Pareto's Law and Your C-Zone

I already had a post for you today, seriously packed with info on the 5 absolute things you need to do to seriously transform your body.  Believe me when I tell you, you will want to check back next Monday with me for that one.

But then life happened. 

I sat and spoke at length with a former client, and 2 points kept coming up.  And then I began to wonder how many of you are struggling with these 2 issues.

1.) "Pareto's Law" or the 80/20 rule, and

2.) Getting out of your comfort zone

First things first.  Are you familiar with the 80/20 rule?  It's a mathematical equation that basically predicts that typically 80% of output is a result of 20% of input (simply stated-- 20% of your habits create 80% of your results).  And it applies to virtually anything.  Now in my opinion that's one heck of a rule of thumb to learn from and live by.

So let's put this in real world form. 

• Stats say that 20% of the population generate 80% of the wealth

• 80% of company profits come from 20% of the products and customers

That means that 20% of your meal choices are creating 80% of your results, and that means when you skip meals too!  If you miss meals, you will nibble during the evening hours before you go to bed.  I hear it all the time. 

Remember this, you can gain weight 2 ways:
1.) under eat and your body will store calories fearing starvation, or
2.) over eat and you have a surplus of calories your body doesn't know what to do with -- so it stores those calories as fat.

So that means, you need to ask yourself what 20% of your habits (in your nutrition and in life) are creating 80% of your problems or frustrations.  Take the time to do this, I promise it will do wonders for your productivity, success, and overall happiness.

The secret is to find what your "range" of calories is that works for you, and stay in it. 

Now onto the second rule that is worth its weight in gold.  Getting out of your comfort zone. 

Did I miss something over the past 24hrs or did success and accomplishment change?  It still requires work, right?  It doesn't grow on trees, nor can you buy them at a discount on a daily deal site.

I mean really now, if making changes and getting results was simple and comfortable, don't you think everyone would be driving around in sports cars, playing with their smart phones on the patio of their beach front houses, and never gaining an ounce of fat while eating anything they wanted?

Obviously it's not that simple.  In fact you might actually have to be a bit uncomfortable in the process of achieving your said goal(s) --  No matter what it is!

Notice I said uncomfortable, NOT miserable.  Truth be told, I can't think of any client I've had over the past 18 years that told me they were hungry anytime during the day when they followed my nutrition program.

Equally, I cannot think of a client who didn't get serious relief from pain, when they followed my prescription for rolling (self-massage) and stretching. 

The reality is, change is difficult, it's inconvenient at times, and let's be honest, it's really not all that comfortable.  However, if you want something better than what you have right now, you will have to do something different.  BUT, you can get the results you want if you're willing to change your habits a bit -- and get out of your comfort zone.

Or, you could keep doing the same thing and expecting different results.  We all know what that's called, right?

Be sure to check back next Monday when I share with you the 5 Absolute things you need to do to change your body quickly.

Until then --

Mid-Week Motivation: Is It HOT Enough Yet?

Just the other morning a client said to me, "You know, I don't mind exercise, if it wasn't so uncomfortable to get started", then of course he laughed realizing his statement.

It's kind of like saying, "I like taking showers, I just don't like getting wet". 

Or perhaps, "I love food, I just can't stand chewing".

And lastly, "I want to retire financially independent, but I don't want to budget my money".

I think you're starting to get the point.

Anything in life that you really want to achieve.  Anything in life that you really value and want to make part of your life, will initially be uncomfortable to do when you first get started.

Why?

Because changing any pattern, takes effort.  It means you have to stop running on auto-pilot and actually  manage your energy and behavior.  When you want to achieve something of value to you, you have to get past the initial discomfort and inconvenience of breaking old patterns (think habits) in order to start a new pattern/habit that will help you achieve that goal (think a happier you).

I'll be the first one to tell you it is not easy.  I truly believe we are, among other things, a species of habits.  Many of us take the same way to work each morning.  Some of you match the same shirt and tie each week.  Others continue to wait to eat until they are starving; eating whatever, regardless if it's on their nutrition plan or not.  And while we all know we should put away a few extra dollars each week for that get-away we so desperately need, we don't do it.

I could spend the day telling you to change your habits.  I could spend weeks, encouraging you to make your food the night before so when you're hungry you'll have the "right" food in front of you -- to keep you on track with your nutrition. I could spend years sharing with you the importance of setting a goal, and making a plan to achieve to it.

But ultimately it comes down to one thing and one thing only.

You have to make the decision that you want your goal more than you want to be comfortable.  That's not an easy thing to do.  Which is why so many people continue to stay stuck in the same rut month after month, year after year.  It takes a bit of fire on the inside to challenge yourself to break the old unproductive patterns/habits. 

But successful people are willing to do just that.  What's the old saying, "Successful people do the things that unsuccessful people are not willing to do".  And by the way, success just means you set a goal and stuck to your plan long enough to achieve it.

There's one thing I do know for sure.  When the fire behind you gets hotter than the one in front of you, you will make a change that better suits you and gets you closer to your goal.

I believe in you.  I believe in your goals and dreams.  And even if I don't know you personally, I already know, if you're checking with me each week, you're serious about wanting a change in your life.

There's only one thing standing between you and your goal.  Know what it is. . . . . . (wait for it). . . (wait for it). . .?

It's you being willing to pick just one thing, and take

• the first step to achieving it -- write it down and hang it up so you can see it each day. 

• The second step, take some action, no matter how small, each day that will help you get closer to it.

• Know the third step?  Repeat step 2 over and over until you reach your goal.

Now Go Out and Get It Done!

Mid-Week Motivation: The Big Secret

At work today I was approached by a gym member and asked about 2 specific issues: How to get rid of knee pain, and The most effective way to lose weight and keep it off.  Needless to say I loved the questions because it gave me an opportunity to help someone achieve their goals by sharing the experience I've had as to what works and what doesn't.  But what was really interesting about the whole conversation was the person's high level of knowledge.  This person already knew what they should be doing as well as how often they ought to be doing it.  But for some reason, even with all of that information, the person was still in pain and not getting the weight loss results they wanted.

By the end of the conversation I came to one of those light bulb moments.  Actually it was so powerful I kind of had to look up and make sure there wasn't actually a light bulb above my head.

Check out today's motivational video to see what I mean.  I think you'll agree with the conclusion.

Spray Tan Fitness?

Welcome back to another Mid-Week Motivation Post. 

I don't know if you're familiar with the term, but it seems that many people have been using this type of approach to fitness in order to achieve their results.  I must admit I have not heard any credible or lasting results from the process, but for some reason it hasn't stopped many from continuing on this path of frustration and angst.

If you're looking for a clear and to the point way to get out of pain, or make changes to your body, then I encourage you to check out today's video blog post.

Kurt Elder of Energy F/X Fitness shares with you tips and insights to achieve your fitness and wellness goals. Making clear it is not something you casually ...