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Wednesday Wellness: Life Planning

By Tammy Parkinson | May 5th, 2010 0 Comments

Over the past week I have shared this analogy with several of my clients and it “sticks”!

Let’s say you are the family planner and financial budgeter. It’s October and you realize Christmas and property taxes are right around the corner. You know you will be spending quite a bit of money in December. Do you:

a)     Spend like there’s no tomorrow and worry about your credit card balances December 20th, hoping you’ll get a free offer for a new credit card around December 15th?

b)     In October, budget in order to be in the black come December 1st so that when you do need to buy presents you won’t go too far in the red

c)     Don’t worry about it much because you’ve already saved your money last summer and you have enough in the bank in order to safely skate through December without going into a national deficit.

Now let’s say you are going on a big trip with friends and/or family to Italy this summer. There’s wine, pasta, pizza, gelato and pounds to be gained (lots of them).   You are hoping to be in the best shape of your life before you travel to Italy. Do you…

a)     Crash diet 2 weeks before the trip, cleansing, detoxing, fasting and starving so you can have pizza, pasta and gelato (knowing you’ll gain it all back because you’ve only lost water and completely messed up your metabolism)

b)     Start to get in shape a couple of months before the big trip, working on your fitness, watching what you eat and starting to lose a few pounds before your adventure, hoping you can keep it off.

c)      Are already in shape because you planned on being in phenomenal shape several months before the event while at the same time creating lifelong habits of how to travel, what to eat and how to exercise; no matter where you are?   You know that when you get to Italy you will indulge a little but you will feel so great about your health, you won’t feel possessed to eat pizza and gelato like you will never have it again…ever?

Of course in each scenario, best case is “c”, and with “b” you can get by (barely). Unfortunately, so many of us choose “a” in our life, not just with our health and our budget…but everything. We put off what we know we need or want to do because somehow we make ourselves believe in the 11th hour we can always pull it together.

The problem isn’t that we pull it together; it’s that we never plan for what happens in the moment after we dodge the bullet. We stay on this inevitable roller coaster through life and are always living in the 9th inning so to speak.

It is late spring now. Most likely you have something fun planned for later in the summer which involves activities and indulging. Consider starting your spring training early and go into the home stretch already having achieved your goals!

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Wednesday Wellness: Stay Healthy on Vacation

By Tammy Parkinson | April 14th, 2010 0 Comments

One of Body Firm’s Trainers and my good friend, Michelle Brown, was preparing for a 10 day vacation in Maui earlier last week.  While her friends were planning what outfits to wear and restaurants to go to, she was planning where she will be going to get her next workout in.  Here is what she shared in her blog.  To me, it’s so “ON”  that I wanted to share it with all of you!

Written the eve of her departure…

My lifestyle includes exercise and healthy eating daily.  This lifestyle of course took time to develop and I have no intention on breaking that GOOD habit now.  Plus I always feel great after a workout and know I will be indulging in foods and beverages more than usual so I will need the calorie burn.  Unfortunately, I currently have an issue going on with my knee preventing me from running (my favorite beach activity).  High calorie burn, great adrenaline fixes, and cost effective.  So without that, I need to come up with alternative solutions.

So here is what I did to keep myself going.  I found the local gyms online.  Some of them had trial memberships. I signed up for a few of those to last me over the 10 days.  I also found some other contacts through friends that also enjoy workouts while traveling.  I got a name of a trainer who does great boot camps at a park close to where I am staying.  I have his number and will be contacting him once I arrive.

I also have heard of some new adventures to try.  Surf paddling is supposed to be an excellent workout while enjoying the beauty of the island and I might actually get to see some sea life.  I hear the sea turtles are beautiful while paddling.  I may also sign up for surfing lessons.  There, of course, is always a renting a bike.  I brought my cycling shoes just in case.  Since the people I am going with on this trip do not have a similar lifestyle, I will be mostly on my own for these outings.  I have no problem with that as I know they will be basking in the sun enjoying their relax time and I will get my workout in and still get time to join them when I’m done.  This can be an obstacle, but know that I have a plan and once I get to my destination I will plan my workout schedule against the group activities so that it all flows easily for everyone.

Now there is the issue of food while vacationing.  This I plan to continue to do my daily habits as much as possible.  Meaning while eating out, I order healthy food by selecting lower calorie options – mainly ordering fish or chicken with vegetables that are steamed.  This should be easy in Maui.  Then while out and about I have packed protein bars.  I also brought a few of my favorite extras.  Which for me knowing the salt content of my food will be higher from eating out I am bringing some detox tea to have before bed.  I also have brought plenty of Emergen-C.  Two easy to pack items that will go a long way.  Now of course there are all those tasty fruity drinks that are so tempting.  I plan on having 1 mai tai and 1 hurricane while I’m there.  Other than that I will be sticking to my usual favorites: Vodka with soda and lime, or flavored vodka.  Of course I will be on the “drink water frequently plan” to keep hydrated.

My goal for this trip is to try out a few new sports I have not done yet and to exercise 8 of the 10 days – should be doable.  I will also be logging my food intake and exercise schedule to help duplicate this plan for my clients.

Michelle returns this coming weekend…if I know her, she hit every goal above and came back enjoying every moment of her trip!

I hope this blog inspired you as much as it did me!!

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Monday Mojo: Life is Not Baseball

By Tom Tognoli | April 12th, 2010 0 Comments

Being a pitcher in baseball may be the only thing in life where there is a bullpen to finish off the game for you.  With everything else, in order to be successful, you need to not only be good at the start and solid in the middle, but you need to be able to finish strong.

In my job, I am always looking for ways to motivate and inspire people to improve and do better.  But the most amazing thing to me is how many people can get fired up about starting something that will make them better.  They are raring to jump in and participate, but once the novelty wears off, they end up petering out and vanish into thin air.  Not only do they not finish the game, but they can’t even get out of the first inning.

I have discovered it is really only those who have the discipline and commitment to stick it out once the novelty has worn off – those that keep up the hard work and discipline when no one is looking, that will be truly successful.  It is exactly why we see so many people hitting the gym and eating right on January 1st, when it is “the thing to do”.  But then by Feb 1st 99% of people are right back to their same old bad habits.  They are great starters – but horrible finishers.

I don’t care whether it is sports, family, faith, business, health, or whatever – if you really want to be successful at something you need to be accountable and disciplined in doing the activities it takes in the beginning, in the middle and in the end.

Remember there is no bullpen in life.  If you want to win at anything you need to “be in the game” from start to finish.

Play ball!

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Monday Mojo: Finding Your Meaning and Purpose in Life

By Tom Tognoli | April 5th, 2010 0 Comments

Last Wednesday I had the privilege of attending the 17th Annual Silicon Valley Prayer Breakfast in Palo Alto.  The theme was “Finding Meaning and Purpose in Life”.  There were two incredibly powerful speakers.  I walked out humbled and inspired. I walked out determined to find my meaning and purpose in life.

First was Tim Borland – in 2007 he ran 63 Marathons in 63 days.  Why you ask?  Tim’s life mission is to advocate for children in need by using his gift in endurance running.  Click on the link below and watch this video – this is Tim’s meaning. This is his purpose:

Tim’s four keys to finding meaning and purpose in life:

  1. Focus on the needs of others before ourselves.
  2. Develop an accurate view and understanding of fear.  He said fear of failure is a dream crusher.
  3. Be willing to risk it all.
  4. Pray for a God inspired vision.

Second was Joe Ehrmann. He played football for the Colts for 13 year and was named Colts’ Man of the Year.  In the same year Ehrmann played in the Pro Bowl he watched his brother Billy loose his fight with cancer.  This experience caused Ehrmann to rethink and reorder his priorities in life. Ehrmann spearheaded the construction of a Ronald McDonald House in Baltimore in memory of Billy. In the off-season, Ehrmann attended classes at Dallas Theological Seminary and, following his football career, he graduated from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, specializing in urban ministry. He was ordained in 1985. Parade Magazine name Joe the “Most Important Coach in America” due to his tireless efforts to change the culture of sports.  Joe and his wife Paula co-founded Building Men and Women for Others to help every man, woman and child reach his or her potential.  He was also the recipient of the National Fatherhood Initiative’s Man of the Year Award.

This is his meaning. This is his purpose:

As a Pastor for more than 25 years of his life he has been with many people as their life on earth ends.  He said – all people care about at the end of their life is who did I love and who loved me, and did I make a difference.  Nothing else matters – not money, not fame, not power – nothing else.

Two ordinary men doing extraordinary things.  So, what is your meaning and purpose in life? If you don’t know – find it!

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Monday Morning Mojo: The Circle of Success

By Tom Tognoli | March 1st, 2010 0 Comments

The key to achieving your dreams is making the choice to. The most common difference between those who have an AWESOME life and those who don’t are simply the choices they make every day.  It’s not their circumstances, the way they were raised, or their education.  Most people who are not accomplishing their dreams in life are those that have chosen not to. These people just aren’t willing to do what is necessary to have a life that good.

Think about your life for a moment, what do you want and what does it take to get it?  So, why haven’t you been doing what it takes to get it?

Before you start with all of the excuses, ask yourself – if you really had to do it, could you?  Let me make it clear how this is a choice – I don’t even like to think these thoughts, but it will help you understand that you can do it, if you want it bad enough.  If the person or people you care about the most lives depended upon it, could you do it? We both know the answer. Of course you could and would.  Life is a series of choices – I call them the Y’s in the road.  In most cases if you take the easy path – the one most people take – you will experience short term gain and long term pain. On the other hand if you have the courage to take the other path – the one most will not take – you will have some short term pain, but long term gain. So, make the right choice and have a life of pure magic!

Start by making the choice everyday to FEEL GOOD.  Because when you FEEL GOOD you are ATTRACTIVE. When you are ATTRACTIVE, you have AMAZING PRODUCTIVITY. When you have AMAZING PRODUCTIVITY, you have EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS. And when you have EXTRAORDINARY RESULT, you feel even better! It is the circle of success.

Make it a GREAT week and make the right choices.

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Monday Morning Mojo: Be One of the Few to Have the Best Things in Life

By Tom Tognoli | December 7th, 2009 0 Comments

I want this…

I want that…

I want to look like…

I want my relationship with _____ to be…

I want my bank account to be…

I want my job to…

I want my health to be…

I want my weight to be…

I want my life to be…

I don’t care where we are in life, in business, in health, in faith, in relationships, in our bank account. I think we are always looking for ways to make it better – right?  As we head into the holiday’s and start thinking about how next year is going to be different, and how we are going to get more of what we want, here is what we all need to remember.  The best things in life are hard to get and require a lot of discipline and accountability to get them otherwise everyone would have them.

Earlier this week I was talking with a buddy of mine who had just gotten back from the doctor and was a bit rattled with how high his blood pressure and cholesterol was.  He is about to turn 55 and his father had passed away at the young age of 56 from a heart attack. Here is what I shared with him - this applies to anything in life, not just your health.

“Big Man – 12 months from now, let’s see you at 175 lbs., with a 170 cholesterol, and your blood pressure at 110/75 – on no medication and no booze. You will be inspiring your children, inspiring your family, inspiring your friends, and inspiring the world! Remember the best things in life are hard to get otherwise everyone would have them – be one of the few that does. Work hard on this and you will find a peace and success you never thought was possible.

Trust me – I know firsthand. Remember when I weighed 210 with my cholesterol level at 310, 180/110 blood pressure – I was stressed-out, frustrated, and unhappy.  I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO THAT! Unfortunately most people live their whole life like that and never experience the freedom and relief.  Don’t be one of them, be one of the few. JUST DO IT!”

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Monday Morning Mojo: Challenge+Crisis+Pain =OPPORTUNITY

By Tom Tognoli | November 23rd, 2009 0 Comments

Why does life throw challenges and crisis at us, like the crisis we have all been dealing with for the last year?

Because that is the only way we will change. It is the only way we will rid ourselves of evil, bad habits, greed, ego and the wrong priorities.  It’s human nature wanting to stay the course, not to rock the boat, and usually the only way we will change is if we are forced into it by some outside influence, i.e. financial crisis, death, illness, catastrophe.  We have to look at the challenges of this last year as an opportunity and as a way to re-prioritize what is important.

What has happened with most people this last year is they are focused, no they are consumed, by what has been taken away and not focused on being thankful for what they have and the opportunities of tomorrow.  Step back for a moment – the reason things get taken away, the reason life throws us challenges and crisis is because it is the only way we will wake up and quit overlooking those things which are really most important in life – our family, our friends, our health, our spirituality, balance, etc.  Challenge and crisis gets thrown at us because it is the only thing that will slap us in the face hard enough to get our attention. Think back in your life to a time of crisis – yes you may have lost something or someone. There may have been a scare in your life of some kind, and with that crisis a door opened. A new person appeared when you looked in the mirror, usually a better person, a more thankful person, a more humble person, a more caring person, and a person with better priorities.

In every crisis and in every challenge there is an opportunity. We just have to find it.  But, until we let go of the pain and anger of what we have lost, and focus on all that we have which is really most important, the agony will not stop.  And, once we do focus on what we have, life will be even better than it was before. This week and beyond, make a commitment EVERYDAY to give thanks and be grateful for everything and everyone you have in your life. Quit being consumed by what you have lost, or the pain will not stop and you will not be able to move forward towards accomplishing greatness.  If you can do this, not only will the pain stop, but life will be better and you will be more at peace than ever before.

Remember, life is about who we become and how we grow when faced with challenge, with crisis, and with pain.  It is what life is all about. It is why we are here.  So step back and look in the mirror, who are you becoming?

This week is Thanksgiving – be thankful and be grateful for all we have in our lives.  The rest is just “stuff”.

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Discover Your Passion

By Tammy Parkinson | November 18th, 2009 0 Comments

What if I told you that you could do virtually anything you put your mind to? Even if you didn’t necessarily know that it was something you thought you wanted to do? What if I told you not only would you achieve it, but you’d exceed your goals and discover a passion for this new thing that you didn’t know existed within you? Oh, and you’d also lose over 25 pounds and 5% body fat in pursuit of this newfound passion, too. And all you had to do was suit up, show up, do the work and let the magic happen? Sounds impossible?

Recently, I got to witness a few of my clients complete a half century (50 mile) bike ride in Solvang. When they started “training” for this event, they were doing it because (quite honestly) their husbands were doing it and wanted their wives to do it, too. Begrudgingly, the girls started training, and signed up for the 25-mile event (while the guys were signed up for a metric century, or 62.5 miles.) But somewhere along the way, with more than a few thousand pedal strokes in between, the magic happened for them.

I was fortunate to watch as the passion unfolded for them. They started strength training, they began a nutrition program, and started riding their new bikes. Shifting? Nerve wracking for them. The saddle?? Ridiculously uncomfortable. And don’t even THINK about using anything other than their tennis shoes to ride with…

Slowly but surely, as they gained confidence and we went on ride after ride with one another, they began to flourish. They got new cycling gear. They learned how to shift. And they even used “clipless” pedals (which if you’re a cyclist you KNOW what a big deal this is!) With each pedal stroke, they came closer to realizing their goal of now a 50-mile ride. Inconceivable! And it no longer mattered that their husbands “wanted” them to do it–they now wanted to do it for themselves, because they truly loved cycling.

The big day arrived, and they had done their homework. No cramming necessary. Even though the day was tough at times, and glorious, too THEY DID IT!!! They completed the 50-mile ride. And without exception, every one of them said that never in their wildest dreams did they think they could do it and LOVE it so much. I couldn’t have been more proud and excited. The best part? They’ve already signed up for the next one…regardless of whether or not their husbands do it!

Discover your passion. Be willing to take risks and KNOW that you can indeed do virtually ANYTHING that you put your mind to.

This was written by one of Body Firm’s amazing trainers, Stacia Carney, who was able to witness this metamorphis over the last several months!

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Monday Morning Mojo: Will Smith’s Wisdom on Life

By Tom Tognoli | October 18th, 2009 0 Comments

Funny, I would not think of Will Smith as being an inspiring leader, would you?

When you watch him on the TV or the movie screen he just appears to be this talented actor who got lucky.  Wow, after I watched this, I have a totally new appreciation for him and who he is.

Grab a cup of coffee and watch this 10 minute video as Will Smith shares his wisdom on life. Then after that on a scale of 1 to 10 rate yourself on the list of things he discusses below. Are you doing them? Do you believe them? Are you willing to die for them? Then start with the ones you ranked yourself lowest on and get to work on changing it.

  1. I have a GREAT TIME with my life and I want to share it.
  2. I LOVE LIVING and it is infectious.
  3. GREATNESS exists in all of us. It is not this elusive God-like feature that only the special among us have, it is in all of us.
  4. It is simple – this is what I believe and I am willing to die for it, period. It’s that simple. Don’t make it anymore complicated than that.
  5. Don’t think that where we are is where you are going to be, or where we are going to end up. Where you are almost does not matter.
  6. There is no shortcut to success. There is talent and there is skill. Talent we have naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours of beating on your craft. I love this – Will Smith says he does not consider himself particularly talented…he says where he excels is his ridiculous, sickening work ethic.  While the other guy is sleeping, I am working. While the other guy is eating, I am working. No matter how talented you are your talent is going to fail you if you are not skilled. You have to dedicate yourself to being better everyday.
  7. The only thing distinctly different with me is I am not afraid to die on a treadmill. You may have more talent than me and you might be smarter than me, but if we get on the treadmill together you are getting off first or I am going to die, it is that simple.
  8. You don’t just try to build a wall – you say ‘I am going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid’ and if you do that every single day soon you will have a wall.
  9. Focus on making a difference – if you are going to be here, there is a necessity to make a difference. I want the world to be better because I was here. I want my life to mean something. Your life will become better by making other lives better.
  10. I want to represent an idea. I want to represent possibilities that you can really make what you want. I can create whatever I want to create.
  11. You have to believe! The first step before anyone else is going to believe, it is you have to believe it. You can’t have a plan B because that distracts from plan A.
  12. There is a delusional quality that all successful people have to have – you have to believe that something different, than has happened the last 50 million years can happen.  Confucius said that ‘he who says he can, and he who says he can’t, are both usually right.’
  13. Being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity. Why would you be realistic? What is the point of being realistic? The second I decide it is done, it is already done.
  14. Our thoughts are physical in the universe. Don’t let the universe push you around – bend the universe. Make a choice and don’t be at effect of the things that are happening around you. Just decide and the universe is going to get out of your way.
  15. To be as successful as I want to be, it takes a desperate obsessive focus.
  16. You cannot be scared to die for the truth. The truth is the only thing that is going to be constant.

Link to Will’s favorite book – The Alchemist – by Paulo Coelho

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Are the choices we make driven by our mindset?

By Tammy Parkinson | October 14th, 2009 0 Comments

Attitude; it’s the emotion which trumps and dictates nearly everything in our life!

For instance, have you ever experienced your paper jamming in your printer over and over again and on one day you are ready to take a sledge hammer to the printer, then on a completely separate day when it jams again,  you laugh it off and by that evening you barely remembered it occurred!

Take the day when you go out to dinner and you resist the chips and guacamole and choose a simple clean fajita sans guacamole, fried tortillas and no cheese. You enjoy the conversation and enjoy your time at the restaurant vs. focus only on the food. Then, there’s the following week when you go back to the same restaurant and can’t stop until you’ve eaten the entire basket of chips and will accept nothing less than something laden in cheese!

What happens here?

Why do we waver on our choices, our attitude?

Why is it so easy one day and so incredibly difficult the next time?   Could it be the way we choose to view the moment based upon our attitude?

I’d like to suggest this week you think about this when something you’ve overcome in your past (or want to overcome in your future) creeps up and becomes difficult in this new moment.  Consider your mindset, your stress and your attitude towards this event.   Consider that maybe, if you open your mind to the possibility that you can overcome it, even easily…you can!!

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