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Showing posts from April, 2017

FINISH!

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In my last post I talked about STARTING. This post is dedicated to FINISHING! After you get used to starting things, get in the habit of finishing them too! Once starting is a non-issue, all of a sudden finishing can become the next hurdle! It's easy to begin something (or many somethings) and never finish anything! I know from personal experience I have challenges finishing things. Two main things hinder my ability to finish: So many ideas, so little time.  The devil's in the details. (1) So many ideas, so little time... I find it easier and more fun to brainstorm possibilities, especially when I get inspired by a new idea. I love the feeling of that creative energy, which is so much easier when it's just a dream and you don't have to worry about any actual details of implementation, leading to completion. (2) The devil's in the details... Once the broad-strokes have been brushed, all of the minutia churns into a shitstorm of incompletion on more pr

START!

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If you wait until everything is perfect, you will probably never start! One of the (many) things I do is run a martial arts academy and if I had a dollar for every time I've heard someone say, "Before I start training, I want to get into shape first"  I would be rich! Those people almost never start. No, we have to START first, often before all of our ducks are in a row, before everything is perfect.  To start means to take action, to do. Breaking out into the unknown is scary, especially in a world where we are infused with so much information. The information can (falsely) give us comfort and make us feel as if we are actually doing something and/or making progress. It can also give us a sense of being overwhelmed (a.k.a. analysis/paralysis). Another symptom of having access to an overload of information with little or no actual experience is criticism (a.k.a. the armchair quarterback). Which brings us full circle to folks not actually starting... I've ta

Being Tough vs. Effective

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I was listening to an interview with Rickson Gracie and he said something that I thought was pretty insightful. He talked about the difference of being tough vs. effective. Being tough , Rickson stated is about your mentality. Being effective is about your skill and technique. I suppose you could describe those two things by using other words, however the point that I got out of it is that you can be tough and not efficient or effective at something. Efficiency and effectiveness comes out of proper strategy, tactics and technique. Obviously, one should strive to have toughness, efficiency and effectiveness. And, lets not forget ethics. What is the intent behind why you are doing what you are doing? Being tough is good, however being tough, efficient, effective and ethical in everything that you are doing in life gains much better results. Not to mention it enables you to have a better chance to not only survive the long haul, but maybe even enjoy the ride a little more.  I

11 Tips to Stick to an Exercise Schedule

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1) Train for Life  We were meant to move, so don't over complicate it. You were given one body this time around and if you don't take care of it, where are you going to live? 2) Doing Something is Better than Nothing Waiting until your schedule is free and your life is perfect to begin your Olympic style workout basically means that you won't be training any time soon, if ever. Do something, anything! 3) Find Something that Works for You Yoga, martial arts, Pilates, Zumba, swimming, running, lifting, step aerobics, dancing, hiking, biking... whatever! Find something that works for you. Try to get some strengthening, stretching and cardio... and breathe dammit breathe! 4) Start Small If you are just starting, go easy on yourself: Slow at first. If you've been training, but get injured or life happens and your training lapses: Start back up slow. Don't just rip back into your old workout. Dial it back a few notches for a week or so, before r