How to be Successful at lIFe

Change Begets Opportunity

2010-03-31T13:06:00.000-07:00

"When you get right down to the root meaning of the word 'succeed', you find that it simply means to 'follow through'."
~ F.W. Nichol

Today marks the official end of the "How to Be Successful at Life" blog. The blog and I have had a sometimes acrimonious relationship - there were days where I'd either spend an hour staring at a blank screen, browsing the news sites looking for inspiration, or typing then deleting numerous pieces because none of them felt right... sometimes all of the latter. But in the end, I came to appreciate the opportunities it gave me - to improve my written communication, to share my experiences, to offer my perspective and, sometimes, to simply let off some steam. Sometimes I would go weeks or months without knowing if I was writing it for anyone other than myself, and then suddenly, out of nowhere, what I said would resonate for someone and I'd receive an email of agreement, dissent or simply a compliment on the blog itself - and I'd see that the reach was greater than I'd believed. To all of those people who followed and read regularly - thank you. You made it worthwhile.

However, as happens regularly in life - one road ends and another begins... such is the case here. I will continue to write on the Mondays every week, but it will be on a different blog: http://www.swimupstreamlife.com/. It is my sincerest hope that for those few that followed regularly they will come across to the other blog - but for those who don't, once again... my sincerest appreciation for following over the last two and-a-half years.

"Named must be your fear, before banish it you can" (Yoda). Time to embrace change and start a new path... hope to see you there with me.

~Guy

Notes from The Handbook of Life

2010-03-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

From Chapter 3 - "Real World Courtesy"

#7: When you go into a shared fridge or cupboard (ie. in your staff room) and come across something upon which you would like to snack, ask the person who's food it is - to do otherwise would often be called "stealing" in other circumstances. If, however, you are an utter douchebag and decide to partake in the snack anyway - at least have the decency to leave behind at least a serving for the person to whom the food actually belongs. Finally - if you come across a final serving, of food which you know is not yours, and THEN choose to eat it anyway - the person who owns the food may punch you in the mouth, if they so choose, the next time they see you.

From Chapter 6 - "Uncommon Sense"

#17: If you are refilling a publicly used soap, shampoo or conditioning dispenser which is clear (and therefore shows the appearance of the aforementioned substance) - make sure that the liquid you are pouring on top matches that which you are topping up. If it does not - STOP POURING IT... to do otherwise means the next person that comes along who possesses even a shred of personal accountability will have to take the dispenser off the wall, empty it (and thereby wasting what was poured in afterward), clean it and refill it. The person who had to clean up your mess may then punch you in the mouth, if they so choose, the next time they see you.

~Guy

What you seek, You already are

2010-03-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Currently, I'm reading The Book of Secrets, By Deepak Chopra. The saying holds true, that when the student is ready the teacher shall appear. This book couldn't have come at a better time in my life. Without trying to sounds too cliche this book has opened my mind to a whole new level of understanding. I wanted to share an important insight from the book, in regards to seeking. Seeking, is basically just another word for chasing. We're all chasing after something. We all have our motivators but what are we really after? Chopra says, "Seeking is a word often applied to the spirtual path - and often the people that seek a higher, better self, are the same people who once chased too hard after money and power. The problem with this is seeking begins with a false assumption - the chase, in fact takes you outside yourself. Productive seeking requires that you throw out all assumptions that there is a prize to be won. this means acting without hope of rising to some ideal self, hope being a wish that you'll get somewhere better that the place you started from. You are starting from yourself, and its the self that contains all the answers. So you have to give up on the idea that you must go from A to B." Are you falling into a habit of seeking? What is it that you seek? Look no more, because what you seek, you already are. Be a genuine seeker and avoid these pitfalls:

1) Don't know where you're going:
Spiritual growth is spontaneous. The big events come along unexpectedly, and so do the small ones. A single word can open your heart; a single glance can tell you who you really are. Awakening doesn't happen according to the plan. It's much more like putting together a jigsaw puzzle without knowing the finished picture in advance. All you can imagine in advance are images, and images are never the same as the goal

2) Don't struggle to get there:
If there was a spiritual payoff at the end of the trail, like a pot of gold or the key to heaven, everyone would work as hard as possible for the reward. Any struggle would be worth it. But does it help a two year old to struggle to become three? No, because the process of child development unfolds from within. The same is true for spiritual unfolding. It happens just as naturally as childhood development, but on the plane of awareness rather than in the realm of physiology.

3) Don't follow someone else's map:
If you follow someone else's map, you could be training yourself in a fixed way of thinking. Fixed ways, even those devoted to spirit, are not the same as being free. You should glean teachings from all directions, keeping true to those that bring progress yet remaining open to changes in yourself.

Inconsistency Begets Hypocrisy

2010-03-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

The world is many shades of grey - this is a fact. However, the only way to ensure that people receive just, equal and fair treatment is to narrow this spectrum to as close to black and white as possible. When you start making exceptions, allowing for one person or group to be treated a little different, you open the door for this inequality of treatment. And when you are the person arguing for some sort of exemption or modification, and then change the rules for yourself... well, that's how we wind up with a society where every person is shooting for a different net.

Take the Canadian whale hunt - which has been allowed for certain indigineous tribes under the guise of preserving a traditional component of their culture. Frankly, I believe that this argument has merit - and should be allowed, with a certain degree of regulation. That being said though, the government needs to ensure that it happens under a tightly controlled set of parameters to protect the whale population, but more importantly - if the Inuit and Northwest Coast tribes are using the argument that it's part of their tradition... they should do it traditionally. This means: no speedboats, and certainly no high-powered rifles... paddle boats and harpoons, and that's it. Is it dangerous? Absolutely. But this is the decision that they should be left with - not "this is part of our traditions" and then applying 21st century technology to it.

Furthermore, as soon as our leaders begin making exceptions for one or two special interest groups, more and more people begin asking for them and they will actually have merit to their requests. Consider this when you find yourself in a leadership position - if you maintain a consistent approach, people will not only know ahead of time what your response will likely be, but they will also know that your answer for them will be the same for everyone. Remember that your role is to lead, not to be people's friends... you may not always be liked, but you will be respected.

~Guy

Fear

2010-03-16T09:00:00.001-07:00

What does fear mean to me? It's a temporary road block, standing between freedom and a fixed way of thinking. A choice must be made to either let go and live or stay unchanged. What do I fear? I fear going fast down hills on a bike. That fear is usually heightened when there are trees, rocks and roots - or a combination of all three. The idea of completely letting go of your brakes sounds crazy - especially when you're facing down a steep drop. I made plenty of excuses - I blamed the weather, blamed the bike: the seat was too low, I was too tall, the trail was too narrow, the tree's too close, I wasn't a downhill biking, I'm not made for speed, I'm a climber, I can't go fast, I'm scared, I might hit a tree, I might get hurt - All of these excuses didn't change the fact that unless I let go, I was going to be scared forever. I was letting my fears control me and I refused to embrace the moment. I was making the choice to not live free. So when did I decide to go for it? It took just three words. My friend told me she felt the same way for the longest time, until one day she just let go. It was that simple. Just let go. A couple minutes later I was faced with yet another steep drop. I stood there for a moment on my bike, and tried to analyze the trail - thinking it would help, but really just buying myself time - stalling from taking that leap. What my friend had said played in my mind again and it was then I decided to just let go. I pushed off the dirt and gripped the handle bars - no brakes. Before I knew it I was speeding down the hill, veering left, jarring right, and avoiding some very close calls with a couple trees. When I finally reached the bottom I felt an overwhelming sense of energy over my entire body - I felt alive! More alive than I had in a long time. My heart was pounding in my chest, I had a huge grin plastered across my face and I couldn't believe what I had just done. There was no time to analyze, to over-think, or let my fears take me down that hill - it was the ability to just let go and live in that moment. Nothing else mattered. To think I would have missed out on such an experience. Imagine being able to re-create that feeling in every day life. Doing one thing every day that scares you: What does that look like for you? Are you living life and letting go of your brakes? Are you truly living free?

Inspiration

2010-03-15T13:19:00.000-07:00

1 one word - Paralympics!

These next two weeks Vancouver is again playing host to the paralympians, their coaches, their support crew and families. The numerous stories that surround these athletes and their journey to get to the Paralympics are unbelievable. How they have truly overcome adversity through there disability, challenged themselves to make something out of their lives and now to celebrate the victory of representing their country, by competing at the Olympics.

The road these athletes take from first being diagnosed with their disability, to making the Paralympics, is truly remarkable and inspirational. If you need inspiration, turn to these paralympians and read about their story. This will certainly get you back on track.

Putting Yourself Out There

2010-03-11T08:36:00.000-08:00

Recently I was contacted via Facebook about an upcoming class reunion and I thought that the organizer (a guy I remember to be funny and articulate) had some valuable points that speak to many situations that I have been giving thought to of late which made them particularily poignant.

Obviously the highschool reunion is it's own entity but if you think about potentially awkward social situations and the leap of faith required to attend the final points that he highlights are all the more interesting, especially in the small(er) business world where reputation and word of mouth can make or break.

"There were several groupings of people;

1. Some that just wanted to come because they wanted to see people and have a party.

2. Some that felt it was an honor to represent their grad class and attending.

3. Batch that would love to be there more than anything, but personal schedule conflicted or logistically impossible to come.

4. Some that felt they did not want to go back after 10+ and feel that the lack of achievement of their goals and aspirations would be uncomfortable around other people.

5. Many that were excited about their success and wanted to come back to compare with grad classes.

We know not everyone will not be able to make it, but we ask all to try as 4 hours is not enough to respect and celebrate the grad class on 1994. Be proud of where you came from or from a selfish point of view do it for a Networking angle. We join associations and spend money to attend conventions to meet people to assist in our personal goals. If you are confident that the grad class of 1994 and the soil you studied on developed successful people – you should attend.

Social and business networking is the modern standard in developing relationships throughout the world. The potential for recognition and building networks within our grad class of professionals in numerous fields on a global scale is unlimited.

A personal story is a couple that had an 18 year old daughter than was trying to get into a US college. At one of our reunions the couple had the opportunity to meet someone that was in the recruiting department of Alabama State.

That is one example; I can bore or interest you in many more – with business owners, investor’s, teachers, creative minded people, artists, medical profession, work from home moms/dads, trades, etc .. Your opportunities are endless, and if you don’t attend for yourselves think of your kids that may need these contacts to succeed.

Remember it isn’t what you know, it’s who you know and also who knows you! If you re-acquaint yourself with one new connection it will benefit you for a lifetime!"

The point is, look at how much the people who skip it miss out on to save themselves either trouble or embarrassment? Is it ever worth it to be a wallflower?

-Angela Tames

Someone Is Always Watching

2010-03-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

So - while I was down in the States last week I had the opportunity to observe firsthand parents and their kids together in a variety of different situations/locations - theme parks, restaurants, malls, and so on. And in that time, something I already knew became that much more apparent: children are a direct reflection of the people who raise them.

Oh, I know, there are always exceptions to the rule - the kid from a rough family that goes to school and becomes a lawyer or doctor, or the one from a white-collar family with loving parents that goes sideways down the wrong path. But as a whole, we directly influence how the next generation turns out - and this has never been more obvious than physically. To put it simply - overweight parents had overweight kids, and fit parents had fit kids. Which makes sense, really - when a child's brought up in an environment of activity and relatively good eating habits by parents who do the same, then they basically have to go against the grain in order to turn out otherwise.

I suppose the biggest thing that shocked me when looking at this front-and-center was not the similarities from parent to child, but rather that the parent would allow this to happen. If you looked down at your offspring, and saw that they were heading for the same 10-20-30 (and so on) pounds overweight that you are already at, and possibly doing it faster, isn't that enough to get you out of your selfish and egocentric position to actually start making changes?

Based on what I saw - apparently not.

So - this was written to be directed at those same people, and it's a polite request: please, if you have children or are responsible for them, remember that you're a role model. Remember that there's someone (a very impressionable someone) watching you, and basing their actions on what they see you do. If you smoke, it must be alright. If you drink, it must be alright. If you are obese... well, it must be alright.

Yes, parenthood is a heavy burden, but it is also an amazing and wonderful amount of power that's been placed in your hands. Just don't forget the immortal words of Peter Parker's uncle, Ben:

"With great power, comes great responsibility."

Now - put that power to positive use, and help to create a future that's worth living.

~Guy

shhhhh...listen

2010-03-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

You’ve got 2 choices. You can take it and learn from it or fight it a run away.

There will be a time in your life where you will be faced with a path laid out as simple as this. Either you will know or either you will be told. The thing to remember is that either you have found out because you have been making the same mistake over and over and over and it’s just hitting you in the face or someone is taking the time (their time) to provide you with the solution (feedback) So for god sake, thank them and move forward instead of holding on to what you think is right, clogging the gears of life and get over it.

We start our path at many levels. We can move up or we can choose to move down. Call it what you want but call it for what it is – inevitable that we are here to learn lessons and pay those lessons forward.

To cut this dry – don’t waste time (yours and everyone’s around you) 2feet in and learn from those who have made the mistakes before you.

If you are lucky, that person won’t give up and will provide that lesson again.

2010-03-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

So one week has passed since the amazing adventure of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. No words can express the life changing experience that canadians witnessed over the Games.

When the olympics were first established in greece in 776 AD, the purpose of the games was to bring people together through sport and to honor the greek gods. Still today, centuries later, that is still the purpose; uniting billions of athletes, spectators and families together.

We were all lucky to witness this experience first hand. The Vancouver olympics brought not only our own city, our nation but the world together through this amazing adventure. We experienced and shared victory, we witness heartbreak, we heard unbelievable stories of the athletes and there journey to the games, we saw dedication, determination and athleticism.

No one wanted these games to end. When the president of the IOC officially closed the games at the closing ceremonies, there was a silent hush that came over the crowd. The citizens of vancouver and the visitors that came to our city, witnessed a nation come alive. Everywhere there we people; on the street, in restaurants, temporarily houses, at sporting venues, at victory ceremonies, and watching the live entertainment that happened for 17 days straight.

Lets continue to use the energy that was created over the last two weeks in our regular day to day lives and be inspired by the stories and victories to do something great.

Carry It Forward - Properly

2010-03-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

I was down in the United States for the last part of the Olympics (including the gold medal win for Canada in the hockey game - though I watched it with a good friend of mine that's lived down here for the last few years) and I'll tell you what - one of the biggest things that stuck out for me was the unbridled patriotism (yes, patriotism) that I've seen from all Canadians while I've been down here has been unbelievable. In the semi-final game, when Canada won the cheer that went up from the bar was so overwhelming that the guy next to me turned to his friend and said "When did I move to Canada?". The number of Canada jerseys, hoodies and shirts I've seen has been staggering - every few steps it seems that I see one of them popping up in front of me... and to be honest, I love it. Furthermore, as evidenced from things like Brian Martin's (the American Brian Martin) blog to Bill Plaschke's article in the LA Times, the rest of the world loved it to.

However, as we move forward - we must be sure to remember where we came from. As wonderful as this all has been, and as moving as its been being swept up in the fervor, Steve Yzerman said it best when he pointed out that we need to keep in mind what got us there first place, and not allow ourselves to get cocky or arrogant.

If we forget this, we cease to possess the special balance of qualities that allowed us as a country to become so much more than we were, and to demonstrate (in only a small fraction) how incredibly powerful we could be should we learn how to harness this energy and enthusiasm. We must also keep always in mind those traits that the world fell in love with: kindness, dignity, respect, courtesy... and most importantly, humility.

Thank you all for showing the world how incredible we can all be - now, go forth and represent.

Go Canada.

~Guy

Here it comes again!

2010-03-02T10:53:00.000-08:00

Fitness Fantasy is ready to drop in Vancouver…with a twist.

In the past, Innovative Fitness has been our flagship contest promoting healthy living with the help of Global TV and the Province. Applicants are directed to a site to enter to win an opportunity to train with us over a 90day period. Over this time contestants are training at each of the 4 IF locations in greater Vancouver. They are awarded points for attending scheduled workouts, participating in events, attitude, weight and cm’s lost etc… The prizes are fabulous and the creation of healthy habits is the real prize.

This year, we are opening up the contest to the entire province of BC. Anyone can enter to participate and are eligible to win prizes plus gain the same benefits as our in-house contestants.

This is the biggest health and wellness initiative to have ever been introduced to BC and our one and only goal is for 1 ton of weight loss in BC!

Just by signing up Mar 13^th, you will receive a health guide and everything you can imagine to help you reach your health goals.

What’s your next step?

· Enter to be 1 of 4 couples to train with our in-house contest (call for entries February 22^nd)

· Enter the 90 day at home program

· Receive all the free programming, menu plans and support you need!

What do you say? Are you up for the Fitness Fantasy 2010?

Check out http://www.fitnessfantasy2010.com/ for all the details and information.

The Bell Curve

2010-02-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

This is how I liken the Olympics to an IF training session:

The Opening Ceremonies vs. The Warm up

Both are dynamic and set the tone

Both awaken the senses (muscles)

Our Favourite Events vs. The Meat and Potatoes

Sometimes difficult and challenging to participate in and witness

Can both be fear-inducing and exhilarating

Both can involve cheering, encouragement, yelling and pride

Occasionally both can involve tears of joy

Socialtime (Downtime) vs. Cardio

A chance to reflect, gear up for the next event/block

Both can resemble tabata intervals, (tm running/eating & drinking)

The Second Week vs. The Second Block

Fatigue setting in but eagerness to push through

Close attention must be paid to every detail so nothing is missed

Gold Medal Games vs. Recovery Cardio

We made it this far, let's see it through to the end

The Closing Ceremonies vs. The Stretch

Deep breaths are taken

Exhilaration and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment

Reflection and Celebration

However, unlike the end of an IF training session 75% of Vancouver is hungover and exhausted. Yes we are full of national pride but the stuff that makes us Canadian (hard work, clean living, sportsmanship and valour) has bee shelved to make way for our free-spirited, fun-loving, rowdy twin who took two weeks to watch the world's athletes work hard, live clean, be sportsmanlike and display valour.

My final comment on the matter - well done Canada and the world. I was a naysayer concerned about traffic, government cost overruns and selfish distractions. That being said, I am having an amazing Olympic experience, I could not be more in love with OUR city and our people and once Monday March 1st hits, I will invite all to get back to business.

- Angela Tames

Own the Podium...?

2010-02-24T12:00:00.000-08:00

You're probably thinking, given my cynical history, that I'm about to go off on the amount of money we've spent on amateur sports since 2004 - especially when the results of our Olympics fail to show any significant results thus far.

You'd be wrong.

While I think the slogan "Own the Podium" is perhaps a touch arrogant, and possibly puts forth the wrong impression of both our athletes and our country - I am worried that the lack of medals will result in the cutback of this funding... which would be a significant mistake on our part.

Sports may actually be the "grassroots", or "foundational" solution that we're looking for in regards to many of the problems that have befallen our society. And while I know that there are a lot of people out there who would say that "we should be using the money for the homeless/healthcare/education/(insert cause here)" - to those people I say "try to see a bigger picture".

Consider the following statistics in relation to girls participating in sports (according to the Women's Sports Foundation):
Female high school athletes are 92% less likely to get involved with drugs.
Female high school athletes are 80% less likely to get pregnant.
Female high school athletes are 3 times more likely to graduate than non-athletes.

This is just a small example of the benefits of sports and doesn't even begin to go into how sports teaches children the about right way to win and to lose, about fair play, about teamwork, about focus, about commitment, about integrity...

All things that are essential requirements if we want to see some of our other, larger societal issues begin to resolve themselves.

So let's stop quibbling over how many medals we've won - and instead, consider the passion that these Olympics have inspired in the children of the country. I'd hate to see us lose this momentum and take away their opportunity to grow and develop in a healthy and beneficial way because we've decided that our lack of medals means that sports have somehow failed us...

Seriously, let's think long term, people.

~Guy

Destinations

2010-02-23T12:04:00.000-08:00

A specific focus that has a tangible result within a specific timeline. We must stop thinking that a destination is something that we sign up for and that we need to get participants into for the sake of increasing participation numbers.

In regards to a destination, we know that if there is no purpose then there is sure to be no point…meaning we all need a reason to train. We can’t just do it because our neighbour is doing it or that we want to be fit. Define what it is for you and let’s create a plan and therefore have a purpose.

As for engagement and customers, we know that engaging customers is similar to engaging a teammate. Therefore it all starts with self…for example, we need to commit – take the step which means getting into the driver’s seat and following through. Direct what you want to happen.

With customers, it means aligning ones goals with theirs.

· The coach who is training for a triathlon trains with a customer training for a bike event one day, trains with a customer training for a swim event another and trains with a customer training for a running destination on another day (a coach is able to complete a busy personal training program by engaging customers on their training – ez)

· We as coaches always need to be training out of our comfort zone. Every time we step out of our comfort zone we are then able to lead and challenge customers on new levels (we can’t just think there will be a limit to our customers abilities because they will pass us by if we limit ourselves – common sense)

Our mission statement is to facilitate personal reinvention through physical challenge, adversity and victory. These means creating a plan and following through until completion and revisiting throughout to ensure that we are on the correct path.

So, what’s your purpose?

Too funny

2010-02-18T10:36:00.000-08:00

So on a lighter note, I was watching the Men's Figure Skating the other night and came across Johnny Weir, who I'd never heard of until then. He is a rather flamboyant character who seems to be more cartoon than reality and upon researching him for this blog I came across a couple of amusing quotes:

"Camille: For his short program in the 2005-06 season, Weir skated to Camille Saint-Saens’ “The Swan” wearing an elaborate costume that resembled a swan. On his hand, he wore an orange glove that represented the beak. “His name is Camille – two ‘l’s,” Weir said about the glove. “I think he’s my evil side. When I skate badly, I blame it on my glove.”

Now if this isn't high drama I beg you to not smile and shake your head.

Quotable: Weir’s mouth has made him a favorite with journalists. Never one to hold back what is on his mind, he once described a competitors program as “a vodka shot and a snort of coke kind of thing,” a quote that got him in trouble with U.S. Figure Skating. “I don’t worry about what other people think,” he also said. “Everyone else worries for me.”

This leads me to my point, if we take ourselves too seriously then we end us looking like asses.

Taking the RIGHT Stand

2010-02-17T15:51:00.000-08:00

With the Olympics in town, the potential subject matter choices are innumerable - and all very tempting. However, given the overall tone of what's going on, I have one group in particular that have raised my ire:

"Protesters" (and please, note the quotations).

Note: I should say that this particular blog is specific to CANADA - in other countries, some of what I say here doesn't apply because their government or their society has forced them to work outside of the normal rules and laws.

To be clear, I think that some of these protest groups (though perhaps a minority) actually have valid concerns - truly. The problem is that those that do are getting lost because of the media hungry imbeciles that actually are really just a bunch of rich and spoiled children searching for a cause to give their lives a purpose. It seems that every week, there's a new group of people complaining about something else in what is generally one of the best countries in the world to live. Now, I know it's not perfect, and by no means do I think we should sit passively back and allow ourselves to be told what to do with no sense of accountability or participation. Nor do I think people should keep their mouths shut if they have a legitimate concern or want to enact social change - but there's a right way and a wrong way to go about it.

So, in the interest of seeing our society continue to move forward, rather than get stuck in a hamster wheel of bureaucracy and moronic behaviour, I offer the following five rules that every group should follow in order to prevent the destruction of your credibility in the eyes of other sociey:

5) There's no need to interfere with the normal flow of your city to make your point known - it's laziest thing way to make your point. That being said, if you delay me from getting to work, or getting home at the end of the day. Firstly, it will only piss me off, and secondly - once I'm pissed off, I don't give a rat's ass what your protesting.

4) Make it clear what your protesting. I don't want to have to try and figure it out.

3) Property destruction is not protest. It's a crime, and it takes away any degree of credibility you may have started out with.

2) If you really believe in your cause so much, you shouldn't be hiding behind a mask, nor should you have the "Comments" section of your useless blog turned off. Stop being a coward.

1) Finally, no matter what else you do - actually understand the issues that you're supposedly standing for/against - because if challenge you on your position and the best you can do is recite back the exact same drivel that's plastered on your sign and nothing more... then you've pretty much given up your right to an opinion on anything.

~Guy

Via de sharing

2010-02-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

At 9:13am yesterday morning the telephone rang at the West Van facility and to our surprise, a coach for the French ski jump team was on the other end. The coach was inquiring about a gym he could come to a train his ski jump team. We jumped at the opportunity and allowed the team to come by to utilize our space.

Within a couple hours we were treated with the 5man team taking part in their training regime. There was heavy weight being used and a plyometric session that would have any knee or joint tremble.

Quite simply, there was electricity in the air as the customers and coaches witnessed the session and enjoyed some real-time Olympic action with front row seats.

Within minutes of the team leaving we had updated our facebook page with photos and shared the information. For the rest of the day the storytelling was taking place. Everyone and anyone was experiencing it first or second hand.

This is a real-time example of how we would like information to flow. No bottleneck and no holdups. We were great at mainlining the message to everyone and creating a buzz of excitement from what we have happening within our doors today…but we need to be consistent.

The meaning here is simple…share the excitement and don’t keep anything a secret. Whether it’s a company update, contest or companywide initiative, we need to do a better job with delivering the message.

The fact of the matter is that everyone is interested and nobody will know if we keep it hush-hush.

Via de sharing!

You Get Out What You Put In

2010-02-11T07:49:00.000-08:00

In chatting with a customer a few days ago we began to once again revisit the goals she has set for herself and her lack of success even though she is in to see us three times a week, insists that her eating isn't too badly, and that she otherwise leads a healthy and active life.

With a little prodding I asked to her to outline what a typical day looks like and she went on to say that her first meal is at noon (she is up at 7am), she has little to drink in the day other than coffee, even though she is a vegetarian and she consumes mostly mostly greens and veggies her downfall is carbs, particularly pasta. When I asked what she truly expected to change when she was unwilling or (her words) unable to change she just said that she is frustrated because she works so hard when she is at IF.

Well, true, sometimes. When she is on time and actually comes three times per week, and isn't travelling or tired or not feeling well. But it is amazing to me that the connection between lack or success and lack of change don't correlate with some people. I truly want her to find success! It is frustrating for both of us when her profile numbers are the same and she is unhappy. But, the thing is you can't want for others what they don't want themselves, or are willing to work for.

On another note, I encourage you to have a look at the link below for some amusing posters that have been put together from the Beijing Olympics. Now those are some people who worked hard and got results!

-Angela Tames

http://nuttersmark.com/blog/sports-and-fitness/beijing-olympics-motivational-posters

Do You Really Know Where Your Money Goes?

2010-02-10T21:50:00.000-08:00

First off - I forgot to post this after I wrote it earlier. To those who were sitting at their computers waiting on edge for it at 7pm... my sincere apologies.

A lot of people have no idea how their money is being spent. This is clear from the ridiculous levels of personal debt being seen in the western culture, and if you ask the average person, they don't bother keeping track of their income and expenses. It's a dangerous habit to get into,and part of what landed our economy in the toilet. Now, I know that somewhere, someone reading this is going "Ha. I have a tightly recorded monthly budget - I know where everything I spend is going".

Good. That's a start.

Now, of all you smug individuals, how many are paying attention to where your tax dollars are being spent? And how many of you donate to charity? Do you know how that donation money is being spent? I'm often shocked at how nonchalant people who are careful with their money can be once they've parted with it. Do you really want your income tax spent to ensure that your local MLA flies first class, and has his or her drycleaning done? What about the fact that the Vancouver Sun reported an estimated $30,000 per homeless person is donated to the various charities throughout the lower mainland? With those kinds of numbers, how can there by any homeless?

I find that people always look for the quick fix on items, and often that solution is "more money". Africa is one of the worst-case examples - how can there be such a destitute level of poverty through an entire continent with the amount of money being thrown at it? I'll tell you why - because the money that's going there is, at best, getting caught up in a bureaucratic nightmare and dwindles down to almost nothing by the time it reaches the people who need it (the corruption that exists within charitable organizations and government agencies is another issue entirely). No, the solution isn't simply spending more money - it starts with us figuring out where the money's going, and seeing to it that it's spent properly.

If you're one of the people who spends without thinking - then start paying attention. You can't help others if you can't help yourself. Then start paying attention to how others are spending your money - let's begin to demand a greater degree of transparency and accountability on those we trust with our hard earned dollar.

Otherwise, continue leaving it to blind faith... after all, it seems to have worked out well for Nicolas Cage, right?

~Guy

Self, TEAM, operations and customers

2010-02-09T13:00:00.000-08:00

We must understand that team engagement is a day to day process. Day to day we work with one another and we need to be focused on our own high standards while keeping others in mind. Day to day we must work with one another with respect to our common goals.

· Keep the training floor clean for the team (high level of self-standards)

o Running through the gym Dave is on his way to transition customers to the rowers. As he approaches them he notices 2 thera bands on the ground (one attached to the lat pull down). Instead of walking by, he quickly unties the one and hangs them both back up.

· Keep the training floor clean for our customers (high level of self-standards)

o As James has a customer jumping from the bosu onto the floor, he quickly moves a bench that is about 5’ away. As he moves it he thinks, ‘I better move this in case my customer falls or trips towards this’

Team engagement includes all communications.

· Sending daily emails (on a personal and professional level)

o Point of interest: Kate, I heard about your Olympic volunteer position…tell me more about that, it sounds awesome!

o Jeff, I have updated the customer files you were referring to. Thanks for the reminder

Team engagement runs through real time experiences.

· On the training floor

o Throwing the tennis ball

o Accolades (nice exercise Kati!)

o Yelling (it’s Thursday! Or Promo!)

o Group work (abs, butt, warm ups, etc.)

· Spending time together

o Coffee

o Back room

o Lunch

o Run or mtb or hike

· Destination + training

o STP

o UBC tri

o Grand Canyon

· Personal Inventory meetings

o What we do very well at – thanks for the effort

It is so important that we continue to engage ourselves at the team level. As it starts with self, we must look at the next pieces of the puzzle…

Ask yourself – what can I do for the team today?

2010-02-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

3 Words…

“I am sorry”, are three words that can change a situation or a reaction and turn it around so that it is positive. The sincerity of these three words and how you say them are equally important and go a long way!

If you have made a mistake or you are representing an organization that has made a mistake, these three words have significant impact on your customer. More than not, the complaint of the customers just wants to be heard and all you can do is listen, apologize and guarantee you are doing everything you can to sort the situation out.

We use this word to express our regret over our actions and sometimes without this, the relationship between the two parties will dissolve.

So if you personally or your company have made a mistake, say "I am sorry" and hopefully the customer or your friend will understand and you both can move on to better things.

A little history lesson...

2010-02-04T07:47:00.000-08:00

In 1972 the Olympic Games were held for the second time in Munich Germany. With only 6 days of competition remaining what happened on the morning of September 5th would force the world to stop. Five Arab terrorists on a mission draw attention to 234 Arab prisoners in an Israeli jail, jumped a six foot fence, met with two others already inside on false credentials, and shot two members of the Israeli Olympic team, capturing nine others as hostages only to kill them less that 24 hours later in a bloody gun battle that would see 17 total deceased.

The reason for telling this gory recollection of history on the brink of our own amazing Olympic adventure is twofold. First, a Kitsilano customer was a competitor at that event. She is a Jewish Canadian and after the memorial service attended by 80,000 was over, the IOC president Avery Brundage declared "the Games must go on." They did without her as she and others who felt it was in bad taste, poor judgement and lack of respect boycotted the remainder of the games.

Recently it has been brought to attention by the media that Vanoc has decided to use clips from Leni Rienfenstahl's Olympia - a German Olympic propaganda movie. The opening scene includes a series of men in a loin clothes running with an Olympic torch tirelessly passing it on until the scene in question where the final runner is greeted by cheering people at the entrance of the stadium. On the right in the original film there are approximately 15 people with their right hands high in the air in a Hail Hitler pose. It is incredibly offensive. In the Vanoc version, the pillar next to them has been extended out to create a black field to hide these people. You do not see them, but it is clear that something is being blocked out.

The points that I would like to draw from this are twofold, first, how well do we know what sports and athleticism represents to our customers? We have many people in all of our customer bases that have been through enormous trials and tribulations on account of their love of being all that they can be.

Secondly, how is our judgement as a whole? I think we do an incredible job with the day to day, engagement, little things and team. We are doing a great job but let's never forget that we are in the business of people and that demands respect and courtesy.

- Angela Tames

The Burden of Leadership

2010-02-03T12:25:00.000-08:00

“The wise know too well their weakness to assume infallibility; and he who knows most, knows best how little he knows.”

~ Thomas Jefferson

Being a leader is never easy, and for numerous reasons. You are responsible for educating, directing, creating new paths and setting others on their own. You must have a vision, you must have integrity, and you have to be willing and able to hold others accountable.

BUT: you must be able to hold yourself accountable first - and for many, this is the greatest challenge.

You see, credibility is your biggest asset as a leader - do you practice what you preach? If not, then all of your direction and guidance will fall on deaf ears - because the whole "Do as I say, not as I do" philosophy simply doesn't resonate. Similarly, no one is perfect - and they never will be. So while you have to be willing to do what you ask others to do - equally (and in some cases even more) importantly, you must be able to admit that you're not perfect. That you can be wrong.

And this is where so many leaders fail.

Real world example? Why does so much of what our official "opposition" in the government get ignored - because the policies or issues they speak about isn't true? No - its because we all know that if the same people who are criticizing were actually in power, they'd be doing the exact same thing as the party they're lambasting... and its why more and more people are tuning out our own country's leaders. It's because the voters feel (and in many cases, they're right unfortunately), that no matter who they vote for they're going to get the same thing.

It's time to stop this cycle. We need to "be the change we want to see" - it starts with us, in our every day lives.

After all - just like the opposition parties, if we're not holding ourselves accountable (and being honest about our shortcomings), then we're hardly in a position to be critical of others for making the same mistakes.

~Guy

What is expected from an IF training coach?

2010-02-02T11:00:00.000-08:00

To wake up every day and choose to be in a great mood. Eat a healthy breakfast and come to work well before your shift. To help out with any opening duties and offer positive input towards during huddle. To spend the day providing high energy and engaging hours while holding oneself accountable to the highest standards possible. We are totally expected to help with towels, keeping a clean workplace for teammates and customers to participate in plus pick up anything on the ground instead of walking right by…

It’s a simple question in form but not a simple answer at all. Common sense should ring a bell but it seems that common sense is not that common…

The list could go on for a while but some key points to include are as follows:

· 100% - being 100% during a task is so very important. We should want to be this way when doing something only to be moving through tasks with efficiency. When are 100% with something we can complete and move on to the next or just participate at a high level.

· Communication – we should want to choose to work this into our daily lives. Whether that’s pre-calling, following up and or sharing information…the art of communication should be sought after…

· Lead by example – a fairly self-explanatory suggestion but basically setting the bar by just doing. Some are great at talking but those that do and follow through are those who we want to follow and are true leaders.

· Personal accountability – to take responsibility for ones actions is a true test of ones character. It is expected that IF coaches hold themselves accountable to their words and actions.

· Transparency – we all have the opportunity to be truthful and honest. To be open and clear with your intensions or motives builds confidence in those around you. Being transparent helps build trust based relationships and eliminates any possibility of ill feelings.

· Team player – at Innovative Fitness, we are all here for one another. When one falls, there is one to assist to help and another there to take over. Being a team player is part of being unselfish and willing to do for others as you want done for yourself.

· Passion – the team has passion for everything we do and stand for. Whether we are folding towels or leading a group session. Our passion speaks volumes and cannot be matched with being fake or misleading emotions. Our passion comes from within and allows us to take the extra step and similarly go that extra mile.

· Perspective – to have perspective is valuable. We aren’t expected to know everything or be wiser than most, but IF coaches are not one mile wide and an inch deep – we are confident enough to admit when we don’t know something and convey that we will come back with a plan.

· Knowledge – we are hired with at least a base level of knowledge and with the understanding that in order to excel we must strive towards enhancing our knowledge through communication, clinics and asking the questions…

· Aesthetics – not to say that we need chiselled bodies but in order to walk the walk we have to be equipped with the tools…my dentist has pretty nice teeth! But hey, if you haven’t run a 10km, get ready to train with someone who hasn’t either so you can experience it from a-z as well.

· Personality – anyone can train and anyone can provide a session but Innovative Fitness Professional Coaches have what others don’t…personality. It’s that sparkle in the eye and it’s what keeps the controlled chaos in motion. Our personality is expected to shine through and outlast the heaviest storm or blackout.

Our differentiating feature is our x-factor in our personality and all the above points…

What if you could?

Security

2010-02-01T12:50:00.000-08:00

If you were driving around Vancouver over the weekend or looking up in the sky today you can sense the tightening up of security that is taking place all across the Lower Mainland and Whistler.

The Olympic Games are seen as a chance to bring the world together through sport but as well the games are seen “as a commercial enterprise and tourist attraction” which grows every time an Olympics takes place. The security blanket is far greater and the expectations grow exponentially each Olympics.

Reports say that this is the largest security operation ever in Canadian History. Canada is gathering help and support from across the country.
- 5,200 RCMP officers
- 1800 municipal, regional and provincial police officers
- 4500 Canadian Forces Personnel
- 500 Private Security personnel
- 60 Days the integrated security Unit will be operating – set up, 17 days of the games and the Paralympics.

How do you feel about it?

Well for one thing, we will be ready, we will be safe and I hope we will all enjoy this amazing experience which is about to take place in 12 Days!

Sticking to the Plan

2010-01-28T14:33:00.000-08:00

Everyday you wake up can be a little bit of challenge - knowing exactly what you have to accomplish for that day, especially when every detail is laid out for you. It can be a little overwhelming and mind-boggling, some days a little demanding and exhausting. Although, when you understand why you plan things, you realize their importance. Everything is done for a specific reason, and in the big picture, it will help you accomplish your goals and reach whatever success you set out for yourself.

After making the decision to train for a huge event this coming year, I spent the time looking at what was going to be next twelve months of my life and planned what now seems like every minute and every detail of my life. I knew that I couldn’t just “wing” it; I needed to make a plan, and truly stick with it, no matter what.

Following and sticking to my plan to an absolute tee, and doing things properly, has made me I feel like I’m making huge strides in attaining my goals.

There are times when it can be very challenging and tempting to stray from what I’m supposed to do, however, knowing where my finish line will be is what gets me through each and every day, and what keeps me dialed in to what I know I’m supposed to do.

-Nina Mathers

You Are the Sum of the Whole, Not Single Moments

2010-01-27T15:21:00.001-08:00

Legacy: "Something handed down from an ancestor or a predecessor or from the past."

On April 12, 1980, Terry Fox dipped his right leg into the Atlantic Ocean and set out on his marathon of hope. For the next few months, Terry ran through Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Quebec, reaching Ontario in June. Over that time, he covered approximately 23.3miles per day, and had reached just outside Thunderbay when his battle with cancer finally forced him to stop - one year later, he lost the fight entirely. However, his courageous journey will continue to live on and Terry's efforts will never be forgotten.

On March 31, 1984, Steve Fonyo began his "Journey for Lives" - a marathon that was meant to honor Terry, covering the same route and then carrying on past where Terry had finally succumbed. He completed it on May 29, 1985 after covering 4,924 miles and raising $14 million (CDN). In the early part, he was criticized as a "copy-cat", and was overshadowed by Terry's history - but by the end, he had earned everyone's respect by his own right, and amongst other things was awarded the Order of Canada in 1985 - the youngest person ever given the status at that time.

Sadly, after reaching this pinnacle, Steve Fonyo has been in and out of the legal system for various reasons: assault with a weapon, fraud, impaired driving - the list goes on. In December of 2009, Steve Fonyo became only the fourth person in history... to have his Order of Canada revoked.

It's been said "Leadership isn't a sometimes thing", and that "Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit". As leaders, we do well to remember this - when you leave work, when you're out shopping, or when you move on from a position - your legacy continues to be written.

You are not only who you choose to be - but who you choose to be at all times. History will always continue to be written.

~Guy

We should never read a book by its cover

2010-01-26T11:00:00.000-08:00

We should never read a book by its cover but we need to know how.

A customer walks in and gets on the treadmill like any other day. As they walk through the door their name is called and an uncomfortable smile crosses their face. They are quickly swallowed up by the loud music, energy and fad into the background. As the treadmill buzzes along, they begin their usual pre-workout warm up. As the clock strikes the hour the coach walks up with a towel and wearing a sparkle in their eye.
’how are we today?’, they ask.
’fine, you?’, the customer replies…

Stop right there…we can not see as we read but there is the body behavior of something greater here that may go unnoticed.

‘I’m good’, says the coach, ‘how’s your low back, did you get in to see the physio like we spoke about?’

A small tear is forming in the eye of the customer as they run, avoiding eyes and an uncomfortable feeling fills the air.

‘hey, lets go outside for our warm up’, the coach suggests.

With the care needed, the coach hits the stop button and proceeds to the door where they both head into the fresh air.

‘it’s better out here right now’, the coach recommends….

We should never read a book by its cover and or judge a situation but when we see the signs of something bigger than expected it’s important to take control.

We are not only personal coaches, we are professional advisers. By no means are we to prescribe medication but we have the opportunity to be a shoulder or an ear to listen.

There is a turning point in our coaching carrier where having the chats about sports and weekend beers just won’t cut it. There is a point where we must dig a little deeper and make ourselves vulnerable to feelings and emotions.

Take that step and take the next step into coaching and mentorship.

Not everyone is coming to see us to get fit. If you don’t know the stats, please ask because there’s a whole world out there that is passing you by.

When are you going to take that next step?

2010-01-25T12:42:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of talking to a principle that works in the Inner School District of Vancouver. We were talking about how they are handling the Olympics and incorporating it into a 2 week educational theme with the students.

Most of these students that attend the inner schools are from families that are on welfare or single parent families and are in area with high crime rates. The students and their families cannot afford to go to the games themselves nor some of them never been able to go out side of their district due to lack of funds to even travel on public transportation.

However the Inner City school board is taking full advantage to educate the students, realizing that this is a once in a life time event and all should benefit the experience that is arriving in Vancouver in less than a month. The school are providing full field day trips to certain free Olympic venues across the city. Organizing these full day field trip, the students get to experience the atmosphere, be involved in the celebration of countries coming together and watch the olympics on the big screen TV’’s with thousands of other people from all over the world. On the days that they are not venturing into the city, University students are coming out to there schools. A specific example is the engineers from UBC are teaching/showing the students how to build certain Olympic structures, like the luge and the ski jump. I think this is an excellent chance to allow the students to study and learn information that is relevant to what is currently happening.

How are you going to engage yourself over the Olympics? Will you walk around downtown? Do you have tickets to events? Will you mingle with the visitors from all over the world?

If you are stuck, here is a website of free events that the city is offering:

http://www.citycaucus.com/2010freevenues#5362

Pushing the Boundaries

2010-01-21T11:15:00.000-08:00

So January First it became illegal to talk on your cel phone while driving. We had plenty of time to prepare, radio and news media running stories for months, allowing people time to purchase Bluetooth equipment as holiday gifts and mentally prepare for quiet commutes.

Now as you are aware I am also a commuter (just under 2 hours a day 5 days a week) and I was one of those individuals who received a Bluetooth for Christmas. Nevertheless, on a daily basis, I see distracted drivers looking guiltily back at me, chatting nervously on their phones while in rush hour traffic. It has been advertised that tickets will not be issued until February 1st but really, why do some individuals either a) just not care b) believe they are capable where others are not or c) so resistant to change that they procrastinate until the last moment.

6,000 people were killed last year alone by cel phone using drivers. Drivers texting while driving are 8 times more likely to be in an accident, that's double the statistic of a driver under the influence of alcohol.

A co-worker has the mantra "be the change you want to see" which of course we should all live by but is that enough? Why is it so hard for people to do the right thing or break bad habits?

-Angela Tames

How Not to Host a Party

2010-01-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

A little backstory:

I hate New Year's Eve. In my eyes, it becomes a matter of spending 1.5x what you normally would, being around a lot of people you don't know well, having trouble getting home and, after all is said and done - having a fairly average evening. I much prefer spending it at home with my wife and maybe a few close friends, having dinner and getting to bed - allowing me a full day on the 1st to enjoy the fresh start of a new year.

This year, my brother (who lives with us) decided to have a New Year's Party - full decorated, lots of alcohol and suit-and-tie dress code. When he told me about it, I realized I had two choices - I could be a grade "A" a**hole and lock myself in my room, resplendent in my bitterness... or I could grit my teeth, put on a smile with my suit and spend some time with my brother and his friends - thereby making the best of it. I chose the latter option.

For the 2010 Olympics, we, as a host city, have the same choice. Yes, there problems with it - the traffic will be a nightmare, it will inconvenience us terribly, we will probably be overbudget, our handling of the homeless will most likely be inadequate, and our mascots are some bizarre Japanese anime joke. But, when the 100th person on a day asks us where the seabus station is, or how to get to Robson Street, we can either say "It's at the corner of 'Get a Map' and 'Piss Off'", or we can smile, point them in the right direction and wish them a happy stay.

We don't gain anything at this point by coming across like a city of d***heads - and in the end, it has less to do with "being a host city", and more to do with the simple, common courtesy of being a host.

Let's show them what we can do, Vancouver - let's welcome the world.

~Guy

.black out.

2010-01-19T11:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was like any other day. Alarm went off at 5am; shower on and on the road with a packed lunch by 5:20. The highway was a bit out of the ordinary though…there were some tree branches littering the path and the car seemed light on air in the tires because it was harder the handle. Turns out the wind was on overtime and not only was it pushing the car around, it was sending debris onto the road.

As I parked the car the wind howled and pushed against the car. It was apparent that it was heavy when I opened the door and it closed behind me with a gust. Wow I thought, it is windy…about the same time I noticed the warm breeze on my face. Odd for January but no biggie...then it happened…it was like someone had control of the surrounding light in the neighborhood. Everything flicked on and off several times before the lights went out. All the lights of the block went out and the street seemed quiet…

The walk to work took 2minutes and I was met by a couple teammates in our dark facility. The emergency lights were on and we quickly realized that the morning was now not what we expected…

The point of this story is not to shed light on the fact that we had a blackout but to illustrate that no matter what one expects, expect the unexpected.

Right away the west van team took charge and started the day right. We rolled towels in the faint light of the exit sign and reviewed the week prep off of a black berry. With only one customer training at 6am (outside bootcamp) the remaining team rallied together and cleaned what we could see and prepped for the day because we know that it was only a matter of time before the lights would be coming on again…

The moral of the story completely is that with every action there needs to be a tight reaction. Even though the lights were off and the WiFi was off, part of the team bonded with a workout and the rest stretched and or clicked away on black berry’s until there was enough light to continue to prep for that moment in the morning where everything came back to order in the form of electricity.

LIFe must move on in the case of adversity in any form so get ready cause it’s not if, it’s when…

In a Time of Need!

2010-01-18T10:43:00.000-08:00

Watching and reading the news over the weekend, it is unbelievable how supportive and generous the world is being to the disaster stricken country of Haiti. The world is coming together and raising funds, but due to this crisis, the supplies and human support is not coming fast enough. The people in Haiti have no homes, no food, running water is sparse and there is not enough medical services to meet the demand.

However, the positive aspect of this natural catastrophe is that the world is doing everything one can to help this country. Charities such as, Unicef is deploying clean water, sanitation supplies, therapeutic food, medical supplies and temporary shelter to Haiti, the CARE organization plans to start food distribution of high protein biscuits to Haiti, and the red cross is accepting donation for Haiti Relief development and have raised more than 8 million dollars thus far. High end businessmen and celebrities are also raising funds to help out.

Short help is what is needed immediately but one should think about the long term effect that this will have on this country in a year, 5year and 10 years time.The long term project of rebuilding Haiti is of a great importance. The United Nations are taken a step in the right direction. They have launched an appeal for 562 million dollars to help fund a six month relief effort.

So yes, please donate now to a humanitarian organizations to help the current situation, however remember that this country has to rebuild itself from scratch, so don’t forget about then in 6 months time!

Presentation

2010-01-14T06:43:00.000-08:00

So a friend of ours was in town for Christmas and during a particularly raucous visit he proceeds to tell us a story about a new Sushi restaurant that has opened in his hometown named Kai. The big draw for the $150 an hour meals is that they serve Sushi on live, nude young women. Now we are enjoying his tale of mayhem immensely as he describes this poor girl lying on a table surrounded by techies, all knee deep in Saki, chatting away with her enjoying and the fact that she isn't supposed to talk as they are simultaneously looking for the wasabi.

A couple of days later I was thinking about this idea that has been around for decades in Japan and the art of presentation. It is amazing that as a result of a very expensive dinner this restaurant is now the topic of conversation for the fifteen attendees for countless further dinner parties! That is advertising you just can't make up.

The moral of the story I suppose is next time I present an idea, argument or myself I will think back to the importance of the first impression and presentation.

- Angela Tames

Seriously...

2010-01-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

True story for everyone:

In London, England, there lives a doctor by the name of Richard Dawson who, when parking his scooter on his own property - receives a parking ticket from the local traffic wardens . So, he fights the ticket - and the bureaucrats at the Traffic Registry simply tell him he's wrong, he owes the money.

He doesn't pay.

He gets another ticket, same approach, same problem. Thus it continues for the next ten years, as over thirty tickets build and build. Finally, being fed up, he goes over the head of the registry. He goes to court, where he travels all the way up to the Court of Appeal of England and Wales armed with the deed of the land and proof that he owns the portion of property on which he's parked.

And he loses.

The judge (Lord Justice Sedley, for anyone who's curious), finds that although he does, indeed, have legal right and entitlement to the piece of land he's parking on - since the public has access to it as well, they can ticket him.

I don't even know where to begin voicing my outrage at this. Whether it's the fact that the traffic wardens have so little self-esteem and confidence that they need to be complete a**holes to make themselves feel like they have a value to society, or the fact that the judge himself shows that education and experience do not guarantee intelligence - there are so many things wrong with it, that I find myself once again wishing that there was a forum in which to expose and hold accountable all those for whom common sense is replaced by stupidity.

Why is it that people like this are often the ones who wind up running our governments?

~Guy

A lifetime of engagement

2010-01-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

A weekend of skiing and snowboarding with my family turned out to be more than one of our regular active holidays. Growing up, Erika and I were continually exposed to athletics and adventure. There was usually a theme to our vacations and we grew up watching our parents participate in many different sports and explorations...

Ten years ago, when our dad turned 60, our step mother Victoria surprised dad with an adventure paralleled to none. She researched and found a trek leader in Nepal. She took him to the Himalayas and made one of his childhood dreams come true. They spent a year training and preparing for this journey of a lifetime. An experience that had such an impact that they returned 2yrs later with Erika and I...

At Christmas this year she did it again. She totally shocked him and rolled two carbon road bikes into the living room! Instantly the conversations began about what to train for and what then next adventure would be. With tears in his eyes he shared his feelings about how amazing it is to have yet another physical goal via the gift of this new bike. Currently he trains with a coach 2 times a week and rides his mountain bike 3-4 days per week – this guy is fit...

Fast forward to Saturday night, Victoria was not done with the surprises. During a French night theme in our place in Sun Peaks she gave dad an early birthday present...she is taking them to France to ride with a group on a Tour de France trip! The look on his face was priceless...

The meaning behind this is 2 fold. A physical adventure to keep them both focused and an adventure through a physical challenge that they can do together.

As we think about ways to engage ourselves, teammates and customers. Understand that the value can be limitless; all it takes is the first step and an idea!

2010-01-11T11:28:00.000-08:00

A lot of great things are happening at IF at the moment and over the past week there has been some great communication between all IF coaches, leaders, managers and owners. Our theme has been “engagement.”

What is Engagement?

In our industry the action of “engagement” is pivotal in how we lead ourselves, our team and our customers. What keeps us engaged in our jobs/goals, what keeps our teammates engaged so they don’t fall off the band wagon and ultimately how can we best engage our customers so they get the full benefit of our services.

I would like to share with you some of the communication from some of the things on how we keep ourselves engage and how we engage our customers.

Team:

Events Destinations - the cool factor, the challenge.
Time with Management, owners and leaders
Constructive - they are delivered to make us better, hold us accountable and they challenge us to be better.
support & recognition from teammates, managers, owners
Leadership Forum - constant communication from owners/managers on updates on how we are leading the fitness industry.
The possibilities and opportunities that are discussed day in and day out. Always options to enhance and grow in your career.
Excellence through education and re-invention
Mentoring from leaders in the company.

Customer:

First and foremost - know your customer:

Who they are
Why do they come to IF
What is there motivation
What are there goals
What makes them tick
Do you pay attention to what you talked about last week (and last month)
Engage them through your personal stories that are relevant to them.
Ask them questions about their life, their experiences and their advice.
Go above and beyond
Be Real.

Multi-Tasking

2010-01-07T10:55:00.000-08:00

I trained a fellow for the first time recently (his first time at IF) and was surprised at the level that we are seeing people at off of the street more and more often. This guy was not unlike so many others, had taken time off from himself to grow his business, raise his young family and in the meantime literally was doing nothing for himself. He would go home and eat the meals prepared for him, watch an hour of television and play with his kids then go back to the computer or the phone or both.

The shocking part is not that these were his new priorities but the level at which he now finds himself after only 3-4 years away from physical activity. Literally an hour of constant movement was a major undertaking for him and he is not the only one that I have seen like this recently.

My question is really this. How as a society have we come to this? How is it that we put so little value into staying engaged in the holistic-ness of life? I am proud to be part of an organization that promotes 2-3 (hopefully more) hours a week to physical fitness but really - why are people tapping out so regularily? Is it a societal need for more - more money, bigger house, larger more profitable business?

What is our solution. Will the Olympics inspire a community? We live in a city that takes pride in the amount of fitness that it participates in year round, how are so many people not? My hope is this. That with the focus of 2010 being so much on legacy (Olympic spending), growth and change that those aforementioned people will continue to knock at my door and I can do my part, one at a time and keep them engaged.

Understand Your Subject

2010-01-06T15:34:00.001-08:00

I think that many times, society, as a whole, have a tendency to blindly read the information that's been presented to us without actually putting any thought into understanding it.

Statistics are a good example.

How many times have you read an article, that quotes some sort of statistic to support it's position, and just accepted it at face value? Judging by the way the media can control everything we say and do... many of you have done this, and quite frequently. And, I suppose, that's alright - it's human nature. Numbers rule - if someone is quoting numbers, they must have done the research, and they must know what they're talking about.

But numbers can always be manipulated, and at best only give you a snapshot, a specific view. How about a real world example?

In six years, the Canadian Junior Hockey team has only lost two times out of thirty-two games. Twice. Out of thirty-two.

BUT:

Only one of those losses cost them the gold medal. So, when it comes down to it, although our win record at the world junior championships is a staggering 94% - we went home with the silver medal this year.

Always look beyond the headlines, the numbers, the bells and whistles. I guarantee you, there will be more to the story - if you take the time.

~Guy

Not every time we are 100% but every time we have the opportunity to be 100%..

2010-01-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

Put it away..
If you take out and use equipment on the training floor, be sure to orderly put it back where it lives. Go ahead and help us out with that, thanks! If we leave gear out and not where it belongs or simply in the way (not put away properly) it ruins the organic flow that lives in our controlled chaos.
Solution: get your customers doing fast feet drills while you put the equipment away (or come up with one of the other million things you can do to with someone while you clean as you cook)

Calling in sick..
If you are up all night ill or just completely sick when you wake up, crawl to your computer and look at the schedule. Think solutions and look at the possibilities of everything working for that upcoming sift.
Solution: maybe you need to come in for 1hr and then have coaches cover the rest of the day. Be able to assess your state.

No matter what the example, it still has relevance in the journey for 100%..

You're Part of Bigger Picture

2009-12-30T12:00:00.000-08:00

A couple of incidences occurred over the last couple of days, one personally and one on a larger scale, that prompted me to write this blog.

First case: I was changing after a workout the other day at the rec center, and this guy comes in to get ready for his workout. Picture one of the jack-asses from Jersey Shore (no idea if this guy was Italian, and he definitely wasn't on steriods, but otherwise - you get the picture). Anyway, he puts himself at the end of the bench, then proceeds to change smack dab in front of the mirror, watching himself the whole time. To make matters worse, he pauses frequently to pose and flex.

Now, to be clear: we all know that we've done it (and don't you deny it). BUT: we do it in the privacy of our home, in front of our favorite mirror - not in public, flexing and making kissy faces at ourselves.

The second case is the one where a 19 year old whelp by the name of Brittney Simpson ran out and knocked down the Olympic torchbearer as part of her protest. Quite frankly, I'm getting sick of all the different special interest groups using the the Olympics as their own personal soapbox to grandstand some sort of (real or imagined) slight by the government, or society as a whole. In fact, people like Ms. Simpson take any sort of credibility and sympathy away from their cause - as of this writing, I have no idea what part of the Olympics she's protesting, nor do I care. I just hope they lock her ass up in jail for a couple of weeks for assualt.

The truth is, in both cases listed above the person forgot that they are part of a bigger picture, and in the end both wound up looking like morons.

To both parties, I would like to offer a little reminder: it's not all about you.

~Guy

P.S. Happy new year to everyone - wishing you all the best for 2010!!!

.short & sweet.

2009-12-29T13:50:00.000-08:00

This time of year we are all in a hustle and bustle of the season. From Christmas party to a shopping spree we are commonly losing our minds and sometimes not even making it to our appointments.

We must slow down and take responsibility for our actions.
Eg. As simple as sending thank you notes…take the time to get them done. Something short and sweet will be enough and this will always go a long long way.

Remember, some of the best things in life are the little things…they are the things that sometimes mean the most…

Interestingly enough, it’s the little things that differentiates us from the rest!

What's Next.

2009-12-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

With 2010 just literally around the corner, are you planning, goal setting and evaluating what is next to come in 2010 and are you taking the time to reflect what has happened in 2009. In our last week of 2009, have you achieve and accomplish what you set out to do this time last year?

I think it is important to remember that whatever you have done or will do, that your events, accomplishments, and goals are all building blocks to where you want to be (professionally ) and who you want to be. Not to long ago, a customer said to me that life is one big jigsaw puzzle and the things you do in life are all pieces of this puzzle that will eventually lead you to the finishing picture. At the time, you may not know why and where this piece of the puzzle fits but it will all come together and everything you have done will lead you to this.

Happy New Year, and may your dreams and aspirations be continued to be filled for 2010.

2009-12-23T16:54:00.000-08:00

As I sit at my parents house in Calgary, staring at the Christmas tree, presents and stockings (which my wife stubbornly insists on calling "socks"... I mean seriously...), my thoughts drift forward to the few hours after Christmas finishes. It's in that time that, inevitably, we tend to feel that melancholic depression that sets in once the presents are unwrapped, the food is eaten, the toys are played with.

Why?

It's because, as a society, we look at this time of year as the ONLY time that we focus on "being good", showing "forgiveness", and open generosity. But why? Why do we limit ourselves and those around us this way?

I offer all of us, myself included, a challenge. Don't let this one time of year be the point where you think about others before yourself, where you make a point of seeing family, where you touch base with old friends. Don't wait for a time that's been corporately engrained in your head as "the right time".

On December 26th, continue to spread joy and happiness to all those around you the same as the day before. Do a random act of kindness, make a donation, call an old friend - and now keep that momentum going for 364 more days.

Merry Christmas, and happy holidays everyone.

~Guy

The Gleeson Family

2009-12-21T14:13:00.000-08:00

An experience written by one of West Vancouvers newer coaches Natalie Anderson, a story about challenges, adversities, victories and how doing the little things in our rewarding job can go along way in changing peoples lives.
Thank you Natalie for sharing.

Goodbye...

No matter how many times I have had to say goodbye, it never gets any easier.

I met Shaun and Emma Gleeson in August of 2009, a lovely couple from England who I had the pleasure of training individually once a week.

They seemed like your 'average run of the mill' suburban family and I got along with them like a house on fire from the minute I put them on the bikes to warm up.

The first clue I had of their selflessness was when they sponsored me for the my very first adventure race in September. I was delighted and followed up with the token email and photograph.

Now I don't know what happened in October but there seemed to be a turning point in Shaun's thinking. It was Nutrition Challenge month and I encouraged both Shaun and Emma to enter. Shaun's ultimate goal was weight loss as this was directly correlated to his high blood pressure and for Emma, more about education and accountability, as she had done the challenge so many times before. However, this was Shaun's first and final experience. The nutrition challenge involved writing daily logs about food consumption, completing weekly fitness challenges and participating in events. Initially, Shaun was sceptical as he had to travel a lot during this time, but along with fellow trainers Richard and Dave we convinced both of them to do their best.

So week 1 down, 14 excellent food logs later and 7 delightful yet useless facts from Shaun - made reading and analysing every one of them tolerable!

Week 2: Emma was impecable with her logs, even calculating calories burned during each workout. Shaun on the otherhand was traveling in England, socializing with friends and working... in that order! I received a few late night emails... and to my surprise he was still sticking to the guidelines of the challenge. Shaun required very little motivation, he was so tuned in to succeeding he even ordered a salad in front of his mates.

Week 3: Shaun is back, he has booked in extra sessions to make up for his time away and is coming in on his 'off' days to do an hours cardio! This week both Shaun and Emma completed the 24th hill fitness challenge! A credit to them both, who suffer from back and knee injuries respectively.

Week 4: By this time Shaun is focussed, his eyes are on the prize. This man is getting super fit... In fact I think during the month of October he spen more time at IF then he did with his family. Everything was going so well for them both, it was falling into place.
I was training with Emma one night and I noticed she wasn't her usual bubbly, chatty self, I felt close enough to ask if everything was ok... and with a glazed look in her eyes, she replied, "Shaun's work wants him to move back to England in December." At this point I must admit I was very selfish - thinking, but I will miss you, who will I laugh and joke with? Not even thinking how hard it must be to uproot your family to another country. I put on a brave face and thought a lot can change in three months.

This weekend was the 10km Turkey Trot. Shaun and I were registered and I decided our game plan was a walk run combo as he had not run that far in 2 years since his injury.
Its race day and I let Shaun set the pace, '5 minute run 1 minute walk,' I say, trying to convince him it is a jog, not a sprint. We set off dodging and weaving fellow runners (thank goodness for those agility exercises). 5 minutes into the run and Shaun has set a steady pace and with dignity says "I don't need to walk, let's keep going!" So with no ultimate goal, other then to finish the race, I agree. At this point fitness was not the issue, it was weather his back and knees would hold up. 1 hr and 8 minutes later we crossed the finished line having jogged the whole way around without stopping. I was so proud of him.

Weigh in day of the Nutrition Challenge: Now neither Shaun nor Emma won, as it was based on a cumulation of points. As cheesy as it sounds though, Shaun did win his own challenge. Neither one of them missed a log and Shaun lost the most amount of weight during the 4 weeks out of everyone that entered the challenge at West Vancouver IF.

And so I think, 'that's the end of that, back to reality now,' but I was wrong! Shaun continued to come in to the facility during every day 'off' and always made up sessions that he missed. We even decided to do the Chief Hike as it was one of his goals before he left for England, we unfortunatly had to pull out due to poor weather.

Richard and I continued to 'up' the intensity during each session, challenging him more and more. Shaun proved to be an excellent workout buddy, and I spent many a session working out beside him, while he danced his way through a squat press or reverse lunge bicep curl. Emma called it his midlife crisis music. We even had a few of our own 'Ashes' matches, Australia VS England in cricket with our makeshift half blue foam roller cricket bat!

The 10km Fall Classic was coming up and I challenged Shaun to complee it in under an hour, if he did I would buy him a vivianno from Starbucks, which he had religiously after his workouts at IF. And so one afternoon after his workout I had to buy him his viviano - he did it in 56 minutes. Good on you Shaun, it must have been those new running tights.

3 weeks out from their expected departure date and Shaun is booking extra sessions and Emma is rescheduling every session with me to fit it into their moving plans - Quote 'I can't miss my IF workouts!' Ironperson of December: Shaun Gleeson for his dedication, hard work and commitment.

Next challenge for Shaun was the 5km Santa Shuffle in under 25min! It was a fun event and I dropped a hint that Emma should bring the kids down for the 1km Elf walk. To my surprise, she did, 3 years at IF and this was her first and last event!

Donned with Reindeer antlers, I met the Gleeson's at the start line, we took some photos, complained about the cold weather and Shaun and I were off. Again I said, 'you set the pace.' And at the time I wish I could have taken it back!

So apparently this one was a sprint! It was an icy morning and Shaun sprinted off overtaking the social runners, his technique and form resembled a Kenyan completing a marathon. I grinned and ran along side him, thinking - he won't be able to keep this up. 2.5km into the run and we are still sprinting like we are being chased by the cops. In between breaths I manage to gasp, "your getting fast!" 27 minutes later we crossed the finished line - disappointed but not defeated. We spent too much time at the beginning trying to get past the pack.

As 1 of many send offs, Shaun, Emma, their two children Oliver and Ruby, Kate, Richard, Kati and myself went out to lunch after the Sanata Shuffle and relived their fond memories at IF. A couple of stories that stuck in my head:

Emma:
Quote: 'After I got home from my first session I cried, I said to Shaun, 'What have I got myself in to?' Now I can't miss a session, I love it. I asked for a medball for Christmas so I can still do my woodchops when I leave.'

Shaun:
Quote: 'I was sceptical, I didn't think I needed another person to push me, my first few sessions I had to go home and have a sleep on the couch!'

Dave, Richard and myself decided that we would make the last few weeks of the Gleeson's IF experience a blast. Dave did an awesome whiteboard workout for Emma which involved traveling around the world, en route to England - rowing to Australia, hiking up Ayres Rock with a backpack, just to name a few. I also had my first cardio core workout with Emma, while Oliver and Ruby played DS and drew in the corner of the facility. I lost count after 180 crunches, but chuckled very loudly when during a 30 second hold of a back extension on the floor, Ruby kindly slid a drawing right under Emma's nose, so that she didn't have to look up. I loved training Emma's cardio core hours, I use to do hours of research for new and challenging core exercises. My favourites were the worm, where your legs and arms are extened, lieing on the floor you must roll yourself from your stomach to your back without using your arms of legs, reverse v-sit on the lat pull down with leg drops (she hated this one) and V-sit kettle bell crunches - I had a killer ab combo for this one!

Emma got her revenge at Train the Trainer. She had written down every exercie I was to do and had all the equipment prepared, all while hollering at Shaun to 'watch the kids!' - who might be asking for a treadmill for Christmas this year! Shaun was much more leaniant, all I had to do was give him a nasty look and he asked, 'are you ok?' - he is much too nice to be a trainer.
By the last two weeks Shaun was dialled in to burning calories. So Rich and I did the 1000kcal challenge. In my attempt to have Shaun burn 100kcal, I worked out with him and had him on the treadmill at the highest level he has ever done... NICE. But I came in short at 987kcal. Not to worry, Rich had a crack at him 2 days later with 1000 and something kcal, nice workout both of them.

It was profiling week and Emma convinced me she didn't need to do it. Actually no... she flat out refused! However I convinced Shaun we should take his girth measurements just for interest sake. He lost over 10lbs in 3 months, and 6 cms from his waist, and after an office medical was told he could come off his blood pressure medication. I was so excited for him, he had worked so hard, there was no better reward.

After what I though was his last workout with me I gave him the Gleeson Gladiator Gauntlet whiteboard workout. Shaun had to reschedule his last workout with Rich and ended up with me. Unfortunatly the night before was his going away party and Shaun was not up to the slaying I preppared - having to dash to the bathroom on numerous occasions. He left me standing with the dumb bells a few times looking bedazzled because I didn't know where he was.

TOP 5 GLEESON MOMENTS:
1. Working out with Shaun and he is spottng me on the chest press and a drop of sweat from his forehead onto my nose..eeww gross!
2. Dave giving Emma thunderclaps for the Santa Shuffle, or slow handclaps as they are known to the Gleeson's - she hates being made a fuss over!
3. Shaun shouting profanities during peak of the hour and sometimes during the warm up if we were lucky!
4. Shaun's dance moves - there is nothing more to say about this...
5. When Emma suggests that the exercises I have chosen are not real, they are made up exercises - how rude!

Leaving Day: The Gleeson powerpoint is showing on the big screen, a poster on the door read 'goodbye Gleeson's, we will miss you,' a card is signed by all the IF coaches, a collage of photos has been printed and framed, and the IF waterbottles and jersey are prepped.

I turned down the music, stood on the small box and declared what a loss for IF it was to lose not 1, but 2 of its most valuable - not customers, but friends. Emma compared finding new trainers, like finding a new hairdresser - which I totally understand, which is why we got along so well. Nowhere else will they find a gym where they yell your name when you arrive. Emma and I both joked that she will arrive at her new training facility and announce in her propper Brittish accent, 'Hello everyone, I am here!' I've also jokingly mentioned to Shaun, that when he is back in Vancouver for business he should come back for a session, he boldy stated that he would like 2 hours in a row!

All was said and done, gifts exchanged, I got through my whole speech without breaking down. It was definatly the team huddle with the 'Lets break on Gleesons in 3... 1, 2, 3, GLEESONS' followed by a round of thunderclaps that did it for me! The tears rolled down my face and with as much dignity and courage as I could muster, I said thankyou and goodbye.

Special appreciation to the team at IF West Vancouver for your support. Rich and Dave my co-coaches, Kati for looking after Ruby and Oliver, Justine for giving me the freedom and opportunity to work with the Gleesons, and Josh for your advice.

Find Your Own Voice

2009-12-16T12:06:00.000-08:00

How many times have you been sitting in an audience, listening to a speaker, and thought to yourself "Hm. I think I've heard these words before...?". What was the impact of this realization? Did you lose just a tiny little bit of respect for the speaker, because they're grabbing someone else's lines? Do you tune them out a bit because it's the vocal equivelant of a television repeat?

I do. For right or wrong, hearing the exact same words coming out of someone's mouth does all of those things.

But note: I said the same "words" - not the same "message". The reason this is an important distinction is because hearing the same message in different words often has the opposite effect - it reinforces everything that you've heard already. It adds to the significance of what's being said, because it's not longer a single, solitary person standing on a soapbox. Furthermore, different deliveries are going to resonate with different people, so the more ways that the same message gets out there, the more people are going to absorb what's being said.

So - going forward, I offer you a challenge. Don't allow yourself to become a mimic - take the way you receive information one step farther. Listen to what's being said. Understand the core message. Then share that message - but do it in your own way, in your own style, in your own voice.

I guarantee that even if it doesn't resound with every member of the audience (or any, for that matter), at the very least your sincerity and therefore, your credibility, will come through.

Nothing can destroy the value of a message faster than lack of credibility in the messenger.

~Guy

train the trainer

2009-12-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

On Dec 10^th we hosted our annual Train the Trainer fundraiser event benefiting both the www.canuckplace.org/ and www.friendsforzambia.org/ The common bond between the two are they are for the benefit for children.

The event is 12-13yrs old and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years..

In November, the TTT board goes up. 2hrs from 6-8pm are split into 24, 5min blocks and are sold for 50$. The purchaser gets 5min per block they buy to do whatever training they see fit. With some rules: no food or alcohol. As the event approaches, the anticipation builds and spots are filled up one by one.

This year, we started our warm up at 5:30 and continued to mentally prepare what was going to be happening within 30minuts. Meyrick Jones of IF Portmoody was our mc and our music supplied some extra ambiance.

For 5-10-15min we can be trained very hard. There are some mean people out there! But all in all the effort is only major for 2hrs and the results are massive. With 3 facilities hosting, we were able to raise close to 47,000$ which will assist many children and benefit those in need.

Another opportunity to do something positive and helpful for the universe. For every action there is a reaction…It’s important to embrace every opportunity and be your 100%

2hrs

2000 calories burned

$1750 raised

$500 of it for a shaved head…priceless

www.youtube.com/watch?v=70M8j9JbPM0

IN THE PRESENT

2009-12-12T12:13:00.000-08:00

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly."
-Siddhartha Gautama

We spend so much of our lives focusing and stressing on the past and the future that we tend to forget about the present. How can we grow and become better individuals if we only focus on what happened yesterday, or if we direct all of attention on planning for the future?

Looking back at on all of the experiences and adventures we have encountered in our lives, we must feel fortunate for each and every one. They have helped mold and shape us into who we are today and the paths we inevitably follow. As much as it is helpful to have your past guide you to make decisions about the future, so many of us dwell on what has happened in our past. It can be difficult to let certain things, situations and moments go, however, it becomes be extremely difficult to move forward and live in the present.

Furthermore, this can also be said about focusing so much on the future. Planning is one the keys to success. Although, when there is so much of an emphasis and focus on looking down the road, the present and your surroundings is lost. We need to pay attention to how being aware and in the moment affects us now more than ever, but will also affect us down the road.

Next time you get caught up thinking about what you could have done, should have done, or what you need to do, and what you should do, take a deep breath in, and open your eyes because you don’t want life just pass you by.

- Nina Mathers

Think Before You Speak

2009-12-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

Back in university, while I was earning my acting degree (which has, so far, definitely been worth the money invested), I worked with a theater company. As someone who enjoyed the idea of special FX make-up, I actually apprenticed under the company's head make-up artist, and was able to put it to great use for characters like Ebenezeer Scrooge as well as many, many Halloweens.

Now, the head make-up artist and his wife used to love going to all sorts of conventions, including the Star Trek ones, because they'd generally walk away with the first prize for their costumes (the attached picture? Not either of them - but I needed an appropriate visual). Were they big prizes? Frankly, I doubt it - in fact, I have no idea what they won. Maybe it was just for pride... but whatever floats your boat, I guess.

Anyway, during one of the tutorials, they were showing the pictures from the most recent convention, where they were done up as Klingons. As per usual, the costumes were astounding - with the make-up being absolutely flawless. So good, in fact, that as I was flipping the pages I asked about one part in particular - the stage teeth. The crooked and somewhat discolored look was perfect for a Klingon.

"Where did you get those unbelievable fake teeth?" I asked her without looking up.

Yes. For those of you that have an uncomfortable feeling that you know where this is going - you're right.

"... those are my own teeth..." was her quiet response.

"Oh," I said.

Brilliant recovery? No. But what would you do? I followed that up by carefully scrutinizing a few more pages as I turned through the album in painful silence, before asking about the Borg costumes that came later and pretending I hadn't just put my foot so deeply in my mouth I was choking on my mid-thigh.

Regardless, I learned a valuable lesson at that moment, and use it as a metaphor throughout life - I try to pause for one moment and take as much in around me as possible before I speak. Or, in the immortal words of a caution sign my mother once put on my wall:

"Be sure brain is engaged before putting mouth into gear".

Words to live by.

~Guy

What’s it going to be today?

2009-12-08T10:30:00.000-08:00

On the heels of feedback, maybe we need to break down our approach to delivering. Maybe we need to focus on one topic per day to make it easy and to make it a habit in terms of just delivering.

I was thinking of a new way to convey feedback or just another way to hold team mates accountable. Was thinking that it could be easy to have each day a different theme…

Humm, maybe even post your intensions on your cubby. So what does that look like?

Well, first thing in the morning, post a note on your locker. ‘today will be all about the team doing towels’ then, all day, call on team mates for towels. Eg. Have you done a load of towels yet today? Or, do you know how many towels are in the bathroom? Or, how many towels have you rolled today?

This way, you have let your intensions known but posting a note for all to see and you are following up with your focus. The final piece of the puzzle is offering help or ideas to those who may need help or those who just aren’t regularly performing the IF towel service. ‘can I help you roll those towels?’ or, ‘lets unload this dryer and refill with those wet ones’ or, ‘lets both get some towels on the rack’

So, what else could we focus on during the week? Maybe it looks like this:
Mon: team energy
Tues: towels
Wed: hellos
Thurs: fitness challenge
Fri: cleanliness

The daily tasks can be switched each week and even switched completely or replaced with more pertinent topics (ie. Profiling, event promotion, etc.)

The funny thing is that there are tons of topics we as a team need to be aware of and too many to list that we as a team need to be holding each other accountable to..

So, what’s your daily focus?

Team bonding

2009-12-07T12:27:00.000-08:00

What is bonding? Why is it necessary? Does it work?

The definition of Human bonding "is the development of a close, interpersonol relationship between family members or friends. Bonding is a mutual, interactive process, and is not the same as simple liking. Bonding typically refers to the process of attachment that develops between romantic partners, close friends, or parents and children. This bond is characterized by emotions such as affection and trust. Any two people that spend time together may form a bond. Male bonding refers to the establishment of relationships between men through shared activities that often exclude females. The term female bonding is less frequently used, but refers to the formation of close personal relationships between women"

Obviously, when you are bonding with co-workers this bond created is based on trust and respect. As our job is so personalized and hands on it is rare that we actually get to “bond” besides the work place.

However, when the opportunity arises, it is amazing what a difference it makes.

This past Saturday night, the West Van IF team had an ugly Christmas sweater gathering. We started off at Robson square by skating in our ugly sweaters around the rink and listing to live carolers.

We then made our way to Joshy J's place for a potluck dinner and games. The food was delicious, the setting was spectacular, charades was a lot of fun and the awards were classic.

It is great to be social with your co-workers that you spend every work day with. Even though we naturally have fun and change and challenge others every single hour, it is great to take that fun outside the work environment and get to know everyone a little better. We bonded, we laughed, we talked and we found out my about our co-workers.

Today, the team was energized, we reminisced about our Christmas gathering and we worked hard for one another. We are now even more that before a tight team that doesn't want to let each other down.

Team bonding works!

Consistency is Key

2009-12-04T12:11:00.000-08:00

I had a great conversation with a client today about a recent adjustment to their training program. After experiencing back pain for the fourth year in a row this fall, the invididual decided to add an additional (third) training session in the facility about a month ago. Four weeks into the new approach, he hasn't felt this good with his back in years, and his general flexibility is also way up.

When he was most surprised that one extra session had such an immediate and effective impact, I told him that it was a matter of consistency and routine. By adding an additional session, not only was he burning more calories and improving fitness overall, he was bridging the time between the original sessions when his body would recede into negative habits and posture, as opposed to the increased strengthening we were now working on. The benefit was more than just adding 33% more during the week. It maximizes growth and continuity of progress so less time is spent undoing the damage of daily rigours and stress so we can spend more time and effort improving.

Many people underestimate the importance of consistancy and routine. I often think of one of my roommates on these situations. Though very aware of health and fitness, working in the bar industry leads her to drinking and partying a regular five to six days a week. The seventh day she eat and drinks very consiously and well, takes many many vitamins, and pats herself on the back generously for "balancing" her life. So where is the problem?

She continuously frets about her appearance in a bikini (it's December, get over yourself) and body tone yet rarely (one or twice a month) finds her way to the gym, based on the idea that she does a lot of walking at work. And her diet? Frightful the majority of the time, and overcompensating the rest. Though by weeky total standards she may be close to fine, on a daily basis she's a complete mess. What good does it do to be the world's healthiest person one day a week when the other six days are spent eating greasy appetizers and boozing in excess? Further more, if she's still unhappy with herself and her health, why does she not change her routine?

The bottome line is this; What you do most of the time is what will affect you much more and last longer than what you do some of the time. Consistency is what makes the difference between constantly fighting to find balance in a hectic life and fine tuning a weekly routine
each day to maintain optimal levels of satisfaction and well being. When a routine fails to produce the desired results, a change is necessary. But that change must come in the form of positive habits as opposed to one time solutions or knee jerk reactions and instant crash diets. Think about it... would you rather build a healthy lifestyle based on positive habits, or fight hard for ten days every two months taking necessary risks to make up for poor choices. Everyone slips up once in a while, but its the routine that saves us from the exception. When the exception becomes the norm, there is no direction or order to bring the individual back on track, and efforts to make up lost ground are wasted spinning wheels in mud and undoing bad habits instead or moving forward and improving our health, allwoing us to do the things we want to do while feeling and performing the best we can.

Until the Buzzer Sounds...

2009-12-02T12:42:00.000-08:00

November 26th, 1994, at a Region II semi-final for the local division II high school football championship. Plano High East High School Panthers are trailing behind John Tyler High with just under 3 minutes remaining. What follows is a summary of the last 180 seconds.

3:00 - Plano East scores a quick touchdown to bring the score to 41-23. They follow up with short onside kick, which John Tyler High fumbles - Plano East recovers on John Tyler's 44 yard line.

2:34 - A quick pass by Plano East quarterback to his receiver, and they gain 26 yards to be brought down at the John Tyler 18 yard line.

2:24 - John Tyler's defence blitzes Plano East... the Plano East quarterback scrambles, and dumps a pass off that is miraculously caught by his running back and run to within 11 yards of the end zone. John Tyler holds them back for the next two plays, and on the 4th down and with 5 yards to go... Plano East completes a pass for a touchdown. Conversion: good. Score: 41-31.

1:24 - Another onside kick, another fumble, another recovery. Plano East runs a screen pass, and takes it to the 12 yard line where the receiver steps out of bounds and stops the clock. Complete pass on the next play, but miss the two point conversion - score is now 41-37.

0:45 - Again, an onside kick by Plano East. And yes - John Tyler High fumbled it once more, allowing Plano East to gain possession at midfield. Miss the first pass, then on 2nd and 10 they complete another screen pass in the face of a hard blitz, and take the ball to John Tyler's 22 yard line.

0:24 - A 22 yard pass... complete. Into the endzone, make the conversion - score is now an unbelievable 44-41 for Plano East!!!

The crowd is on their feet!! This is possibly the most incredible comeback in football - with 3 minutes left, the team scores three touchdowns and two conversion to go up by 3 points!! John Tyler's coaching team and players are too shocked to be embarrassed or angry - what the hell happened? Special teams? How could you fumble the ball 3 freakin' times??!!! Plano East is jumping for joy - the "never give up" attitude paid off... their sideline is ecstatic! They know they've made history!!

Plano High's kickoff squad heads out - they are the heroes, having successfully completed not one, not two, but three onside kicks... they are going to be remembered forever, not only in their high school, but the town, the record books, on youTube... FOREVER.

With the last 11 seconds counting down, they finally kick the ball as far as they're capable. John Tyler receiver Roderick Dunn actually catches the ball cleanly at the John Tyler 3... and starts running it back. At the 20, he cuts sharply to the sideline, and then cuts back downfield just before stepping out. He reaches the 50 yard line, and Plano East still hasn't taken him down... to the 40... the 30... the 20... the 10...

And into the end zone.

Final score - John Tyler High School 47. Plano East High School Panthers... 44.

PLAY.

EVERY.

DOWN.

...because it isn't over till the buzzer sounds. Ever.

~Guy

Make your intensions known

2009-12-01T13:08:00.000-08:00

I want the straight goods. I want feedback…I can handle it…

Well, maybe not. Quite commonly, our teammates are always saying these things and in reality, they can’t take the straight goods or the straight feedback.

Now, the wvan leadership group learned something very valuable this past quarter and it now it just seems like common sense.

Don’t give feedback without a solution.

Ok, lets break this down…don’t give feedback without a solution! That’s it! Wow, what a concept but think about it. Transfer it into everyday life and think how amazing the outcome can/ could be. The straight goods accompanied by a solution.

What this does, is positions the deliverer of the information in a place of understanding and a place of caring. It means that not only do you care enough about that person to provide advice (constructive feedback) but you care so much that you are offering a solution that may make the transition to their resolution…wow, that’s amazing!

Now, we just need to say thank you and execute the feedback and carry out the solution!

No seriously, if you give feedback, get into the habit of offering a solution too, it may even make you more comfortable with delivering said feedback. God knows, we ALL need help with this and the reason is quite simple. It takes confidence to continually deliver the straight goods and perseverance to be consistent versus just giving up on someone.

Think Twice

2009-11-30T12:10:00.000-08:00

In your day, your week, or your month things happen. There are issues, events or actions that brighten your day and make you feel good about yourself or there are other times where certain things/events/actions knock your confidence, make you think twice about something, and/or second guess yourself. But the reality is when these negative things happen at these times, the best solution is to get over it and move on. I feel that sometimes, as human beings, we dwell on the negativity when in fact; life is too short to get hung up on the negative side of life.

I had the privilege to attend the Canucks Place “Lights up the Hospice for the Holidays” event tonight. The children that attend this hospice are those that are fighting for their lives every single moment of the day. The small negative upsets that may occur in our day are nothing to what these children are going through.

The event was a celebration of the start of the holiday season. Filomenia Nalewajek (the CEO of Canucks Pace and a customer of ours) paid tribute to the wonderful volunteers, including the gardeners that spent weeks erecting the lights for the benefit of all. She also thanked the sponsors and the community that constantly help towards running this Hospice. I found this event a very moving occasion, to see the joyful faces of some of the children, being amazed by all the lights while listening to the Bach choir sing Christmas carols. It makes one truly realize how special this organization is. The people who are involved are one of a kind because they care so much about the families and children who are in these difficult situations.

When we get tied up with our day to day problems it really means nothing compared to what these children and their loved ones are going though. It puts reality into life.

Who Is...

2009-11-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

...the biggest loser?

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with this show and it's concept. See, on the one hand, it's inspirational to see people push , excel and recreate themselves... but on the other hand, there are some inherent problems with the message it sends out...

1) People think THAT's how they should train - with no concept about what goes on behind the scenes (like progressions, adaptations, medical supervision, diet control, the hours and hours that they actually work out every day).

2) The training itself - I'm sorry, I don't care how you've progressed, 280lbs should not be pounding on your knee joints while you do 8mph sprints on the treadmill, nor should it be jumping onto a plyo box with a bosu, and you definitely shouldn't be doing wheelbarrow walks on a treadmill - in fact, it's frankly irresponsible of the program to show that.

3) Finally, the follow up - how so many of the contestants put all the weight back on once they leave. There are few people who can sustain, long term, that type of dramatic weight loss... the show does nothing in terms of teaching proper habits.

Ultimately, we need to be be willing to stand our ground. Whether we're being told what "looks better" by the producers, or having a customer demand we do something because "they saw it on t.v." - stand by your education and training.

The best analogy I've heard? If there was a documentary on television about brain surgery, do you think the doctor would modify or change his procedure because it make for better television, or because a patient saw a radical technique on "Grey's Anatomy"?

As ridiculous as that sounds, its what happens every time we go against our training and judgement to make others happy.

Remember: you're the professional.

~Guy

Make a new ending

2009-11-25T01:55:00.000-08:00

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
- Maria Robinson -

I had a great conversation about a week ago with another coach that wanted to know what it was that affected the change in my perspective regarding 'work' and my professional career. She knew that my early years at IF consisted of drinking, partying and living from pay cheque to pay cheque and so what she wanted to know was, what caused the change? My response to her at the time was that it came about after I had actually left to pursue other opportunities in China, which is something that I've shared and written about before, and how that gave me a chance to distinguish what was really important and what wasn't. Now, I'm not saying that any of that changed but, as I thought about the conversation more and more over the past week I started to realize that there was more to it than just that and it's something that I'm really seeing even more clearly now.

Looking back at all the different goals and personal plans that I've set throughout the years what's quite apparent to me is that the biggest changes I've experienced are when I've really stepped outside of my comfort zone. Conversely, the times that I become stagnant or complacent is when my goals and plans are only slightly modified or changed from what I would normally do. For example, putting my hand up and stating that I wanted to move towards being a manager (which was when I first joined the Kits team) and take on more responsibility was the cause of me actually progressing and developing professionally. The next big jump would've been when I started thinking about actually owning or franchising a facility of my own and told the current manager what I was going to be doing and taking off his plate because that's what would help me to grow. Most recently, I've been trying to focus on becoming more of a driver that seeks opportunities rather than waiting for them, and although it's been somewhat difficult I can tell you that it's slowly becoming easier and easier.

So how does this all tie-in together? I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that we can all try and tell ourselves that we're going to change, or that we're ready for a change but until we're ACTUALLY ready to change what we do in a significant way we can't expect significant results. It's no different than someone that wants to come in and see major changes in their body composition but is only willing to make minor modifications to their lifestyle and the choices they make....we all know that doesn't work so why do we do the same thing? It's not easy, but we all have the ability to start today and make a new ending.

- Paul -

..self, team, operations, customers..

2009-11-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

When we walk through the door at the gym we are on. We are on-display and on-show for all who have eyes and or any observation skills whatsoever…teammate or customer…

What does that mean? It means that everything we do will be seen and every action has a reaction.

So basically we (self) need to help each other (team) by following the systems (operations) in order to provide the best service for our…customers.

In order to lead by example, we must all choose efficiency to be able to produce at a high level throughout the day.

If we are personally working out during a busy time, be flexible with the use of equipment and stay out of the way of your team and customers. Allow their experience to be the best it can be. Why not leave your ipod in your bag and interact with the team and customers too. It’s so fun to have coaches jumping in for parts of sessions or providing additional energy during sessions.

If we are open throughout the day, be sure to limit nonworking computer time to a minimum. With a small number of computers, be sure to give first priority to those who need to do their job. By all means, if there is work to do please go right ahead, but don’t wait to be asked to get of facebook so someone can write a log.

Lastly today…if we cook, we need to clean. If you clean as you cook there will never be a mess to deal with or hinder someone else from working on their recipe. Don’t rely on others to consistently clean up after you and be sure not to fight feedback when you are called out for leaving out your gear.

Our little ecosystem is always in a state of controlled chaos. Be sure to do your part and help versus get in the way of the product.

IF you don’t know how that works, please ask ;)

Vision to a Reality

2009-11-23T12:37:00.000-08:00

“A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done.”
Ralph Lauren

Today, I went and visited the brand new Port Moody facility. I had seen it from the outside in June when Kris and MJ first signed the lease, however seeing it all done and in action is a different story. I can truly say how amazing the facility is and how excited I am for not only the PM team but also for the whole of the IF family.

I was truly in awe of the new facility. The location, the big full length windows surrounding the gym, the amazing space to be creative in numerous exercises and agilities, the brand spanking new gym equipment and amenities and finally the great owners/coaches that have poured blood, sweat and tears into making this new facility.

I think after seeing the new gym today, it made me realize that anything is possible. In just less than a year, Kris and MJ have been able to put their vision into a reality. It took hard work, it took planning, it took hours and hours of meetings, signing papers, and proposals and today that hard work has been rewarded. It is a true test, that if you put your mind to something, if you "keep to it" no matter how tough it may seem and how much beyond time you put into it, you will eventually succeed. It takes patience, it takes experience and it takes growth on all counts, but in reality, anything is possible.

Congratulations Kris and MJ!

What motivates you?

2009-11-19T10:41:00.000-08:00

What motivates you to do great things, to push yourself, to push others, each and everyday? We are all faced with challenges - sometimes we choose them and sometimes they choose us. Regardless, we all rise to the occasion, but what is it that truly motivates us?

Everyone wants the most out of life – out of every moment. We all want to grow, to develop, to be successful and to happy – what motivates us to achieve these goals? Do we do it for ourselves, do we do it for others, do we do it to gain praise and acknowledgment?

Being aware and conscious of what motivates us is important. Recognizing whether we our being selfish or selfless in various situations is key to understanding more about ourselves and how we face challenges.

Where do you find your motivation to achieve what you’re looking for?

-Nina Mathers

Useless Unless They're Used

2009-11-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

Picture if you will, someone who wants to build a house. They go to the local Home Hardware, and pick up the lumbar, the shovels, the saws, the nails, the joists, the concrete for the basement, the drywall, the insulation, the exacto-knives, the hammers, the hardwood, the nailgun, screws, bolts, carpet, paint, shingles... and so on.

Then they head over to their plot of land, and spend an hour digging a hole where they plan to put the basement. After the hour's over, they head back to their crappy little apartment, and forget about the land for a week. The next week, they head back - the hole's almost been filled in by local kids, the weather... whatever. So they spend an hour to re-dig the hole... and go back to the apartment, only to return a week later to find that the hole looks almost exactly the same as the week before. They continue to do this for twelve weeks - and then go back to the Home Hardware, insisting that they deserve a refund... they bought all of this crap, and after three months, they STILL don't have a house.

Well, that's what happens when we people go into a gym, hire a trainer, get the heart rate monitor, get a fitness assessment, get outfitted at the local SportChek, have a program designed for them... and then put in the effort to improve themselves for a single hour a week. Then they come back to their trainer, and say "Why haven't I lost any weight? You must not be doing your job!".

Well, they're right about one thing - the trainer's not doing their job. Not because they haven't given the person all of the right tools - but because they let them believe that the answer lay in those tools.

It never does. The answer lies in only one place - ourselves. And if we fail to recognize that, or to point it out to people - then we aren't doing our jobs.

The formula is simple - but executing it is hard. The sooner people realize that there's no such thing as a free ride... the sooner everyone starts moving ahead.

~Guy

choices

2009-11-17T13:25:00.000-08:00

**imagine a cool photo of a sign with arrows going every which way**

What’s with people and their excuses? Let’s get real folks! You can have that excuse back because we don’t need it…besides; we are buying any over here…

I want to write about people and their excuses but instead I will share some ideas about choices.

We all choose what we do, how we feel and why we do the things we do. Period.

Let’s review that..

Someone says, ‘you make me so mad!’. That person is choosing to feel that way in that moment.

Someone says, ‘I am out of shape and Ill never be fit’. That person is choosing to be that way and deciding for themselves that they are the way they are.

Someone says, ‘I can never do that’. Well guess what, you never will because you are choosing to keep your personal bar low.

Have you ever had a bad day that just kept getting worse? Like bad things just kept happening to you? Well, I’m personally a believer in the universe and that we can actually attract negative things to ourselves. Conversely, I also believe that we have the ability to attract positive things and that it is as easy as choosing that to be the way. I’m sure you are all aware of ‘the secret’ so we won’t get into it here, but if you haven’t heard of that, open your mind and pickup the book (or rent the dvd!)

Along with choices, we also have the ability to attract and or repel positive or negative aspects of life.

Personal example. Stay with me here. When I was little, I would heal quickly from cuts, bumps and bruises. So much that as I aged that mentality stuck with me and to this day, I say out loud, ‘I’m a fast healer’ and it’s true. I rip the healing process up and only one time has this not worked to plan and that’s with my knee…I figure the timeline is just longer but I still say, ‘for what I do with my knees, they sure heal fast and keep me going!’

A prime example of choosing something and attracting a positive outcome…

Next time you stub your toe in the morning and or spill your coffee or get into a traffic jam…step out of the situation and choose to be alright with it. Choose to be happy and not let that control be taken away from you. soon you will be able to take on bigger choices and choose to be more than you hold yourself back from being! Remember, we are the only things holding us back…

Goals or To Do Lists

2009-11-16T11:02:00.000-08:00

Day in and day out we hear ourselves, our coworkers or our family members ask about goals. What are your goals for 2010, what do you have planned, what are your going to do in 2010?

However, how do you define what a "goal" is, complared to setting a "to do list."

For example:
I am going to run the Sun Run.
Is that a goal? Or is that something you are going to do.

I am going to run the Sun Run in Sub 40min.
Is that a goal? Or is that something you are going to do.

I am going to earn $xxx in 2010?
Is that a goal? Or is that something you are going to do.

There is a significant difference in what your goals should be in 2010 and what you are actually going to do in 2010. A Goal “involves establishing specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-targeted objectives. It can serve as an effective tool for making progress by ensuring that participants have a clear awareness of what they must do to achieve or help achieve an objective. On a personal level, the process of setting goals allows people to specify and then work towards their own objectives — most commonly financial or career-based goals”

As 2009 is coming to an end, November is a prime time to set your ‘to do list” and your "goals" for 2010. However, remember to truly ask yourself… is this a “goal” or is this something that I am just going to do in 2010.

Listen... And trust

2009-11-12T13:00:00.001-08:00

It's not often I do this but today I will use the example or a fellow coach (AL) and a situation that manifested over the past weekend. My purpose in using this unnamed coach is not for singling out but rather a very relevant example for serious subject.

Eight coaches from Kitsilano took part in the Haney to Harrison Relay, a gruelling 100km one-day event held last weekend.Heading into the event, AL had complained of lower leg pain (shin area) during training runs and extended sessions in the facility. In the week up to the event, when questioned about tapering and even possibly sitting out the event due to a small but nagging injury, AL replied that he just wanted to get through the H2H as well as this weekend's Fall Classic at UBC before shutting down his running for the year. In his words the pain was manageable (not getting better, not getting worse), and he decided to push forward. As teammates, we trusted his judgement and focused on the race.

The day of the race, AL ran the second leg. Without a compression sleeve on the leg, in cold weather, AL set off for his 13.5km. While waiting for him at the second exchange, a race marshall alerted our next runner that AL was encountering great difficulty and drove him out to see AL. Upon meeting AL, our next runner saw a limping, wincing coach trying to push through the pain and clearly losing the battle. Our next runner offered to take the baton and get an early start to relieve AL of his pain and duty for the day, but AL was determined to finish. After passing off at the exchange, our runner took off and AL sat down to get some relief. When he tried to stand up again ten minutes later, he could put NO weight on his right leg without intense pain. What happened!!?

A stress fracture on the tibia (shin bone). A injury that often starts with nagging pain and with each and every impact on the leg becomes worse and worse until... No more weight can be put on the leg, followed by a MINIMUM of eight weeks off from all running and impact. (goodbye running season, hello ice packs.)

The frustrating aspect of this injury is that it is very preventable. Overload/overuse injuries exhibit many warning signs (nagging and persistent pain, discomfort) and are fairly simply remedied (rest, physio exercises and controlled resumption of activity) when addressed EARLY ON. The longer they are allowed to progress, the worse they become, and in this case, by pushing too hard too far for too long, the coach practically begged for a stress fracture, and is lucky to hobble away with just that.

So where was the failure? Two basic ideas... ATTENTION: By ignoring the obvious warning signs over and over, the coach ignored his body and didn't trust advice from teammates who were looking out for his best interest as an individual (and had much more experience in running and running injuries). During the event, the coach ignored obvious pain km after nasty km, and though admirable for wanting to finish, only hurt himself even more physically (not to mention the team's total time in a relay race). NO coach should ever allow this pattern of behaviour from a client, on so many levels, so it is just as inexcusable to do this to oneself. The coach felt the pain in their body, but ignored it. The coach was given suitable advice from teammates, but ignored it. The coach is supposed to trust the systems in place and and the people around them but... You get the picture. TRUST: between yourself and your body, yourself and your fellow coaches, yourself and your clients. If your coaches aren't able to trust you are taking care of yoruself properly, they will lose faith in you as a teammate (not to mention an injured team member is as useless to the team as they are to themselves). A coach who puts themself in danger and blatantly forces an injury upon themself will accordingly lose the trust of their clients, and is probably putting them in similar danger. A coach is supposed to be an example and standard of the work they preach and demonstrate. Should a client take nutritional advice from an overweight coach who has trouble controlling their calories? Hell no. Should the same client take training or running tips from a coach who can't listen to his own body? Hell no again.
Trust and attention are two of the fundamental aspects of training, and work in so many directions. From clients to trainers and back, between trainers and their teammates, between everyone and their own body... Ignoring obvious signs repeatedly raises serious concerns about trust and the purpose behind those decisions (Will AL trust his doctor for rehab? Will he stop next time his body is in pain?), and only makes a manageable situation worse, until it becomes a fairly serious injury. At this point his clients and teammates will question his method for training others as well as himself, and wonder if they can trust he'll listen to them when they raise their concerns.
-Luke Purm

Taking a break and starting fresh.

2009-11-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

We all know that making the right decisions inevitably make a difference. However, the road getting there can be quite lengthy and challenging.

Looking back almost a year ago now, I was forced to re-evaluate my training, my racing and how I was treating my body. It’s difficult when something you work so hard at does not want to cooperate. I was exhausted and I was in constant pain – I felt defeated. Although, I kept thinking to myself, “It will get better, just keep going”, and so I did.

I’m not someone who is ever going to stop. I want to be able to run, ride, swim, ski and do absolutely everything I possibly can until I truly can’t. As we all know, if we continue to push without any give, there comes a point where our bodies will eventually just shut down. Mentally I wanted to continue, but my body knew that I needed to take a step back.

It was not an easy decision to just stop and take a ‘time-out’. However, I knew that it would be the most beneficial thing for me to do. I’m incredibly thankful for the guidance and support of those around me. Their direction and assistance has been tremendously helpful. I truly would not have been able to do it without them. Furthermore, I feel fortunate that I’ve been able to recognize what my physical and mental strengths and weaknesses are during this process. I know what I need to focus on. The process has been long, painful and testing – however, I’m grateful for everything that I’ve learned along the way.

And so now, I start a fresh new journey… I look forward to new challenges and obstacles.

Nina Mathers

November 11th

2009-11-11T13:43:00.001-08:00

How many of us took today as a holiday, and spent the day catching up on housework, chores, reading, cleaning, eating, sleeping... and so on?

More importantly - how many of us took the day to reflect on what it is meant to honor? Not nearly enough, I'm sure.

This day is not a "celebration". This is not a day that should be taken lightly, nor should it pass without a proper amount of recognition. This is a time to put your political beliefs aside, and recognize the contribution of the men and women who have made the ultimate commitment, in some cases the ultimate sacrifice, to do what they believe was right - protecting both our own country, and the people of other countries unable to protect themselves. And while you may not agree with it - never disregard the depth of this undertaking.

It is my sincere hope that someday, in the not too distant future, there will be no need for a military. That we won't be sending the young men and women of our country, some barely old enough to vote, into foreign lands where they are not wanted, often to be criticized and vilified by people at home. However, I hope that we, as a country and as a species, never fail to honor and recognize the sacrifices made by those before us to protect that most fragile human right: freedom.

If you haven't yet done it - please, take two minutes of silence. For while we need to evolve and advance....

We must never forget.

~Guy

..if you can help a teammate - do it, if you need help - ask!..

2009-11-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

Success. The more successful you become the bigger target you are...and the easier it is to hit. Being at the top is lonely and definitely not easy. In fact, in business you are working more & making less (in terms of billable hours). Ensure you have a strong foundation so that you can enjoy the success that much more..

2009 has been another big year for everyone. Personally I have been making strides/ having success in many forms of my professional career with regards to mentorship, leadership and team personal inventory understanding. Continuing to raise my awareness of management and ownership mentality has provided a taste of what’s behind the curtain many times. For this I am grateful and appreciative of those willing to spend time to continually mentor and lead me in the right direction.

There are many things we discuss daily and lessons repeatedly being taught. Our expression ‘saying the same thing many different ways’ is powerful because it seems that the messages come through at different times and sometimes the message needs to be repeated frequently for they really stick...

Notably, last week had many take-aways and I wish to share some of my thoughts.

Make yourself available – if a teammate needs you, be available. Period. Find the solution. Recently I was asked to meet by a coach who was fed up with me. Many things I regularly did frustrated them, so much that they had ill feelings towards me. Solution – communicate and time with, immediately. When we spend time together, we develop trust based relationships. Enough said.

Make it about them – if you are busy and thinking about many things, don’t wait to be engaged by a teammate or customer. Take all opportunities to engage and make it about their experience. High team and customer morale is vital. Not paying attention will cause suffering within any relationship.

Anytime something goes wrong or there’s a problem, look at yourself first. Ask yourself; what could I do in this situation to provide the best solution? How do I learn from this and what’s my plan to share what I’ve learned?

Think/ plan/ share/ execute (can refer to anything)

Recognizing and communicating everything – coaches / customers. What I’m doing (for me and you), why I’m doing this (for me and you) and how I’m going to make it better (for me and you)

As tasks increase and we take on additional focuses, we need to be prepared to dial up our sensors. It’s inevitable that when taking on more and more, there will be a breakdown. The team is watching and looking for leadership.

Finally…

Don’t fight anything someone comes to you with because of any of the above listed has been executed poorly. Seize the opportunity to produce the best possible solution. And if you don’t know, ask!

Lady Di Strikes Bike!

2009-11-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

The unimaginable has happened! I just got word (I am away on vacation) that I won the fitness challenge. I am incredibly happy and I can’t believe it. Thank you so much Emmery – who read all those food logs and Richard, and Josh, and Kate, and Katie and Chelsea and Josh and Justine…who all had a part in supporting me and the other participants in this challenge. Kate asked me to write a few words for the news letter so here is a quick attempt!

The nutrition challenge

For the month of October, which included Thanksgiving and Halloween (just saying)
I committed to myself and to Innovative to do the Nutrition & Fitness Challenge. I was tired of my muffin top creeping over my jeans and after my long fun summer of BBQs, restaurants and sitting by a friend’s pool drinking Sauvignon Blanc, I was ready. The scale had reached a new high and my regular routine of working out 3x a week at Innovative with the odd run on my own was not enough to check the balance – so to speak.

I think the key here is that I was ready.

I have to make a plug for Innovative here. The Innovative team is so supportive and truly dedicated and I felt that I had and incredible amount of genuine support to succeed in the challenge. Each trainer was prepared to put in time and went over and above the call of duty to do so. It was truly touching. THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS.

I started the cleanse a few days early – it didn’t count…but it got me in the habit of not having a glass of wine, doing a food log and thinking about how I was going to change my eating patterns. It was a big adjustment and although the food logs were very helpful there were many nights I would finally settle into bed and just be falling asleep only to jar myself awake and remember that I had to file my food log.

The parameters of the cleanse were narrow but we were encouraged to follow them with common sense. For me…my enemy is flour (and wine). No one can take down a Panini like I can and perhaps no one enjoys pasta like I do (I was probably Italian in a past life). Anyway…I challenged myself to “think outside the sandwich” and took wheat off my list. I also read that Wayne Dyer lost 80 pounds by removing sugar from his diet. He didn’t even drink juice, so I lowered my fruit intake a lot and only ate berries on my sugarless oatmeal in the morning to prevent me from feeling sorry for myself. Wine I sadly discovered was the equivalent of eating a half-cup of white sugar.

The loss of flour was really helpful in so far as I started eating salad with a bit of protein for lunch. I also stopped ‘sink eating’ (eating while I was cooking dinner for my kids) and I started eating small amounts of ‘legal food’ several times a day, (Hummus, vegetables, linseed bread, rice crackers, grilled steak etc.). I did not eat past 6:30pm. If I was truly dying I would make a big bowl of air popped popcorn and spray it with my new best friend …a $34.00 bottle of spray balsamic vinegar stuff. 50 squirts=10 calories!

I didn’t realize until I was almost all the way through the challenge that I
1. Ordered as much food in a restaurant as my husband, and ate it all.
2. Ate so late
3. Ate so much flour
4. Found sugar in so many unlikely places
5. Ate large meals and then starved myself till the next one
6. Ate what I WANTED not what I NEEDED
7. Could avoid butter and fat more easily than I thought.

I think what I noticed more than anything was the things I wasn’t having rather than the things I was having. I had many a dinner of No Dessert and many an outing with No Wine and many a dinnertime with No Butter etc. The nutrition challenge was one thing, but on top of it was the Fitness Challenge! 9 tasks to be completed with a trainer. 24 th street hill run, figure 8 run, 10K run, 3 official races, 3 bike challenges.

Every weekend there was a running race. My friend Virginia, without me even asking, supported me in my running. Thanks Virginia!

I thought it was great that the challenge started out with a 5km. We did the Run for the Cure. No problem. It was a good warm up. The Turkey trot was fantastic because after Thanksgiving dinner who doesn’t want to get out and move some of that gravy off your butt. The challenge included a local 10 km and then there was the fun and amazing sea wall run…the James Cunningham. The biking challenges were ridiculous. I never bike. I dusted off my mountain bike, filled up my tires, found one of my kid’s bike helmets and was off. I absolutely hated it…at first. But after I rode the Stanley park ride…I could see myself attempting longer rides. I thought I was going to bloody well die doing the Cypress ride but thank god Tracy told me that getting up to the highway was the hard part and that the ride up Cypress was gradual and wasn’t the killer. Had she not told me that, I might have thrown in the towel after riding to the top of 21st Street. I can’t tell you how good it was to get to the second look out. I literally couldn’t believe I did it; the ride home was a great reward. Actually…I would do it again.

I learned something really important and really interesting:
Exercise is about strength, and health and food is about weight.

That means if you want to lose weight….of course it is a good idea to exercise but you aren’t going to lose weight by only exercising. You are going to lose weight by changing how you eat.
I also learned that weight loss is not fast. It is infuriatingly slow but it is steady. I just kept thinking about how long it took to put it on. Watching what you eat as well as exercising is obviously the key. Upping your fitness routine tightens you up and shocks your body into working harder. I think I was at a plateau and my body was used to my fitness routine- so adding some extra challenges was a good idea to bump me into a new zone. (wow…that really sounded athletic!)

I think the greatest thing about the challenges was that in the beginning I hated every single one and at the end of each one I loved them. I surprised myself. I couldn’t believe I actually could do these things and to tell you the truth…after a few of them, I even called my Mom.

Thanks to all the trainers and friends that supported me.
What’s next?

Preparation Pays Dividends

2009-11-06T11:04:00.000-08:00

With all the attention and concern over the current flu situation, I had an interesting conversation this morning with a client about prepardness for a race that immediately tied into something I've noticed with the big picture.

Training for the Haney to Harrison relay that myself and seven teammates are competing in this weekend, I ran 10km at 7:00am. Or at least, I tried. About six minutes into my run, I started wheezing from the cold air invading my lungs. Though the rest of my body felt fine, my lungs simply could not supply the oxygen to keep my pace on track. I dropped to a pace where I could funcion in better synch and ended up completing my run in 55mins as opposed to the 45min target. My legs... not very tired, but my lungs took almost ten minutes to completely recover. After consulting with an experienced runner and former hockey player about cold weather conditions, he gave me several ideas, from wearing a handkerchief over my face to keep a pocket of warm air, breathing through my nose, and even spending ten to fifteen minutes doing slow deep breathing exercises outside to acclimatize my lungs prior to activity. I've tried the deep breathing, and felt my lungs relax before I started moving. The handkerchief became annoying after the first five minutes, but it helped me get a good start. So far, not bad.

As we've all heard, supplies of the vaccine are in short order. Though some people are simply against the vaccine regardless of its availability, others fret they wont get a shot in time to duck the swine flu, while the media is caught in between the two prevailing opinions, and encourages us to wash our hands, avoid handshakes, and pickup general hygiene. Availability of the vaccine is far beyond the control of the general population, as is knowing when/if/how/where they may/may not contract it. So many variables, so much stress.

So what is missing? Where is the link?

What blows me away is that the topic of conversation hinders on the success or failure to deliver the vaccine as the only solution. I'm not here to question the effectiveness of the vaccine or people's decisions to get it/not get it, but rather the fact that there is little or no conversation about natural immune boosting that is otherwise commonly encouraged at this time of year. Basic vitamin supplements, increased consumption of fruit and vegetables, proper rest and fluid intake are all proven immune boosters. Are they the golden answer to the swine epidemic? Well no, but they are part of the answer as basic prepardness. And it's not just the swine flu that effects us, the common cold and sinus infections enjoy an increase in activity during the winter months as well, ailments that swine flu shots won't protect you against, not to mention other more common strains of the flu.

Think about it. You're more likely to contract an illness like the flu when already fighting a chest cold since your immune system has been compromised already. A healthy immune system increases resistance to foreign germs/bugs, strenghthens your physical coping ability (think joint/muscle aches, headaches, etc) and speeds up your recovery. Its the base layer of the pyramid that is a healthy body. It's your first line of defense. Its the inside-out aspect to the outside-in angle of the shot. The difference between missing five or six days as opposed to nine or ten. While chewable Freddy Flinstones and a basket of brightly coloured vegetables won't stop the swine flu in its tracks, they will help you prepare your body in either case, and remind us that preparation and good habits take regular practice over time. Cures and shots are important, but prevention should never be underestimated. Do what you can, control the variables you are able to control, and breathe a little easier knowing you are best prepared for whatever follows.

-Luke

What do you want to change?

2009-11-05T10:59:00.000-08:00

When thinking about what makes us choose the things that we and our customers do, positive and negative, I came across and interesting write-up that address clearly and simply how we get into the habits so easily that we do on a daily basis:

A habit is any action that we have performed so often that it becomes almost an involuntary response. If we consider this habit to be undesirable then we may label it a "bad habit". People spend countless hours and dollars each year attempting to break these bad habits and often do not have any success. Why? Because there is no magic bullet. Change is hard work and there is no short cut to achieving it. The steps a person needs to take, however, can be very simply outlined. To effect a change in habits, one needs to bring the action back into the realm of consciousness and regain the ability to make choices.

What's the Payoff?

The first step in breaking a bad habit is to look at why you find this action so compelling. In other words, what's the payoff for doing this seemingly negative thing? Since you've already classified this as a "bad" habit you may be tempted to say there isn't one. But look closer. There is always a payoff. Let's say your bad habit is yelling at your kids. What's in it for you? You let off some steam and feel a little better for the moment. Or you have a bad habit of leaving the dishes unwashed? The payoff could be that you get to spend more time on the Internet!

What's the Trade Off

Next, take a look at the trade off. What is it that you are losing by exercising your habit? This step should be easier. Just think why it is that you consider it a bad habit in the first place. Yelling at your kids is a bad habit because it leaves everybody feeling tense and tears down your children's self-esteem. You are trading a temporary release of tension for the emotional health of your children. Leaving the dishes undone is a bad habit because your kitchen is a smelly mess. To have more Internet time you are trading off having a pleasant living environment. When you look at it that way it doesn't seem like you are making very wise choices, does it? There has to be a better way.

Time to Make a Choice!

Now that you've weighed both sides of the issue--your payoff and your tradeoff--it's time to make a choice. It's no longer an involuntary act because now you know that you are making a choice every time you perform this action. You are choosing what you value more: the payoff or the tradeoff! Each time you start to do whatever the bad habit is now you have to actively choose. Which do you value more? Do you value more the relief you get by yelling at your kids or do you value their emotional well-being? Do you value more having more Internet time or having a pleasant place to live?

Substituting Better Behaviors

The whole reason you formed your habits in the first place is that they filled a need. You had tension that needed relief or you had a desire to surf the Net. As you break the old patterns you still need a way to fulfill these needs. You will be not only making an active choice to not do the old action you will also be making a choice to perform a better, alternative action in its place. Instead of yelling at your kids you might decide to go for a run every time you are feeling tense. Instead of letting dirty dishes pile up you may decide to use paper plates when you are eating alone. What the new habit is that you substitute isn't so important as whether you feel good about the choices you have made. After all, the reason you consider it a bad habit is because it leaves you feeling bad about yourself.

It's Up to You

By now you should realize that the only way to continue with a bad habit for very long is to sink back into denial of why you are doing it in the first place. Each time you begin to resume your old patterns the thought will pass through your mind that you are trading X for Y each time you perform that action. You will be forced to make a choice, whether good for bad, about continuing your habit. What choices will you make? The one that makes you feel bad about yourself or the one that makes you feel good? It's up to you.

-Angela Tames

Know Your Topic

2009-11-04T15:56:00.001-08:00

Fascinating, really, to watch the run-around in regards to the H1N1 virus. Now, don't get me wrong - it's not that I think it's a small issue... but then, I also don't think this is the front runner for the four horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Regardless, though, as I see all the information (and misinformation) swirling around, I'm reminded of yet another one of my daily annoyances - ignorant opinions.

You see - I'm an opinionated person. So I get it. If we were to get right into the truth, I think more people out there could come up with an opinion - at least it shows some degree of interest in the world around them. However, I think that the problem lies in that people will often form those opinions without the necessary pause to understand the topic - they hear a snippet and lock onto it as fact. The problem is not opinions - it's when opinions are mistaken for actuality. This is dangerous for the people possessing them... but also for the people who take it as truth without looking a little further into it.

Please - all I ask is that before you start sounding off on something, do your research. In fact - try to see it from all angles, so that if you engage in a healthy debate on it, you're not reduced to name calling and rhetoric.

Remember - just because you have the right to one, does not guarantee you will be taken seriously.

~Guy

super sized support..

2009-11-03T11:00:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, 5 of us travelled to Ohio to witness and take part in a spectacle known as, American Football. There is really no best way to describe it and a few words will not do it justice. I highly recommend you put a game on your list of things to do and prepare yourself for an epic adventure…

On Friday, we travelled first thing to Chicago and then to Columbus Ohio. A full day travel and a 3hr time change brought us to a sunny city which started to vanish into the night. On the way to our accommodations, we passed a school with a field and bleachers packed with high school football fanatics. 2 teams and a few thousand spectators.

‘wow, these guys like their football’, I thought to myself..

Turns out that Friday is high school football, Saturday is collage and Sunday is pro ball…and if that’s not enough, everyone seems to be fixated on any tv screen because there’s football on there too!

We went to visit family which included the athletics director of Ohio State…whoa, can you say VIP!

On Sat as we drove to the stadium, we just kept on driving, past what seemed like millions of people making their way and ended up parking right beside and entrance to the massive stadium which holds around 107,000 active football lovers!

We ended up on the field while the players ran drills and got themselves seriously pumped up. One cannot help but get energized with the music, the size of the players and the vast number of seats quickly filling up during the pregame. We made our way to our seats, some 5 rows back on the 50 yard line, it was like we could talk to the players…

Before the game, the pep squad came out. The best damn band in the land just kept coming. The sense of urgency was high as they delivered their music notes with precision and purpose.

The game began and it was unbelievable. The team seemed bigger than life and the crowd was totally into it. The color scarlet was the majority and all eyes were on the game. The sense of team was overwhelming. The feeling of support was everywhere; in fact the air was saturated.

Within that game we watched from the field, a sky box and our super close seats…for my first American football experience, it was as good as it gets..

The following day we spent the morning touring the athletics department for football and basketball. This was most impressive. We were at one of the top 3 schools in the nation for athletics and one of the highest ranked schools for academic achievements. The biggest impact was the powerful feeling of support and how the main focus was the betterment of the students and the athletes. The success of team was the main goal. All the steps were laid out for one to follow..

There were many quotes on the walls and letters sent that were framed for all to read.

‘if you have a question, ask. If you can help a teammate, do it!’ was written in one of the letters on display.

Many of the systems and values seemed to be identical to ours. Everyone we met was kind, courteous and well mannered. Everyone was honest and cared about us being there. The sense of team was repeated and not once did we feel as though we were alone or left out.

The game was amazing, the crowds were outstanding but what hit us hard was the feeling of pride, honour and respect. To be honest, the main ingredients in anything worth experiencing…

But don’t just move on from here, go get yourself a heavy dose of team via the good ol USA and be ready to consume a couple big beers and a large portion of whatever else you order!

2009-11-02T16:03:00.000-08:00

On Friday October 30th the Olympic flame touched down onto Canadian soil in Victoria, British Columbia. This is a significant and historic event for British Columbians. However before it arrived in our beautiful country, the Olympic flame must be lit in a traditional ceremony in Olympia, Greece. It will then go on an eight day relay throughout Greece and then handed over to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Committee.

The lighting Ceremony, took place at the temple of Hera at the Olympia site. This ceremony is celebrating the ancient rituals and honoring the Greek Gods Zeus and Hera. The Olympic Flame is lit by sunlight focused on a metal reflector and is the only way the flame can be lit. After the rituals took place the torch went on an 8 day, 2180-kilometre relay throughout 22 regions, 42 municipalities, 3 municipality districts and 1 community, around Greece.

The history of the Olympic torch relay symbolizes “peace, brotherhood. enlightenment and represents a summons to the Olympic Games.” During the ancient games, the torch relay was important element of cultural festivities, announcing to the communities that the Games of Olympia were starting and that to be a truce between all. The first modern Olympic Torch relays happened during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where the torch traveled from Greece to Berlin.

The Olympic torch has now arrived in Canada. After the traditional ceremony of the Greece Relay, the flame was handed over to the Vancouver Olympic Committee on October 29th and landed in Victoria on October 30th.

This journey of the Olympic Flame will travel for over 100days, visit over 1000 communities with nearly 200 celebrations in various communities. The flame will travel over 45 000 km and 12 000 Canadians with help bring the torch back to Vancouver on February 12th.

If you are not excited by the current events this past weekend, get excited now. The Olympics are just around the corner, Vancouver will be on the world stage and you will get first hand experience of this historic event.

Scary Indeed... Focus and prioritize

2009-10-30T11:41:00.000-07:00

I read with interest this week that Ontario passed law to ban cellphone driving behind the wheel. Most people have been guilty of this at some point, myself included, though in the past two years I have stopped for several reasons (unless in case of emergency, which has yet to occur.)
Why such a big deal? Well, the question to me is why is it necessary? Really, how many of us need to chatting away to our brother's girlfriend about last night's Gilmore Girls re-run while coasting on the highway over the speed limit, or making idle chit chat idling in traffic only to risk distraction and bumping the next person in line. It's a matter of focus.

Before my arrival at IF I worked out at various gyms and fitness clubs, and have witnessed those who will put down the weights during a set of bench press or hop off the treadmill to answer a cellphone. Now I cant know what each call is about, nor would I want to, but in reality how many of those are emergencies or necessary calls? How many are just an indulgence in ego and inability to focus on the task at hand? Would I stop a conversation with a friend on the street to do 15 extra pushups? Well no, THAT would be silly. Besides, I am focused on my conversation, on my friend. I have my priorities in order.

I had this debate with a friend who suggested I viewed technology as a bad thing. Technology is inanimate, it's how we use it and apply it to our daily life that determines whether it is positive or negative influence. Much like our health, there comes a time in life (holidays, busy work periods, personal commitments) when we might slip in our gym routine, then work extra hard to recover. That's being responsible for our health, by re-focusing our commitment. The scenario in the gym or car is more about technology enabling us to be lazy. Driving isn't a place to kill time by chatting away. It's a place where you could kill a whole lot of people within a split second with one minor discretion. The gym is one area... The open road at high speeds... A completely new level. It's a perfect example of imbalance in priorities.

The point: Focus, responsibilities and results/success go hand in hand. Many see it in regular clients everyday. Those who come early in the morning (or realistically whenever they can) and give a hard effort in their hour as opposed to those who come 15 minutes late, hungover, and answer the berry device with every little chime to make party plans. In fact, I have just described a regular to the bone, someone who is very friendly but has been given the priorities lecture by several trainers many times. The ability to focus on ourselves, our well being, and our responsibilities as they relate to the individual within society are all dictated by priorities. In the gym, its your own health you toy with, and it's fairly easily remedied if you can focus. On the open road, it's everyone else's well being, not just your own. If that can't be a priority to the people driving in the time they are there.... Scary.

What frightens you?

2009-10-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I like being scared. I don't love it, I won't sit down to a marathon of creepy movies mostly because all of my life I have been prone to nightmares, but I do like a good fright. I think this is part of human nature, we enjoy pushing our boundaries but want to be in control, when I am watching movies in my living room I am in control, when asleep, I of course am not.

Halloween is a perfect example, we dress up, or dress up our children, We take them door to door, and they receive candy for their willingness to be vulnerable and also to entertain. If it weren't for us standing by their side this would be a very frightening experience.

When researching fear and what is available for people around the globe I came across this website that discusses a forest in Japan at the base of Mt. Fuji. The forest is open to all to visit for multiple purposes but it is considered "suicide forest" and the write-up below comes from a Japanese tourist website. The other purpose however to visit the forest it to scare the wits out of yourself and explore the history of the forest and those that didn't make it out.

"Aokigahara is considered the most haunted location in all of Japan, a purgatory for yurei, the unsettled ghosts of Japan who have been torn unnaturally soon from their lives and who howl their suffering on the winds. Spiritualists say that the trees themselves are filled with a malevolent energy, accumulated from centuries of suicides. They don't want you to go back out.

"However, even in these haunted woods, regular humans still have a job to do. Forestry workers rotate in and out of shifts at a station building in Aokigahara, and occasionally they will come upon unfortunate bodies in various states of decomposition, usually hanging from trees or partially eaten by animals. The bodies are brought down to the station, where a spare room is kept especially for such occasions. In this room are two beds: one for the corpse and one for someone to sleep next to it. Yup, you read that correctly. It is thought that if the corpse is left alone, the lonely and unsettled yurei will scream the whole night through, and the body will move itself into the regular sleeping quarters. In inimitable style, the workers jan-ken to see who gets to sleep with the body. And you thought your job was rough."

Are these people who work within this forest thrill seekers? Why would anyone want to put themselves in this position? Perhaps it is simply to face their fears and test their boundaries.

-Angela Tames

Validation

2009-10-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while - over the years of battles that we fight every day (big and small)... we win. Perhaps not right away, and perhaps not as a direct result of what we did... but there are times now and then when something we fight for happens.

I had one of those moments a few weeks ago.

Back in 2002, I lived at Capilano Road - 3924 Capilano Road, to be exact. I used to cross the street to jog in the park, but there were no crosswalks to the entrance... there was one up the hill, but it meant going up two blocks before coming back down to the entrance immediately across from me. Now, I know what you're thinking - quit being lazy.

Indeed.

I probably wouldn't have cared, except for the number of other pedestrians I saw trying to cross there - especially kids who went to the elementary school. And this was the straw that broke the camel's back - I was heading out for a run one day, and saw this 7 or 8 year old girl trying to cross the street. Standing there with her arm out, waiting for the cars to stop - and every single car whipped by at 60-70km an hour. Without fail. I finally walked out an stopped the traffic, because it became clear nobody would do so otherwise. I realized that this was a tragedy in the making, as some kid was going to get creamed trying to cross.

I wrote the district. They had some intern write back explaining that this wasn't a significant enough issue, and that they couldn't just randomly put in crosswalks. I called, and asked for the transit supervisor, and had a meeting where I showed that this wasn't a "random" crosswalk, but a point where many of the locals crossed, particularly children and the elderly for whom that two block climb was just too much. I was politely told not to worry about it.

So I called the paper. I told them that I was getting the "thanks, now just go away" treatment from the district, and that someone was going to get killed at this crosswalk and I wanted to publicly hold someone accountable for it. If someone was going to die - I wanted to be able to walk up to the transit supervisor and say "I warned you about this, I told you it would happen - you are as responsible for this person's death as the person driving."

Anyway, despite everything, no crosswalk went in and I moved shortly after - I had tried all I could, but without simply paying for it myself there was nothing else to be done.

BUT: the other day, I had a craving for Chinese food from Capilano Heights Chinese Food (delicious restaurant, by the way) and drove past the old house for the first time in years. You know what? There's a crosswalk there now.

Having been a part of this fight - I had a small celebration as I drove home for this small victory.

On to the next one.

~Guy

Balance

2009-10-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

Getting many things done (things you need to do, including thing you want to do)

It’s not a message we haven’t heard before. Balance is key in order to maintain ones success. When referring to ones focuses, we need to be orderly and uphold our balance.

Personally, I have heard this all before and it hasn’t really sunk in until now. It is now apparent what it takes to do all the things that I need to do in order to do the things I want to do…

As an example, in order to spend time with a friend after work, we need to get our work done to the best of our abilities beforehand.

Another great analogy most of us have been exposed to is ‘being 100%’. The meaning behind this is using ones time to the highest of ones capacity in order to simply get the most out of each day.

How often do you sit down to begin a task only to be side tracked or start an additional task…meaning if you are not performing at a high level on one task, you are most likely performing at a lower level on 2 or more tasks. To be 100% all the time takes planning and practice. If you plan to relax, you relax..if you plan to workout, you workout…if you plan to complete a task, you complete that task…

There can be many personal values put towards balance. But whatever that value, we need to recognize balance is key in order to do all the things we want to do in our day.

Tool Box

2009-10-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

In our Innovative Fitness Forum Meeting this past weekend, one of the main topics we discussed, was using our “tool box”.

The key is to think about what is actually in your tool box so that you can use them to solve problems, conflicts and issues you may have in your professional and/or personal life.

The tools can be used in many ways, however you need to think about which tools you have, when to use that tool and if that particular tool doesn’t work – use a different tool.

A simple example that relates to our professional carreer – is how do we motivate our customer?

What tools do we have to motivate our customer?
1. The systems we already have in place here at IF (program, goals, profile etc)
2. Their Currency – values, motivators, what makes them tic
3. Their Color – what drives them, how they come across, and behavior patterns
4. Their P.I. – Their story, where they are from, experiences, strengths and weakness
5. Other coaches – the experiences they have had with a customer, insight they can give to you about points 1-4.

Theses are 5 tools out of many you can use to motivate a customer and this is just one example. You can use your tool box for many other things; like conflicts with another coach, problems with you significant other, and/or getting a message through to your family members.

You have to THINK about how you are going to use the right tools to get your message across and solve your problem.

Be Your Own Leader First

2009-10-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

I was asked the other day of what I thought about various types of leadership and how they corresponded to personal growth, within the general confines of the gym but also in the world at large.

Personally I prefer to lead by example, since you cannot expect someone else to carry a torch you have handed them any further than you have brought it yourself. By this I mean your expectation of others should not be any higher than what you expect from yourself and display on a daily basis. A few examples come to mind;

The Critical Mass cycle group has very lofty ambitions and noble goals. However, having witnessed this somewhat regular venture a few times left me disheartened. No one will argue the goals of reduced fuel consumption, cleaner air, and overall environmental benefit are not worth pursuing. However, when upwards of 5000-7500 people take the streets at once, aiming to cause crippling gridlock during rush hour traffic I was appalled by several glaring holes in rationale; lack of bike helmets, complete disregard for traffic signals and cars (apparently the laws do not apply to the environmentally self righteous) and the immediate cause of hours worth of idling... Negating any possible benefit they were hoping to impose. Right idea, wrong implementation. If you want to hold society to a higher standard, be the first to display the behaviour.

I recall a client asking the best way she can push herself on weekends when running longer distances by herself. She had the right motivation, but when hitting the wall on her run, she needed someone to push her through the difficult phases. I asked her if she had tried coaching herself, and after a confused look, explained my own personal approach; When faced with a difficult exercise or moment of mental/physical weakness, I think of myself as a client, and what I would say or do to coach that client through those moments. Realistically, its a minor degree of seperation in your mind, and while it isn't perfect, being able to lead myself through those periods the way I would lead someone else is how I have managed to become my own coach. If I expect my clients to trust me and follow me through the times we are together, I need to be able to trust myself and my own coaching to truly call myself a leader. Is it as effective as having a second person there? Probably not to the same level. Has it helped me reach new levels and hold myself to a higher standard?Absolutely.

Talk is cheap, as are half-hearted actions and knee jerk solutions to problems in society or in personal life. Though our intent may be pure and our aim true, the impact and effectiveness of our message is rooted in the source. Be your own leader first. Become the change you wish to see in the world. Set the standard as high as YOU can place it, then use yourself as the example to pull others up. Anything else is simply hot air, idling away for others to fume about enmasse.

Luke Purm

Speak and be Heard

2009-10-22T07:31:00.000-07:00

It's funny how when you meet certain people who just open their mouths and not only do you listen but no matter what they say you like them- simply due to how they convey their message.

When listening to the radio last week our Prime Minister Gordon Campbell was on the Fox, firstly answering the questions of the on-air personalities, then he agreed to sit in on "Open Phones" and answer the questions of the listeners.

Now as I listen to the Fox on a daily basis the lead in to Campbell's appearance was consumed with everyone being all fired up craving not really his answers to questions regarding the Olympics, Americans being hired to do the construction that Canadian companies should be doing, the HST, utilization on Asian companies for Olympic apparel, the relocation of mentally ill/homeless people - by the time the day arrived for him to arrive I basically felt the same about the man that everyone else did - I wanted to see him suffer!

I couldn't imagine how he could possibly want to be in the hot seat and face this angry mob, not to mention how he sleeps at night or looks his grandchildren in the eye. But when the day came and I tuned in and began to listen to him answer questions and how he smoothly navigated is way slowly and concisely through the minefield he came across someone who was well "handled". He but a spin on every single point turning it all into the positive! No! As far as he was aware every amazingly successful construction job he was aware of did use Canadian companies and Canadian materials! In fact when it came to his attention that the Olympic apparel was to be given to a Chineses company to manufacture simply due to the fact that they had the lowest bid he didn't want to waste tax-payers hard earned dollars unnecessarily! And on and on... He was well-versed in statistics and reasons for the HST, he was listening to the council of some of British Columbia's brightest minds who agreed the HST is what BCer's need for a healthy future for our children. We should be thanking him. He was sincere and eloquent.

Now, amazingly it did not come across as sarcastic or condescending but humble and honest. By the end he signed off answering all that was put in front of him and winning over listeners. For the moments after the broadcast everyone involved wanted to see him succeed because that meant we would succeed. The gift of influence and the reason successful politicians, and speakers in general, are just that, successful.

My question to you is - how do you win over people and influence them?

- Angela Tames

The Problem With Construction

2009-10-20T23:17:00.000-07:00

... is the people who run it.

Why do I say this? Two examples come to mind:

Firstly, a few years ago when they were revamping the Lion's Gate Bridge. I was playing hockey that night, and on the way back over the 2nd Narrows I hit a massive traffic backlog... because some genius had decided that this would be a good time to close two lanes on the 2nd Narrows. I mean, it makes sense, right? We're closing 1 of 2 routes to the North Shore entirely - why not close down 2 out of 3 lanes on the other route?

Then - yesterday. Heading down Capilano Road at 8:30am, and lo and behold - traffic backed up past the highway. Why? Because someone (likely the same genius as before) decided that rather than wait for the rush hour to die down and THEN schedule the repair... instead, let's start it DURING the rush hour and see how royally we can screw up the traffic.

Oh, I know - someone's probably going to come back at this with a whole host of reasons that it actually makes the most sense. But seriously - all it takes is getting caught in one of them once and you will do everything in your power to ensure that it doesn't happen again. Which leads me to the question that, I'm sure, will remain unanswered: how many of these decision-making prodigies actually use the routes that they're making the decision on? Or are they deciding on the ebb and flow of traffic with absolutely no context or personal experience?

The next time you're confronted with a decision, ask yourself on what you're going to be basing it. Truthfully, if I knew that the person who decided to close the Lion's Gate or schedule lane repair in the middle of rush hour was going to be sitting there beside me in their own car... I'd probably be far more patient. However, if they live and work somewhere on the North Shore, and never need to go over the bridges during rush hour, and therefore made a decision that negatively impacts a lot of people - but not themselves - then that's when I begin to take issue.

Bottom line? It isn't easy - but put yourself in other people's shoes... consider how it would affect you if the results of your decision directly impacted your life. It's called empathy - and it's one of the most underused tools in a the back pockets of our society's leaders. Don't let it sit idle in yours.

~Guy

Dirty laundry

2009-10-20T13:43:00.000-07:00

What’s with people airing theirs out in the open? We all have things on our mind and whether it’s first or second hand information, we all need to keep non relevant topics to ourselves. Being professionals in our field, we need to understand that our customers are coming to us for a workout versus gossip or to spread confidential matters with.

There are some common sense rules that may need to be refreshed...

-Leave your issues at the door when you come to work. Don’t even bother trying to solve personal issues while you work – guess what? Our customers are not coming to us to provide us with support because we are here to provide them the support

-guess who’s listening? Everyone. And guess what else, everyone is watching. It’s interesting because you may be doing everything right and never making any mistakes, but that one slip up you make will not go unnoticed. Even the most veteran coaches can fall victim to this. Pay attention because the walls have eyes and ears.

-it’s not about you…it’s about them. We provide a service. Are you aware of what that service is? It has nothing to do with anything but that person’s personal reinvention through physical challenge, adversity and victory.

Finally, if someone asks you about someone else’s dirty laundry, guess what? It’s none of your or their business. Period. Personal information is secret and well, private.

Don’t help create drama where doesn’t need to be any..

Thoughts or comments?

Olympics - Are you excited?

2009-10-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

Vancouver is about to embark on an amazing journey in just over three-month’s time... The 2010 Winter Olympics. We are getting daily reports on how our Canadian athletes are doing, updates on the brand new Olympic venues, the Olympic village - will it be done and the last to hit the news stands... the road closures.

I find that many people are nervous, pessimistic and negative about these road closures. For me, I just want to tell them, "Who cares!". This is one of the biggest events ever to hit Vancouver and we are concerned with how we are going to get around. Is it such a big deal to take public transit? To plan ahead and leave you car in the driveway. I agree that it will be hectic at sometimes but think of the bigger picture and what is actually happening in our city.

The Olympic Games!

Vancouver is being put on the map, we will be able to interact with countries from all over the world and be able to cheer for Canada in our home country.

Embrace the Olympics, make a plan for the two weeks and enjoy all that will be happening in our beautiful city!

How to Take Criticism

2009-10-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

In an article written by Eleanor Roosevelt entitled, ‘How to Take Criticism’ she wrote, “There is no question about it – all criticism is entirely permissible. Hence the question is ‘How much attention should the individual criticized pay to criticism?’”

There are two kinds of criticism which come to us all in this world. One is constructive criticism. To be really constructive, criticism must come to us from people whom we know and whose judgment we trust and who we feel really care, not only for us as individuals, but for the things which may be affected by the actions or attitudes which we take. Destructive criticism is always valueless and anyone with common sense soon becomes completely indifferent to it. It may, of course, be cruel at times.

To do anything constructive or creative in this world, people must have some self-confidence. Therefore people who love them must always be careful even in giving their honest criticism and opinions, not to destroy completely an individual's faith in their own judgment!

It is sometimes better to let people make mistakes and learn from experience. This may be less harmful than being criticized, and told over and over that something you are doing is wrong or inadvisable. Everyone who launches forth on constructive criticism should bear in mind the fact that it is sometimes hard to put oneself in anyone else's shoes. What might be right for you may be quite wrong for someone else, because they approach life from a different angle. In addition, I think that if you care about people you sometimes allow your judgment to become clouded and criticize with a view to preventing them from doing things which you feel will bring them the difficulties of general criticism when as a matter of fact, succumbing to such considerations would perhaps be more painful than all the outside criticism could ever be.

Fear for those we love is one of the reasons that many of us are critical and it is something which we should weigh very carefully before expressing ourselves.

I would not want the people I love and who are most often with me to withhold criticism, but since those are the people you must count on for giving you the courage to live with a purpose, they are the ones who have the greatest responsibility to make their criticism constructive, since they know you will pay attention to them.

As Eleanor went on to write in the same article, “Some criticisms I read and forget. Some remain with me and have been very valuable because I know they were kindly meant and honest and I admired and believed in the integrity of the people who expressed their convictions which were opposed to mine.”

And, in the words of her aunt, Mrs. William Sheffield Cowles, who was President Theodore Roosevelt’s sister, and the aunt that many of the young people in their family went to for advice, "Do not be bothered by what people say as long as you are sure that you are doing what seems right to you, but be sure that you face yourself honestly."

Currency: What's your exchange rate?

2009-10-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

When going through my daughter's school bag recently I came across a note asking parents if they wanted to participate in a Christmas Shoebox program - essentially filling a shoebox with small items of clothing, toys, books, school supplies, hygiene items, as well as seven dollars to cover the shipping. The goal being not only to educate our little ones on the spirit of the season but also to provide the children of war-torn countries with the absolute basics.

Basic essentials. That really is what our 'currencies' boil down to. I don't mean socks and toothbrushes obviously, but for the most part our currencies are things like 'time' -having more of it and using it wisely, feelings of belonging - to society or smaller subcatagories like work or family, or a believing in a strong work ethic. Basic things that are what makes our days have a purpose and are the reasons that drive us.

Now it is easy to get caught up in our own world and definitely in our own currency and how we can balance it, spread it around, attain more of it but the essential lesson is to understand the currency of other beyond our family members and co-workers but to our customers also.

We all remember learning about our customers 'reality'- one of five to choose from will get us through the basics. But beyond that why does the business person work so much? What makes the stay-at-home Mom happy besides making a home? Where do they find intrinsic pleasure and satisfaction? Help the people you coach bring this to the forefront, work it into their goals and you will have the long term success you are both looking for.

-Angela Tames

The Continent of Excess

2009-10-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

I was doing some preliminary research the other day, looking into the purchase of some golf shirts. I needed a variety of sizes, one of which was, I thought, a medium. They showed me the shirt... it was huge. So I asked for a small... still huge. I pointed this out, and they suggested that I look at the "Modern Fit", but those only come in the tech shirts and are still bigger... when I asked why the smalls were so huge, she said that they're from American companies - and at the trade shows, the number one question that retailers ask is "Does it come in XXXXXL?".

Paul was down in San Francisco, and ordered a plate of pasta. When it arrived, he was completely taken aback - it was a portion that was the same size that he would cook for himself AND Emily for a week's worth of meals.

I was looking into a new car - preferrably a small-size SUV. I had to search high and low for one that was available in standard transmission - apparently we find shifting gears here in North America to be a hardship better pushed aside.

I find it depressing that this is the direction of our North American culture - that we are so lazy, and that we live in such an age of excess, that we have to make "small" shirts the same size as what used to be extra-larges, and that shifting gears is too much work.

Is anyone else frightened by the direction our society is going?

~ Guy

We may all be going one direction but trust us, it's a 2way street..

2009-10-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

We’re a team first and foremost. Every day we come together and execute preset systems along with contributing that sparkle to create an IF experience. There’s no magical secret and it’s nothing you haven’t heard before..

-plan
-be 100% when on-task
-follow up
-celebrate

-pay it forward

A team is made from many types of players with plenty similarities but numerous differences which contribute to any team having the potential to be difficult to manage. Think about how challenging it may be to lead 20 different types of people with different ideas down the road. 1 or 2 may change direction (doing it their own way) while those teammates are brought back to square one again (because their way didn’t work and they have to start again) there ends up being 2 more who have changed direction..

What this illiterates is the fact that teams are human and we seem to be programmed to do funny things..like not following a system that is tried and true.

As we all know after writing and sharing one…a personal inventory (pi) is one of the keys to unlocking our behaviours. This tool will help us understand our currency of values/ motivators. This information will be valuable for life. With IF, it will not only let us tell how we prefer to be led but will let us see how tricky we are to lead and should inspire us to come to the table with as much input on how we’re going to improve those behaviours that may be holding us back.

Any relationship requires 2 or more people to come together. What's your currency and are you planning ways to work towards updating any behaviours?

October Thanksgiving vs November Thanksgiving

2009-10-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I had a fellow friend from the USA visit me and during one of our sit-down family dinners, an interesting conversation came up about how she felt it was weird for us to be celebrating thanksgiving in October.

As some of you are aware, the American Thanksgiving is a huge holiday. There is “black out Wednesday”, which is where everyone goes to the bar the day before thanksgiving to see everyone who has come back in to town for thanksgiving. They have there thanksgiving on the 4th Thursday of November and then they have "Black Friday", which is the equivalent to our Boxing Day here in Canada.

In Canada, the first official Monday Thanksgiving was in October of 1936 and in the United States the official Thanksgiving Day was set in November 1940. There were many reasons and legends as to why Canadian Thanksgiving is in October instead of November. For example, Canada celebrates thanksgiving based on the bountiful harvest and not on the Pilgrims and the New World like the United States. Some believe that because Canada is colder, the harvest occurs earlier, so it needs to be in October. Others believe that because Canada celebrates Remembrance Day, the lawmakers did not want two holidays in one month.

However, both Canadian Thanksgiving and American Thanksgiving represent the gathering of family and friends and the giving of thanks, regardless on the month we celebrate it in.

My First Half

2009-10-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

Game fazed.... Easy Decision

Running a half marathon for the first time earlier this year was fun. The word "marathon" is in the title, which sounds very impressive, but so is the word "half", which softens the horror of doing a long distance run for the first time. "Half marathon" is not as scary as "Very Hard 21km." Though I had run 10km numerous time without problem, the push to another level was exciting but as with any first time, a small source of anxiety. I sat down and talked myelf into the senisble approach; 8 weeks of training, realistic goals, new shoes, lots of stretching.... all the right things to keep me on track for success. Planning for success. The day of came and I woke up a half hour before my alarm went off (6:30am on a SATURDAY!) Refreshed, I had a small breakfast and reviewed my goals for the day... Half marathon in 1:45mins, running in my target zone of 120bpm, shouldn't be a problem. Put on my shorts, tied my shoes up tight, and headed out the door. Preparing for success.

Approximately 10km into the marathon, my heart rate monitor broke. The screen went blank, and started beeping out of control, which as anyone else can attest to became very annoying, very quickly. I tossed the watch aside which addressed my immediate problem, but it brought on a new reality... how I was going to deal with this unexpected hurdle? With all the training, the preparation, the first half in the bag... do I let it rattle my concentration, and lose focus, or do I accept the challenge, rise up to conquer it and face adversity head on.

Having kept a healthy pace and being in tune with my body, I decided to pickup up the pace slightly. Within a few minutes, I caught up to a pair of runners coasting at a pace slightly ahead of my own. After a quick point to my wrist and few words, I joined them on their run. At first I was worrying about endurance and my split times until I realized this was A) wasting energy and B) sabotoging my afternoon (not to mention all my training). With 3km to go, I hit the wall (better yet, the wall hit me.) I figured this might happen and was actually relieved it came much later than expected. My mantra became "one foot in front of the hour." Eventually I crossed the finish line. The damage? 1:38mins. How did this happen? 1:45 would have been a personal best (By 2 and a half minutes over training)... Discussing this with one of the other training coaches, we came to a realistic conclusion. Reviewing.

Too often we are tied to our programs, our plans, our zones, our times, our... everything but our bodies. While all the elements I just mentioned are vital keys to any succesful program, (without them I wouldn't have found myself feeling ready on race morning) however, when adversity strikes as it did, the aids I used to train myelf became irrelevant, and I was left with one remaining piece of the puzzle; my body. The decision was quick (mulling over it and feeling sorry for myself were far too easy options) and though I briefly questioned my decisions later in the race, it was truly the only was I was going to come out feeling great - giving it my all. Posting a personal best was already a goal, but I had managed to outdo myself just by listening to my body.

~ Luke Purm

Five Things I Know

2009-10-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

1. I know that the public finds solace and hope with the extreme examples of themselves that are showcased in programs like "Biggest Loser", "Intervention", "Extreme Home Makeover" where people have seemingly insurmountable problems and are helped by others and themselves.

2. I know there are two types of people: those with self-control and those without. Hence the need for accountability (food logs, trainer-present in facility challenges) required to accompany the Nutrition Challenge.

3. Someone will complain who has it pretty good and someone who does not, won't. (I also know that Guy will call me on the "awkward wording" of this statement).

4. I know that people deal with guilt, low-self esteem, commitment issues, denial and dependencies, but we also like to have fun, be social, set and achieve goals, feel good and be in the moment. Working with the first can be difficult but the second makes it rewarding.

5. I know that if people trust you they will do everything in their power to do what you ask of them. People do not want to disappoint others or themselves. This is a big responsibility.

What truths do you know and how will you make decisions as a trainer, leader, human to make the lives of those you come across better with these truths in mind?

-Angela Tames

2009-10-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

You know what I can't stand? Okay, yes, you're right - there are a lot of things. But seriously - why is it that when people decide to do something that's even remotely helpful to anyone or anything, that they are somehow then entitled to exemptions from the standards that all the rest of us have to live by?

Okay, perhaps I'm being vague - I'll spell out an example.

The commuter cyclist.

You know who I'm talking about. That guy on the single-speed cruiser, rolling along with a coffee in one of his hands and a gigantic pair of aviator glasses, thinking that he's pretty super-cool because he's confident enough in his sexual orientation that he can ride a bike with a straw basket in front.

Now, don't misunderstand me. The trappings don't make the individual, and I'm sure there are other coffee drinking, clamdigger-and-birkenstock wearing guys out there on cruisers that are pretty decent. BUT - more often than not, there's a self-righteous "I'm doing this for the environment and chicks dig me because of it" attitude that goes along with it...

But that's not actually it. No, I probably wouldn't even notice them if they didn't also roll down the middle of the street slowing traffic, arrogantly unaware of the line of traffic building behind them and only getting out of the way long enough to ignore a stop sign and ride up onto the sidewalk for a block.

If you're one of these yahoos, remember - once you're on the bike you're actually on a vehicle. Treat it as such.

Wear a helmet
Signal when you're turning
Stay to the side of the lane - not to where you put yourself in jeopardy, but where traffic can actually get around you
And for the love of God, STAY OFF THE SIDEWALK. It's outright dangerous.

And to those of you on mopeds that drive over the Lion's Gate Bridge on the sidewalk... I hope your engine conks out and you have to actually use those wee little peddles for the 30km drive ahead of you. If Karma has any sense of humour - I'll see you peddling furiously up Arbutus Hill sometime before the weather changes.

~Guy

that sparkle..

2009-10-06T12:20:00.000-07:00

In 2003 my sister and I gave our dad and step mum some sessions for IF from a Christmas promotion, ‘sneaker stuffers’. They absolutely loved the sessions they received and began their journey with IF at the kits location.
My sister ended up starting up and found a current customer to train with. When her double couldn’t make it she would call me and ask if I wanted to go.
‘hell no’ I would reply, ‘I lift weights already’..having no idea what I was passing up. Finally I said I’d join her and I went early to the kits location to run on the treadmill before our hour. Within 10mins of the session I was getting crushed into the ground and by the time the hour was up I couldn’t remember my name let alone the different exercises I had been doing. Half a dozen bone crushing workouts in kits (by some classic trainers – james, guy, casey) my sister transferred over to west van and was a consistent 2-3x/week and loving it. I ended up trying a couple over there and was blown away by how bright, energetic and motivating it was. I’d be looking up at big carson with a sweaty smile and wondering more about this place.
It was in meeting Curtis that my interest peaked and after an amazing session I asked him, ‘how do I get your job?’
‘I’ve got an open hour, lets grab a coffee’, he said with a big smile.
Within 20min Curtis had written down what to do, what courses and certifications I needed etc.. That spark in his eye has stuck with me. He took the time to clearly lay it out.
Less than a year later I walked back into the facility and told him I was ready. I had learned what I needed to get myself in the door and secured an application. Within 4days I had gone through 2 interviews and was heading to my third. The following week I was in orientation and the week after that I was shadowing..I was wearing my team uniform and training customers before Halloween 2005..

Sure I had drive, desire and determination but I credit Curtis for that special spark and that energy that he provided when he used pure passion to share about the opportunity. It was my first of many challenges from team IF. I mean really, if you tell someone the steps on how to do something, isn’t it a challenge to take each step to meet them at the finish? Sound familiar?

We all have the choice and are able to if we use drive, desire and determination to empower and create that special spark for someone else let alone ourselves..

Figure out what’s holding you back.
Look beyond yourself.
Follow the systems.
Change yours and many others lives in the process..

Be that sparkle in the eye of motivation!

Please and Thank You

2009-10-05T12:50:00.000-07:00

These simple two words go along way but how it is said is more meaningful

Mostly we use these two words when you are asking someone to do something or when you are receiving something. However, in any situation – how these two words are said is equally important.

These two words can be used in terms of politeness, thoughtfulness, helpfulness or on the negative side as derogative and sarcastic. Which do you think would be perceived better: “Please get that into me today” Or “Could you please get that into me today”
At a young age we are taught to say please and thank you and it is ingrained into us to use it. Young children when asking for something, there parents would say “what is the magic word” and you would always reply… pleeeeeassssee.

However, did we actually mean that? Or did we simply use that word sarcastically to get what we wanted. Did we truly understand the meaning of this word? Or because it is what society expects us to say.

Tough Times Never Last but Tough People Do

2009-10-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever asked what successful individuals all have in common? They have learned to develop perseverance in order to achieve their goals in life. Persons who develop perseverance do not give up even in the presence of difficulties. They just think that their determination and hard work will enable them to become successful at what ever endeavour they choose to go after. These are part of their self motivation to go on, towards the achievement of their goals.

One of the success secrets of these successful people is to develop perseverance. It is having the strong character to stand tough even in the face of adversity and chaos. Those who develop perseverance not only have strong character, they have the strong determination and will to make their goals and dreams into a reality.

Whenever you face a new challenge in your life, and you face it with great determination and a strong character, you learn something new. You usually find that you were able to do things that you thought were not possible. In some cases, you need to take the bull by the horns and not think, just do. If you think about things too much and over analyze everything in your life, you will be crippled by confusion and or doubt, and perhaps even fear. When you face a new challenge with the thought to develop perseverance and an eagerness to attain, chances are you will.

It is often simpler than you thought to accomplish something when you actually take steps in order to obtain that goal. When a person learns to develop perseverance as well as the determination to do well and be happy, they can achieve just about anything they set their minds to. Indeed, developing perseverance is the key to success.

"Success is not measured by what a person accomplishes, but by the opposition they have encountered, and by the courage with which they have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds" -Charles Lindberg

The Honeymoon Phase

2009-10-01T06:48:00.000-07:00

The other morning I thought to myself how welcome this new season was. The day was cold, registering about seven degree but crisp, bright and without a cloud in the sky. Yes, Autumn was here. A couple of days later the clouds rolled in , the skies opened up, and a deluge of rain came crashing down leaving puddles that threatened small dogs. It still had that romantic feel however, I was transported mentally to a spot in front of the fireplace, a warm blanket across my lap, and a good book in hands, wonderful. The honeymoon phase.

We all recognize this in our own relationships. With our partners it is all fun and excitement, discovering favourites, similarities and differences. The best we can hope for when this phase inevitably ends is that a meaningful friendship based on common goals, similar personalities and the continued desire to spend time together. Eventually you become bound by not only these attributes, but possibly a marriage or children. You accept flaws, weaknesses idiosyncrasies as well as the quirks that make the person great. If the positive quirks outweigh the negative the relationship perseveres.

Let's think about how this applies to our training coach/customer relationship. In the beginning time is spent working on customer goals and sharing training experiences. The coach builds different, unique hours and a program that is interesting for both parties complete with time lines and destinations.

Hopefully a routine is established, personalities and training styles mesh and goals are made and met. Sometimes however this does not happen, clients are unhappy, become broken or their needs are not met and they cease to be customers. All the hard work to cultivate their business, convince them we are worthy of their hard earned dollars is wasted. The honeymoon is over.

Our job is twofold: Realize how to develop a style that is somewhat that of a chameleon, adjusting when necessary from delivering as "ass-kicking" hour to a "rehab" hour, meeting the needs of the customer at a higher level.

Secondly, if this isn't possible yet for us as training coaches or the issues go beyond the "meat and potatoes" of the hours then not allowing that customer to walk out the door unsatisfied but finding a solution beyond ourselves, even if that means passing the customer onto another coach our seeking advice outside of our comfort zones.

- Angela Tames

The Problem with Taxes

2009-09-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

So - I got my pay stub today. And as per usual, roughly 28% of my income was deducted - with a fair portion of it being income tax.

Now, my problem with taxes isn't so much that it happens in the first place - I mean, consider what it's used for. Healthcare, the road systems, the judicial system... no, on principle, not only does it make sense - I actually prefer it to the alternative.

However, my issues with paying out some of my hard-earned money for these things is that the money is so completely mishandled. When I see things like the base salary for our current members of parliament ($141,000 per member, not inclusive of party leaders or our esteemed Prime Minister), well - then I start getting annoyed. Seems to me that the money should be going to the services needed first, before we start paying ourselves such large amounts. Then, when these same people who are making such a large amount turn around and start pushing for an election, less than a year after the last one happened (that's you, Mr. $208,000 per year Ignatieff) at a cost of around $300,000,000, and I figure that's where my tax dollars are going... BEFORE health care, transport, judicial, etecetera.... well, that's when I get steamed. Because frankly, that's not a good use of our money.

So the next time you get a paycheque, take a moment to see how much the government is taking from you, and ask yourself if you feel your money is being spent in a way you consider worthwhile.

I'm willing to bet you won't. And then you're going to start seeing more and more useless wastes of money - your money.

That seething you'll begin to feel deep down in your gut? That's the price of knowledge.

Welcome to the club.

~Guy