Ever have one of those days where you don't feel like you can do
what you need to do? You get up and say to yourself, "How am I going to
make it through this day?" But you remember what is important to you.
You remember what you were going to do that day before you knew you
wouldn't be feeling your best. And then you go into that mode where you
go about getting things done, and you "forget" you were feeling anything
but your best in the first place. Instead of feeling under the weather,
you end up feeling great about what you accomplished that day.
Those can be some of our best days. When we find it in ourselves to
make things happen without being at our best, that's when our character
grows. Helen Keller, no stranger to adversity, once said, "Character
cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial
and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and
success achieved." It is a great feeling to have given your all
when you didn't know you had your all to give. And for me, the
opportunity to serve you folks is what drives me to do that.
Today, let's find that place inside us that drives us forward when
something else is trying to hold us back. Let's be above the weather.
Well here we are again....every year, I spend time in December
getting organized and ready for the upcoming year. My organizing
actually starts during the holidays--with every present I receive, I'm
thinking "Out with the old and in with the new." So this year it will
begin with every present I receive, make a decision on what to do with
an old item, ebay, craigslist, etc. So I have developed a few keys for
you to make your 2012 more than your 2011 was.
1. Clean, organize and purge your desk. Update your files and replace all torn files. Buy new files, in different colors, and organize them by color: green for financial papers, purple for clients and so on. Be sure to label all the files, and then organize them alphabetically within each color scheme. And never, ever put the word "Misc" on any file--once you file it, you'll forget what you put in it. If you can say out loud what the file is, you have your label.
2. Be like Santa every day of the week. Make a list and check it twice. There's nothing more satisfying than checking things off your "to do" list! Make a list every night of all the things you need to accomplish the next day. Do this every night, including the weekends, so you get in the habit of relying on your to-do list to help you get things done.
3. Use only one calendar. Choose the one that works best for you: one on your computer, a handheld one like a PDA, or a paper one on your desk. Then get rid of all your other calendars and use just the one to record and keep track of everything. If you're maintaining more than one person's schedule, like your children's, use different colored inks to record information for each family member. My personal favorite is using Google Calendar, as it syncs with my phone. I leave it open all day long and when new things are added, I set a reminder, so that when it comes, my phone lets me know.
4. Make a note on your calendar, one week ahead of any event, about what you need to do for that event. Have you ever heard of the 5 P's? "Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance." Nothing worse than showing up totally unprepared. Do you need to buy rolls to bring to a housewarming party? Do you need to send flowers for your mother's birthday? Whatever it is, make a note of it in advance so you can stay of top of your tasks.
7. Get rid of any office supplies you haven't used in the past year. Return them to the store for credit or donate them to your favorite charity. The less clutter there is in your office, the more happiness there'll be in your life. If you buy a new printer, donate the old one. You don't need two printers--the old one is just taking up space. This goes for everything in your office.
8. Start planning now for the next tax year. Label a box "Next Year's Taxes," and put it in your office. This box will hold all your tax-related documents throughout the year: bank statements, receipts for business expenses, online statements indicating what bills you paid and charity receipts. At the end of the year, remove the contents from the box and make two piles--business and personal--for your accountant (or for yourself, if you do your own taxes). The box will be the one place you put everything that has anything to do with your taxes. It sure beats searching for the paperwork at the end of the year.
9. Update your rolodex. Clear out all the cards of people you never called last year. I can tell you that if a year goes by and you haven't contacted them, chances are, you'll never call them. If you feel you need to keep the information, put all the "maybe I'll call them one of these days" cards in a file and label it that.
10. Feng Shui your desk and surroundings. If it's good enough for Donald Trump, it's good enough for you!
Here is to you in a bigger better 2012!
-Coach Eric
Are you looking for a change in your fitness and finances? I am looking to help others in both. I will help you hit your fitness goals, as well as mold and mentor new leaders within fitness, Join my Team by Clicking Here!
Are you looking to become a serious entrepreneur and own your life? Then your call to action is to click and see what Pro Elite can do for you.
1. Clean, organize and purge your desk. Update your files and replace all torn files. Buy new files, in different colors, and organize them by color: green for financial papers, purple for clients and so on. Be sure to label all the files, and then organize them alphabetically within each color scheme. And never, ever put the word "Misc" on any file--once you file it, you'll forget what you put in it. If you can say out loud what the file is, you have your label.
2. Be like Santa every day of the week. Make a list and check it twice. There's nothing more satisfying than checking things off your "to do" list! Make a list every night of all the things you need to accomplish the next day. Do this every night, including the weekends, so you get in the habit of relying on your to-do list to help you get things done.
3. Use only one calendar. Choose the one that works best for you: one on your computer, a handheld one like a PDA, or a paper one on your desk. Then get rid of all your other calendars and use just the one to record and keep track of everything. If you're maintaining more than one person's schedule, like your children's, use different colored inks to record information for each family member. My personal favorite is using Google Calendar, as it syncs with my phone. I leave it open all day long and when new things are added, I set a reminder, so that when it comes, my phone lets me know.
4. Make a note on your calendar, one week ahead of any event, about what you need to do for that event. Have you ever heard of the 5 P's? "Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance." Nothing worse than showing up totally unprepared. Do you need to buy rolls to bring to a housewarming party? Do you need to send flowers for your mother's birthday? Whatever it is, make a note of it in advance so you can stay of top of your tasks.
5. Make a list of your goals.
Do you want your 2012 to look the same or different from 2011? Here is
your homework: Write down at least 10 goals you want to accomplish in
your lifetime. Be specific. Then carry this list with you so that you
can focus on making them happen, all to often we put the list away and
go to update it again next year, realizing that we didn't do any of them
because we they weren't in front of us!
6. Choose one or two goals you want to accomplish this year with your business.
Maybe it's to make more money or to find more clients, perhaps its you
want to grow your organization. For me its to find new leaders and
coaches that want to be a part of something great, exciting, and
rewarding. How will you accomplish that goal?, will you use social
media, word of mouth, radio, print? What amount of money will you make
this year? How will you do it? Type that information out in a clear
sentence, put by your bedside, and read it every morning and every night to help inspire you to reach your goals.7. Get rid of any office supplies you haven't used in the past year. Return them to the store for credit or donate them to your favorite charity. The less clutter there is in your office, the more happiness there'll be in your life. If you buy a new printer, donate the old one. You don't need two printers--the old one is just taking up space. This goes for everything in your office.
8. Start planning now for the next tax year. Label a box "Next Year's Taxes," and put it in your office. This box will hold all your tax-related documents throughout the year: bank statements, receipts for business expenses, online statements indicating what bills you paid and charity receipts. At the end of the year, remove the contents from the box and make two piles--business and personal--for your accountant (or for yourself, if you do your own taxes). The box will be the one place you put everything that has anything to do with your taxes. It sure beats searching for the paperwork at the end of the year.
9. Update your rolodex. Clear out all the cards of people you never called last year. I can tell you that if a year goes by and you haven't contacted them, chances are, you'll never call them. If you feel you need to keep the information, put all the "maybe I'll call them one of these days" cards in a file and label it that.
10. Feng Shui your desk and surroundings. If it's good enough for Donald Trump, it's good enough for you!
Here is to you in a bigger better 2012!
-Coach Eric
Are you looking for a change in your fitness and finances? I am looking to help others in both. I will help you hit your fitness goals, as well as mold and mentor new leaders within fitness, Join my Team by Clicking Here!
Are you looking to become a serious entrepreneur and own your life? Then your call to action is to click and see what Pro Elite can do for you.
Well it is the holidays, and you are all either becoming fluffy bunnies, or you are saying to yourself, I need to run into 2012 with some bigger fitness goals and accomplishments. That being said, Steve Edwards (author of the blog - The Straight Dope gives an amazing 10 Point Plan for Holiday Diet Success. Here is to a great close of 2011 and a sprint into 2012. Get your 1 year plan started.
-Coach Burgan
Your 10-Point Plan for Holiday Diet Success
By Steve Edwards Good ol' "holiday cheer" doesn't always leave you feeling cheerful, especially when you can't fit into your little black dress or fancy-occasion suit for your upcoming holiday parties, and especially for New Year's Eve. Here's a simple 10-step plan to help you enjoy all your holiday events while you begin planning how to make your coming New Year something to celebrate. Let's start with the big picture, then count down toward a healthy New Year.- Visualize. This first step won't take long. In fact, do it right now, before reading step 9. Close your eyes for a moment and visualize yourself in a place you want to be sometime next year. This is a fantasy, so make it a good one. Imagine looking and feeling a way you've always dreamed of. Now hold on to that vision.
- Target an event for next year. Think of something to focus on as a day for looking and/or feeling and/or performing your best. It can be anything from a class reunion to a triathlon to a trip to Cancun. Your goal is to find something to look forward to that will motivate you to improve between now and then.
- Plan a training program. Begin by finding a monthly calendar and figure out how much time you have until your event. Next, make a loose training program. You don't have to decide exactly what to do right now. Maybe start with progress you'd like to make each month leading to the event. Then pick an exercise program (or series of programs) that'll help you achieve your goals over that time.Be realistic. It might be difficult for you to focus on exercise and diet during the holidays, so you might want to schedule yourself a bit of flexibility for now. At this point, your aim is to plant a seed in your mind to keep you focused on a bigger goal as you go through the holidays. This little extra bit of motivation will help you keep your holidays from becoming one long binge.
- It's better to give than to receive. It's time to get busy. You've planted an image of success in your mind and on paper. Now you've got to get practical. Just how are you supposed to stick with an exercise program when temptation looms around every corner? Start by becoming proactive about this holiday season. Become a giver. Instead of letting the festivities come to you, where you'll have little control over them, plan them yourself. Organize your Thanksgiving dinner, help out with the company Christmas party, or plan your friends' New Year's get-together. If you're the organizer, you have a lot more control over the relative healthiness of the event. You must be reasonable, of course. You won't get the gig again if you turn Thanksgiving dinner into a tofu-and-broccoli Zen-fest, but being in charge allows you to make healthy options available. Plus you'll be busy, which'll leave you less time for indulging.
Learn to cook. The easiest way to eat healthily is to cook food yourself, because that way you know exactly what's in it. There's a wealth of information out there about healthy cooking. Once you start, you might find that it's easier than you ever imagined to cook decadently tasty yet healthy meals.
- Plan to snack. Let's face it, over the next month your workplace is going to be filled with temptation. Willpower alone might not be enough. Since the easiest way to avoid these things is to be full, plan to snack throughout your day. Head to the market and fill your cart with healthy snacking options like fruit and raw veggies. Okay, this probably sounds boring, but these foods are loaded with fiber and have very few calories, so they'll fill you up without filling you out. A large apple has about the same number of calories as a tiny square of chocolate. By munching on fruits and veggies all day, you'll keep your stomach full, which will help make you far less likely to dig into the Christmas cookies. And if or when you do choose to indulge a bit, it'll be far, far easier not to overdo it.
Drink water all day long. Another way to ensure that your stomach feels full when workplace temptations present themselves is to drink one glass of water every hour during your workday. This won't just help you resist treats—it'll also keep you hydrated, which will help reduce the effects of that aprés-work holiday "cheer," alcohol.
- Rise and shine! Begin each day with a few minutes devoted to yourself. Lie in bed, breathe, visualize, and contemplate your goals. By focusing each morning on something you really want, you'll get out of bed with a better outlook on the day. Then you'll be more apt to make positive choices throughout your day.
- How to eat your holiday meals. You're almost certainly going to overeat, but here are a few rules you can follow to stack the odds in favor of your figure:
- Drink a large glass of water 30 minutes prior to the meal.
- Begin with a salad. Go light on the dressing, and eat as much as you can. You probably see a pattern but, again, water and fiber are going to fill space in your stomach and make it much harder to overeat.
- Don't be shy. These meals were meant to be social and the more you talk and listen, the less you'll eat. Have you ever had a meal where you've been so involved in a conversation that you've forgotten to eat? Try making this your goal.
- What to do if you blow it. Because at some point, we all do. And you know what? It just doesn't matter. If we were perfect, life would be boring, right? Anyway, one day isn't going to hurt you. What you need to avoid is one day turning into two, then three, and so on. So on those days when you've backslid, try this nighttime ritual that'll have those little gaps in your willpower filled in before you wake up:
- Have a cup of herbal tea or drink a glass of water before bed. Herbal tea is great. It's both hydrating and calming. If you've been drinking alcohol and fear a hangover, take vitamins and drink some electrolytes (P90X® Results and Recovery Formula® works well). Don't worry about calories at this point. Offsetting the effects of alcohol is more important. The most common effects of a hangover result from dehydration and lack of sleep. You need nutrients and water to fight these off.
- Stretch. A few minutes of slow and easy stretching will relax you and help you begin the process of recovering from the day's activities. A scant 2 minutes is a million times better than no minutes.
- Relax and reflect. Lie in bed, focus on relaxed breathing, and take a minute to reflect on yourself and your future—then let it go. Don't think too much. You don't want to get excited, because you might lose your ability to sleep. You just want to center your thoughts and get them away from any negative associations with having "blown it." Tomorrow, as Scarlett O'Hara famously said, is another day.
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