What Are Your Fall Fitness Goals?

Okay, so this could be a tough one. I mean "Three" goals? Isn't one goal enough? Well, that depends on what your goals are. If you had one goal to lose 50 pounds, that would be quite significant. But having multiple goals is more in line with human nature. I mean, do you only ever want one thing and "only one thing"? Exactly.

So ask yourself, "what are three things that I could work on to improve myself or my health?" Please know that I am well aware that you might also be motivated to help someone else. And as much as that would be generous and honorable, this exercise is about YOU!

My Goal #1
Last Winter I had a goal to do 100 consecutive pushups without a break. I worked up to 74 and then had a set back as I hurt my shoulder. And as it often happens, within a few weeks I let go and focused my attention on other things. I started that goal at Thanksgiving setting New Years as my target. It's been haunting me ever since. So now that is goal number #1 - 100 pushups! Only now I'm going to start earlier and I'm giving myself eight weeks to complete the task.

My Goal #2
My second fitness goal is to nail 20 body weight pull ups. I can currently only get a clean 10, so twice that is going to be a real challenge. One thing is for certain, I'm going to get a lot stronger as a result and that's not only exciting, it's driving me to want to do it!

My Goal #3
My third fitness goal is to go surfing more often. Although this is a recreational activity, it's about taking time to enjoy life. (I work way too much). There was a period in my life where I spent a lot of time chasing waves along the east coast. My goal is to get out more, enjoy the Fall weather and waves, and share my passion for surfing with my sons...the next generation!

Once the weather gets cooler like it is now, it gets more difficult to be outside and for some reason the Fall is always a busy time of year. I hope that you'll give this some thought and come up with a few goals for yourself.

Consider the many events of the fall season and see if you can't associate a goal with an activity. From football games, holidays, kids sports programs, and how about all those falling leaves? Make a goal to do your own yard clean up this year!

Leave A Reply ~ Go ahead and post your Fall Fitness Goals below!

Not sure what goals are for you? Here's a few suggestions.

- Run a 5 or 10K road race
- Train for a triathlon
- Train to ride a bicycle for 100 miles (a "century")
- Commit to release 10 pounds of fat in six weeks
- Quit smoking
- Learn to prepare healthy meals
- Take up a new sport
- Walk your dog every night after dinner
- Eat breakfast every day
- Join Body Basics Boot Camps (The #1 goal to rule them all!)

This list could be huge if you let your mind go. The point is to "focus on change" and to make progress from where you are now. For example, if your goal is to lose 10 pounds in 6 weeks and you never eat breakfast, then eating oatmeal for breakfast every day will also help you drop those extra pounds of flab. There's two goals that have a synergy between them.

Keep your eye on the prize and find reasons to be 100% committed.

Don’t forget to Leave a Comment
Post your Fall Fitness Goals below!

Just think - by taking action NOW you will be MORE than ready with a new, fit body once the holidays arrive!

What's Really Stopping You From Getting In Shape?

Last night I received an email from someone who informed me that he may join boot camp, but he has to check his schedule with his employer. I wrote him back with this message,"Good luck, hope it works out".

I was angry at myself for letting him off the hook so easily because this person just "doesn't get it". He doesn't understand that boot camp is a metaphor for life. Nothing ever seems to fit into my schedule in a way that is perfect. It seems that no matter what I plan, no matter how far in advance, something comes up that throws a monkey wrench into the works.

In the end we are left with having to make a choice. We can move forward as planned and deal with the inconveniences (or consequences), or change our plans to accommodate an easier plane of existence, i.e., less stress and greater peace of mind.

Well, I've lived long enough to be able to look you straight in the face and tell you that "option B" will get you nowhere. If you are willing to give in to whatever will keep you from your dreams and goals then you will never accomplish anything in life worth while.

If you are the type of person who always changes course the minute things get tough, so that you'll have a more comfortable life then you also need to evaluate what it is you are asking for. Take health and having a lean muscular body for example. Do you think the people that look amazing have lifestyles that allow them the ease and flexibility to go to the gym everyday? Do you think that none of them have marriages, kids, or careers?

Take a good look in the mirror and ask yourself, "What is it that I really want?" What ever it is, if you want it bad enough, you'll do whatever it takes to get it. And if you don't, then either you don't want it bad enough, or your "fear" of success and thus lack of confidence is running the show behind the scenes.

If you desire to be fit, there are tasks you must do every day and that require focus, diligence, and the tenacity to handle life's unpredictable events. Unfexpected chaos is around the corner all day long. Sometimes its a business meeting that could keep you at work for an hour longer than you planned. So, do you skip your "after work" training session altogether, or do you just go an hour later? Depends on how bad you want the end result, right?

So back to my young man who clearly hasn't learned this lesson yet. He doesn't know what he really wants, or he doesn't want it bad enough.

T. Harv Eker has a great saying. "How you do anything is how you do everything". Think about your life. Where do you put the majority of your focus? What events occupy your time the most? Are you out of balance? Maybe it's time to shift your priorities a bit.

Changing the way we do things is often the hardest thing to do for some people. You have to really want to make change in your life. You have to be very emotionally distressed by your circumstances to effect great change. It always comes with a price. You must also be willing to make the necessary sacrifices and that means being uncomfortable to a large degree.

In the end having a lean muscular body or achieving anything for that matter boils down to three things. They are: knowing what you want, having powerful reasons 'Why" you must achieve it, and then be willing to be uncomfortable until you suceed.

Press on!
Larry

How About a Nice Kick in the Pants?

Any one who knows me knows that I truly like helping people. I listen to many stories people share with me about their lives. It never ceases to amaze me the conviction that many have about their beliefs in regard to what they "can't do". Imagine if we could turn that thought process around. Wouldn't that be something? What if every time you spoke a limiting belief about yourself, a big boot came out of nowhere and gave you a swift kick in the "you know what". That might change things a bit, don't you think?

We're all different, and our challenges are not the same either. Truth be told, some people really do have some serious challenges. It could be life-threatening illness or a family member that is sick, or an aging parent. There are only so many hours in the day and some circumstances just demand our time and emotions. So just to be clear, I'm referring to those among us who "believe" they have challenges and feel stuck. But the truth is they have more options than they realize if they could just learn how to get out of their own way.

Here's a few examples.

I want to lose weight, but - -

(the don't list)
I don't like to work out.
I don't like to get up early.
I don't like to cook.
I don't like vegetables.
I don't like to lift weights.
I don't like the gym.
I don't have the time.
I don't like to sweat.

(time constraints)
I work too many hours.
I have children to take care of.
I'm a single parent.
I work nights.

(physical limitations)
I'm too tired.
I've got flat feet.
I have a bad back.
I have tennis elbow.
-insert any previous injury here. Some are legitimate and some are
just an excuse and are based in the fear of getting reinjured.


(it's not my fault)
My wife won't let me. (husband, boss, brother, sister, etc.)
I want to, but it just doesn't work for me.
I've tried that before. (and it just didn't work for me).
Lifting weights makes me too "bulky".
I can't give up my wine at night.
My spouse won't help or support me, so why bother?
I can't eat breakfast if I'm not hungry.
I can't drink water if I'm not thirsty.
I don't like the taste of water.
I don't like having to go to the bathroom so frequently.
I can't afford a trainer or a gym membership.
I have bad genetics.
I am big-boned.
I'm not a morning person.

Some of these reasons may seem funny to you. But to the person who has come to believe and live any one of these self-limiting beliefs, there's nothing funny about it. They are just stuck!

The truth is that sometimes we will tell ourselves whatever we need to believe so that we don't have to try.

I've been there. When I think about my life and looking back, I was very good at making excuses for my lack of time and lack of money, lack of opportunities and the list goes on and on. Talk about living in lack, I was the king of excuses!

My knees and lower back were in pain. In fact, I had a very common case of "donelaps disease". That's a condition you get from over eating where your stomach "done laps over your belt". (wink)

I felt lousy, my emotions went up and down like mercury in a thermometer and my mood often swung like a sledge hammer. I would grind my teeth in my sleep and I felt old before my time. The sad part was that I was only in my mid-thirties!

1) Take 100% Responsibility for Your Life

When I finally got it into my thick skull that I alone was responsible for my life AND I actually started to take responsibility, things began to change. And they began to change rapidly!

No more complaining, no more blaming, no more excuses! Try doing that for just one day!! It's very difficult to do. Our habits of finding fault with others, ie., bosses, the economy, the weather, our kids, circumstances, parents, our upbringing, past traumas, and on-and-on are so ingrained, it's truly an uphill battle to put on the brakes.

In order to accomplish this, you have to accept 100% responsibility for everything in your life. That means that everything that you have (both good and bad) in your life, you are responsible for, even if you don't understand why. The two ways to do this are:

- Stop complaining

- Stop blaming


2) Know What You Want

This is absolutely key, because if you want to make life altering changes, you have to be 100% committed to the end result. There can be no middle ground, no settling for second best. And to do this you must have a clear picture in your mind of what it is that you want.

3) Make a List of Reasons WHY You Need to Succeed

Do You Know Your 'Why'?

Maybe you want to start your own business, maybe you want to change your body composition, or be the best in any other form of endeavor. In your personal relationships maybe? Maybe you're like me? If you start something you want to do two things:

- Enjoy it
- Be hugely successful at it

If you don't know WHY you want to do something then you you will never stick it out to see it through. Your reasons WHY must be big and powerful. When is comes to losing fat and getting lean, it's these reasons why that will carry you above your temptations to eat and drink foods that work against you. The saying "old habits die hard" is absolutely true. But when you know why you want to lose 50lbs for example, you will not succumb to the habits that do not support your goals if your reasons why you need to succeed are powerful enough.

4) Make Your Why Crystal Clear

Your reasons should be crystal clear. Does they propel you forward?
Does your Why help overcome your fears and doubt's, your tendency to procrastinate maybe?

Dwell on your Dream! What is it that motivates you, brings joy to your heart, maybe tears to your eyes. Feel the emotion! Write down what it is and WHY! This is really important. It will clarify your thinking and crystallize your dream, making it real and it will motivate you to take the consistent action that is needed.

5) What Do You Value?

What is it that you value most? Would having a lean muscular body change the quality of your life? Are you willing to make sacrifices to have that dream body? It will take work. It will be hard. You will be sore. But it will be worth it. Oh yes, it will be so worth it.

You need to find what you value most, shift your priorities, and stop doing the things that sabotage your efforts. You need to once and for all focus and realize that whatever it is that you want in life, you are going to have to go and get it yourself. No one is going to show up and take you by the hand or do it for you. It's up to you and that's the way it's always been.

So if you are not happy with your weight, who's to blame?

If you are not happy with your bank account, who's fault is that?

If you are not happy with your personal relationships, who are you pointing a finger at?

It's YOU, it's always been you. So stop blaming anyone else, stop complaining and step up to the plate and take responsibility for everything in your life.

The solution to your challenges is within you. That's where it's been all along. So whatever it is you are serious about doing or changing in your life I hope you take this message to heart. Once you start this journey you'll change your life in powerful ways. One you'll look back on where you once were and you'll smile. Just don't forget to help someone else along the way.