Challenge

Challenge. It may be defined as a demanding or stimulating situation that tests someone's abilities. It offers people the opportunity to find deeper powers within themselves and to discover things about themselves that they never really knew; they are what force us to go beyond the norm. But, ‘life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they’re supposed to help you discover who you are,’ Bernice Johnson Regan.

Everyone understands the benefits of being challenged and most of us recognize that we need it in order to become better in the long term, but what no one mentions is how difficult it is on a daily basis, to be constantly pushed to be better than you were yesterday. It is uncomfortable. As health professionals we do it everyday, demanding more from our customers than their perceived best, but when is it enough?

Never. People challenge you because they care; they see your potential and want to help you reach it. They believe in you. If you let them down you are letting yourself down, because they demand no less than your best. And even if you can’t appreciate it right now, they genuinely want to see you succeed.

Work hard to not let these people down. Be glad that they see something worth challenging. And don't let the challenges paralyze you; use them to discover who you are.

Your Bible to Life

Your daytimer is your bible to lIFe.

We had a staff meeting last week focusing on organization skills; hence daytimers. Many of the daytimers were incomplete and did not even have the basics in it (week plan, playbook, little things for the week, tasks for the day etc). Kris and a few others had a very well planned out week in their daytimers. That is why those particular coaches are more productive throughout the week. On occasion there is a coach who can get away without using their daytimer; however that is rare. Yesterday Kris and I came across a daytimer which was been sitting in the management office for a few days. Why was nobody claiming it or even asking teammates if they have seen their daytimer? Obviously the coach who it belonged to was not using it as we opened up to see who it belonged to. It had limited details with pages ripped out; no name on the daytimer and it took us a few minutes to figure out what coach it belonged to. In my head I’m thinking, how do they keep track who they are training? How do they keep track of follow up e-mails, the little things, their own workouts, notes of things to be done for the week, promises they make to teammates/customers? A daytimer reflects the organization of the coach. An unorganized daytimer often will reflect what we know as a scatter brain coach. Without a plan, a coach who starts to take more duties on will either a. burn out or b. will lose their credibility with teammates/customers in following through with what they promise. Also, being organized and having times allotted for completing tasks throughout the week will hold the coach accountable for getting tasks done. When I walk into a week without planning ahead and not writing my week plan, I feel lost and unproductive. Where do I start?

Here are some of the items which are a must in each coach's daytimer:

1.) Playbook for the week.
2.) Week plan/prep.
3.) A to do list for each day of the week.
4.) Little thing items to be complete for the week.
5.) Your schedule for each work day should outline (customers you are training, your own workouts, time allotted for e-mails/files/programs, lunch breaks and other things appointments for the week.

You're Only as Good as Your Team

I grew up reading Charlie Brown. And quite honestly, just like Archie used to piss me off because he kept going for Veronica when Betty was clearly the better choice (which is a whole other blog), Charlie Brown used to drive me nuts because he never learned, and therefore, he never won.

I was thinking about Charlie Brown as I drove into work today - and a different perspective came to me. Poor Charlie Brown never won a baseball game, and yes, he was a bad player - but frankly, it was his leadership that beat him. Consider his team:

• A narcissistic, hack pseudo-psychologist who was convinced she was always right, couldn't care less about the team, and wouldn't do anything unless it benefited her
  
• A kid who's insecurity was so great that it manifested itself in some weird, Freudian obsession with a blanket
  
• Another kid who was so OCD that he'd bring his toy piano to a baseball game
  
• A dog

Maybe Charlie Brown should have stopped beating himself up (and letting others do it as well), and should have taken a good hard look at the people he had working with him. You see, there's a lesson in this, and it's reflected in almost all of the books that we read about being a good leader - the most successful leaders aren't the ones who are the best at what they're doing, they surround themselves with the best and let others take the glory. Perhaps Charlie Brown should have started making some cuts on his team, and found others who would actually be able to contribute to the entire groups' success. He may have liked them all, but at some point you have to put the team's objective first, and personal feelings second.

Look at what your objective is right now, and ask yourself if you're surrounding yourself with the right people - are they helping you, or hindering you in reaching your goal? Because if you've got a Lucy, Linus and Schroeder playing in the field, then you'll continue to stand on the pitcher's mound wondering why you're losing.

But if you've got a Snoopy, hang onto him. We can all use a Snoopy on our team.

~Guy

changing of the guard

A baby tiger is called a cub. A new coach is called a cub - well no, but how about we just say, 'a new coach'
When the cub is first born, it is blind. When a new coach arrives, they are blind to all the systems in place.
A cub depends on their mother for sight for a few days and then needs a lot of attention for a couple of months. When a new arrives with sensory overload, they need the help of a veteran coach in order to see the full potential of those systems.
Soon the cubs are able to hunt small animals and mice. They learn their techniques from their mother. Within a short period of time, a new coach is able to attempt leading themselves through an event after watching and hearing about their teammates' experiences and the cycle grows/continues...
Quite simply, it's not about me and you - it's about them, us and those who are not even here yet, let's continue to lay that foundation and fine tune those entrance points throughout our tropical forests!

You have something to offer - pay it forward and continue the cycle - don't let it stop with you..

What / Why / How / See / Hear / Do / Teach
Follow up / PI's / Little things / Destinations

There will always be a new coach - remember, that use to be you!

"Don't wait for your ship to come in; swim out to it."

I have lived in my neighborhood for 20years; the neighborhood is a quiet remote place, backing onto the Capilano trails. The arrangement of different families, couples and elderly usually keep to ourselves, occasionally giving the hello or wave as we walk our dog or drive past, but there is no real neighborhood comradely.

Well this weekend that all changed by a kitten being stuck in tree! On Friday night, a cat had perhaps been spooked by something and had climbed up into a neighbors tree. Everyone was getting together to help get this kitten down. People had gone into their garages to get ladders, ropes, planks, cat food, milk, anything they could think of to help persuade him down. However, to no such avail. We had called the fire department to see if they could help, but they do not apparently do that anymore. We called numerous tree cutter companies but only one would come but not until the following morning. The poor cat spent the night up the tree, meowing like crazy, hungry, tired and keeping our neighbors up all night. Saturday morning comes along and the cat has climbed even further up the tree. By this time, our neighbor was getting worried and frankly annoyed by all the meowing. At one point, we had a representative from all the four houses in the cal-de-sac trying to get this cat down. We were all imitating a cats meow, again we brought some food, more meowing but nothing worked. Finally, a 15-year-old boy said that he could climb up the tree to try to grab the cat. The mother 'Ok’d' this… so this young hero got a backpack and started climbing up the ladder, up the branches toward the cat. Unfortunately again to no avail, the cat was frightened and would not be put into the bag. We were all petrified, praying that this boy would not fall. In the end my mother who was afraid for the boys safety, called the fire department and the SPCA, informing them that this young boy was risking his life and that someone should come out and save this cat.
Finally, the fire department came. The rescue took about 2.5hours for them to climb up and get the kitten. People from all around started coming out of their houses to see what the commotion was all about, there were introductions being made and conversations like “where do you live”, or “how long have you been living here”. I met people that I had never met before who literally live two or three houses up the street. This would never have happened if this poor cat had not been stuck up a tree. So yes, for this quiet neighborhood, this was quite a dramatic event but in the end, it was a positive experience.

What amazes me about this story is that it took something as small as a cat that was in trouble to bring people together. This happens in life all around us, take September 11th, Hurricane Katrina or more recently the Earthquake in China. These tragic events and incidents bring people together whether they are extreme or just simple ones.

What I have learned is that I am not going to wait around for a dramatic event of some kind to get to know others, I will go out and do it before it happens. Take the initiative, be bold and more doors will open for you in the future.

"Don't wait for your ship to come in; swim out to it."

Get Busy

I was 17years old when I went to University. The first few weeks started slow like every new school year that I remembered from High School. It was the transitional weeks when there were no immediate exams or papers due and all you had to do was settle in by getting new books and show up for class. Those weeks were great – almost like an extension of the summer. But I also knew that any day projects with deadlines would be dropped. And then it hit all at once – work load was piling up by October. During this time in my first year of University I would reminisce about how easy High School was. I almost wished I could go back and enjoy the free time I had the year before. Second year came around and in October once again I wished I could be back in 1st year taking it easy. It was the same thing each year as being busier than the last.

Fast forward 6years… I graduated, did some traveling and then jumped into career mode. Working fulltime turned out to be very different. In fact it was busier then when I was in University. Once again I thought how great it would be to be back in school. The days when student loans seemed like free money, when you could sleep in, those afternoons off, not going to class if you didn’t want to, going to the gym with an hour off, week breaks, long Christmas vacations and summer months completely free. Wow! It was good life back then even with all the studying that had to be done. I was out of school and in the job market and it was completely different. Welcome to the real world - a world of win or loose, making it or breaking it and my self being the one who has to survive on my own.

What I have witnessed was that high school was a joke, university life a bit busier and career life way busier than what university was. I however am not in the same boat as every other individual out there. I chose a career that requires a strong work ethic if I am to survive in it and move forward. I am also a person who wants to get himself somewhere in life both professionally and financially. I strive to be the best I can be and to be able to provide an environment where I will be able to support a home with a family. So each year has therefore gotten busier and I am at my busiest right now and that is ok because in the end it will pay off. I know people who don’t want to be busy, have more down time at the same time have a family in the future. That is fine if you are financially secure and you don’t strive to be the best at what you do…

People ask me, when does it end Josh? And why do you make yourself so busy? My answer to them is that I am only 30 years young. That’s right young, meaning more energy and the only person I am responsible for is my self – hard maybe but much easier than the father and the mother who hold down careers, households and have multiple children that they take care of? It does not get easier for them especially when they do it all at once. My parents were in their early twenties when they had their children. They were studying, and building careers at the same time. There was no money and personal time for them was virtually non-existent because all efforts were diverted to raising the children and putting food on the table. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to do all of that. That truly must be the peak of how busy one can get.

If you are like me and want to have a future family and to be able to spend time with them (before getting too old) then now is the time to put your head down, get busy and move yourself forward to setting up the future you wish to have. Understand that being busy at a young age is a reality that we must accept so that it may pay off in years to come. Being busy now is the time when we are agile and resilient. It is better to have the drive to make things happen when we are young and only have to worry about our own affairs than it is to just start putting in the work once a family has arrived. Now is your time to make your future happen.

The Power of Choice

On January 16th, 1920, in an effort to reduce crime, corruption, social problems, tax burdens, and generally begin to repair the moral decay of the country, the government of the United States enacted what came to be known as the "noble experiment": Prohibition. The Eighteenth Amendment was put into effect, and from that point on it was illegal to import, export, transport, sell and manufacture all "intoxicating liquour".

It failed miserably.

Instead, it created a whole new type of crime - bootleggers from Canada started smuggling liquour south, the "speakeasy" (underground bars, essentially) sprung up left, right, and center, and the mob had a whole new revenue stream. It was unenforceable and, more importantly, it was hugely unpopular - thus, in 1931 Franklin D. Roosevelt and Congress passed the 21st Amendment, undoing the nightmare that had started 11 years earlier.

On a more personal note, one of my friends ran a summer camp for a couple of years, and the YMCA of British Columbia decided that, in an effort to promote a positive and healthy lifestyle, it would outlaw all smoking by their staff. Not smoking while working - smoking for the duration of their contract.

It also failed miserably.

Firstly, there was the blatant hypocrisy of their philosophy - while promoting a "healthy lifestyle", they were still feeding the kids and staff greasy, mass-produced, fat-laden crap for their meals. Secondly, while there were a few former staff who actually understood that they did, in fact, have a choice (which was to not work at the camp in the first place) - this instead lead the camp losing a few good people. Finally, and most importantly, it didn't actually cut down on the smoking - it instead created a sub-culture of people who banded together, and hid their smoking, which in turn created not only a mess (as people snuck off into the woods to sneak their smoke), but actually created a massive fire hazard.

What can we learn from these examples?

Dictating to people, whether you're right or not, is more likely going to create bigger problems than you had before. You can direct them, guide them, and even limit their choice, but at some point you have to step back and trust that people will do the right thing... all the while knowing that not everyone will. The exceptional, however, will always rise above the others - and these are your future leaders.

Remember, you can't always be asking for trust - there will come a time where you have to give some back.

~Guy

Are you Listening?

The act of listening is probably the most powerful tool you have as a leader. There are many ways to listen; the most obvious is with your ears. The act of listening is carefully paying attention to sounds, not just to words. For a few moments, there is no judgment, no discrimination, no understanding; Only hearing. Soon our brain processes the information and that rowdy/hyperactive pit-bull pulling on a leash, starts barking in with ideas, assumptions, interpretations, and decisions. If we can keep that little pit-bull calm for a few minutes, we can listen with clarity.

Listening is not for ears alone. When we apply careful attention to our other sensory organs - our eyes, our nose, our skin, and so on - we develop a perception skill that few even know exists, let alone master. Listening as a practice leads to clearer perception of what is going on with the people on your team and in the organization you are leading.

Most schools don’t teach listening. Growing up, I never knew how to listen well. Instead, children like myself would just speak or try to listen. There is a difference in listening and trying to listen. The sad thing is most adults don’t know how to listen as well. Growing up the closest we get to practice listening is fun games like Where’s Waldo and I Spy and Memory Match Cards which emphasize keen observation but not listening per se. Very soon after, in the elementary years and high school years, we move our kids’ efforts toward more serious academic pursuits, usually involving a decade of preparing children for university. In the process, we produce well educated men and women with a need to demonstrate that they are the smartest person in the room. How many times have you come across this person in your career? Are you one of them?

So few kids have been exposed to the correct tools to help them become better listeners. Kids who do not understand the concept of school and fail to understand the academic side, soon find themselves hating school or becoming the class clown. Rarely do any develop listening skills.

Why isn't schools educating children on how to listen? In reality, listening is one of those qualities thought to be natural and people are born with. However, just like a new born puppy, we need to be taught to obey and listen. This will only lead to less conflict in society and to less confusion in all areas of life.

Five Steps to Listening Meticulously

1. Breathe. Find a quiet place. Sit still and comfortably with good but relaxed posture. Close your eyes. Breathe as fully and slowly as you can. Settle down.

2. Relax. Now open your eyes and look down toward the ground or to the table in front of you. You want to be awake and present while listening. What do you hear? Can you hear traffic? HVAC air blowing through a register? Birds chirping? People talking nearby? Your heartbeat? A dog barking in the distance? The blood rushing in your ears? A clock ticking? Your breath? Your mind is like a puppy. Let it roam around and listen to everything around you one-by-one, but keep your eyes open.

3. Concentrate. With your eyes still open, now count your breaths from 1 to 10. Every time your mind wanders away from this exercise, just come back to counting your breaths from 1 to 10. You will still be able to hear very well despite counting breaths. Now you are concentrating on one point amidst all the noise around you. Just breathe and count. You are training your mind puppy to sit instead of letting it roam around.

4. Wake up. You may get bored with counting to 10. You might get frustrated that you don’t get past 4 without ending up in a daydream. You might feel antsy. You might realize you are hungry. Whenever you notice that you are not counting anymore, you have a spark of awareness - you just woke up. Use that awareness and just come back to counting each breath from 1 to 10. Practice patience. Practice calm control. Practice staying present. You are training your mind puppy to come back on command, gently.

5. Practice. Do this for at least 5 minutes every day. If you enjoy it, do it for 10 or 15 minutes every day or do it several times a day. After 2 weeks, apply your newly honed concentrated attention on to the person speaking in front of you. If your mind wanders, or starts to get bored, or starts coming up with ideas while that person is speaking, use that same spark of awareness to come back to the person speaking. Come back to their voice, just like you came back to counting breaths from 1 to 10. With practice, you will notice that you aren’t drifting as much.

Listening is essential to building the relationships required and makes you a more effective leader. When a person is heard fully and completely, without interruption, without debate, they are more likely trust you. They are far more likely to be receptive to whatever ideas you would like them to consider - whether it is a request you are making of them or whether it is an opinion you would like to share with them.

It does not take much to practice this. Just takes a few minutes each week and you will be surprised at how far sharpening up your listening skills can take you. It all starts with self, so why not practice one of the most important skills in life. LISTENING.

Don’t lose your dinosaur

We all have the ability to choose to be any age we have ever been. To look at things with a clean point of view or just act/enjoy in the moment I sometimes ask myself, why does one choose to grow up and lose their dinosaur?
We mustn’t grow out of ourselves too fast. While we age and our responsibilities’ grow, we are constantly at battle with our inner adolescent. Step by step we may allow others to change us. Whether we are embarrassed or just want to ‘fit in’…we all seem to make subtle changes that may have us saying one day…’wow, I sound like my father’ or ‘that’s something my mother would do’
Now I’m not preaching childish behaviour and total disregard for authority or rules…but doesn’t it feel good to let go?

When was the last time you made yourself vulnerable?

Let’s look at it a different way. Happiness is the feeling or showing pleasure, contentment, or joy. Directly related to happiness is smiling and laughing…the list is endless, but I am choosing to illustrate through these two parallels.

Smiling is a great way to make yourself stand out while helping your body to function better.
Smiling makes us attractive
Smiling changes Our Mood
Smiling is contagious
Smiling relieves Stress
Smiling boosts your immune system
Smiling lowers your blood pressure
Smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers and serotonin
Smiling lifts the face and makes you look younger
Smiling makes you seem successful
Smiling helps you stay positive

Laughing is also another way to make yourself stand out while helping your body to function better.
Laughing reduce stress
Laughing lowers blood pressure
Laughing elevates ones mood
Laughing boosts the immune system
Laughing improves brain functioning
Laughing protects the heart
Laughing connects you to others
Laughing fosters instant relaxation
Laughing makes one feel good


Now, knowing that we all have these powers AND that they can directly influence those around you…go ahead, lighten up and let your dinosaur out – make yourself vulnerable, go ahead, ‘laugh and smile’

Reactions

I have always found it interesting the way certain individuals react to different scenarios. Take for example the gold medal winners of the Olympics, certain athletes jump up and down like crazy and others fall to their knees in extreme emotion and exhaustion. Alternatively, how about those athletes that we do not see on prime time television, the 15th or 21st place athletes. Are they disappointed? On the other hand, are they just grateful to be apart of the Olympics?

The journey that these athletes go through to get to these events is the greatest achievement. It is the years of training, hard work and dedication that has got them there.

The reaction of those athletes winning is probably a combination of their own ability but also of gratefulness because of the assistants and help from others that have helped them achieve their goals.

No matter how much training has been done over the years the unexpected does always happen. A crash on a triathlon bike course or being psyched out by another opponent is all part of the game. Being mentally prepared is just as important as being physically prepared.

The relationship between the coaches/mentors and the athletes is a combination of preparedness, mental training, ability, and aptitude.

We are fortunate that we are in a business that allows us to take customers on a journey to help them achieve their goals. As coaches/mentors, we must prepare our customers and lead them correctly in that journey.

“Challenge, Adversity, Victory”

Relationships and Growth

Recently a leader and mentor of mine told me “Don’t spend time with anyone unless you or the other person is getting something out of it.” This seemed harsh to me at first but after some reflection it made total sense. After all I thought, why spend time with anyone in this life if there is nothing to be gained out of it from either party. If there is nothing positive coming from a relationship then we are wasting our own and the other person’s time. We should break away from these relationships as soon as possible because life is short and there are others out there eager to grow with you and ready to give something to move you forward.

Healthy growing relationships are based on give and take. They require both people to meet 50/50. This goes for relationships with spouses, partners, friends and co-workers. Using the workplace as an example, as much as we truly want to help people succeed, bring them along and truly believe in them, there MUST be an equal and opposite desire from them to want to do the same. As teammates and leaders we should all be demanding this reciprocation and respect from our teams each and every day. In personal relationships it is a similar situation, we must make moves to bring those we care about along on our journey, they must want to come along as well as bring us along into their own lives. When this reciprocation occurs, mutual growth between two people occurs. Both sides achieve personal fulfillment for being able to be the person they wish to be by having the trust, support, respect and commitment from the other as well as giving it back.

In our work environment, we must tell people when things are done well and when they are not. We must continually demand more to avoid stagnancy. When demanding more, understand that the intention is not a reflection of a power trip or just to benefit the deliverer but rather expecting more from others because the potential exists. As individuals we all have unlimited potential yet we must understand that when those we trust who want our best challenge us to be better it is up to us to want it as well. The tools and support is there to get better with but ultimately it is up to you and this is when we see a relationship become 50/50. In personal relationships as well, we must be open to communicate what we expect from others and what we expect for ourselves. Continually demand the best because in life we deserve the best and if you are not getting it or giving it then you are wasting your time. Think to yourself if your current relationships are give and take.

Something important to consider is that before we can lead someone to become better there must be a foundation of trust first (read the book Trust Me for more detail). This takes spending time with people and communication through personal inventories and experiences. Trusting relationships will foster positive growth if both sides are ready to communicate, sacrifice and support each other to become better. This is so important because weather at work or with a spouse for example there is a common goal to be achieved. If we find ourselves in situations where people do not want to join our journey, bring us along in theirs or want to become better with the tools and support we provide then we must recognize this and stop wasting our time and theirs. If someone does not want to grow then spend time with someone who wants to. If someone close to you does not support you and bring you up then stop wasting your time with them. This can be considered in all areas of our lives from work, family to friends. Thoughts are welcome by adding your comment.

Levels of Honesty

In this day and age we are all busy and sometimes it can be a huge challenge to follow through and deliver what we promise or commit to do. Follow through at times can be taken lightly in society; however it should be taken seriously. Using an example on Monday, I asked Rob Elliott a fellow coach to clean the windows since they looked dirty. Instead of him saying yes right away; he paused, looked me directly in the eyes and said “Jeff, yes I will clean the windows right away”. Question is: Did he follow through with what he promised”? He certainly did and I continue to count on him because I know if he makes a commitment to do something, he will follow through and if he feels like he cannot, he will honestly say “no”.
Yesterday afternoon Rob led a staff meeting and this was one of the topics which came up. The concept he referred this to: Levels of Honesty. There are only two levels of honesty “Yes” or “No”; there are no maybes. Like Nike’s slogan says “JUST DO IT” and follow your word. Do not feel ashamed telling somebody, no I cannot do something. It is better than losing that persons trust in you.

How does this concept play a role in our relationships, friendships and work place. Are there times when there are two many things on your plate and you keep on taking on the responsibility of more items telling people that you will do it and fail to follow through. Rather than failing to uphold your level of honesty, it is better to say no at times.

Transparency

Interesting news out of Beijing over the last 24 hours - it would seem that certain parts of the opening ceremonies were (*gasp*) "faked".

That's right - like a Milli Vanilli stage show, the beautiful little Chinese girl who sang the song... actually was lip synching a different girl's voice.

Now, China has justified this by saying that it's because it was a show, a spectacle - they wanted the best looking child with the best sounding voice - and apparently, such a person does not exist in one little girl under 10 years of age throughout China.

Honestly, this is so far off the blip of importance in the world, I'm not sure why it's making headlines - everybody knew that Britney and N'Sync were lip synching (and my apologies if you actually believed that the "microphone" that was in front of their mouths was actually picking anything up), but nobody cared because, damn, they put on a good show. What with all the dancing, pyrotechnics, props, choreography... hold on, isn't that the same thing as what China did to start the Olympics?

Maybe what's more important than the sleight of hand (or people's horribly misdirected priorities) is why they're upset.

Simple - they were misled.

If China had simply used the actual girl who sang the song in the stage show, found a different girl with a strong voice AND the looks they wanted... or, at the very least, acknowledged right up front that some of the show was pre-recorded, staged, not live... anything... instead of having it come out after the fact... well, then maybe we could have avoided this "scandal".

Or maybe not.

Regardless, the next time you find yourself coaching a customer on their diet, training regimen, party lifestyle, drinking, lethargy, lack of commitment or unwillingness to really step up... ask yourself how that same customer would feel if they knew the truth about YOU.

How much of your coaching is a stage show, and how much is real?

~Guy

a conceivable exchange..

Don’t call it something you’re going to do. Call it a lifestyle. We must all make the appropriate choices throughout our day but with so many opportunities to sway us away from our healthy path we must expect to travel both routes. It is possible to appropriately indulge when living a lifestyle of positive health. We may need help defining this before we start fooling ourselves though…
Positive health should include; laughing, smiling, motion, proper nutrition, rest, stimulation, challenge, adversity, victory…

I heard you would like to drop down to 1x/week. Earlier this year you dropped from 3x/week and making another switch will not get you anywhere closer to where you want to be with your physical sphere. Turn to challenge and work towards your victory.

We all need at least 3 workouts per week to stimulate a positive response from resistance and cardiovascular training. If cash is the issue, well you really can’t put a price on a healthy life…but IF can also supplement our session with a full body circuit class on Saturday’s or http://www.mypypeline.com/ online video workouts - on-demand - for every fitness level and for every interest.

Now, to effectively bring meaning and passion towards a healthy lifestyle, one will most likely need to focus towards a tangible goal/destination. Choose a couple short term goals and work towards your larger long term goal. These steps will promote success and personal growth throughout the entire process.

The life span of these steps is limitless because once victory is experienced - our inner mind will crave this standard and living this lifestyle will become more than just a habit…it will become what you do.

Leave a Legacy

We have all seen people come and go in our lives. Many people who move on end up fading from our memories rather quickly. Usually these are the ones who have not made a big impact in our lives. There are those however, who will stand in our memories for a long time after their departure for the work they have done, the manner in which they leave and what they leave behind. These are the individuals who have made a positive impact by paving the way for others to follow.

Leaving a legacy in which to be remembered by is something we should all strive for. Doing so is your contribution towards future success. First thing we must possess is the passion for what we do. By being passionate we naturally will accomplish great work and be recognized for it. Yet to leave a legacy and be remembered throughout the ages we must also teach others to be able to do this same great work when we are gone.

Every single one of us has a role in the lives we live. Weather a parent, teacher or employee in an organization, to leave a legacy in which to be remembered by we must be conscious about how we are passing on the knowledge and skills we have learned to those following behind us so that they are able to succeed. Imagine how good it will feel to know that you left your mark and that someone out there has taken your teachings and is using it to move forward with. Be remembered for whatever it is you do.

What are you doing in your life that ensures you are leaving a legacy for those who are looking up to you ad following in your footsteps?

Here are some action steps to consider: If you are passionate then you are more likely to be a charismatic person that others will follow. As a leader, spend time to get to know those around you. Find out what makes them unique. Ask yourself what values do they have and how can you best lead them in a way that will be remembered? Be open to communicate with people and show them the ropes so that they may get to where you got in less time than it took you to get there. If you plan on leaving then take the time to teach last minute lessons that you have been taught by those before you. Even if you don’t plan on leaving teach those around you, share your experiences because you never know what might happen. It is the honorable thing to do in both work and life – be remembered and leave a legacy.

How to Become a Better Leader

Owning a Professional Training company entails more than just signing a lease for office space and putting your name on the door. Owning and running a successful company requires you to be a leader who inspires, guides, and, if necessary, provides discipline for your staff (coaches). I believe the management at Innovative Fitness has done that very well and I see them as leaders; therefore I am asking myself these questions. Am I a leader and if not what skills do I need to develop to become an effective leader like my mentors in the industry.

In all honesty, I need a ton of work in all areas listed below; although I have developed some of the skills. They say some people are born leaders (more natural abilities of what leaders possess) and some work towards becoming a leader. Thus said, I was not born a natural leader. Instead I am learning from the people in my life who have great leadership skills and striving to become a better leader myself. According to an article I found online, here are a list of 10 Qualities of a leader and how to acquire them.

10 Qualities of a Leader—and How to Acquire Them


1. Have vision. Leaders have a clear sense of where they want to go and how they intend to get there. They see the big picture, then create a strategic plan for achieving their goals.

Learn how to develop your vision : We are surrounded by a lot of great leaders in our industry. Sit down with ownership, customers you train and learn from the best.

2. Make decisions. Leaders aren’t afraid to make difficult or unpopular decisions because they have confidence in themselves and in their abilities. They know that indecision wastes resources and opportunities.

Learn to hone your decision-making skills : Practice making decisions in areas where failure isn’t critical to increase your confidence. If a decision turns out to be wrong, learn from it and move on.

3. Take risks. Leaders have the courage to act in situations where results aren’t assured. They're willing to risk failure.

Learn how to take risks: Analyze the situation, listing pros and cons for each option, then assign each choice a risk factor rating from 1 to 5. Next determine the likelihood that each outcome will occur. This will help you determine how much risk you want to take.

TIP: Don't expect perfection. No one wins all the time. Leaders grow by making mistakes.

4. Motivate others. Leaders can articulate their vision and ideals to others, convincing them of the value of their ideas. They can inspire people to work toward common goals and to achieve things they never thought they could do.

Learn how to motivate people: Explore the different needs that motivate people and recognize that the same rewards don’t motivate everyone. Listen carefully to others to learn what motivates them.

TIP: Motivate employees by making sure they understand how their work contributes to a larger goal.

5. Build teams. Leaders create productive teams that draw the best from people. They effectively coach teams in collaboration, consensus building, and conflict resolution.

Learn how to improve your teambuilding skills : Avoid preconceived answers to every question. Concentrate on appreciating different points of view during discussions rather than just trying to prove your point. This same willingness to include others is the key to successful teambuilding.

6. Possess self-knowledge. Leaders know their own strengths and weaknesses and are able to view their behavior objectively. They recognize their shortcomings, open themselves to feedback, and are willing to make changes when necessary.

Learn how to expand your self-knowledge : Study yourself closely and practice self-assessment techniques to learn how you behave and the effects you have on others. Ask others for their opinions or criticisms and what you can do to become a better leader. Dr. Gerald Bell, business consultant and professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C.

TIP: Keep a journal of critical incidents; look back and learn what you did well and what you might have done better.

7. Display integrity. Leaders must be trustworthy before others will follow them. Warren Bennis, The Leadership Institute, University of Southern California, says qualities that establish trust are competence, constancy, caring, candor, and congruity, which he defines as authenticity, reliability, and feeling comfortable with oneself.

Learn how to assess your integrity: Actively seek feedback from others friends, co-workers, and even employees to determine if your values and sense of responsibility coincide with those of your peer group.

8. Pursue lifelong learning. Leaders have a desire to continually learn and grow and are open to new ideas.

Learn how to expand your knowledge: Maintain a broad focus. Look beyond your colleagues and your own industry for ideas and inspiration and read books on new management theories and ideas.

TIP: Wise managers look for support staff or partners who complement their weaknesses.

9. Communicate effectively. Leaders can convey their ideas to diverse individuals and adjust their styles to meet the needs of the people they lead.

Learn how to improve communication skills : Practice communications skills such as active listening. Read between the lines during conversations, especially when dealing with subordinates who may be reluctant to say what they think. Restate important points in several ways or ask listeners to reiterate your point to you to ensure that your meaning is clear.

10. Help others succeed. Leaders empower others and go out of their way to help them achieve their full potential, thereby benefiting the organization.

Leadership in OUR Reality

We've all heard and read, many times, what makes a good leader. Normally, I like to take a situation or event from the news and try to highlight circumstances or situations that serve as examples for what I'm talking about.

I'm going to bring this one a little closer to home.

I spent some time this last weekend watching how we all interact - with customers, with each other, with friends... and one person stood out for me, because I realized upon reflection how many traits I personally would like to emulate. In a weekend of BIG highlights, his didn't necessarily come to the forefront - in fact, it was almost the opposite. Although he is still new to his role, still developing his own style, I really believe we all need to pay attention to what he already brings - and if we're smart, we'll try to incorporate some of these things into what we do.

• He is a gentleman - his manners, his courtesy and his attitude are a throwback to a time when people actually made the effort to hold the door for each other, to offer a hand up, to carry someone's bag.
• He is classy - he always carries himself with a quiet dignity.
• He cares - when he asks you a question, he gives you his full attention until you're finished answering.
• He shares - he will take the time to answer your questions, no matter what he's doing.
• And most importantly - he does not need to win, be seen as the best, or take the number one spot. Now, don't misunderstand me - he's a competitor of the highest level and wants to win - but he will ALWAYS let someone else shine, especially if it's important to them.

All of these things are the reason that people will seek him out for advice, want to spend time with him, and ultimately, help him to leave a legacy - because he will help them to be better than he is, with no ego standing in their way.

Jeff Dallin - I look forward to seeing you continue to grow and develop so that I can learn more and more from you.

~Guy

Team, please if you will…

Talking about common sense here - Not excluding being careful and not running with scissors – but the common sense that we as a team need to have during every minute of our time in the facility.
We are looking for individual ownership of our space on a group level. Meaning calling someone out for not allowing the required flow during our hours…

-put your shit away
-clean up after yourself in the back room-if you see something out of place, take care of it immediately
-don’t set-up in the middle of someone’s doubles hour!

Don’t wait for another to come along and take care of your/our business. Be proactive and react right away when something needs to be done. Multitask and keep your eyes up…if a teammate is struggling you will be able to help out right away before it’s too late.

Seriously, first thing we must do when we walk in the door (am or pm crew) make sure the team is tight. Don’t be all selfish and only be concerned with yourself. There is a reason you are on this team and we need to be thinking of everyone when we get to work. Not to say that we can’t eat or drink water, but let’s get going here; check towels, cruise through the bathroom and take a mental inventory of our area. What needs attending too? What can I/we do for my/our team?
Weeks pass and the same overachievers consistently do 80% of the little things that some of us let slide.

*How many times have you stayed late to clean up at a party you were just at?
*Many hands make light work..
*How many times have you heard that it is imperative that there is more than one person saying the same thing…just in a different way? Well you are going to keep hearing that one.

What is common sense? It’s good judgment - sound practical judgment derived from experience rather than study. So as we spend too many hours to list on our craft, we are getting the experience AND hearing from our leaders (the one’s that have already learned from a mistake) We have the opportunity to not make those errors and rise up to deliver on a high level.

So ask yourself, are you letting things slide after a long weekend or are you performing at your highest level and challenging yourself to lead by example?

The most expensive piece of art

In our lives, we will have the chance to meet people. Some good and others not so much. But they’re all on your path for a reason.

As I was sitting at the end of a table surrounded by 30 other people this weekend, all laughing, enjoying great food and each others company, it made me think about how lucky we were to have cross path in some way or another with two incredible individuals, Matt and Chantal. I can’t talk for anyone else but I felt extremely lucky to be there. It was an amazing feeling to know I am where I’m supposed to be. Meaning the RIGHT company with the RIGHT systems and the RIGHT people.  To be so well taken care of, not only this weekend, but also each day of the year. There is always someone ready to make you a better individual.   I felt very thankful they opened up their cabin to us this weekend. Which brings me to one of my highlights…

As I took a tour of their cabin when we got there, I saw (and I know you all did as well) the most expensive piece of art I have ever seen. No, they didn’t steel the Jackson Pollock Number 5 (which could be sold for 140 million) and are hiding it in their cabin. It was a wall filled with pictures from their kids, family members and friends from some of their favorite events, destinations and moments. It made reminded me why we work so hard. Not to buy a pair of jeans worth 400$ or a new car, but for moments like the ones on his wall, the ones I want to put on my wall or the one in the consult room... It was great to see how happy we were, for example when Josh made it on the skis or when you looked at Emily's face when she was surfing or when people played bear indian and cowboy! There is no price to these moments. We should never stop having them. Thank you for making more amazing moments happen this weekend. Hope you all had some highlights and amazing moments you want to put on your wall.

Avoid Pileup

Life gets busier all the time. As errands, tasks and projects get crossed off the list, new ones appear. We must accept that weather in life or at work as we strive to become better the to do list does not end. This is ok provided that we are able to handle what comes onto our plates. One of the biggest tips in tackling tasks is to take care of it right away. Avoid the pileup. The more we pileup our to do items the busier, more cluttered and more stressed life becomes.

Take home for example. You arrive home to check your mail on Monday night. You have bills and personal letters to deal with. You throw it onto the counter and grab a drink from the fridge. You set your empty can on the counter and start cooking. You then accidently spill a bit of your drink on the counter while cutting veggies. No problem you think.. Will get to it later. Times passes, you have a great meal and put the dishes in the sink and start to clean as your phone rings. It's Betty and she is inviting you to watch a movie. You say sure and think, i'll do the dishes when I get home. As you can see, everything is starting to pile up. With this approach, by weeks end you will have a whole Saturday or Sunday taking care of your pileup.

At work can be another example. You are training, someone wants a water bottle. You are so busy you think, I will write the drink on the tab later. An hour passes and you still havnt written the tab down. You start to write your log for the session (which could have been done during the hour) when you decide to check your email quickly. You open up an important email that needs responding to. No worries, you think.. I will get to it tonight. When you get home you then check your mail again.

As you can see, these are the simplest of examples but when we approach it with the 'get to it later' attitude it only will pile up and create more work later. Take the time to slice and dice each task as it happens. Finish one thing before you start another.