Set The Example

As I read in my book "Go Pro" by Eric Worre, and I came to the part "...people could sense my change of focus and my commitment to excellence and they wanted to be a part of it.  Think about a time in your life when you were around a person committed to excellence.....How did it make you feel?"  I realized that I have, indeed, encountered times in my life where either I was the example, or someone else was the example, of the very concept being written about in this part of the book.

In the latter half of 2010, I was able to lose a lot of weight.  I was committed, dedicated, determined and doing it.  The more and more repetition of visits to the spin class and gym, the more I craved it and the more results I saw.  People were starting to notice.  They wanted to know what I was doing!

In the wonderful world of Beachbody I have often heard the phrase "Be a product of the product!", and that is so very true and so very important.  So why do I bring that up now, after my first paragraph?  Because they really go hand-in-hand.

When you are "a product" of "the product", you are a living, breathing example of something.  In 2010, my something was diet and exercise.  Now, in 2013, my product is a combination of diet, exercise, Beachbody products & programs, and positivity.

This morning as I drove my daughters to their band camp, I noticed the lady I encountered yesterday at the end of my walk, walking.  Instead of going her normal route, which is much more longer and spaced out than mine, I noticed that she turned the corner....going the direction of my ritual route.  As I came back from dropping the girls off, I noticed she was still walking my normal route, not her own.  I pulled my truck into my driveway and started out on my usual route.

On my second lap around (a quarter mile each), I noticed that she had come over to the same side of the road as I was on, and that she was steadily catching up with me.  It made me smile.  She obviously wanted to walk with me, and it made me happy to know that.

When you are doing the right thing, making a positive example of yourself, it has a positive effect on others.  They want to know what you're doing, why you're doing it, and what your successes are.  When others see you succeeding, they want to be successful like you.  When you make progress and make accomplishments, they covet them for themselves.  Not all coveting is bad, especially when it inspires you to change your life in a positive way, toward a healthier and better future.

The best thing we can be, in whatever venture we pursue, is a "product of the product"...be the example of success, be the example that someone else will want to be. 

You do not have to remain in the same "four walls" that you've spent so much time in, that it feels like a prison.  Break out and step outside the comfort zone.  Invest time in being more positive, getting healthier, and being successful.  People WILL notice and they will want to know what you are doing.  When your "sun" shines, people want to know what is making such a positive change in your life!   You will not only make a difference in someone else's life, but your own.

Be a product of the product.... Set the example.

30 Day Challenge - Day 3

Top Ten Goal Worksheet -- This is a link to the place where you can find the "official" push goal list.  Your "Push Goal" makes "many", if not all, other goals possible.

Ten Goals, if everything were in line, what is possible in 12 months.

My Top 10 Goals:  (in bold)

01- I want to motivate, inspire and encourage.  Doing this will help me gain my own motivation, inspiration and encouragement.  This is important because it is the foundation of other goals.

02- I want to maintain a healthier diet, in the interest of improving my health and getting my "numbers" in line with where they should be.  (Numbers = cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, A1C, blood pressure, etc.)  This will help me wean myself off of daily meds and help me lose weight.

03- I want to consistently work toward my associate's degree, and follow that with a bachelor's degree, in a timely manner that is consistent with my current time frame of 2016. 

04- I want to establish a daily exercise routine.

05- I want to slowly read one inspirational, motivational or supportive book each month.  This is different from goal #01 because this helps me to work on the "inner me".

06- I want to consistently journal both my diet and my daily life, so that I might look back and see the progress that I have made.

07- I want to be more organized.

08- I want to work toward financial fitness, and  this can be improved by building my Beachbody down line.  Being financially fit means having a working budget and no more juggling.

09- I want to incorporate more activities that are "outside" the house, beginning monthly and working toward weekly.

10- I want to personally save $3,000 in one year.  This is different from #8 because it requires additional effort to make room for this, and make it happen.

The Compound Effect, pgs 83-92 (Game Changers)

Game Changers
Six Ways For Installing Good Habits

01- Set yourself Up To Succeed
02- Think Addition, Not Subtraction
03- Go For PDA: Public Display of Accountability
04- Find A Success Buddy
05- Competition & Camaraderie
06- Celebrate

"It's not so much what you attempt to take out of your diet, it's what you put in it."

TV is an easy mental escape from reality.

Summary Action Steps

--Three best habits that support my most important goal:
01- I like to eat fresh fruits and veggies.
02- I look for, and buy healthy food.
03- I read nutrition labels.

--Three bad habits that take me off course from my most important goal:
01- I have snack attacks, later at night.
02- I do not stop myself when I know I'm making the wrong choices.
03- I do not stay consistent long enough to establish a new habit.

--Three new habits I need to develop to get on track:
01- I need to build strength in being able to avoid wrong choices.
02- I need to build consistency, and accountability.
03- I need to establish an exercise program, and stick to it.

--My core motivation:
I haven't found one yet, that is strong enough to get and keep me going.

--My "Why" power:
I want to live.  I want to someday see & meet future grandchildren.  I want to be happy.

As for "Living Your Best Year Ever--A Proven System for Achieving BIG GOALS...
That is not a cheap program, from what I've seen from the research into it that I've done.

The Compound Effect, pgs 55-69 (Habits, Goals)

The power that habits have over your life:
The older they are, the bigger they get, the deeper the roots grow, and the harder they are to uproot.  Some get so big, with roots so deep, you might hesitate to try.

A daily routine built on good habits is the difference that separates the most successful from everyone else.

The slightest adjustments to your daily routines can dramatically alter the outcomes in your life.

Your choices are only meaningful when you connect them to your desires and dreams.  The wisest and most motivating choices are the ones aligned with that which you identify as your purpose, your core self, and your highest values.

When faced with a choice, ask yourself "Does this align with my core values?"
If it does, do it.  If it does not, do NOT do it.

Having to fight challenges our skills, our character, and our resolve, and it forces us to access and exercise our talents and abilities.

Motivation can help us use a powerfully negative emotion or experience, to create an even more powerful and successful end or achieve a goal.

We can take control by not blaming chance, fate or anyone else for our outcomes.
Rather than letting past hurtful experiences sap our energy and sabotage our success, we can use them to fuel positive, constructive change.

IF you are not making the progress that you would like to make and are capable of making, it is simply because your goals are not clearly defined.

Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe, and enthusiastically act upon...must inevitably come to pass!

The person who has a clear, compelling, and white-hot burning why will always defeat even the best of the best at doing the how.

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Core Values Assessment:

Who is the person I respect most in life? What are their core values?
My grandmother.  Her core values were to work hard, pay her own way, and her faith in God.

Who is my best friend, and what are his/her top three qualities?
My oldest daughter.  Qualities: Independent, Mentally Strong, Knows her core values.

If I could have more of any one quality instantly, what would it be?
The one quality I would want to have is to have the solid determination to accomplish any thing I set my mind to.

What are three things I hate?
I dislike cruelty to animals.
I dislike people who use unearned reasons to justify their purpose, goal or point.
I dislike liars and cheats.

Which three people in the world do I dislike the most and why?
My step-daughter.  She manipulates, plays and uses people.  She took something of value from me.
My father.  He messed up my head, my self-confidence, and self-esteem. (He's still my father!)
My ex-husband.  He disgusts me.

Which personality trait, attribute or quality do people compliment me on the most?
I care.

What are the three most important values I want to pass on to my children?
"Do unto others as you would want them to do to you."
Be kind to animals.
Do not let anyone defeat you (mentally, spiritually).

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Relationships and Family
5 + 1 + 1 + 5 + 5 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 5 + 3 = 34

Physical
1 + 5 + 5 + 1 + 3 + 2 + 4 + 4 + 3 + 4 = 32

Abandoning Excuses & Acknowledging Accomplishments....

Abandoning Excuses:

"I'll do it tomorrow!" ~ "I'll start tomorrow!"
These are a few of my favorite excuses.  All it is, is an excuse to put things off.  I'm a master at this.  I have all kinds of excuses to support them.  I justify my actions now, with excuses.  It's time for me to start doing "today", and stop avoiding the issues.  I need to stop putting off until "tomorrow", what I can do today!

"Why bother?" ~ This is another favorite of mine.  Instead of just hunkering down and getting it done, I divert from the issue. This goes along well with the previous two excuses.  Even if it seems no one else cares, deep down inside, I do care!  It bothers me!  When these kinds of things start building up, they affect my mental state.  No amount of diverting from the issue is going to make the issues go away.  I need to "bother", because tackling the issues is what is going to bring me to a healthier state of mine.

"Past" & Present"  ~ I simply have to stop transferring the blame to other people and past experiences.  These two words go along well with the other excuses.  I use events of the past and present, to excuse the other excuses.  Ultimately my poor choices and decisions of the past, have brought me to where I am today.  They are the root of my issues.  It's time for me to clean up my own messes and grow up.

Acknowledging Accomplishments:

I think it is time for me to start focusing on my accomplishments and the positives in my life, rather than dwelling in the mistakes and problems.  No matter what happened in the past, the future is mine to mold into whatever makes me happy. 

So what is there about me, that I need to be paying more attention to? 

First of all, I participated in the creation of five beautiful people.  One may have already passed on to heaven and be with God, but she has made a big impression on me, just as the others have.  The four who I have been blessed to spend time with, are my greatest accomplishments.  There are unique characteristics about each of them, that make me extremely proud of them.  I will always be thankful for the opportunity of being their mother.

Second:  I have three beautiful dogs who I have been blessed to have in my life currently.  These creatures are so loving, so giving, and give me so much joy.  I may not be able to save every dog from undesirable conditions, but when it comes to these three, I can give them my very best. 

Third: I stepped out of my comfort zone and enrolled in college classes.  I have maintained a 4.0 GPA so far, and my intent is to hold onto that for as long as possible.  This is building my confidence and a part of paving the road to a better future.

Fourth: I have the ability to nurture, and to destroy.  As time goes by, my desire to nurture and encourage people, grows.  I want to be a good person.  I want to be happy.  I choose to remain optimistic.  I am not a quitter.  No matter how heavy things seem to be sometimes, I persevere and I keep trying, hoping and surviving.

Now, for some minor accomplishments for today:
1- I cleaned out the front closet.
2- I un-assembled the Christmas lawn decorations, and returned them to their boxes.
3- I read Chapter 1 of the Compound Effect.
4- I am starting the Ultimate Reset today.

Goals for tomorrow:
1- Work on cleaning the back, storage room.  (Invest at least 1 hour.)
2- Scrub down the downstairs bathroom & change the shower curtain.
3- Bake 60 cupcakes for the band fund-raiser.

Additional Thoughts:
Little things like putting on music that I enjoy, motivate me and leave me in a better mood.
I will invest in my mental state, by turning up the music and enjoying myself while I work.

Time 2 Make Those Changes

There comes a time when you have to move on and make changes.
You simply just get tired of being sick and tired.  You are tired of the four walls always seeming to close on you.  You acknowledge that you are not willing to walk on eggshells.  You figure out that YOU are important, and YOU deserve BETTER. 

Someone told me that as I progressed through my classes, I would recognize changes within myself.  This is true.  I am gaining confidence.  I am recognizing the obstacles in my path; some of which are of my own doing.  I have allowed myself to be boxed in, held back and I have taken too many "dead-end" roads.  I do not want to be this way anymore.  I'm ready to move on.

As I start to see the progress and as I start to see the smaller goals accomplished, I find myself more determined to achieve even bigger goals and accomplishments.  So those changes on the inside need to become changes on the outside.  Example:  The more health (science) classes I take, the more I realize that health care is where I need to be, when it comes to a career.  If I can easy go through these classes and I have the knowledge to easily answer questions and do my class work, why am I not applying the knowledge I have, into my own life?

It is time to make even more changes.  That is what it comes down to.