Monday, November 29, 2010

Stepping Stones: When, Where and How do you start?

When my colleague/ friend was getting ready to plan her wedding, she had one desire - to walk down the aisle in the best shape of her life.  So she turned to me, given my reputation as a fitness buff, and my years of experience as a college basketball player. She knew that if there was anyone who could help jump start her on accomplishing her fitness goals, it was me.

First, we talked strategy: setting goals (in her case, 35lbs by May 2011), planning a workout schedule and commitment time frame. Then we chose a gym near work, discussed nutrition goals, took baseline measurements and photos to document the process. I also required her to keep a food journal and write her daily intake. So far, we’ve kept track of her weekly/ monthly progress in a shared spreadsheet using Google docs.         
In six months my friend will be walking down the aisle looking and feeling great! It is a wonderful pleasure for me to inspire, motivate, encourage and support her on this amazing journey filled with fun, challenges and an overall life changing experience.

Much of my motivation on being fit comes from my years of playing basketball. To play basketball and to play it well, I not only had to be in shape, but accountable for what I did off the court, including what I ate and being a role model. So I immersed myself in understanding health, fitness and nutrition. It is basketball that gave me a sense of structure, discipline, dedication, and accountability. It is only reasonable to say, that what I enjoy doing are things that involve challenge, focus and rigor.

One of my goals is to become a personal trainer in the near future, something I didn’t envision in my life until I found people telling me all the time that I would be great at it because I had the “it” factor or that I knew how to motivate others. And when I found myself showing people at the gym how to use weights properly or people coming up to me asking for help and guidance, that was when I had my “aha moment.” People around you have a knack for identifying traits and strengths you possess that you may be blind to.

I have always known that no matter what I do, I am driven by one simple purpose - to make a difference in the lives of people…one promise, one person at a time. Now that I have found new purpose, I have to take ownership of my goals and make things happen.

So what is your purpose? Have you reflected on who you really are, your passions, your desires and your potentially bright future? Or, are you scared of change and stuck on the “what ifs?”

We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we do know that tomorrow does not happen without the plans we must make and the steps we take today. If we don’t embrace life, or reflect on our goals and take a small step forward, we will never be closer to doing what we would love to do. Take your step today.


"I am here to train you and work your butt off. And I'm not playing." - Shawn T, creator of the Insanity Workout Program