Make A Statement

Getting started on any new adventure is often the hardest part. The laws of physics do support that statement: “A body in motion tends to stay in motion, a body at rest tends to stay at rest”. Once we can overcome the rest phase and actually start moving, it will be easier for us to keep moving. The challenge then is deciding to take that first all important step. Professionals, who advise people wanting to start a business, will often advise they write a mission statement. The mission statement will clearly describe their goal or purpose, who will benefit and how it will be accomplished, all in one sentence. The mission statement is also a very good idea for someone wanting to get started on an exercise program.

A person wanting to improve their physical fitness with exercise might have a mission statement like this: I will improve my health and fitness with regular brisk walking. Deciding on a mission is a good first step, but until a person is actually in motion, nothing is going to be accomplished. So write it down. Plan when, where and how often to walk, then set a starting date. The more thought put into this step, the more successful the plan will be. Exercise is one of those activities that tend to be done only when it's most convenient. Change this, make exercise time as important as any other regular part of the day. The best way is to let it take some of the time usually set aside for couch and TV. Evening walks with another family member or friend is quality time at it's best. Communication is important in marriage and a brisk hour of walking together is a great opportunity to talk out family issues.

Since the body in motion will tend to stay in motion, it does get easier once the plan evolves to the action phase. Be creative and have the confidence that the plan will work if it's followed. There are times when exercise time must be fiercely defended. Excuses are easy to make, but excuses won't accomplish the mission, only the motion time will do that, so value it. I can personally confirm that many of my best training walks were on the days I had the hardest time getting going. Perhaps it was the feeling of pride coming from resisting temptation, or maybe it was the increase in my self respect that made the workout especially satisfying.

Getting started is tough. If it were easy, everyone would be exercising and enjoying the benefits of improving their physical fitness. Yes it's tough, but yes it's worth it. Make a mission statement, form a workable plan, then get moving.

It's not just a step, it's a start.

Dave

Mission Statement

Most business advisers will say that a business should have a mission statement in order to be successful. A mission statement is basically what the business will accomplish, it's goal. A successful business will start with a mission statement, expanded into a clear, easy to follow plan. This is a good idea for individuals wishing to accomplish a goal as well. Saying: “I want to lose weight”, “I want to get out of debt”, or even “I want to get in better shape”, are great mission statements. However just saying it doesn't make it happen without having a clear path of accomplishment. Good intentions are like balloons, they float away if we don't take action to hold on to them. Plans followed with determination will make those good intentions reality instead of just fleeting visions.

The more precise the mission statement the easier the goal is to see. “I will lose weight” is not as clear as, “I will lose 30 pounds”. Once the goal is clear then a plan will make the path to success one that can be seen and followed. Staying with the goal of losing weight a good plan might start with not what will be eaten but will no longer be eaten. Most plans require changes in habits. For example snacking late in the evening then going to bed is a good habit to change. Replacing that habit with a healthier one will help to accomplish the desired goal of losing weight. People who successfully do lose weight and keep it off did not just accomplish a goal but made a life style change.

Our lives are filled with desires that a need clear vision and then planning to achieve. I have experienced that process myself. There is a program for prior military service members called, Troops to Teachers. I decided when I retired that I wanted to become a teacher but in order to qualify for that program I needed to take and pass the teacher qualification exams. I hadn't been to school in about 15 years so taking those exams would be very difficult. The subjects that my degree would allow me to teach were in the humanities fields: History, Economics, Sociology and Psychology. So to achieve success I bought the text books for each subject and read nothing but them for the next three months. Following that plan as well as remembering what I had learned during my class time helped me to pass those tests and achieve a teaching certification. Even though I chose a different path because of a job offer that was to good to turn down.

The best goals result in life style changes. Goals that are are just empty promises to ourselves accomplish nothing.

It's not just a step, it's a start.

Dave

Changing Directions

The paths we travel during our lives are usually random, until something happens to change our direction. Sometimes this something is a stroke of good luck, and other times, we are given a sign. I've experienced both many times over my long years of living. I'd like to reflect on a few that had a profound effect on my own life.

One of my first changes came in the early eighties, when stationed at a large Air Force base in Las Vegas. I worked out at the base gym regularly, doing aerobic, now referred to as cardio, exercises. The NCO in charge of the gym asked if I'd like to teach a class. The latest exercise craze was aerobics, which involved a leader demonstrating how to do the exercises, and the class following along. Called the Super Sarge exercise program, the class was a great success. From that day on to the end of my twenty four years in uniform, I was involved in some way with the fitness of the base personnel. I believe mine was the first Aerobics class in the USAF. I began writing a fitness column for the base newspaper then as well.

The next big direction change came after retiring from military service. While on a morning training walk, out on a country road, a little field mouse took up with me and stayed right at my side for about thirty feet before heading back into the tall grass. I'd never had that happen before, even though I regularly did miles on rural roads. But what made this amazing was after returning home that day, the owner of the DisneyRunning web site called to ask me to be the walking adviser and a moderator of his web page. This happened ten years ago, and I've been involved with Disney groups ever since. During those years, I've had the honor of helping a lot of people train for and complete the half and full marathons held annually at Walt Disney World.

Most recently, I started training for and competing in the National Senior Games. The local newspaper ran a story about my training partners and I, who had qualified for the 2013 games being held in Cleveland. Early in the next year, while fitting glasses for the General Manager of the paper, we talked about my own writing history. He gave me the opportunity to write a column in the Living Fit magazine they produced. This chance meeting has allowed me to share my message of health and fitness with their readers.

Since then, I've started writing a Blog column in the Nashville Tennessean, Ultimate Fit and Fun Runner magazine all because of chance meetings.

It's not just a step, it's a start.

Dave