Getting Through It

-By Jaime Willis

When you start to feel . . . do. For example – when you start to feel scared because you don’t have enough money….find someone to give a little money to. When you start to feel like you don’t have enough love. . . find someone to offer love. When you feel unappreciated, unacknowledged . . . appreciate and acknowledge someone in your life in a concrete way. When you feel unlucky, order yourself to consider a blessing or two. And then find a tangible way to make today somebody else’s lucky day. This strategy helps me sidestep wallowing every day. -Momastery.blogspot.com

Sometimes, life is just tough. Getting through the day is hard, much less trying to accomplish anything productive during the day. Here are some tips on how to get through a low period and keep on pursuing your dreams.

1) Have perspective. Pain, even the worst type of pain, subsides over time. Your troubles are temporary. Some day in the not too distant future, you *will* be doing better. Remember that what you are going through now is not forever.

2) Follow Momastery's lead: when you are feeling down, help someone else. It may not solve your problem, but being able to feel useful, helpful, or loved in any capacity can give you the "juice" and energy to work on your own troubles.

3) Phone a friend. Whatever you are going through, you are not the only one. Learn from someone else's experience, commiserate with them, or just be heard.

4) Seek professional help. Sometimes, the problems we face are not solvable on our own. Substance abuse, for example, is almost never something you can 'fix' by yourself. Find the right support for your problem, whether it be medical professionals, counselors, coaches, business advisors, or mentors.

5) Tough times build our character. It takes rain to make a rainbow, and you may need this experience to really appreciate the reward that comes later.

Good Luck! You CAN do it!

Bad Days

-by Matt Leedham

I have to be honest. I’m a little surprised you’re even reading this post right now because I could barely get out of bed to write it. Yesterday I developed a fever that spiked at 102.5 degrees and after hardly moving all day, I popped some Nyquil before going to bed at 9pm. I woke up this morning, still battling a fever, but feeling a little bit better and am willing myself to write this.

What do you do with bad days? Like yesterday, sometimes they knock you on your butt. Other days aren’t quite as bad. Sometimes you are ill. Sometimes you are blue. Sometimes you just wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Sometimes you receive news that isn’t so great, and sometimes people do things that aren’t so great. And sometimes your motivation meter is registering low.

Speaking from experience, one bad day can snowball into multiple days, a week, and sometimes get you completely off track. When you have big plans to achieve big goals, these disruptions can be devastating.

Here are some tips to get back on track:

1. Be honest with yourself. Recognize and acknowledge what is happening. Many times, this alone will end the vicious cycle.
2. Make a plan for tomorrow. Jot down your ideal day for what tomorrow will look like. Review it before you go to bed and prime yourself to succeed when you wake up.
3. Talk to someone. I find that just being honest with someone else about how you feel reduces the perceived size and importance of what’s holding you back.
4. Re-center yourself. Whether you meditate, pray, exercise, or do yoga, spend some time bringing yourself back to center. For me, a simple 5-minute breathing exercise is enough to ground me and bring clarity to the day.
5. Write and write often. If you don’t already have an outlet for writing, consider journaling or blogging. This can be done in many ways. For example, I have committed to keeping a gratitude journal in 2011. I plan to jot down 3-5 things I am thankful for each day. If you’re just getting started, start with one thing a day and go from there.

For more tips on overcoming material and emotional obstacles, join us for our special New Year’s Resolution Workshop on January 8, 2011. You can sign up here, and use the coupon code “GoalGift” to take 60% off the registration fee!

The Biggest Loser

- by Matt Leedham

Last week, the live finale of The Biggest Loser was on NBC and I just couldn’t change the channel. In fact, whenever it’s on, I just seem to get sucked in. It got me thinking…

I think the program “The Biggest Loser” is popular because obesity is an issue that far too many people face in America. Many viewers can connect and relate to the competitors on the show. However, while my weight fluctuates daily, weekly, and monthly too, the real reason I watch the biggest loser is for the mental victories.

Without exception, the contestants on the show, and those that are currently overweight, are dealing with mental and emotional obstacles that seem overwhelming. What makes the show so interesting to me is the break-through moments, the awakenings, the paradigm shifts in the minds of those battling with a variety of tragedies and insecurities. Let’s face it, Jillian and Bob aren’t the world’s best trainers. They are very good trainers, but they are even better therapists. They help people reconstruct their perception of themselves and the world around them.

Rising to the Top
The show starts with many competitors, but only a handful seem to rise to the top. What separates them from the pack?

They have a purpose. They are fighting for something bigger than themselves. They are fighting for their families, for their children, and for their friends. They realize that they’ve made some mistakes and they owe more to the loved ones in their lives. They have a purpose…a reason to live and survive and contribute. They realize that the world is a better place with them in it. They realize that they have something to offer. They are now aware that they matter.

Are you struggling with a goal? Something you know you need to address but can't seem to get it done? Shift your perspective. Change your context. Start with why. Find your purpose for that goal and focus on that. Be relentless.

Limitations

- by Matt Leedham

“Don’t worry, everything is going to be amazing.” –unknown

I posted the image to the right on our Facebook page yesterday and a few people let me know how much they liked it. It’s simple isn’t it? And powerful. To put a little twist on a fairly common expression.

Why do we put limitations on ourselves? Why do we hope for things to just “be okay?”

In our goal-setting workshop this past Saturday, Jaime asked a question you may have heard before, “What would you do if you knew you wouldn’t fail?” In other words, if you removed all of the self-imposed limitations and all of the pre-conceived definitions of what you think you should or could be, what would you do? If you shed all the perceptions of obstacles and hurdles and reasons why you can’t, what’s that one special thing in the back of your mind that you would do?

Well, what is it? What would you do? I'm serious. Leave a response below.