We are all going through tough times. I believe whole heartedly that this is temporary, but we still need to stay in control. It’s easy to become fearful & overwhelmed during turbulent situations, but we can minimize the damage by doing everything we can to keep ourselves strong.

 

It is to your greatest benefit to take care of yourself, so that you gain as much control over yourself as you possibly can.

 

Fitness is without question, the absolute best way to gain greater control over your life and to create the greatest possible outcomes in all aspects of your life. In a nut-shell, when you exercise, you will begin to feel healthier, which will have a positive impact on both the inside and outside of your body. The spill over effects are vast and will depend on both the quantity and quality of your health & fitness routine.

 

You should devise a health & fitness plan that focuses on the following 4 pieces:

  • A Healthy Diet
  • A Weight Training Regimen
  • A Cardio Regimen
  • A Meditative Outlet (A guided meditation audio is my favorite choice)

 

The more balance you bring between these four key elements, the more control you’ll have over your life!    

 

Let me explain why & how this will work: When people first begin to exercise, they are often driven to do so, based on their current impulse goals. Most of the time, these goals are just impulsive “wants” that we desire. The good thing about “wants”, are that they at least get you going. However, “wants” don’t usually last long, because they don’t usually have enough of an emotional tie attached to them.

 

An example of a “want” goal is saying something like, “I want to lose weight”. It’s a nice thought, but what exactly does it mean. If you lost 1 pound of weight over the course of 1 year, wouldn’t that have been successful? It’s just not powerful enough.

 

Other “want” examples could be to, improve your health, have more confidence, feel better, etc. These are all great starts, but they are just too generalized. In other words, they need to be more specific and have greater meaning, in order to harness the power to make them a certain reality.

 

There are “wants” and there are also, “Whys”. “Whys” are those deep rooted reasons or rewards that you’ll receive from achieving your goals. You don’t just want to “lose weight”, you want to feel better about yourself and have people comment on how awesome you look. You need to take those emotional “Whys” and bring more specificity to your goal setting. Instead of wanting to look better, instead try something like, “I will lose 10 pounds of fat by March 25th!” Doesn’t that fire you up much more? Instead of wanting to improve your health, instead say, “I am dropping by triglycerides by 20 points by April 1st!” Instead of wanting to build your confidence, how about, “On March 1st, I am going to face my fear of public speaking by going to the Chamber of Commerce meeting at 7:30 P.M. and delivering my speech on improving the local economy!”

 

This is what you call super duper goal setting!

 

Now pay attention. The “Why” that you first chose when you began your fitness routine will probably progress to something else, something more challenging and more rewarding! You’ll want to achieve one goal at a time or you could easily become distracted with too much stuff to do.

 

As the weeks pass by, you will begin to look better, feel better & be better. This extends much further than just your body. You life will begin to look better, your life will begin to feel better & your life will soon begin to be better, across the board!

 

Now more than ever, we need to have a “Life Crisis Control Strategy”. There are way too many things going on in the world that seem to be out of control. We, Thank GOD, at least have the power to control pieces of our lives. It is to your greatest benefit to take care of yourself, so that you gain as much control over yourself as you possibly can.

 

For me, there is no greater tool that I have than the power of fitness. It has allowed me to build my body & my mind to unconscionable levels, relatively speaking.

 

I guarantee you, that if and when you make fitness a part of your daily life, your life will forever be positively changed.

 

I would love to hear how fitness has helped you gain greater control and benefited your life experiences. Please share.

 

Keep Going!

 

James Villepigue CSCS