Why We Fail.

Miss our call last night? Never fear, here's what we discussed:

Does this sound like you?

Raise your hand if I hit it right on the head. 

*Courtney raises hand* 

I've been there and I am here to tell you it's ok to fail, but we need to learn from failing, fail again and hopefully fail better. 

The secret to avoid failure? Decide your goals and take those actions steps every.single.day. 

Now the million dollar question, how do you create that routine? Easy! You track it. Yes, write it down on paper or on any one of those fancy phone apps. 

Some tracking journal or app options:

Phone App: 

Evernote

Balanced Goals

Coach Me

Journal:

Passion Planner $18.61

FitBook $23.99

best Self Journal $31.99

Kikki.K Goal Journal 34.95

Daily Greatness Journal $44.95

Grit Fitness & Wellness Journal $9

After spending the last year reading, researching and listening to podcasts of successful trainers, athletes, authors, entrepreneurs, etc., I noticed 1 thing, they all had in common...tracking! They write their goals down and record those steps needed to achieve said goal. 

I am a tracker as a result from my research. I want to be successful. When I look at why I do what I do, three words come up:

Badass, Mom & Example. 

These are the things I track daily to be those 3 things:

Every Sunday, for the past 6 months, I write down 5 goals. To date, that is 120 goals. I failed to reach my goal nearly 40 times. Forty times! 

So let me be the first to tell you, its ok to fail. As long as you keep improving. Our eyes immediately go to the failing 40 times, not the fact that I hit 80 of those goals. 

I guess you can say, either way, I am better off health, fitness & business wise than 10 years ago:

Are you overwhelmed yet? Don't be! When I say the word "goal" where does your mind go? Do you want to improve the way you look? The way you feel? Your work life? 

Decide what areas you would like to track. It's all about progress, not perfection. You might fail on a few goals. Learn from it. Keep moving forward.

A few months ago, my assistant Megan and I started a workout journal. For the past 60 days, I logged my workouts. As you see below, I missed almost 13 days of working out/logging, not to mention 4 terrible workouts. You know those kind of workouts where you question why are you even doing this? Yeah, those ones.

But as I scroll to my wins, I realize why I workout. Those areas of improvement push me. Man, do they ever motivate me. If I did not track my exercises, I do not think I would see any improvement. To see it on paper, now there's the motivation. 

So now is the hard part...START!

Write 5 new goals or habits for the upcoming week. On Sunday (or Monday morning) review. 

Are you making progress? Are you spending time on the right things?

Didn't follow your diet perfectly?

...good! It means you're human.

Grit Fitness & Wellness just wrapped up their July Monthly Nutrition Challenge. For the challenge, we picked 1 diet program (Whole 30, Intermittent Fasting, 21 Days + 21 Foods Challenge) to follow.

This morning I heard a lot of "I had good intentions" or  "I did great for the first week" in response to the post challenge follow-up.

The challenge served a dual purpose for me. I love to motivate my clients, but this month in particular I need some motivation as well. At the end of the month, I needed to finally replace my 2 year + head shots for my business.

It was go time. Until it wasn't {Remember the pizza incident?}.

Every Saturday I promised myself to do better. Every Saturday I caved just a little, usually with some kind of dessert. What can I say? It's my weakness. This month proved to be a busy month full of friends and togetherness. I felt blessed to be around amazing people each weekend. I enjoyed the moment.

But I got back on track every Sunday.

My month of July fit the 80/20 rule perfectly. 25 Good Days vs 6 Bad Days.

Have a bad day.
Eat some ice cream.
Miss a workout.
Feel frustrated.

...but never give up.

And my photos?

I will take it. Sure I could have been perfect, but I did my best. More importantly I kept fighting & refused to give up.

Somebody's Gotta Case of the Mondays...

It sneaks up on you like the end of Summer or if you're like me, every year after the age of 30....Monday morning. How did we get here again? Where did the weekend go? Several months ago, I had enough. I hated Mondays and I wanted that to change. I decided to come up with a plan.

Yes, planning. We plan for amazing vacations, surprise birthday parties, or date nights without the kids. Teachers plan lessons, executives plan meetings and even trainers plan workout programs. All important things in life take some kind of preparation.

Except Monday.

For the longest time, I felt like I was "winging" my Monday and as a result, also my entire week.

I changed a few things up to make my week more productive:

1) Sunday naps and/or "but its my only day to sleep in" had to go.

I was dragging on Monday morning. I knew exactly why, I would lay wide awake at night looking at the clock. If I fall asleep now, I will get 7 hours. One hour passes, ok now I really need to fall asleep...Of course after the perfect, accidental 3 hour nap, whoops!

I love me some Sunday naps, but it was something I knew if I could give up, I would be better off in the long run.

2) Planning my week on paper.

When my alarm goes off on Sunday (yes an alarm on Sunday, gasp), the first thing I do is head to my desk and write down all I want to accomplish in the next week. The mental clarity of seeing it all, eliminates the sometimes chaotic nature of Monday mornings.

3) Lay everything out the night before.

Confession time.

I wear workout clothes every day. Yoga pants + sports bra + tank top...I am good to go. Some mornings it would take me ten minutes to get dressed. Why? Staring at my workout clothes and deciding what to wear on some mornings felt along the same lines as picking my major in college.

Clothes out the night before, boom, I just shaved 9 minutes off my morning.

Meals planned & packed/Packed backpack/Packed work bag also save an insane amount of time

4) Choosing your thoughts wisely

Monday *grumble*

We all roll our eyes, drag ourselves out of bed, and think only 5 more days until the weekend. Your thoughts are more powerful than you know.

I came across this quote:

"I am in charge of how I feel and today I am choosing happiness".

It took me a few months, but I took the dread away from Monday mornings. Go ahead and kick me when I say, I actually love Mondays. Its a fresh start on your exercise program, your diet, your family time, your goals etc.

Heck, the weekend does not last forever, we all know that, but we avoid thinking and planning for the upcoming week. Planning ahead, planning my thoughts, and planning to get a good night sleep on Sunday makes "the case of the Mondays" actually a good thing.

Seasons Change

This week past week I was searching for a picture of my daughter. I cringed as I came across these pictures.

I immediately did a double take. Wait, that is me! I remember attending a conference in September of 2013, barely 8 weeks after delivering my daughter. 

I also remember that exact same morning I looked in the mirror and felt great about my post-baby body. Fast forward three years later, I laughed and reminded myself I just had a baby. The picture? My first true workout in 8 weeks. 

Everyone comes across a picture they find "cringe" worthy, especially my moms. Pregnant moms approach me all the time with questions along the lines of "How long did it take to get your body back". My honest answer? I really do not remember, I just remember embracing that specific season of my body, the season of a new mother. 

My weight and body has fluctuated plenty over the years. Yes, I have never stopped moving. However I have battled injuries, holidays, family death, and babies with the best of them. Exercise wasn't in my top 5 priorities during these times. 

You may not be where you are at or you may not look the way you did at one time in the past, but its just a season. Seasons change. 

I needed to take care of my newborn first. I was a nursing, full-time working momma. I embraced that role. 

Last June, we lost a loved one way too soon. Family and good food beat out working out most days for nearly a month. 

Earlier this year I needed to nurse a MCL injury. My pants felt a little tighter, however, I appreciated my body more than ever for "hanging in there" during my lack of exercise. 

Those all trumped looking the part of a trainer. I knew I would find my way back. I usually do. 

Trust the process. Your process.

Trust the journey. Your journey. 

Just keep moving forward. 

...I will do better tomorrow.

I hated Pre-Calculus in high school. The teacher hated me. There was no way I could get an A so I braced myself to get a C.

My feisty mother did not buy into the above comments at all. I tried to explain there was no point to her, but she gave me the same look when I would  I fall off my bike, miss a shot in basketball, or didn't get something on the first try...the "well, you should try harder" look. She made me visit this awful teacher two mornings a week for a month. Needless to say, I ended up with an A in the class, ended up loving the teacher, and once again, my mom was right [sigh]

This past week, I along with several clients in our program started our 21 Days + 21 Foods Challenge. For 21 days, I only eat the healthy 21 foods I select. Its probably the easiest and most effective diet program I have done in all my years of training.

Five days in, I ate pizza. No, no, no, I inhaled the pizza this past Saturday night. I can tell you the millions reasons why I really had no choice but to eat it. They are all excuses and the insurmountable guilt consumed me the rest of the night. I didn't have a healthy option ready for me to eat, therefore I took the easy route and ate 3 slices of pizza!

This morning when I woke up I thought about the dark chocolate chips in the pantry, I mean I already ate pizza so I guess this plan won't work for me. Then I heard it, that voice in my head yet again to try harder.  My usual 1 mile run turned into a 3 mile run this morning. I spent most of the afternoon prepping my food to make sure pizza is not my only option. I guess you can say I learned my lesson. I am ready this week.

We have all been there...the I already messed up so what's the point. Let me be the first to tell you, we all mess up, its part of the learning curve. I think its what makes us better! Michael Jordan missed big shots in his career,  Tom Brady barely got drafted out of college and I am sure somewhere in America a fitness expert might be eating some pizza.

Always ask yourself:

How bad do I want it?

What did I learn?

How am I going to make it better?

When I get to Day 21 and this pizza incident (or maybe a future dark chocolate incident) is my only slip up, I know I will be pleased with my results and the effort I made to try harder after I thought I failed the entire process.

"The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried"

Case of the Mondays

Feel in the blank:

This week has been ______

The answer I have heard several times? BLAH. On a rare May week, the sun did not shine most of the week. Instead we had gloomy, rainy days.

I pride myself on being the motivator...the cheerleader...the happy go lucky trainer. Believe it or not, I struggled the beginning of this week as well. Trainers need motivation too. We need it daily.

Then I remembered to stay up to date on those things that keep me on track and that motivate me to keep moving forward, especially during those "blah" weeks. These are a few of my favorite things:

• Podcasts 

Lewis Howes "School of Greatness" is one I listen to religiously. His guests are inspiring and uplifting and even on the "blah-ess" days, I find motivation.

Go ahead and try not to be motivated by this episode: http://lewishowes.com/podcast/eric-thomas/

Ted Talk Podcast

Fear, Success, Education, Life...you name it. They talk about it. 

• Daily Motivating Emails

Monday-Friday, NY Times Bestseller, Darren Hardy sends out a 2-3 minute video + journaling exercises. It immediately starts my day off on the right foot and takes less than 5 minutes. 

http://www.darrendaily.com

• Workout

No workout is too big or too small during a "blah" week. Cannot make it to the gym. I have been there and these 3 exercises instantly get the endorphins going. 

25 Push-Ups

25 Squats

25 V-Ups

• Gratitude

Feeling blah? Take out of piece of paper (yes, now!) and write down 7 things are you thankful right now in this moment. Feel blah again tomorrow? Do the same thing. 

• Act of Kindness

Ironically, the bible verse from my devotional last night- "It is more blessed (makes one happier & more to be envied) to give than to receive"- Acts 20:35

I have now learned that we do not even know what happy is until we forget about ourselves and start focusing on others. Try a random act of kindness today....bake cookies for a neighbor, pay for the person behind you at Starbucks. 

I hope just one of the motivating items I listed above turns your not-so-great week into something better. Remember, your energy is contagious.