By Greg Albert

Nearly three years ago, I knew that I needed to set a fitness goal. I was about to start law school in a new state where I didn’t know anybody. And it would be really easy for me to allow the stress of classes, homework and tests to kill my fitness regimen. I had been running for over a year at that point, but it was getting boring and the local courses had lost their flavor. I have been fat before (yes, I’ll admit it) and I wasn’t going back to that.

But continuing to run was going to be a challenge, so I needed to set a goal. And I needed a way to visualize my progress more than just seeing a total number of miles for a week or a month. Enter Philly to LA on Foot. I decided that over the three years of law school that I’d run the equivalent of Philadelphia to Los Angeles.

I’d run locally and then each week, I’d show my progress across the country. It’s 2,736 miles from the Philadelphia airport to the Los Angeles airport (LAX). I use gmap-pedometer.com to track my progress. I update my progress on my blog and have been running through states since May 2007. I’m now in Arizona on Route 40 on my way into California as I head into the home stretch. I graduate on May 15, 2010, and I need to have made it to Los Angeles by that date.

Visualization allows me to focus on the larger picture. I’m making progress even if I’m just running an out-and-back 5 mile course. I get closer to LA when I run farther. And when I don’t get my 20 maintenance miles in a week, it makes the next week even tougher.

But visualization also makes me focus on day-to-day fitness. When it’s tough to get out after a long day or when it’s cold or raining (or both), I think about my progress to LA. I need to get to Los Angeles so I put my shoes on and head out the door. Those runs aren’t always great, but I’m still putting the miles in and I’m still fit.

And beyond that, it’s fun. People ask where I am on my run and what towns I’ve run through. It’s neat to think that over 3 years, I will have run literally across the country. Those miles include anultramarathon , two marathons, a bunch of half-marathons and 10Ks and 5Ks. But most importantly, those miles include my it’s-below-zero-I-can’t-believe-I’m-putting-on-my-shoes-and-going-out-the-door runs. That’s when I need to visualize the sandy beaches of LA.

Greg is a third-year law student in Concord, New Hampshire. He is running from Philadelphia to Los Angeles during the three years of law school (all virtually). These 2,736 miles have kept him motivated to hit the roads in the summer heat and the winter cold. He’s run two marathons, a self-created ultramarathon, numerous 5Ks, 10Ks, and half-marathons, and most recently did a century bike ride across three states. Catch Greg’s Blog located at Greg’s Blog

Ten Ways To Overcome Your Fear of The Gym

By Matt Tucker

The gym (and its mirrors, spandex, and sweaty skin) can certainly be an intimidating place for those that are already self-conscious about their bodies. Nonetheless, you are paying the hefty monthly membership fee for a reason: to get fit. Don’t just shrink your wallet; get over your fear and embarrassment and start shrinking your waistline too.

Several people recently told me that they don’t go to their gym because they are scared or embarrassed. One friend said, “I need to lose ten pounds before I can work out at my gym.”

Ten Ways to Overcome Fear and Embarrassment at the Gym

1. Remind yourself why you are there: You signed up to lose 20 pounds before your wedding, look better naked, lose that stubborn baby weight, or help lower your cholesterol. When driving (or better yet – biking) to the gym, remind yourself why you are going there in the first place. What prompted you to join the gym?

2. Power in numbers: Workout with a friend. Meet your buddy at the gym so you have someone to talk to. It is always nice to have a familiar face in an uncomfortable place. Plus, you will be less likely to skip a session when someone is meeting you there.

3. Everyone is there for the same reason: Even the fittest people at the gym were beginners at one point. Your target weight may be months away, but the important thing is that you are taking the first step to achieving your goal.

4. Less staring eyes: If you are convinced that everyone is staring at your while you workout then avoid going when the gym is crowded. Ask a gym employee when are the busiest times of the day. When is your gym least crowded?

5. Rock out: Make a playlist with your favorite songs and listen to your mp3 player while you workout. Get lost in the music and forget about your embarrassment. Just try not to sing out loud when you are on the treadmill. It usually draws more attention. Occasional air guitar is fine.

6. DON’T compare yourself to others: Be realistic. If you are a 43 year old mother of two, don’t compare your thighs to the 19 year old college track and field star’s legs. However, if you are intrigued by a person’s rock-hard calves, don’t be afraid to ask what exercises they do. How else would you know that they go hiking three days a week outside the gym?

7. DO compare yourself to yourself: Ask a trainer at your gym to help you track your progress with measurements and regular body fat assessments. Better yet, how do your jeans fit? Are you less winded when you walk up a flight of stairs? Notice small improvements and write them down.

8. Stay Classy: Check out a group class designed for beginners. You will probably see other people just like you. If the pace is right, jump in and sign up.  Consider a yoga class.  Read Alicia Parks article “Getting Back To The Yoga Mat”. 

9. Money doesn’t buy happiness: But it does buy some really cool workout clothes that you can wear with confidence. Spandex pants and over-sized T-shirts aren’t the most flattering. Invest in a few new items that make you smile when you look in the mirror. Check out www.lucy.com for excellent women’s yoga, running, and fitness activewear.

10. Forget about it: Fear of embarrassment is usually worse than embarrassment itself. The first few trips to the gym may be tough, but the fear will wear off quickly. Chances are the fear will vanish after a few workouts. Just know that each potentially embarrassing workout is moving you one step closer to your goal.

What have you done to feel more comfortable when working out?

More articles by Matt Tucker

Burn More Calories By “Sweating” The Small Stuff

Your Fitness Program’s Worst Enemy

Get Out Of The Rut And Back Into Your Favorite Jeans

New Years Resolutions Are A Waste Of Time

 

By Lora Erickson, B.S,CES, CPT

www.blonderunner.com

Many runners will tell you that the half marathon is the perfect race distance. It’s long enough for a challenge, but short enough to allow a much quicker recovery than completing a full marathon.  However, half marathons take more preparation time than a 5K or 10K, so it is important to keep some things in mind when you are training for one. 

Take time to get in shape: It is not wise to enter a race out of shape, and let’s face it, you can really hurt yourself.  Running a race unprepared is rarely enjoyable and might prove to be a downright horrible experience souring your feelings towards ever doing one again.  To avoid this, take the time to get in shape so it will be a great experience that you will want to repeat again.    

Training correctly for a half marathon usually takes a number of months; so you can properly build your mileage gradually over time to prevent injury.  You’ll find that the average program takes 3 to 5 months to complete even when starting it in pretty good shape (running about 15 miles a week consistently).

Prevent injury with the 10% rule: Follow the standard rule increasing 10% of your mileage each week and taking an easy week every three weeks.  Allow enough weeks to run one or two long runs consisting of 14 or 15 miles each.  This way you will go into the race confident that you can complete the distance.  Make sure to incorporate speed work, cross training and strengthening exercises into your routine to keep you strong and injury free.     

Train for the race route terrain:  Nearly all races have the race route available in advance for you to review and adapt your training.  Are there some considerable hills?  If so, you will want to add hill repeats into your training plan.  Will you be running on loose gravel, a trail, sand, grass or mostly pavement?  Most likely there will be a variety of terrain; practice on various surfaces. This may also effect what shoes you race and train with.  You may need to consider altitude differences and add in some high altitude training sessions.

Create a race plan or strategy:  Too often runners go into races with no plan in place; no race strategy.  Even if you are not out to win it, you should still have a plan.  The plan should include pace variables, and a re-hydration/glucose strategy.  Plan out how much water and electrolyte fluid you need to consume at each water stop.  Study the map and learn where the water stops will be and what type of carbohydrate sources may be offered.  Then practice with the same brand at the same intervals to see how your body tolerates it. Nothing is worse than having to stop and go to the
restroom in the middle of a race.  Having a plan can also help prevent you for “running out of gas” or “hitting the wall.” 

Run your own race:  In college, my coaches would often tell me to run my own race, which means to go the pace that I have trained for and not get caught up in the “race,” starting out too fast. It’s important to know your pace and stick to it, follow a plan. 

By varying your terrain and taking the time to train properly you will find that your half marathon experience will prove to be much more enjoyable.   

Lora Erickson is a competitive runner and triathlete with over 24 years of experience.  As one of Colorado’s top distance runners, she was heavily recruited by various colleges throughout the US. She graduated from Utah State University where she was honored as an all-conference runner.   She is the owner of Blonde Runner Health LLC  in Bountiful, Utah where she currently resides with her husband and four children and has been coaching since 1996.  She has a true passion for health promotion and welcomes questions and comments. Contact her directly at lora@blonderunner.com or visit www.blonderunner.com for more information on services available.

Guidelines to finding your flow, again

By Alicia Parks

Yoga is everywhere these days. It has arrived and is moving beyond its Paparazzi-like intrigue into an accepted part of our western society. Yoga has transcended time, culture and spirituality. It offers numerous benefits including creating flexibility and strength, decreasing stress, healthy weight management, increasing immunity, and connecting mind and body. Knowing yoga offers all these results, why have so many of us not tried yoga? More so, why have many of us drifted away from our mat?

It’s been said many times by almost every instructor from whom I’ve taken a class (and I have uttered the words myself), “the hardest part of your yoga practice is getting to your mat.”

The key word here being “practice.” Yoga is a practice. As an instructor, I have new arrivals in my class each week and I find myself constantly reminding the newcomers to remember that yoga is a journey. There will never be perfection, there is always growth. And this is a hard concept for many of us to grasp. Yoga does require an investment of time and energy. It requires work and dedication. This is a lot to ask of ourselves in an already demanding world.

In health and fitness the leading edge is faster results with least effort. We’ve even decreased the 8-minutes abs infomercial to 6-minutes abs or less. It’s a wonder how many obscure expectations have been brought to the mat by newcomers. Having expectation is setting up one for disappointment.

Because yoga is a practice, the first class is not a fair representation of all the benefits yoga has to offer. These gifts are received over time. Many may not come back to the mat because expectations were not met. As a newcomer to yoga there’s a lot to be accomplished in one class. As a regular yoga practitioner there is still much to accomplish as well. Yoga creates a flow and connection between the mind and body, between balance and proper posture, between alignment and breath and between Dhristi (focus) and meditation. (This is also known as the 8-Limbs of Yoga by Patanjali).*

My first time on my mat, I was lost—a half-step behind the cadence of the class and I did not stop looking around the room with deep concern about what everyone else was doing and how I looked. I didn’t know child’s pose (Balasana) from Warrior II (Virabradasan II). My mind was racing to understand Sanskrit and the English translation all the while getting into the pose (asana) finding balance and then trying to remember to breathe.

At the end of class I rolled up my mat, dazed and confused, but not discouraged. There was a residual feeling that I haven’t experienced after an aerobics class or running on the treadmill or lifting weights.

Intrigued by this feeling, I returned to my mat again. And again. And again. Each time I gained a better understanding of the postures, breath and flow. Over time my mind and body began to connect and communicate. I worried less and less about how I looked, what others were doing, and didn’t have to think so hard about what posture is what and where I was going next. I began to find my flow – my reasons for returning to my mat again and again.

And then I realized that never in my history of break ups and new relationships with my fitness regime have I ever completed an exercise with a final resting pose – a few mere moments to collect my breath, my energy and bring my mind and body together. In yoga this is called Savasana – the final pose in which one can absorb the benefits of his practice. I have yet to see anyone at a gym relax into Savasana after 30 minutes of cardio exercise. (In Savasana one is lying face up, eyes closed, legs and arms spread out).

I believe Savasana to be a powerful force in generating inspiration deep within our minds and bodies to get to our mats. The bliss I experienced in my “ah-ha” moment (of why I come to yoga) didn’t happen in my first class or overnight. It took weeks of practicing. It was a journey and still is. My reason for getting to my mat is my own and it was a discovery in time.

Reasons why we don’t get to our mat are endless and become easy ways to persuade our egos: too tired, too much to do, I’ll go tomorrow, I’m not flexible, I don’t know how, or I didn’t like my first yoga class. It’s easy to come up with reasons not to go to yoga but there are a few simple guidelines that may help squash those excuses.

Bannish Your Excuses With These Simple Guidelines:

1. Keep an open mind and remove expectation. Don’t anticipate the same feeling after your first class to be like that of a first great date. Try first to just focus on moving the body, getting your foundation. Then over time you’ll hone-in on flow, breath and meditation.

2. Give it more than one class. It will take time to learn the postures and flow. Be kind to yourself and allow a learning curve. Try to take a class at least once or twice a week. If you space out one class a month, the growth will happen but at a much slower, more difficult pace.

3. Try not to think too much. The mat is a great place to let go of the constant chatter in the mind.

4. Remember to breathe.

5. Yoga is not a religion. It’s simply a connection to the self. You control your own thoughts and beliefs. Some instructors may offer suggestions, thoughts, quotes or even a mantra but you have the power to choose to be open to it or not.

6. Accept that this is a practice, not perfection. The ego is running the show most of the time during this first class because it’s “protecting” you from failure. This also creates an illusion of your experience because it wasn’t your true expression (and thus another layer has been removed – that of the ego – a topic to consider later in one’s yoga journey).

7. Do not establish routine. I’m still finding my flow and because I understand and have accepted that yoga is a practice to connect my mind and body (yoga in Sanskrit means union with the self) and come to mat each day knowing that my practice will be completely different each time. This intrigues me to know that even if the sequence is the same, what I bring to my mat is different.

8. Journal after class – get deep and just write what freely comes to mind after class, or stay on the surface and just jot down a few comments about how you feel after class. After a few sessions, read through your journal and maybe you’ll find your own “ah-ha” moment for why you will return to your mat.

More important than guidelines is the simple fact that in yoga, one can “own” his own practice. You create the rules, the focus and can gain what you want from class and then hopefully carry that practice off the mat and into the world. When the excuses start to surface again, the true power of yoga is when the reasons not to get on the mat lose the fight against the infinite reasons to get back on the mat.

*Yoga On and Off the Mat

The 8 Limbs of Yoga by Patanjali

Patanjali, author of the Yoga Sutras, and creator of the 8-Limbed Path has deeply influenced and helped shaped the continued growth of yoga. His influence dates back over 2,000 years when he led a school of his own. His teachings still echo in yoga studies today.

The 8-Limbs of yoga are the disciplines one studies while practicing on the mat (and off). They are inward and outward observances of the self, an explanation of what is really going on deep in our mind, bodies and souls while we flow. It’s the breath, the posture, the flow, the balance, the moving meditation.

The first limb is the Yamas, outward moral restraints. Second is the Niyamas, inward moral restraints. Each of these breaks down into sub-catagories:

Yamas consist of Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truth), Asteya (non-stealing), Brachmacharya (moderation), Aparigraha (non-hoarding).

Niyamas include Santosha (contentment), Tapas (discipline), Isvara-Pranidhana (devotion), Saucha (purity), and Svadhyaya (self-study).

Following the Yamas and Niyamas is Asana (posture), Pranayama (breath), Pratyahara (turning inward), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (union with self).

When moving through a sequence many of the 8-Limbs are obvious: the asana is the pose, the breath is the energy that moves the body, the concentration to move from one posture to the next, the meditation or union with self when the mind is calm and quiet. What is not as obvious are the Yamas and Niyamas. This is really where we take our practice off the mat and into our personal lives, into our relationships, into our work places. Yoga then becomes a practice of being truthful, being content, practicing moderation, and so on.

When I was going through teacher training, one of my yoga instructors had us do a homework assignment involving the Yamas and Niyama. Each day we would pick a Yama or Niyama to focus on for that day. We began by meditating for a few minutes with the particular word in mind (for example, I chose Satya -Truth. I would inhale Satya and then exhale Truth). At the end of each day we would journal for a few minutes. The key was to observe and become more mindful of how focusing on the word could affect our lives-without making drastic changes, like quitting our jobs. Just observe. Try this on your own as well. See what comes up and become a witness of your life. Then reflect on the journal entries to find connections, similarities or opportunities.

“Learn, grow, live… And then write about it!” Alicia started her path to wellness and environmental leadership at Wild Oats, following college graduation with a degree in journalism. Her passion for natural living, environment, and wellness set the foundation for a future with Aveda where she is currently a marketing manager and manages the yoga program for staff and students. She is a certified yoga instructor and received her training through Core Power. Her favorite pose is handstand, though she is still working on mastering it. Her writing is a continuous practice, much like yoga, and began when she published her first book at age 12 called, “What Mothers and Fathers Do Best.” She is a proud mother of a 6-year-old boy, Tyler, the source for her inspiration to live in the moment-be mindful-be gracious and flow. Tyler is currently publishing one book a week, his latest being the “ABC of Animals.”

by Matt Tucker

I like the big picture. At the end of the day, the big picture is most important. Still, I think the little things are what make it so great. I like people with an outstanding attention to detail. Maybe it is because I pride myself on paying close attention to the little things. (I have been known to proofread and edit other people’s grocery lists for no reason other than the fact that ‘broccoli’ was misspelled. I know, it is borderline OCD, and I’m fine with that).

I think it is the spices and herbs that turn a meal from good to great. It is the fine, hand-carved woodworking and stained glass that make European cathedrals so glorious. It can be a comedian’s subtle facial gesture that determines if an audience is laughing hysterically or hearing crickets. A well timed, nicely written greeting card can revive a relationship, help land a job, or seal a business deal. No one will argue that the attention to detail – a focus on the little things – can make a huge difference in business, relationships, art, cooking, and sometimes even grocery lists. But what about fitness?

Little things make a huge difference with fitness and athletics too. Professional cyclists and their coaches meticulously monitor heart rate, lactic threshold, and power output. Bike manufacturers go through unbelievably great lengths to make a cyclist’s rig lighter, more aerodynamic, and more efficient. All of these details combine to paint the big picture – winning or losing. In some cases, even a second, gram, or watt can decide if a cyclist is standing on the podium or not.

Sure, it makes sense that a professional athlete monitors as much as possible including nutrition, training, power, etc. They have a lot at stake. It’s their job. How about the rest of us? Most of us don’t have the means to monitor our power output and lactic threshold. That’s fine. We do have the means to monitor what we eat and how much we exercise. Still, one of the biggest factors that determines a person’s weight is a very subtle, yet extremely important characteristic.

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota reported in 2005 that “non-exercise activity thermogenesis” is more important than formal exercise in determining who is lean and who is obese. They did this by attaching motion sensors to twenty people (ten who were lean and ten who were overweight) for ten straight days.

James Levine, M.D., the Mayo Clinic endocrinologist that lead the study, explains that the calories that people burn in their everyday activities are far, far more important in obesity than they previously imagined. The data from the sensors showed that an obese persons sit, on average, 150 minutes more each day than their naturally lean counterparts. This means obese people burn 350 fewer calories a day than do lean people.

People who are naturally compelled to stand, walk, pace, and fidget, rather than sit down, are burning more calories everyday. All of the small movements create a slow burn throughout the day.

Does this mean that people who sit still and don’t fidget are destined to be obese? They are certainly at a disadvantage, but a person can still create their own fate. What this means is that they are going to have to work a bit harder to find ways to burn more calories to keep up with their leaner, fidgety friends. For some this could mean spending more time on the treadmill. Or as the study shows, it could mean making a conscious effort to move around as much as possible.

Here are a few ideas to help a naturally sedentary person start moving:

• Pace or walk around the block while talking on your cell phone.
• Watch where you sit. Avoid the couch at all costs. Sit on the floor when watching TV. Sit on an exercise ball when at your desk. In both cases, you will constantly shift your weight to stay comfortable.
• Clean the house. A 135 pound woman can burn 113 calories doing general house cleaning for a half hour. Raking the leaves for the same time will burn another 130.
• If you have multiple bathrooms in your house, walk to the farthest one when you have to go.
• Forget the escalator, use the stairs.

Want more info about how small things can have a big impact? Check out my article, “Your Fitness Program’s Worst Enemy.”

Your Fitness Programs Worst Enemy

by Matt Tucker

Inconsistency is a fitness program’s worst enemy. If you are only working out once a week or once a month, my guess is that you are not very happy with the results. Even if you are hitting the gym a few times a week on average, you may be surprised to see the detrimental effects of skipping one or two workouts here and there.

 Let’s say your regular fitness routine includes jogging for 30 minutes, three times per week. Let’s assume you are a 175 pound man and you typically run at a 9 minute per mile pace. Each 30 minute jogging session burns about 460 calories.

 3,500 calories is equal to about a pound. If you burn 3,500 more than you eat, then you will lose 1 pound. If you consume 3,500 calories more than you burn, you will gain a pound.

 Continuing with our example, we can determine the effect that skipping jogs has on our subject:

• If he skips one workout each month for a year, he retains 5,520 calories (1.5 pounds)
• If he skips one workout every other week for a year, he retains 11,040 calories (3.15 pounds)
• If he skips one workout every week for a year, he retains 23,920 calories (6.8 pounds)

 Skipping just one workout doesn’t seem like a big deal at the time, but compound it over a year and the calories burned (or NOT burned) can cause a large variance in your weight. Skipping one workout a week can easily be the difference between busting the button off your pants or tightening your belt a notch.

 After a long day at the office, the cushions on the couch look much more comfortable than the seat on your exercise bike. Before you melt into the sofa, remind yourself of these two things:

1. Exercise fights fatigue and boosts energy levels. If you are constantly tired, exercise more, not less.

2. Skipping workouts will sneak up on you. A few hundred calories may not seem like much, but multiplied by 12 months of missed workouts and you could be plus or minus five pounds by the end of the year.

 If you buy a new bathing suit next summer,do you want to buy one that is the same size, larger, or smaller? Consistency plays a major role in determining if you are going to maintain, gain, or lose inches. Commit to yourself and your goals. Don’t let fatigue tie you to the couch. Fight fatigue and fat by sticking to your plan and making each and every workout a priority.

 To calculate the number of calories you can burn doing different exercises and activities, go to http://www.internetfitness.com/calculators/calburncalc.htm. Simply enter your bodyweight and average time to see how many calories you will burn by doing each exercise. Use this as a guide to figure out how many calories you DON’T burn when you skip a workout.

 For more information about making a making a plan to reach your goals, read my article, “New Years Resolutions Are a Waste of Time.”

by Matt Tucker

One of the best ways to get in shape and stay motivated is to register and train for a race. Whether it is a 5k or 10k walk or run, half or full Marathon, century bike ride, or triathlon, completing a race is a thrilling fitness experience.

Here is an 11 Step Guide to help you cross the finish line (and get fit along the way):

1. Choose your Event: Decide if you want to run, walk, bike, or try a triathlon. Don’t be afraid to try something new and exciting. Haven’t ran since high school gym class? No worries. Keep reading.

2. Find a Race: Do some research to find a list of events in your area. Check out www.coolrunning.com to search by state and event type. Choose an event that allows adequate training time. Pay the entry fee NOW. Registration fees are generally less expensive if you sign up early. Plus, you are less likely to quit if you already paid.

3. Make a Plan: Even a novice runner can complete a marathon with proper coaching, training, and enough time. To prevent injury, make sure you follow a plan designed for your event. Check out the ‘Training’ tabs at www.runnersworld.com and www.bicycling.com or check out a training book at your local library.

4. Mark your Calendar: Post the big day on your calendar and start counting down. Track your progress and keep a log of all of your training. Follow your training guide and check off each workout.

5. Gear Up: If you are running, go to your local running store and get professionally fitted with a pair of sneakers. Tell them about your plans and they will be happy to help. If biking, take your bike to your local shop and get a tune up.

6. Join the Club: Find a friend with whom to train. Training with others is a great way to stay stay motivated. While you are at the bike shop or running store, ask about cycling or running clubs. Want to train with certified coaches and help raise funds for a lifesaving cause? Check out www.teamintraining.org for more information.

7. Tell all your Friends: Make sure your friends and family know your plans. Their excitement will boost your motivation. It’s Okay to smile when they tell you are crazy. Who knows, maybe your accomplishment will motivate them to get in shape too.

8. No Bailout: Now that everyone knows you are running a race, you can’t back out. Embrace the encouragement and don’t let yourself or your friends down. Unless an injury makes a break necessary, keep up with your training. Race day will be a lot more fun and less painful if your body is conditioned.

9. Moral Support: Remember your those friends and family from #7? Invite them to come to the race and cheer you on. Hearing your name and seeing a familiar face can offer an extra (and sometimes extremely helpful) boost.

10. Be Prepared: Print out all of the race details. Get a good night’s sleep. Double check that you have all your gear. Arrive early. Stay hydrated.

11. Enjoy Yourself: Last, and certainly not least, HAVE FUN! Embrace the experience. Feel the burn. Revel in completing your goal. Savor the camaraderie with the other participants. Hug your friends at the end. Eat a delicious celebratory meal. Go home and sign up for your next event.

Matt Tucker is a fitness-crazed, bike addict, with a coffee obsession. He lives in Denver where he frequents local music venues, coffee shops, public libraries, dog parks, and ski slopes. He is a vegetarian because of health and environmental reasons, not because he likes cows. And yes, there is a way to get enough protein on a vegetarian diet and still have the power to run half-marathons and ride hundred mile bike rides. Matt convinced his company to let him work from home 1,800 miles away from the corporate office and eventually quit his six-figure job to travel and try to create work that he is passionate about.

By Matt Tucker

New Years Resolutions are a waste of time. I don’t like them. I don’t make them. Why? Because they don’t work. They fail. Don’t believe me? Go to your local gym and ask the guy behind the desk when their fitness center is the busiest. He will tell you that the first three weeks of each new year brings a sudden increase in unfamiliar faces and new memberships. All the people that gained five pounds over the holidays are super-excited to lose that new weight and more. They tell their friends and coworkers about their intentions. They skip dessert for a few weeks. Still, before January is over, so is their diet and exercise plan. As David Zinczenko explains in The Abs Diet, diets don’t work; healthy lifestyles do. (www.absdiet.com)

If a goal is important to you, start today. Why wait until tomorrow or next week or January 1st? Decide today that you are going to take the first step to achieving your goal.

You do have goals, right? If not, you better get some. Write them down. Keep a list. Figure out how to make them happen. Constantly ask yourself if what you are doing is moving you closer or farther from achievement.

Making goals is both great and pointless. That’s right, making goals is great. Making goals is pointless. Let me elaborate:

Making goals is great…if you stick with them.

Making goals is pointless…if you don’t.

Before you tell your friends how you are about to embark on a healthy new lifestyle, make a plan. First, write down some goals. Choose a few that are easily achieved to help build your confidence and make you feel good. Now pick one or two BIG goals. You know, the kind that are life-changing. The kind that you have been thinking about for a long time.

Now it is time to figure out how you are going to make them happen. In my experience, it helps to break them down into smaller parts. Let’s say, for example, you want to lose five, 15, or even 50 pounds? That is an awesome goal – granted you have consulted a doctor before starting any new diet or exercise program, as all programs are required to say.

Reaching this goal may take months or even years. If you are like most people, you don’t want to wait that long to see the finish line. So don’t wait. Break your BIG goal into many smaller parts. What you need do is make daily and weekly goals to stay on track.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” – Confucius

A person can’t lose 50 pounds. A person CAN lose one pound. And then another pound. And then another until finally, one day, they all add up to 50. Don’t try to lose 50 pounds. Try to lose one. And then try to lose another. And another. You get the idea.

Things come up. Don’t let them get in the way of your goals.
Make a plan. What are you going to do today to get you closer to your goal? What are you going to do tomorrow? And next week? And next month? Get your calender and start filling in what you are going to do. Look at it often. Hang it on the refrigerator. Write down everything you are going to do and more importantly, DO EVERYTHING you write. Write down everything you did and pat yourself on the back. Look back and assess what is helping and what it hurting. Keep doing what is helping and stop what is hurting.

Overgeneralizing? Maybe, but I don’t think so. The key here is planning and doing. You can talk all you want about losing weight – to continue with the previous example – but talking burns a lot less calories than walking, jogging, or cycling. Don’t just talk. Take action.

ProGress

• Make a list of goals you want to achieve

• Break them into smaller parts

• Write daily and weekly goals on a calendar

• Constantly review the calendar and keep up the good work

ProMote

• What large goal are you currently working toward? What have you done to stay motivated along the way?

*Photos are from the 2009 Philadelphia Mummers Parade. The Parade is an annual tradition on New Year’s Day.