Your all or nothing attitude is why you’re not getting results

It’s a new year, and your on a mission to accomplish a new you! When trying to really make health and fitness a lifestyle, there are a lot of factors at play. Most important, is your mental approach. Here are a few tips you may want incorporate (at least be aware of) in your process.
Do not have an all or nothing attitude- it’s ok to be all in, that’s actually what’s needed for longterm success, and to start making health and fitness a lifestyle, but do not tell yourself after being sedentary for a year, that you’re now going to work out 5 days a week, and you’re going vegan as well. This is setting yourself up for complete disappointment. You have to allow room for learning (mistakes) Schedule yourself 1-2 days of more activity to start (the goal is to get quick wins to build momentum and confidence) and nutrition wise, let’s focus on eliminating processed foods and decreasing sugar intake. ( this is a great starting point for your first 30-45 days)

Getting started- when deciding to take control of your health and fitness, one thing most won’t do is face the facts and face themselves. Your habits and daily choices have you in your current situation, but new choices that will build new habits will get you out! This is a hard step to take, but instead of starting your journey with what the scale says, take starting pictures! 😲 this is a big first step, and it will be hard to face, but 60-90 days later, you will see a completely new person in this pictures. One with confidence, head held high, great posture, more definition, more energy, and hopefully a new wardrobe! (Try to Re-assess every 2 weeks and adjust program as needed) There are more ways to measure your progress outside of what the scale says. (Use scale that will track bodyfat% and muscle)

Don’t feel obligated to share- you don’t need to announce to family and friend, or social media that you are deciding to start your journey. It’s possible it could add more stress or anxiety by putting more eyes on you for critique. Your co-workers, possible family/friends, and for sure social media will give you their opinions and what you’re doing wrong… THIS IS YOUR PROCESS

Most of the time they mean we’ll, but they will suggest to you what they’ve heard or read, what may have worked for them, or just flat out tell you what your doing isn’t going to work. Build some momentum and personal confidence up first, and get a better understanding of the process and what’s working so you have a little armor to go to war with. Allow this to be your time, and own it. They’ll notice your energy changing, your productivity, and the results will speak for you.

2020 is the year of vision… go after YOURS!

Special guest contribution post from George Mears

Practical Tips for Battling Career Burnout

In 2018, a Gallup study of nearly 7,500 full-time employees revealed these staggering results: 23 percent of the participants frequently or always experienced career burnout, and 44 percent experienced it occasionally. A little math tells us that two-thirds of the participants experienced career burnout at one level or another. 

Among other factors, many participants cited overwhelming workload, unrealistic time pressures, and/or lack of direction as the primary source of their burnout. Suffice it to say, career burnout is a significant problem among Generation X and millennials, and it’s having a negative impact on people’s jobs and personal lives. 

Whatever the culprit might be, if you’re dealing with burnout, it’s essential to do something about it. And even if you’re not experiencing it now, you can take steps to avoid it in the future. Here are some practical tips to get you going in the right direction. 

Go on vacation. 

First order of business: take a vacation. If you don’t get paid vacation time, take one anyway. Stepping away from work for a week or more provides the perfect opportunity to decompress, recharge, and readjust your perspective. If taking an extended trip out of town is not in the cards, consider taking a staycation. Look for a vacation rental in a neighborhood with nearby activities you’re interested in. 

Take breaks every day.

Along with going on vacation, you also need to take short breaks each day. This could mean taking a walk outside during your lunch break, practicing mindful meditation for a few minutes at your desk, or any other activity that allows you to relax and recenter your thoughts. 

Some people find that a five-minute break each hour helps them stay happy and productive, while others prefer to take a 10- or 15-minute break every couple of hours. Find what works for you, and stick with it as much as you can. 

Take care of your body.

Our physical health is intimately connected with our mental well-being. Following a healthy diet and exercising regularly can do wonders for both. Find a diet that works for you, make sure it provides the nutrients you need, and try to stick to it. Eat mood-raising foods like avocados, spinach, wild salmon, eggs, nuts, and quinoa. The same goes for exercise. Don’t worry so much about what kind of physical activity you engage in; just be sure that you exercise consistently.

Don’t forget to sleep.

Too many people are living their lives sleep deprived. This not only affects your productivity at work, but it can also have a major impact on your personal life. Try to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night, even if you have to change up your routine to make it happen. 

Prioritize your relationships.

Every one of us is a social being. No matter if you’re an introvert, an extrovert, or somewhere in between, you’re wired to have meaningful relationships. Think about the people in your life, and make it a point to cultivate emotionally supportive relationships while stepping away from the negative ones. 

Career burnout can have severe effects on your life if you don’t take steps to mitigate or prevent it. Remember to use your vacation time and take short breaks throughout each workday. Also, be sure to eat well, exercise, get your sleep, and foster the most important relationships in your life. You’ll have a more successful career and personal life in the long term.

follow more of George Mear’s wellness tips at brianwellness.info

It’s time to pick your word for 20/20

Happy New Year!!! 

Can you believe it is 2020?!  Not only do we have a brand New Year ahead of us … we have a NEW DECADE! 

We’ve said goodbye to 2019, and we’re launching into 2020 with fresh energy. This is YOUR YEAR. 

That’s why I have something REALLY fun today, to help you celebrate! 

Are you ready to get FOCUSED? 

Here’s an amazing exercise that can set the tone for your entire YEAR … it’s truly inspiring! 

Take a few minutes (or maybe even a whole day) to think about how you really want to live this year ... 

What word(s) describe how you want to feel in 2020? What do you want to work on … or what inspires you? What changes do you want to make? 

Some possible words might come to mind as you consider all this:  

Strong - Joyful - Connected - Resilient - Brave - Renewed - Grateful - Faithful - Peaceful - Loving - Inspiring - Confident - Present … there seriously are so many great choices! 

Your job is to pick JUST ONE WORD that resonates with you, and make it your mantra for the year!  

It doesn’t have to be a word from the list above – this word should be unique to YOU. 

It should ignite an emotion within you – inspiration, relief, clarity – because of the meaning it carries for you. 

Let this word fuel your thoughts and actions every single day. 

Use it to clarify the decisions you’ll make, the actions you’ll take … and even how you view the people around you! 

It’s incredible how ONE WORD can give a specific intention to everything you do. This will help you be more present and “in the moment.” 

Tips:  

● Look at your word first thing when you wake up in the morning, and when you go to sleep at night. 

● Post it on your desk. 

● Make it your screensaver (on your phone & computer!) 

● Repeat it a couple times a day. 

● This habit can fall by the wayside after a few days, so keep those reminders posted! 

Here’s my word: VISION- I am dialing in on more personal growth to better serve my team and clients to take everything we do to the next level. 

One reason this is such an effective practice is that it’s SIMPLE.  

It’s JUST ONE WORD. 

Once you choose your word, I’d love for you to share that with me! Just hit “reply” to this email, and let me know what your word is!  

Let’s make 2020 a year to remember. 

10 things you need to know about health, not just losing weight!

1- Prevention trumps treatment- Most of major health problems we see heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure/cholesterol, cancer, are much more amenable to preventive lifestyle strategies (nutrition, exercise, rest) than to expensive, quick fix medications.

2- Real food is real Medicine- Locally grown fruits and veggies provide the micronutrients needed to keep your body and brain in balance, not processed pesticide-ridden gmo chemicals pretending to be food. Grow and prepare your own food.

3- You have to unplug to recharge- With all the multi-tasking and the go-go culture we’ve created, chronic sleep deprivation is a great risk factor for depression. Create quite calm places to pause, both at home and work. Your brain will thank you!

4- You can’t eliminate all stress, but you can develop better coping skills. The beauty of the mind-body medicine is that it only requires one person (YOU) and it’s cheap, available, safe, and very effective.

5- Get out/change scenery- It’s proven to positively effect mood, focus, energy level, and stress response with no risk of severe adverse effects. (Nature highly recommended)

6- Patience- You have to follow your plan let it happen. Whatever your goal for yourself is, it will not happen overnight. You are making steady changes as a whole, mind, body, nutrition, attitude, choices, being made daily! So take a deep breath and know your step a step ahead further than you were yesterday.

7- Good relationships are vital to health- Stress is toxic, and healthy relationships blunt the impact stress has on our health. This can cause for you needing to make some hard decisions. Changing your surroundings is one, as it involves saying no to people that aren’t fueling you to your goals.

8- You will have an off day- Off days are good! A day where you slip up on nutrition, or missing a workout. It’s ok, you can’t be hard on yourself and chalk up the rest of the week. Your program should allow for learning points. Don’t keep digging a bigger hole, notice it, be aware and start filling the hole (yourself) back up.

9- Make changes for yourself- You are the only person responsible for your progress and your success! Don’t try to please someone else, doing it to impress or compare, or even to fit in! You will be setting yourself up for failure. Only you can vision the outcome you expect.

10- Real change is hard work.. But it’s worth it! The health you desire is proportional to the effort you put in. Quick weight loss and maximum intensity workouts programs often lead to illness and injury. Instead, invest in working with a health consultant, trainer, coach who will partner with you to take it slow, steady, getting daily wins, and making the proper longterm moves toward optimal health!

Fitness myths some, even you may still believe 🤔

1-It’s better to use machines- These one dimensional forms of exercise make you more prone to injury. Completing multi-joint exercises (squats, lunges, deadlifts, even push ups) will prepare your body better for daily activity.
2-Losing weight only happens exercise- 80% of your program (weight loss, maintaining weight, or bulking) is all successful from your nutrition and recovery methods. Your success of attains your goal will thrive by balancing exercise, nutrition, sleep, hydration, and stress!
3- You can spot reduce 👎🏾 This is a big one that is not possible. Fat is burned through a combination of cardio and resistance/strength training that will ultimately decrease your body’s overall fat % paired with great nutrition.
4- Running is best to lose weight- Strength training combined with spurts of high intensity cardio creates more shock to your muscles, which in return will cause a Breyer after burn affect due to more required repair of muscles. Allowing more calories to burn continually after workout.
5- Staying fit takes up a lot of time- It’s proven that high intensity- interval training works for building muscle and burning calories in a more efficient time. The key is program design which is huge in this concept.
6-Women will “bulk” if lifting heavy weights- Hear this almost too often. Heard of testosterone? A very important component needed for muscle building, along with heavy calorie, protein, and carb filled eating and continuous heavy lifting for a period of time.
7- Needing a gym to stay in shape/fit- Body weight and rest interval is the matchup for an effective no equipment workout. This allows the body to work on all different plans and challenge muscles from many angles. Pull out a mat in your living room and do work!
8-If it worked for them, it will work for me- -Everyone is different, remember that! I know it’s hard with a lot of the hard selling going around with weight loss challenges, social media, diets, and whatever else is being mass produced. Each individual has a recipe needed for success, the key is trial and error, patience, dedication, and trusting the process! Focus on your goals, your progress, and no one else’s!