Early Momentum

how definition: in what manner or way

The word “how” is one of my favorite words. When it comes to the primary interrogative words of who, what, where, when, why and how, if I could use only one the rest of my life, I think it would have to be how. The word how opens the door to possibilities. It begins creative thought. When asked as a question it leads us to improvements.

How is a word that is used frequently by leaders and successful people. An average or underperforming person in an organization will gripe, gossip and complain tirelessly about an undesirable situation or occurrence. But what are the leaders and top performers doing? They’re not complaining because they are too busy asking “how?” How can I avoid this next time? How can I do it better next time? How can I learn from this? They are forward thinking, not stuck on what happened in the past. Forward thinking often begins with the word “how!”

Top performers also use the word how to exploit and improve on what is going well. How can I build on my strengths? How can I recognize my top players? How can I increase profits? How can I find people to take me to the next level? How can I bring more value to my work? How can I better serve customers?

Here’s a sure-fire way to get motivated. Set aside some “you time” and begin to apply the word how to the important areas in your life.  Put a question beginning with the word how at the top of a clean sheet of paper and then begin to brainstorm the answers. This is where solutions to your problems and improvements to your successes begin! In case you need it, here are some good questions to get you started.

• How can I become a better parent/son/daughter/friend/spouse?
• How can I reduce stress?
• How can I create some great experiences?
• How can I get better results on my job?
• How can I earn/save/invest more money?
• How can I live a healthier lifestyle?
• How can I reduce debt?
• How can I simplify my life?

Chances are you’ve never given this much thought to such a common word in your vocabulary. Yet almost all innovation, improvements, and prosperity stems from someone asking how?

Anybody with at least an elementary school education knows the benefits of exercise. We would all likely agree it is something we should be doing. My goal here is not to sell you on why you should exercise, but rather to encourage you to do it and share some ideas to help remove the excuses we come up with.

It seems for most people that the excuses they come up with to not exercise fall into one of three categories. Those categories are lack of money, lack of time and lack of motivation. Here are some best bets, or perhaps new ways of thinking, to conquer each of these.

Lack of money
Sometimes people want to exercise but they say they can’t afford a gym membership or exercise equipment for home. If this is true for you, I recommend looking for a YMCA in your community. As a nonprofit organization, they offer greatly reduced membership pricing for low-income individuals and families. Furthermore, when it comes to equipment for your home, you’ll be amazed at what you will find in garage sales or even thrift stores.

If still you cannot find a way to afford these things, I would remind you that most pieces of equipment you will find in a gym are merely mechanical re-creations of what began as natural exercise motions requiring nothing but the human body. The bench press a push-up, the leg press a squat, the lat pulldown a chin up and the treadmill a run around your block.  Temporary lack of money should not be a roadblock for a healthier you.

Lack of time
While this is an excuse I simply cannot buy, often times people will simply say they don’t have the time to exercise. Yet the same people usually agree on how important it is. In reality they have simply placed something else as a priority over exercise.

If we are honest with ourselves, we almost always have the time. I can sit here and list suggestions for fitting exercise into your day like taking the stairs over the elevator and parking your car far away from the grocery store entrance, but few people are so pinched for time that they need to go this far. Most modern recommendations for amount of exercise is 30 minutes a day on average. Surely the majority of us spend more than this in television viewing alone. Here’s the good news, you can get a great workout in front of your TV!

Some exercise programs that a lot of people seem to enjoy are  one hundred push ups, two hundred situps and two hundred squats. What I like about these is they can be tailored to any fitness level and can absolutely be done in the comfort of your living room while watching your favorite show. Each of these programs even have fun apps for your iPhone! Don’t let the false excuse of lack of time be a roadblock to a better you.

Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness. -Edward Stanley

Lack of motivation
We can all think of plenty of people who do not lack the money, nor the time, nor the understanding of the benefits and importance of exercise. Still these people do not make it a habit of exercising in their life. In most cases this is because they simply do not have the motivation.

If you find yourself in this boat, one of the most time-tested solutions is to find yourself a partner. Preferably a close friend or your spouse. If that doesn’t work, and you have the financial resources to do so, hire yourself a trainer. Accountability is key especially in the early days of developing a habit of exercise. Exercise can be more fun, and often times progress is made faster, with a partner.

Even if you don’t have a partner or trainer, just begin to go to the gym. It is altogether encouraging and motivational when you see a number of other people actively getting fit. You will certainly see people more fit than you and less fit than you. In any event, they are all working towards a positive goal of better health and fitness and the inspiration can be contagious.

With all that said, even the best of us run into those times where we simply are unmotivated to leave the comfort of our couch and get in a workout. Perhaps we’ve had a long day at work or minimal sleep the night before. For those inevitable times, I recommend the following “exercise.”

On your next workout, notice the natural high you achieve. Notice the positive energy. Notice the sense of accomplishment. Notice the feeling of motivation that carries over as you begin to think creatively and are inspired to do better in other areas of your life as well. Right after your workout, capture those feelings and thoughts in your own words on paper. If in that moment you are convinced that the  feelings are much better than the feelings you get from sitting in front of the television or eating excessive junk food, then write that down too. Doing this will help cement in your mind how great exercise can be. Now, the next time you know you should exercise but don’t feel like it, read those notes you wrote to yourself. You’ll likely find them be all the inspiration you need.

 I can tell you that no matter how much I do not feel like exercising, the very minute I begin I’m always thankful that I did and quickly find the energy and motivation to finish.

All parts of the body which have a function if used in moderation and exercised in labors in which each is accustomed, become thereby healthy, well developed and age more slowly, but if unused they become liable to disease, defective in growth and age quickly.-Hippocrates

Our bodies are truly designed with a need for reasonable amounts of exercise. Without an exercise program our bodies atrophy. We become lethargic. We are less productive in all areas of our life. With an exercise program, however simple or advanced, we feel better. We are more creative and effective in our work thereby potentially making more money. We live healthier and longer lives. So what are you waiting for? Find yourself the motivation. Just do it!

I love what Izaak Walton once said: “Look to your health; and if you have it, praise God and value it next to conscience; for health is the second blessing that we mortals are capable of, a blessing money can’t buy.”

For most of us, summer brings for us thoughts (if not actions) of getting more fit. Getting in shape is one of those things in life that we know we should do yet we certainly don’t always do it. Speaking for myself, while there are many barriers to getting fit, I have found there to be a couple that are most challenging.

First of these is that we are victims of our own advancement. In work, technology has eliminated for many people any calorie burning activity. In play, we have an endless amount of inactivate entertainment to fill our time.

Second of these barriers in my experience is  information overload. Have you ever gotten motivated to research a good fitness plan only to have your head spin by all the different diet and exercise theories? On more than one occasion I have read separate articles in the same fitness magazine that completely contradicted each other!

In my study of fitness if you were to boil it down to a five word philosophy it would be eat less and exercise more. Now that may seem a little obvious, but like many fundamentals in life if we will only take action on that which we know we will get the results that we desire.

I think all of us have some level of desire to be fit and healthy. I don’t think anybody actually says to themselves “I want to be out of shape and eat non-nutritional foods in excess.” So it seems the difference between fit and unfit people goes back to that powerful word of desire. Some people desire to be fit and healthy more than others. This is where it is important to understand that in order to build a strong enough desire you must first build a strong enough why!

According to the Mayo Clinic, the why can be found in a number of benefits. They include managing your weight, improving your mood, decreasing the chance of disease, quality sleep and even a better sex life! WebMD adds better skin, reduced stress, less illness and increased brain power! In addition to these, a major benefit I have found in regular exercise is increased creativity. While working out or running, I find dozens of ideas start flowing through my head. Ideas having to do with work projects, speeches, blog posts, conversations and solutions to problems. I find there is rarely a point when I am more motivated than in the midst of a fitness improving activity.

If I’d known I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself.-Eubie Blake on his 100th birthday

So far all of these benefits of being fit and healthy have to do with you. But for some people, for whatever reason, they just won’t do it for themselves. So for those people I would suggest to look outside themselves and consider how it would benefit those closest to them. For instance, how many times does somebody “let themselves go” once they set into the routine of a marriage? Yes the vows of “till death do us part” have been exchanged, but should that mean that we should take any less care of ourselves that we did in the days of courtship? And what of our children? If you are a parent, you are the foremost role model in your children’s lives. It is from you that they will primarily learn their life long health and fitness habits, or the lack of them. If we love our children, do we not owe it to them to set them up for success in this very important part of life?

If still one is not motivated, would one be motivated if being fit or not affected their income and career success?

If you’d like to get more fit this summer (or are already doing well and want to keep it up), here’s a few actions to take.

1. Decide what’s in it for you and those who are important to you. Consider the benefits and ask if they outweigh the comfort of not making the effort to be fit and healthy.
2. Read or learn about some inspirational role models of health and fitness. If you need some thought starters consider Lance Armstrong , Michelle Obama or Jack LaLanne who at 96 yrs old is probably more fit than most people half his age.
3. If possible, find a partner who is also interested in becoming more fit and healthy. It can be more fun and easier to stay on track when someone else comes along for the ride.
4. Finally, check back here in the coming week for some best bets for exercise and eating habits.

Summertime is here. There’s no better season for getting motivated to make positive changes in your health plan. The sun is out and outdoor activity is abundant. There is no shortage of ways and inspiration to take your fitness to the next level.

Take care of your body with steadfast fidelity. The soul must see through these eyes alone, and if they are dim, the whole world is clouded.-Goethe

 

Wow, we are already at the mid year point of 2010! I have found that with the passage of time comes an appreciation for just how fast it passes. It is so important in life to have regular mile markers on our life’s journey, points in which we reflect on, measure and reassess our progress towards our goals.

You do have goals, don’t you?

If yes, like many people you may have set or reset your goals at the start of 2010. Also like many people, through the passing of time you may have gotten off track in the last six months. If that’s the case, may this serve as a reminder to take another look at them. Are you still taking action towards those goals? Do you need to get back on track? Remind yourself why you set your goals in the first place and how they will improve your life when you achieve them.

If no, now’s a good time to create some goals. It amazes me that some people put off goal setting until New Year’s Day. Why would you wait? If you believe in goal setting, it’s important to realize that there’s no sense in wasting any amount of time in your life. If you’re not already saying “where does the time go,” you will eventually. Anyone would agree a year is a good amount of time, however I propose that we should place the same value on six months, a month, a week and even a day.

It is never too late to be who you might have been. -George Eliot

At this 2010 mid year checkpoint, ask yourself the important questions.

How much money have I saved or invested for my future financial independence this year?

Am I actively involved in an exercise program?

What have I done so far this year to improve my marketable skills?

How many unique and memorable experiences have I had so far this year?

Are the people I hang around with most taking me to the next level or are they dragging me down?

Am I a person who brings others to the next level or do I drag them down?

Be honest with yourself in answering these questions (and others that are important to you). Where necessary, change your actions and behaviors to keep you moving forward on the right path.

He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.     -Chinese proverb

A mid year challenge

I challenge you to maximize the rest of 2010. I challenge you to enjoy the now while taking steps to improve your future. Remember, how you spend the rest of this year will determine the size of the goals you will set in the next year. Get around the right people. Make time for personal growth. Set routine blocks of time to review your progress toward your goals. Be a people builder. Stay ambitious but at same time remember to be yourself and make life fun!

How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a loser. -Louis Camulti

In self-development circles, there’s a lot of talk about deciding to be the best at whatever it is you pursue. Often times you will hear something to the effect of “you can be number one if you just decide to!” While in some circumstances this may be very possible, most times this is too large of a goal for us to view as being realistic. As a result, we may not even bother to stretch ourselves in an attempt to be the best we can be. After all, only one can truly be the best. And even then, like a championship winning sports team, nobody stays the best for long. 

The exciting news is this. While it may not be possible to be the best, it is absolutely possible to be one of the best! Rest assured that being one of the best is a great place to be! When you become one of the best in your line of work you can bank on job security. When you become one of the best in your class, potential opens for scholarships and choices for the very best in schools. When you are one of the best, you experience more recognition, rewards, opportunity and personal satisfaction. 

Here’s how to go about becoming one of the best. 

Decide

Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work. -H.L. Hunt

 Amazingly the vast majority of the population will never even think about this concept. The thought of becoming one of the best at what they do simply never crosses their mind. By merely deciding for yourself to become one of the best you give yourself a step up on your competition.

Define

If your batting average is high enough, the Big League will find you.

 What benchmark do you need to reach in order to consider yourself one of the best? In most cases it’s a simple matter of defining some numbers to hit. A baseball player may choose to focus on batting average. A student on a GPA. A manager on productivity measurements. A salesperson on units sold. In most cases the statistics you need to determine your targets are readily available.  As a starting point, begin with a target that will put you into the top 20%. Being in the top quintile of that which you apply yourself to is a fantastic place to be. Once you are there, set the bar higher and go for the top 10%, 5% and perhaps even the top 1%.

Take action

Action is the foundational key to all success.-Pablo Picasso 

 Once you’ve decided a meaningful area of life which you want to become one of the best in and after you’ve defined how you will know that you have arrived, it’s time to take action! Monitor your results on an ongoing basis. Look for continual improvement. Resolve to change behaviors, gain new learnings, and ask for feedback along the way in order to accelerate you to your destination.

Remember the vast majority of the population is not intent on becoming one of the best at what they do. This means that if you decide to be one of the best your future is bright. And if you should become the best, all the better!