want by becoming a match for it.  Focus on creating positive emotions towards your desires.  Be grateful for what it is you do have, even the lessons you've learned or you are learning in the process of reaching your goal.  Speak on your gratitude for your desired results as if you've already achieved it.  This is exactly what daily affirmations are; a visualization and statement of your goals as if you've already reached them that you repeat daily.

Monday Movement: Avoid Holiday Burnout

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 hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday!  I certainly enjoyed spending time with my son and having the time off from work.  As I was up late on Wednesday night getting my Thanksgiving meal prepped, I was reminded of how it was typical for me to experience burnout this time year.  'Tis the season to be holly, jolly and so bright you burnout?  I'm certain this isn't the intention, but with the changes in schedules due to extra events and activities to celebrate the season, usually with abundance of heavy, sugary foods, it's hard to avoid feeling overwhelmed.  Between completing additional tasks for seasonal activities and a lack of control of my daily schedule, it was easy for me to feel like I just didn't want to participate in any holiday activities.

"There is more to life than increasing it's speed." -- Mahatma Gandhi

I know I'm not the only one who has felt they wanted to disengage from everything when things got busy.  In our fast-paced society, it is pretty common during this time of year.  Let's face it, we spend most of our days reacting to notifications and during the holidays, there are simply more of them.  Add to it the fact that many companies are pushing hard to accomplish year-end goals which may leave you with more stress than usual. If you are not careful ot manage this exponentially increasing stress, you can easily experience burnout.

This is what would happen to me nearly every year.  Just as I felt like I was managing the business of getting my son back into his school-time routine, football practice and game day Saturdays more would be added on with the holidays; travel, shopping, parties, events.  It also seemed routine for my company to plan a project deadline just before the holidays.  I suppose the hope was that engineers would be pushed to get it done so they could relax over the holidays, but the projects were always behind and never actually completed before January!  By the time the holidays hit, I had already been operating at full capacity.  Adding more fuel can certainly make the fire burn brighter, but it can also cause the flame to burnout.

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it." -- Sydney J. Harris

There is a difference between stress and burnout.  Burnout hits when you've been operating at high-capacity for a while and haven't given yourself the appropriate relief.  Burnout hits almost overnight.  All of a sudden, you find it hard to get out of bed.  You may find it hard to get to work on time.  You've lost all desire to get things done like you used to.  Most importantly, you avoid engaging with others.  You might be easily distracted when interacting with family and friends you would normally interact with daily.  During the holidays, you start to feel like a scrooge, easily annoyed at all the hustle and bustle going on around you.

Although my Thanksgiving weekend started off a little busier than I would have liked, I'm happy to have noticed that I was heading for burnout if I didn't take heed.  Since I've started focusing on living a healthy lifestyle - eating nutritiously, daily workouts, regular water intake and improved sleep, I am less likely to experience burnout during this time of year than I did in the past.  It's because it's these same "healthy lifestyle" activities that are important for avoiding and relieving symptoms of burnout.

"Being in control of your life and having realistic expectations about your day-to-day challenges are the keys to stress management, which is perhaps the most important ingredient to living a happy, healthy and rewarding life." -- Marilu Henner

• Get your normal amount of sleep, at least.  It's easy to neglect a little sleep trying to get more done, but we actually need more sleep than usual during the winter months.  As much as we try to ignore mother nature, the shortened daylight hours during winter signal our bodies to hibernate.  Neglecting to get our regular amounts of sleep only add to our stress and feelings of overwhelm.  
  
• Make exercise a priority.  Even though it may be the last thing you feel like doing, exercise is a powerful antidote to stress and burnout.  Research shows that your body creates endogenous endorphins and enkephalins, which are just fancy words for endogenous morphine and endogenous opiates.  Yep!!  Just like the stuff you're thinking of, this helps you feel good and relaxed after your workout!  Not only do your workouts increase your mood, but they also improve your focus.  You don't have to create some elaborate workout routine or get a new gym membership.  You can simply start with taking short walks throughout the day.  If you need a little more of a boost, try a 30-day trial to stream a variety of challenging workouts online.
• Eat a healthy diet.  I know it's challenging during this time of year with over-abundance of treats and sweets, but no that saying "no" to some of this stuff means saying "yes" to enjoying the season!   Your goal is to minimize the foods that adversely effect your moods and energy, like sugar, refined carbs, trans fat and chemicals to name a few.  Choose foods that give you fuel, that boost your brain-power and keep you satiated throughout your busy days, by including more protein and fiber; i.e. lean meats, nuts, legumes, fresh fruits and fresh veggies.  Include more foods that contain Omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, walnuts and flaxseed to name a few. 

• Stay hydrated.  Focus on H2O!  Water keeps your body moving at it's best.  Aim for at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water every day.
• Stick to a routine.  It's definitely a challenge to stick to your regular routine during the holidays, but do your best.  Plan out your weeks so that you're only taking on what you can realistically handle without skipping workouts and any time needed for meal prep.  The more you feel in control of your schedule, the less likely you are to get overwhelmed.

This list is a great start to what has kept me from experiencing burnout during the holidays so that I can truly make great memories while spending invaluable time with family and friends.  It is also helpful in warding off that undesired holiday weight gain.  I find that the years I experience burnout are also the years I've managed to gain the most weight during the holidays.  If you've experienced burnout in the past, I want to challenge you to take a whole new look at how you spend the holidays.  Take time to take control and avoid it this year by taking a little more care for yourself.  I know you can do it!  You are worth it!!

Movement Monday: Take Action Now!

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.

We are nearing the end of the month I like to call "No Excuses November" and guess what?! So many people are making excuses about why this isn't a good time to focus on their health.  Especially this week, Thanksgiving week, where most Americans will literally eat themselves into a coma and Thursday and then stress themselves out racking up debt in the spirit of giving.  Sounds a little absurd when put this way, but it's true.


"You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do." -- Henry Ford

Many of us are stuck in the same cycle, year after year, vowing to miraculously make a drastic change at the beginning of the year only to find themselves making excuses again in "No Excuses November!"  The thinking that says, "I will start building my ideal future tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next year," is fatally flawed.  The future you are going to live is the one you are creating right now at this very moment.

The reality is that every moment counts!  If you truly value what it is you have in this life, you understand the importance of living for today; not tomorrow.  It's important to understand that the results you obtain are a direct byproduct of the actions you take.

"Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This is a perfect week to start something new.  Today is the perfect day to take action on what you've been wanting for yourself, but have just been pushing it off into the future.  The fact that it's a major holiday week means in the US means your schedule will most likely be different than any other week in the year.  Use this change in your weekly routine to change something in your life.  Here are a few ways you can use this week to your advantage.

Eliminate distraction.  This may seem like a challenge if you are visiting family or family is visiting you, but you'll be the best house guest or hostess if you keep your own needs in mind.  Schedule time to collect your thoughts.  Take a walk, or schedule 5-10 minutes to yourself, even if it means taking a longer than normal shower.

Gain clarity.  It's hard to take action on what it is you want if you really aren't sure what it is you want.  If you've been holding off on taking action for a while, you probably have a million dreams and ideas of what it is you want.  Take time to write them down and get clear on what is a good fit for you.

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage." -- Dale Carnegie

Set priorities.  Often times, there is so much to do, and we have so many great ideas, that we struggle to take massive action on any of them.  We feel overwhelmed with the changes we may feel we need to make.  Instead of targeting everything at once, focus on making 1-3 changes at a time and stick to it.

Avoid perfectionism.  Maybe we think that we can’t move forward with something without it being absolutely perfect. Many people falsely believe the perfect time to do something is somewhere in the future and this future never happens because it doesn't exist.  The perfect time to start is now!  Change is incremental.  Understand that you may not get it right the first time, but you won't know what works for you until you start.  So start now so you can find what will work for you.

Thanksgiving week is a great time to continue to move your life in the direction you want it to go.  I want you to benefit from this week and the biggest benefit of taking action now is the boost it will bring to your confidence.  Our inaction creates doubt and uncertainty. When we don't take action, we start listening to others about why something won’t work.  Lack of action causes us to tune in to the voice in our head that has become a breeding ground for doubt, fear and uncertainty. We become too afraid of focusing on the wrong thing or worry what will happen if we fail, not realizing that we are guaranteeing failure by not taking action now.

Movement Monday: Why Are You Afraid to Commit to Yourself?

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.

Many people believe they know what they want.  They have a desire for the short term -- lose weight, have more energy, make more money, get out of debt, have more fun and the list goes on.  Deciding what you want is the easy part.  Having the desire to improve a part of our lives is the easy part.

"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek." -- Mario Andretti

But like the saying goes, "if it were easy, everyone would do it."  Wanting the improvement is easy, committing to the plan to achieve it is difficult, if not impossible, for most and thus many are stuck in a cycle of continuous desire.  We never attain whatever it is we wish to have or we greatly diminish the outcome, simply because we're afraid to commit to a plan to get us what we want.  Long-term the cycle of wanting and never fully reaching leaves us feeling empty and significantly reduces our self-confidence making us believe that we were never meant to have whatever it was we desired anyway.

As a health and fitness coach and an avid believer of living an intentional life, I see this time and time again with people that come to me for help with weight loss.  Even though I can spot it almost immediately in others lives, I too struggle with a lack of commitment when it comes to going for things I really want.  It led me to wonder why is it so hard for anyone to stick with a plan to help them reach their goal?

"An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

We all know that it's not enough to have the intention of changing; we have to act on that intention for things to get better.  Many of us know what it is we need to do, but how many of us actually do what we know to do?  Not only must we do what we know to do just once, we must do it consistently.  Consistent action on the planned and critical tasks needed to reach your goal is the key to getting what you want in life.  We must commit to acting consistently and it's that commitment that scares most people.

The term 'commitment-phobe' is typically reserved for people that are afraid to commit to a relationship, but in reality, it applies to everyone who is afraid to make a commitment.  At the heart of all fear is the dread that something might be lost. Noncommittal people in general fear being 'trapped' and losing, as they see it, their freedom.  Someone who has trouble committing may fear losing options, but every decision we make in life, by definition, means losing other options. No matter what you do, there is always another kind of life you could have lived. A commitment-phobe fears making the 'wrong decision'.

"Competing in sports has taught me that if I'm not willing to give 120 percent, somebody else will." -- Warren Farrell

When you are desiring a change in your life, you must make a commitment to the actions that will bring about the change and that 'loss of freedom' is due to that uncomfortable feeling of change.  It is human nature to choose comfortable actions over uncomfortable ones.  In fact, there is a portion of the brain, the amygdala, that reacts negatively when we are facing risks.  It's very helpful in avoiding danger, but when is desiring a better future for yourself dangerous?

The sad part of all of this, is that we sit in this never ending cycle of desiring and never attaining, afraid to make a commitment to ourselves and our dreams.  We believe we know what to do, yet we will not commit to doing it.  Why?

There are several reasons why I believe we choose to neglect our own desires and I promise to dig deeper into them next week.  Do you recognize this fear of commitment to yourself in yourself?  Some tale-tale signs of a fear of commitment:

1. Making the same 'New Year Resolution' every year 
   
2. Losing and regaining a large amount of weight
3. Getting into and out of shape

In the meantime if you can't wait until next week's edition, join me and a few of my friends who are learning how to commit to having a great holiday season in my #fALLDONE group.  Doing something for yourself doesn't have to be scary.  Working through change in a comfortable setting with all the support you desire can make it fun.  You deserve to have everything you desire and in this group, I'm committed to helping you get there.  

Movement Monday: How We Lose our Balance

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.

This is a continuation of last weeks message, cause my goal is to KISS - Keep It Short & Simple!  I want you to create movement... THIS week... TODAY!  OK?!  So check out last week's blog if you missed it - Is Balance a Mission Impossible? 

I personally have moments where I spend more focus in certain areas of my life and let others go.  I may have a few weeks where my nutrition is spot on, followed by weeks where I'll skip out on planning and prepping to spend focus on other areas.  Luckily, my body and my mind will literally get tired of missing out on their required nutrients, my workouts and energy will suffer and I get right back on track!

"Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony." -- Thomas Merton

Many times, however, we don't really recognize when we're off track, because of the gradual slide.  If you've never really taken the time to really get in tune with your body and know what it feels like to feel good, you don't really get what it feels like to not feel good.  If you have gotten to that point, where you feel invincible, powerful and strong, you don't realize that you're not until you're in desperate need of change. 

So, how is it that we get out of balance in the first place?  The idea is that if you watch for the actual cause of the problem you can catch yourself before you "hit rock bottom," or get to that dreaded place that's difficult to return from.

Perfectionism: I was once a perfectionist.  Burnout changed that for me.  I realized I was striving for the impossible and wasn't really having fun.  Since perfection can never be reached, more time is spent trying to be perfect than actually accomplishing tasks which just makes you tired.  If you are a perfectionist, take time to figure out what it is you're trying to prove because the only person who should care about what you're doing is you!

Control: So many people mistakenly think that tasks will just get done faster, or correctly if they do it themselves, but there comes a point where this is no longer true.  Control freaks often don’t trust others to help them accomplish the task at hand; therefore, they spend time micromanaging or just doing the work themselves. They work long hours because they need to do it themselves.  True, it may take additional time showing someone else the way you prefer it done, but if you allow someone else to make that task their main focus, you will soon find that they will find even better ways to get it done.  You've gotta just let it go!

Escaping: It is so easy to get out of balance when you're running from something difficult.  Grief (a death or major event) and loss (the end of a relationship) are two examples of this. If not checked in time, it can be extremely unhealthy.

"Balance, peace, and joy are the fruit of a successful life. It starts with recognizing your talents and finding ways to serve others by using them." -- Thomas Kinkade

Recognition or a badge of honor: Some people just don't realize how big their ego is and what how much it needs to be fed.  When you're putting in extra time just to hear someone give you kudos, you should question yourself.  When you do things for the right reasons and with the right perspective, it will work out alright.  Recognize what's truly important to you and plan your days and life accordingly.

There are many other ways that people can get out of balance, but if the activity is hurting yourself or others, you should do some serious self examination and determine if you are being honest with yourself over your true motives and make sure you are creating the life you want to be proud of on your last day.  How do you want to be remembered?

This is the third in a series of posts about getting it ALL DONE!  Fall is a great time to evaluate what you're doing right now to get it all done!  With kids back in school, most parents have more mission critical activities and responsibilities.  These are the kinds of activities and responsibilities that tend to cause us to feel overwhelm and will lead to burnout if left unchecked. Since I don't know anyone that wants to feel drained and exhausting for their holidays I'm focusing my next online fitness challenge opening October 31st and running through the first day of Winter.  I want you to find YOUR balance so you can learn to get it fALL DONE!