Scary Indeed... Focus and prioritize

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

... 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

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?

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

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?

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

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..

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

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

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

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

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..

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

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

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

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