Tools For Success

If I had to pick just one piece of advice to share with you about starting up an exercise routine it would be this: Don't use exercise as a punishment! Don't go to the gym and run for an hour just because you ate that pizza the night before, or because you had a few extra cocktails on your birthday. If you do this, you're immediately throwing any chance of it being fun for you right out the window. And exercise should be fun!!! Quite doing things because you feel like you have to, and start doing the things that you enjoy doing because you want to. Do what you love to do! If you don't like to run, why would you choose to get up at 5am every morning and run 5 miles as your main source of exercise?!? This is punishment! It makes no sense to me. If you don't enjoy what you are doing you will eventually burn out and stop all together. It's not rocket science you guys. If you love the game of basketball, join a league. If you enjoy running, run! If you find release in rollerblading, GO SKATE!!! Exercise in ways that you enjoy and set some goals for your self along they way. It's as simple as that. Make sure you're always working towards something. If you're not, things in your life will eventually become stagnant and you'll end up with a mid life crisis. (ha!) The questions are simple. What do you enjoy and what goals can you set in order to better yourself by doing these things? 

The first step is deciding what it is that you want to do (activity and goals). The second step is deciding how you are going to hold yourself accountable. If your goals are fitness related, will you work out with a buddy? Will you work with a personal trainer? If your goals are socially related, will you join a social group and go to at least one meet up every week? Whatever your goal is, its important to come up with a plan of action in order to successfully achieve it. This plan is going to be your saving grace. It's the same with clean eating. YOU HAVE TO PLAN AHEAD!!! If you don't have meals prepared, you're more likely to eat something quick like a lean cuisine (gross). And no, lean cuisines are not healthier because they have the world lean in the title. Read the labels, not the title. Nothing worth having is quick and simple you guys. You have to put in the work to get the results you want. 

Choosing a goal.

I feel like this is where some people go wrong. People get ideas in their head of what they want to achieve based on what they see on TV or read in magazines. They don't sit down and really think about what it is that they want. They decide to lose the weight or build the lean muscle for all the wrong reasons. People do things for acceptance. If we don't choose goals for ourselves we simply won't stick with them. The desire to succeed has to burn deep with in you because when you reach the point of wanting to throw in the towel (you will), that desire is going to be the only thing that keeps you moving forward. It's your golden ticket. I chose to compete in this competition because I've been battling with myself about it for over two years now. I finally managed to lay the perfect path for myself, now I just have to follow it and forget about the fear. If your dreams don't scare the living shit out of you, then you aren't dreaming big enough.

"How do I hold myself accountable?"

Holding yourself accountable can be a challenge. It definitely takes practice. And honestly it takes a little practice to do it on a regular basis. It's a good idea to start out with someone to help you hold yourself accountable. Maybe you would do best with a workout buddy. This person will probably rely on you just as much as you rely on them. That's what makes it work so well! There are many ways to hold yourself accountable. I have multiple friends who use Facebook groups to do this. They post things about upcoming workouts and keep each other motivated to go. Don't be afraid to try new things. It's probably going to be a process. You have to find what it is that works for you and DO IT!!!

I have a piece of paper hanging on my refrigerator that has a big 146 written on it. Why? Because when my coach Aaron and I met up to discuss details for the first time on January 18th, we set this goal. He took my initial weight and body fat % and we talked about how everything was going to work. We mapped out a specific plan of action and set specific goals. My 8 week goal is to get down to 146 pounds. Every time I see this little piece of paper, it reminds me of the goal that I have set for myself. For me, I need more than verbal cues. It helps me to SEE something on a daily basis. I'm a very visual person. If you are the same way, I encourage you to try similar strategies. This is one of the ways I hold myself accountable. Another way I'm holding myself accountable is by telling EVERYONE about this show months in advance. My initial thoughts about doing this were "KELSEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?! What if you fail?" Hearing myself say this was exactly what I needed. The people that I care about most in this world are planning their trips, spending money, and making time in their busy schedules to come show me love and support. This in itself is enough to give this everything I have. I will not let them down.

Why is it on the fridge? Because that's where I keep the Peanut Butter.

The key to holding yourself accountable is figuring out what it is that motivates you. Who are you doing it for? If your answer doesn't include yourself, then you need to reevaluate things. Life is too short to live trying to impress and/or satisfy other people. If you make a conscious effort to live for yourself, I promise you that everything else will fall into place.