Monthly Archives: August 2017

Goals, Health & wellness, Healthy habits, Longevity, Nutrition, Personal development, Weight loss

7 STEPS FOR LIVING AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE

This week, we have the opportunity to learn from life and business coach, Lemonade Dave Justus. Dave and I met in a BNI group, and he has become a great friend. And the lesson in his guest post this week resonates directly with the focus and theme of this blog.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did…

 

For as long as I can remember, society has been pushing people to lose weight. There have been, and still are, a variety of diet programs and exercise plans advertised on TV, all with a promised outcome to lose a certain number of lbs. or inches. “Meet Jane,” they say, “she lost 30 lbs. using our miracle diet,” as if this might be a good reason for you to call and order – and it must be a good reason because people do call!

Extraordinary life

Maybe you know someone like Jane? They lost 30 lbs. on a miracle diet, but when you see them six months later, they gained back 45. This repeated loss and regain of weight is commonly referred to as “Yo-yo Dieting,” a term coined by Kelly D. Brownell of Yale University. So why does it happen?

Yes, the need to lose weight might be a good reason to go on a diet, but it is not a good form of motivation for changing your life. Think about it, people who need to lose weight are not jumping out of bed in the morning saying, “I can’t wait to drink chalky-tasting shakes and to go to work out near a bunch of sweaty gym rats.” Well that might work for a few days, but then the covers seem just a little heavier, putting on running shoes at six in the morning becomes an agonizing chore, and eating another protein bar seems about as much fun as having a bite of chocolate-covered cardboard.

Here is the problem with setting a goal to lose 30 lbs.—it is only an objective of what should be a bigger goal. Let me explain: Once I reach a goal, such as losing 30 lbs., my brain begins to say, “Now what?” and it reverts back to my old habits. Thus, the yo-yo effect. However, what if you wanted to live an extraordinary life and set an EXTRAORDINARY LIFE GOALTM that reflects why you want to lose weight, such as “to live a life of health and wellness so I can enjoy time with my family”? Then, losing 30 lbs. only becomes one objective of your bigger life-goal.

As a life coach, I work with a variety people on living an Extraordinary Life by setting both personal and professional goals. We follow what I call the 7 STEPS FOR LIVING AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFETM.

Although there are more details to the seven steps when I help a client, the basic steps are:

  • Set a stretch goal that will change their life and at the same time allow them to grow;
  • Create reasonable objectives and identify available resources;
  • Develop a plan with actions steps;
  • Track their outputs and achieved outcomes;
  • Work on ways to improve.

In the previous example of the Extraordinary Life Goal – To live a life of health and wellness so I can enjoy quality time with my family, the purpose is to create a life-changing desire that you can constantly pursue and work towards.  When you set such a big goal, your motivation becomes the pursuit of the larger purpose, or in this case, “quality time with your family.” Thus, every time you see your family, you want to live healthier so that you can experience more quality time together.

Therefore, the following is how the rest of the formula might look:

  • The OBJECTIVES in getting there could be: 1) lose 2 lbs. a week for 15 weeks or 5 ounces a day for 100 days; 2) lower my blood pressure; 3) get my blood sugar levels under control.
  • The RESOURCES are what you need to support your objectives. Examples are gym membership, specific diet, support group, treadmill, and running shoes.
  • The ACTIONS STEPS become: 1) eat four fruits and vegetables a day; 2) exercise for 30 minutes three times a week; 3) watch my calorie intake (specific goal); 4) only have one sugary item a day.

Next you track your OUTPUTS and OUTCOMES for the week. The OUTPUTS are how you did on your actions related to your objective.  For example, maybe your plan was to exercise for 30 minutes three times a week, and you went to the gym twice and only managed 10 minutes of walking on the treadmill. I say that effort is a success! You started and now you can improve on the outputs the following week.

The OUTCOMES, which is where the real motivation happens, are the benefits you receive as you reach for your goal! Going to the gym three times or losing two lbs. that week are great but that is not necessarily a motivating factor. However, the ability to take a walk with your daughter and not needing to stop every five minutes to rest, that is a positive outcome.  Even better, hearing from your daughter about how school was, becomes your motivation to keep going!

Here is a quick review of the “7 Steps for Living an Extraordinary Life”:

  1. Set an Extraordinary Life Goal, which is big enough that as you pursue it, it will cause you to stretch and grow, thus having a positive impact on your life.
  2. Create three to five Objectives that will help you get closer to your extraordinary life.
  3. Identify what Resources you have at your disposal or what you will need.
  4. Develop a plan with specific Action Steps you can take and get started right away.
  5. Track your Outputs, the number of actions you took as way to measure your progress.
  6. Focus on the Outcomes related to your extraordinary-life goal.
  7. Try each week to improve as best you can.

Extraordinary life

In closing, I hope you find this information helpful, and in turn, discover a way to live your Extraordinary Life. If you would like a PDF of the Extraordinary Goal Worksheet©, or to reach me with further questions, please email me at davidj@northcoastuniversity.com.

Extraordinary life“Lemonade Dave” is a life coach, motivational speaker and Guinness World Record Holder.  A source of motivation and inspiration, he gives you the guidance you need to reach your full potential. He is a remarkable strategist that will help you reach your goals in an effective and meaningful way. For more information, visit www.LemonadeDave.com.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I hope you found value.

Now it’s time for YOU to take action…

What’s your Win to be Thin? Leave a comment below.

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Active lifestyle, Fitness, Goals, Health & wellness, Healthy aging, Healthy habits, Longevity, Weight loss

Is Sitting the New Equivalent to Smoking?

We know that smoking is more than just bad for us; it’s deadly.

Recent studies are revealing there may be a new equivalent to smoking. Something we all do every day, and need to do less of.

Moving

Are you a couch potato?

Do you need a reason to start moving more?

Is walking part of your wellness plan?

How about regular exercise?

Well, in addition to losing your gut, my goal for sharing this My Fitness Pal article is to help you get off your butt, and get moving.

This may even add a little spring to your step.

Exercise has been proven to provide many healthy benefits which include weight loss and reversing preventable medical conditions like heart disease and diabetes. Not to mention living longer.

And if you’re already enjoying the benefits of regular exercise, congratulations. But don’t start celebrating, yet… at least until you read this article.

You’ll probably find it shocking and helpful at the same time. If you discover that you’re an “active couch potato”, you’ll appreciate the tips to minimize your sitting time to increase your longevity.

So stand up and click here to learn more about this silent killer.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I hope you found value.

Now it’s time for YOU to take action…

What’s your Win to be Thin? Leave a comment below.

Click here to subscribe. You’ll receive an email with a link to each new post. And if you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them.

Active lifestyle, Fitness, Health & wellness, Healthy habits, Longevity

The 7-Day Walking Plan

Last week’s post generated some great feedback. It was titled Judgement Day Is Calling!.

I have to confess though, I have been challenged lately with a lack of clarity, as it relates to the direction and content of this blog. Overall, I feel like I’m spinning my wheels and not providing valuable content.

Walking

Maybe I need to change direction…

Can you recall ever having difficulty setting a clear direction or path for the future? Or perhaps, the next step of a goal you’ve set?

If you can, then you can probably relate that it’s discouraging and frustrating. Sometimes even stressful.

Well, when I need to get creative, or just clear my head, I find that a power walk usually helps. So that’s what I did, I went for a power walk. And about 20 to 30 minutes into it, I did start feeling better. Not only with my thoughts, but with the added benefit of stress to my legs and core too.

So this week, I want to emphasize the benefits of walking. And introduce you to a My Fitness Pal blog post titled “The 7-Day Walking Plan”. You can link to it by clicking here.

Walking

Walking is an essential habit that provides tremendous health benefits. If you find that you’ve been sedentary, and have had difficulty beginning a new exercise regimen, walking is a fantastic way to get started. Just make sure to check with your doctor.

If you’ve already integrated walking and exercise into your wellness plan, check out the walking plan. You may still find value in it.

Variety and intensity can inspire better results.

And if you’re looking for better results through variety and intensity, you may also appreciate “Walk This Way, or Else…” You can link to this post by clicking here.

10K a day is very doable, but walking 10,000 steps a day doesn’t happen by accident. It requires a plan, some desire and effort, and a little bit of time.

I’m hoping to recapture the clarity I once had for this blog. I truly believe these concepts are straightforward and sustainable.  And they deliver tremendous results!

So in the meantime, I want this post to spark something for you as well. To improve your activity level, and help you incorporate more healthy habits into your lifestyle.

By making them enjoyable and sustainable.

All the best…

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I hope you found value.

Now it’s time for YOU to take action…

What’s your Win to be Thin? Leave a comment below.

Click here to subscribe. You’ll receive an email with a link to each new post. And if you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them.

Active lifestyle, Fitness, Health & wellness, Healthy aging, Healthy habits, Longevity, Nutrition, Personal development, Sleep, Weight loss

Judgment Day Is Calling!

2 Comments

Every day is judgment day for me.

And it starts in the morning…

when I step on the scale.

Actually, it’s all about the day before… knowing that I will be stepping up and held accountable in the morning.

Which helps to shape my choices and decisions in the moment.

About the quality of the calories I consume, along with a reminder about the ones I need to burn.

One of the most important things we can do to improve our health is to be mindful of the feedback we receive, as a result of all that we do (or decide not to do).

I focus on the long-term, and build habits around The Health Triad.

  • Nutrition – the quantity and quality of the calories you consume.
  • Exercise – the frequency and intensity you generate.
  • Sleep – the quality and the amount you get.

How can we know if we’re on the right track if we don’t monitor our choices and measure the results of our habits?

Feedback

Seriously…

Which is why I’ve learned to seek feedback through observation, and embrace failure when it happens. The information is invaluable, and ultimately helps us make better decisions in the future by influencing the next step we take in the moment (toward our goals).

Here’s an example…

Think about it this way. Let’s say you’re overweight. This could mean 30, 50, or 100 pounds. If you’re playing along, use your number.

Safe to say, this didn’t happen overnight.

But if you were weighing yourself daily and tracking it, over time you would notice a steady increase.

So this process of hopping on the scale every day could’ve provided you with a necessary RED flag. Which may have (hopefully) caused you to take a closer look at your choices and habits. And to maybe even seek some help.

Let’s turn this around and see how this example can help you.

The point of weighing in every day is not to cause you to freak out if there’s an increase from one day to the next.

Some days there will be an increase, and that’s okay. What’s not okay is a consistent increase every week.

So here’s why you should be doing this…

It’s for the feedback!

What patterns are you noticing?

Keep in mind, these can be positive or negative.

“For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

~ Newton’s Third Law

And here’s the beauty of this feedback… how are these patterns (from your weigh-ins) influenced by the choices you made over the past few days or week?

Look back to find the real value of maintaining this daily routine.

Feedback

This keeps it memorable and manageable.

It’s top of mind. So let the scale motivate you! And use it to your advantage.

That’s why every day is judgment day.

“Your choices, decisions, and habits can be shaped in the moment when you know you’ll be held accountable in the morning.” ~ John Dolan

So the question becomes…

Will you maintain the momentum of healthy choices so you can live a longer, more fulfilling life? Or succumb to unhealthy ones and remain discouraged about how every diet you try ultimately fails?

It’s an example of delayed vs. instant gratification.

If your future is more important, then it will be easier to delay that gratification for the long-term value. Otherwise, disappointment and frustration may continue to rear their ugly head.

Only you can decide… so choose wisely.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I hope you found value.

Now it’s time for YOU to take action…

What’s your Win to be Thin? Leave a comment below.

Click here to subscribe. You’ll receive an email with a link to each new post. And if you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them.