This is a oldie but a goodie, "In order to go up you have to recognize what you have to give up."

Do you really want more of the same or do you really want to change? That is what you must confront, decide and then do something about!

Do you want to continue your fat loss or do you want fast food? Do you want to trim your waistline or do you want beer instead? Do you want to sleep in or do you want to shape your physique? Are you going to make physical training a priority or let another season slip by? Come on! Now is your time! Build the best you!

Put these quotes on your frig:

·         Looseness in your diet equals looseness around your waist

·         Feeling the pinch now means you will be able to pinch less later

·         Eat light, eat right, stay lean

·         Shortcuts never pay off in the long run

·         Stick to the 70 / 30 rule

Try to remember the 70 – 30 rule. This means that you are never stuffed and you are never starving. 100% is all you can eat stuffed, wheel me out of this feeding troth buffet. 0% is that you haven’t eaten all day and you could eat a horse. If you stay between 30% and 70% full, your metabolism is at its highest peak performance and burning fat for fuel.

100%-----------------70%---------------------------30%-------------------0%


·         Dinner meals are to be “Lean & Green”

Meaning stick to a lean protein and vegetables. Go for fish, chicken, turkey breast (proteins) and colorful veggies (bell peppers, asparagus, spinach leaves…). Try to get your grains in for breakfast and lunch, and taper them off throughout the day.

Keep yourself energized and accountable to your team, and be the encouragement!

How many times have you heard the words “solutions oriented?” 

We all strive to be that way in our jobs, and give our tasks and potential solid energy and thought. My motivation for you  is to apply solutions to your soul. Yeah, I said soul. Some define your soul as your mind, will and emotions. Others define it as simply who you are. Wikipedia says it’s the “incorporeal essence of a person.”

However we define it, it sounds pretty important. A good challenge for us is to find solutions and practices for our inner self. To be solutions oriented when it comes to our mental, physical and emotional health. Simple practices are great and create preventative measures. For example:

·         Make the first 10 minutes of your morning reading some motivational material
·         Plan your workouts for the week
·         Plan out your eating for the week
·         Execute those workouts and clean eating
·         Practice the same sleeping patterns
·         Establish more regular routine
·         Have a 10 min “house rescue” cleaning before bed with the kids
·         Reduce clutter around you- desk, office, car, bedroom (I have had GOT JUNK come to my house the past two summers in a row, and feels fantastic. Unclutter your surroundings and unclutter the mind)
·         Make that doctor or dentist appointment
·         Work on relationship repair, go the extra mile
·         What else for you this week?

You may be familiar with the “Right Livelihood” philosophy. It’s really about simply doing the right thing. I love that we have that as a core value. There is no “living well” without it. And the phrase “business ethics” is not an oxymoron.  Those two can live together, and so can you and soulish solutions. Keep in mind and practice the holistic life. Right Livelihood says the best work situation is one that does not involve lying, dishonesty, harming others or the planet. It is a noble idea and a tall order, but it’s the best solution for genuine happiness. 

It spreads as you live that out. I wanted to share with you what my little 8 year old motivational speaker wrote on my office board at home last night.

Ah, the things we can learn from little ones. I am taking her advice today and living life big time! Why not join us?

We have been getting motivated about things like doing what you were born to do, operating in your skill set, finding your passion button, and pouring into what has been trying to get out of you. And that is only fantastic! Keep it up and never forget that you have a creative unique design that others around you need. When you are in your gift zone and you allow your personality to shine, you give color to other people’s dreams. You stir up ambition in others. That’s a powerful thought when you stop and think about it.

 

In light of those thoughts, my motivation for you today is to be a rarity. Identify what angle you can come at that others in your field are not coming from. What is it specifically in your area of expertise that you can do very well? What can you offer that no one else is right now? It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it; it’s not what you say it’s how you say it. What brand are you creating? Have you discovered a certain niche, an inroad that competitors are not seeing? Can you sense where the tide is shifting, and can you get there before anyone else? Are you really answering the questions your clients and coworkers need today? That’s how you become a rarity.

It’s really not a matter of extra hours, applying more pressure and deadlines. It’s a matter of personal heart and mind clarity that allows your sweet spot to shine. Act on the good ideas you have, speak up in meetings, bring your ambitions to the table, help your manager see the art in you and add value.

Absolutely!

Are you motivated yet today? Well, let me give you something even more powerful than your cup of Joe: “To get where you need to go is not far, you just have to keep going.”

 
Since we are in week 10 of our 5 ON 5 & Team Transformation Challenge, my brain has been wrapped around helping people finish strong. The main goal for this challenge is not to be a “quick fix” but rather a program that helps develop healthier lifestyle habits. In speaking in terms of weight loss, I have found that many people have misconceptions about what to eat and when to eat it. There are too many false fitness fads and programs. Keep in mind that losing weight and burning fat are not always the same thing. To help clear some confusion, I found an article filled with things I have been teaching for years. I wanted to share it with you for today’s motivation. It’s from WebMD’s expert columnist Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD:


5 Things Never To Do To Lose Weight:

 
                                1. Starvation, fasting, or very low-calorie diets.

“Severely slashing calories leads to weight loss but the lost weight includes precious muscle mass and poses health risks -- and most people end up regaining all the weight, plus some. Don’t cut calories below 1,200 per day; otherwise you will struggle to meet nutrient needs, fuel activity, and satisfy hunger.”

2. Dubious supplements and over-the-counter diet pills that make grand

promises.

“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Diet pills, potions, and concoctions purchased over the counter or ordered through the Internet are unlikely to be effective, not necessarily safe or capable of delivering on the oft exaggerated promises. Forget supplements and diet pills. Instead, rely on healthy foods to help you lose weight.”

                                3. Cleanses or detox plans.

Cleansing for a colonoscopy is necessary to examine your colon, but cleansing to clean out your body’s system of toxins is unnecessary. Cleanses cause weight loss from water and stool weight, at best, but they can be dangerous and carry risks of dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and more. Instead of detoxifying, be more mindful of what you eat. If you want to cleanse or detoxify your body, drink plenty of water and eat lots of high-fiber foods.

                                4. All forms of purging.

Purging includes making yourself vomit, chewing food and spitting it out, and abusing laxatives.

Extreme exercise may make for good reality television but in the real world, it can cause grave problems. Extreme exercise is physically intense on the body, causing severe wear and tear, increasing the risk for injury, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and psychologically turns exercise into punishment for eating, says May.

The American Academy of Sports Medicine and American Heart Association recommend getting at least 30 minutes daily, five days a week of moderately intense cardio or 20 minutes daily, 3 days a week of vigorous intense cardio and 8-10 strength-training exercises, 8-12 repetitions, twice weekly.

                                5. Legal and illegal drugs.

Using drugs other than prescription weight loss drugs intended for weight loss is a grim mistake and fraught with all kinds of consequences. For decades, public health officials have discouraged smoking because of its countless health risks, yet some people -- especially young adults -- use smoking as a diet strategy.

Nicotine has been shown to be an appetite suppressant, yet the risks of smoking vastly outweigh any supposed benefits of cigarette smoking.

“Those things which we fear we cannot do, those things we must do!”
Winston Churchill

Let me motivate you with two charges today:
1.       Look into areas of stagnation and fear
2.       Get out of your comfort zone by rising to your own occasion

What is it in which you have a strong sense you can’t control, change or move away from? What is that thing that has been pulling at you to do, but you just haven’t done it? Find courage right now to do that very thing! Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to do something in the face of fear. British Theologian John Newman said, “Fear not that your life will come to an end but it will never have a beginning.” So, what is it that will cause you to get in your discomfort zone but will cause a new beginning?

What does that do when you do the things you fear? It jabs stagnation where it counts. And is there a better way to grow then to bust thru a plateau? I mentioned rising to your own occasion because we have different challenges. The important thing is to look introspectively and begin to tackle the thing(s) that have been a burden to you. When you do, you will feel a sense of accomplishment, relief and simplicity. You will also be training your emotional wear-with-all and increasing your endurance! Advancement is a progression, so motivate yourself today that you are taking steps to progress! The elephant in the room is not going anywhere until you begin to take bites, one at a time.

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
Winston Churchill

Substitute reduced-fat dairy products for regular versions.

Use lean meats, light sausages, and skinless poultry instead of regular or full-fat versions.

Exchange egg substitute or egg whites for half of the eggs called for in recipes (1/4 cup of egg substitute or two egg whites is equivalent to one whole egg).

Substitute olive or canola oil for vegetable, and you can usually cut the amount of oil in half. For baking recipes, nonfat ingredients like fruit juice, nonfat sour cream and pureed fruit should be substituted for the missing fat.

Cut the amount of butter in half, for most recipes. For baked goods, other somewhat-solid ingredients such as nonfat sour cream and nonfat cream cheese, can fill in for the fat you leave out

For more on this article see:

I’ve been talking a lot about internal resources, and I believe for good reason. I don’t mean internally within the company or team, I mean between your ears and in your heart. 

 
Last week I spoke on getting in touch with these internal resources. You can do that by simply finding a quiet place for 10 minutes (give or take a few), dive into your think tank, and finding out what is really in there. We tend to be so busy and have our tasks list so full that we overlook what is in us and the artful ideas we really do have.  

Sometimes it’s a case of confidence. We may not even believe that our ideas will work or others will buy into them. My encouragement to you is to upgrade your confidence. Give your self esteem an upgrade. Up the belief in yourself. You are where you are for a reason, and a purpose. You have the creativity and wear-with-all to do what you are responsible to do.

Have you ever been told by AT&T that you are “not eligible for an upgrade?” Let me motivate you today by expressing that you are completely eligible for an upgrade! Give your dreams some color, give your vision some feet, walk out on your potential!

Monday Motivation: You have been upgraded...

Weather like this doesn’t make it easier to keep your energy up huh? But more importantly that the temperature outside, it’s the temperature inside that counts!

You can turn up the heat of your internal driving force. I think a great life observation is that our own motivation doesn’t have to be linked with external circumstance. It’s always a choice. The old adage is so true: attitude determines altitude.

How did you do last week with your reengagement? Did you need to reengage your passion or motivation in any specific area? If so, you can still get your driving force out of low gear.  You can alter your life by changing the way you think.

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitude of mind.” William James, Psychologist

As far as taking your temperature, everyone is either a thermostat or a thermometer. One simply adapts to the environment and other changes the environment. Become and get around thermostats!

I like the picture with the motivation road sign. It speaks to get on your road of motivation. You have to drive that car. Others can help give you a jump start, but you have to get behind that wheel  and press on the gas. You press on the gas by ingesting wise words, meditating and dreaming, and actually moving toward your goals.  The old adage of knowing does not equal doing is very true. But the good news is that everyday is new and everyday you can stoke your engine.  And increased knowledge is increased potential. The more you know the stronger you want to act, so get to know stuff! Know what is in your heart, your soul to do. Know who you are and where you want to go. Know that you were created to do awesome things. You have a certain skill set that is not like any other in your area. Know that! You have so much good to offer those around you.

 

The driving forces to motivation are knowledge, increased passion, consistent positivity and concrete vision. To increase your passion, reengage. It could be with work, with family, with your faith, etc. Reengage! You get your car out of 1st gear by keeping your eyes on the prize and taking a step today. Notice I said “a step”, not “steps”. Don’t focus on perfection, just progress. So, what step are you taking today? Not tomorrow or next week, but today? As you take that step you are now in 2nd gear…

You got this!!! 

And don’t worry about leaving behind what you need to. Just let it fade in the rear view mirror, you are going places! 

Thomas Edison
“Many of life's failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”