Tagged: happy

Decide and Commit

As we move into 2018, we all get suddenly motivated to improve our lives and ourselves.  For most people this involves fitness.  However, my attitude especially over the past couple of years has changed on this topic.

We all basically want to FEEL BETTER.  That’s the ultimate driver in life.  Whether you think you want to be thinner, faster, have a fantastic relationship, a nice house or whatever it might be – this really means we want to feel good day to day.  We want to come home with a feeling of satisfaction and not have negative thoughts.  We want to not be tired.  We want to get rid of things that cause us discomfort.  When you break down living you’re either doing things that are moving you towards better feelings or embracing things that still make you feel crappy.

I’m not going to reiterate the same things you will hear from everyone else.  These are things you have heard about a million times.  You need to sleep more.  You need to cut out toxic things and people.  You need to change your work situation if it isn’t fulfilling you.  You need to move more.  These are basic simple fundamentals that people need to feel better daily and be happy with their lives.  And they are much easier to do than you think they are.

The main thing you really need to do is DECIDE to make a change and then COMMIT to it for a period of time – or even the rest of your days.  Once you commit and do something for a period of time, often you will realize that either you don’t even miss it, or the benefit of doing or not doing the thing provides you with enough benefit to outweigh the simple pleasure you used to get from it.

Success-and-Consistency

For example, I cancelled my cable probably six months ago.  I was wasting money and time watching television.  Anything I need for entertainment I can get with Netflix and/or streaming shows (for free) the day after.  Do I miss it?  Absolutely not.  Simple thing but it provided a benefit.

I started doing yoga daily thinking I was going to make it 365 days in a row – and then promptly stopped when I went on vacation.  However, I still got 20 days in a row under my belt and felt a ton better and still do.  I’m going to get back on that train as soon as I can.  Is that a failure?  I don’t think so.  It’s proof to my brain that it’s possible.

My goal for January is to do it alcohol and coffee free.  It will help my sleep, save me money and doesn’t contribute anything at all beneficial to my life.  And if I can make it a month, maybe I won’t even go back and just stay that way.  Maybe I’ll drink occasionally.  The point is to make an effort to be consistent and do something beneficial every day – and by the way, NOT doing something is the easiest way to get that done.

Deciding what to do is easy.  Committing to it is often harder.  My suggestion is to start with something small that will provide an obvious benefit almost immediately.  Cutting out one type of food – not a bunch of them.  Doing one small thing that will help your sleep like installing a blue light filter or simply cutting out screens altogether before bed.  Committing to one small bout of physical activity daily, no matter how small.  Any of these can give you momentum and teach your brain that you feel better, and that will make you want to continue.

So if you’re looking for something to do this year, think on how you’re approaching it.  Focus on the right things first.  Make small steps and just focus on consistency and you will be better off tomorrow than you are today, and then a week and a month from now.

If you enjoyed this, please feel free to like, share and let me know!  Until next time.

What Did You Accomplish This Year?

A pretty simple concept post this week for my readers.  Often when I’m dealing with clients I find one of the most important things for them is to get them to think long term, ie set annual goals and stick to them consistently throughout a calendar year.

We also tend to not give ourselves enough credit.  It’s so easy to think of what you haven’t got versus what you have.  If you’re healthier, fitter and most important happier at the end of the year, you’ve really won most of the battle.

So if you’re reading this post, I want you to think back to January of 2015.  You can even check your social media to see where you were at (one of the perks of it).  People today simply don’t think long term and then don’t give themselves proper credit for things they have actually accomplished.  One of my main goals in life (and hopefully yours too) is to always be pushing forward and trying to improve personally and professionally.

Here’s some examples from my own list, and I’ll also share some accomplishments I feel I had with some of my clients without naming any names.

  • Managed to correct a woman’s misdiagnosed tennis elbow in about thirty minutes applying common sense.
  • Allowed a client to bike in the mountains, which was a huge life goal for her after years of chronic pain and immobility.
  • Allowed a woman who had chronic fibromyalgia to experience pain free days for the first time in eight years.
  • Was able to successfully rehabilitate a tibial plateau fracture to the point where the client can now run, jump and play sports (something she was told she shouldn’t do ever again).
  • Took a running client to a 13 minute marathon personal best.
  • Dealt with a couple of very rare conditions (I won’t get into details here) but they have really allowed me to increase my level of care and knowledge.
  • Have managed to get several people into the best shape of their lives at a fairly advanced age and dealing with chronic hip, back and neck issues.

On a personal level:

  • Welcomed my second daughter into the world who is a busy little bug and now that she can move around gets into anything and everything. She’s going to be an athlete for sure.
  • Began working on my first course and book, to be fleshed out and hopefully presented for the first time in 2016.
  • My band has taken off and I’m much more comfortable behind the microphone by far – check out getoffmylawn.rocks if you want to check us out or book a show.
  • Currently symptom free from my previous heart condition and hoping that remains the same.
  • I weigh exactly the same as I did twenty years ago.

Dave4

So when you look back on your year, give yourself a pat on the back for what you have accomplished, no matter how small and insignificant it might seem.  Then sit down and put together some goals for next year.

Think back on what you have done to mold the future and what you want to be.  The best way to do this is to set some really high standards and do your best to meet them.  Even if you don’t, by the time the end of next year rolls around you might be really surprised at what you have done versus what you haven’t.

If you want to share any of your upcoming goals, I’d love to hear what they are!  Feel free to spread this around on social media and maybe we can start a trend of goal planning.  Until 2016, I am so grateful for all of my loyal readers, friends and clients and next year will just bring bigger and better things!