The big "T"

I was looking for ideas to write about for my blog today. So, I decided that I would check in the achieves and look at my previous posts to see if I could stir up any fresh ideas or thoughts to share. Wow...

Reality hits hard after you've reviewed your thoughts that have been laid down on paper....err or electronically in a blog. Looking at those words on the screen after you had some separation you gain a grater perspective of what is going on deep down in your head.

I was surprised about how much I had to say.... See in my line of work I do A LOT of listening. I listen closely to my clients to see if I can get a clue as to what might be percolating in their minds that could be sabotaging their efforts in attaining their health and fitness goals.

We all tend to hang on to something that creeps up from our subconscious from time to time that makes attaining a goal more challenging. It might be our view on money, that only greedy people get it. Or that we don't deserve to be happy.... see to be happy, you have to be selfish.... I hear all kinds of things like that.... matter of fact, I just was speaking to someone the other day and was convinced that they weren't meant to have a happy marriage because they "married up"! The sobering thing is that limiting beliefs like these are universal. I've been personal training for nearly 26 years and I have yet to meet anyone who doesn't have them.

I know, I've got a laundry list of them. That's why I think I've been writing the things I've been writing. I too am going through my own personal makeover, and believe me, its not easy.

Lately, folks have been concerned about not having what it takes to reach their goals. They are afraid that they do not have that special "it" needed to carry through and accomplish something outside their comfort zone.

Somehow it seems that we don't believe the 'average bear' can be mentally tough. That mental toughness is reserved for our hero's like the Michael Jordon's or Brett Farve's of the world. That is SO wrong...we all have that special quality that allow us to tough it out.

Just look how far we have come; we start as an infant that could not possibly care for itself and transform into being productive citizens that own business, care for children, or bury our friends. I think that is why I like to write articles about mental toughness and what it takes to reach goals.

I think most stresses we face in our day to day life can be handled more effectively if we use that mental toughness that has gotten us to the top of the food chain. But there is a difference in those who are consistently successful and not so successful - it goes into mental toughness, it is tenacity.

Tenacity is never giving up! No matter what.

If you have a bad workout or a bad eating day, you just don’t quit at it.
If you get injured, you work around the injury. If you don’t feel like working out, you workout anyway. I know...it’s a lot easier said than done.

So how do you develop tenacity? It’s like anything else; you have to work on it. You have to put yourself in situations where you have to be tenacious.

It's like the old cliché, when the going gets tough, the tough get going, it is simple but true. Tenacity is a mind set. You don’t have to be an athlete or workout god to be tenacious. When you have a deadline due at 7:00 AM and its 10:00 PM the night before, it takes tenacity to finish.

I watched Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants play last night. It took a great deal of mental toughness and tenacity to play in those conditions. It’s not enjoyable playing football in sub zero temperatures. (Hell, it not enjoyable to do anything in those temperatures!) Yet those players had a job to do and they did it, period.

So why am I writing about tenacity? We live in a tough society. It's true that as US citizens, we have a more comfortable life style than 90% of the world. But if you are in business or any other career, and you want to succeed, you have to be tenacious.

The bottom line is this, throw off all excuses, let nothing get in the way of your goals, and NEVER EVER quit. All of you are destine for something great. But YOU will have to be tenacious to get there! Remember, NO EXCUSES! JUST RESULTS!

Til Next Time.....