Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Regret vs. Discipline: A Pin for Motivation
I found this pin on one of my favorite sites, Pinterest, and it rings very true for me where adhering to my goals is concerned.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Beware of the "Shiny Buttons"
Do you know what the biggest obstacle to personal growth is? It's the inability of the individual to perceive that the only road blocks in their way were placed there by them.
Sure, there are unforeseen circumstances in nature that can keep you from moving ahead and doing the things you most need/want to do but, for the most part, our obstacles are embodied in the preconceived notions, misinterpretations, and ill-intentioned actions of those we surround ourselves with who may or may not have our best interests at heart.
You have to start taking stock of the people you're letting in and decide how much of their presence is necessary for a positive effect to be had on your life. If you find that you have to constantly supplement their actions in order to make the relationship work for you, then you're working too hard to sustain something that, in truth, is hurting you more than helping you.
My late grandmother used to tell me to be careful of the "shiny buttons".
Let me explain.
Back in the day when I was a very young girl, my mother used to love dressing me in these beautiful full-length dress coats with these ridiculously shiny, gold-plated buttons. The buttons made the color of the coat pop and looked deliciously cute on Sunday mornings.
However, my grandmother would say, 'you know, you can get buttons that are just as shiny by polishing the ones on her older coats. Why waste time buying new coats that will eventually suffer the same fate as the ones you now choose to eschew in the name of style?'
She would later apply that theory to everyday life where relationships with people and a relationship with God were concerned. She'd say, 'Tara (my nickname), don't get caught up with the shiny buttons'. To her the "shiny buttons" were the temporary friends who would dot my life throughout high school, college, and my adult years. They were the people who could hold me back from both reaching my greatest potential and fostering my relationship with my Heavenly Father.
However, that old coat, with the pretty brass buttons that simply needed a quick polish, was her symbol for Heavenly Father because no matter how much you choose to neglect that old coat, you'll hang onto it because you know it's still the warmest, most well-made coat in your closet. And you would miss it if you ever let it go.
It may seem like a weird analogy, but it's one that I find comfort and wisdom in whenever I'm struggling to reassess a personal relationship.
Each of us have to answer for our choices so, the way I figure it, we may as well make them good ones.
Sure, there are unforeseen circumstances in nature that can keep you from moving ahead and doing the things you most need/want to do but, for the most part, our obstacles are embodied in the preconceived notions, misinterpretations, and ill-intentioned actions of those we surround ourselves with who may or may not have our best interests at heart.
You have to start taking stock of the people you're letting in and decide how much of their presence is necessary for a positive effect to be had on your life. If you find that you have to constantly supplement their actions in order to make the relationship work for you, then you're working too hard to sustain something that, in truth, is hurting you more than helping you.
My late grandmother used to tell me to be careful of the "shiny buttons".
Let me explain.
Back in the day when I was a very young girl, my mother used to love dressing me in these beautiful full-length dress coats with these ridiculously shiny, gold-plated buttons. The buttons made the color of the coat pop and looked deliciously cute on Sunday mornings.
However, my grandmother would say, 'you know, you can get buttons that are just as shiny by polishing the ones on her older coats. Why waste time buying new coats that will eventually suffer the same fate as the ones you now choose to eschew in the name of style?'
She would later apply that theory to everyday life where relationships with people and a relationship with God were concerned. She'd say, 'Tara (my nickname), don't get caught up with the shiny buttons'. To her the "shiny buttons" were the temporary friends who would dot my life throughout high school, college, and my adult years. They were the people who could hold me back from both reaching my greatest potential and fostering my relationship with my Heavenly Father.
However, that old coat, with the pretty brass buttons that simply needed a quick polish, was her symbol for Heavenly Father because no matter how much you choose to neglect that old coat, you'll hang onto it because you know it's still the warmest, most well-made coat in your closet. And you would miss it if you ever let it go.
It may seem like a weird analogy, but it's one that I find comfort and wisdom in whenever I'm struggling to reassess a personal relationship.
Each of us have to answer for our choices so, the way I figure it, we may as well make them good ones.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Change Starts With You
The biggest excuses I hear from those who want to "get fit" but don't ever really make the effort to do so is they either 1) aren't motivated or 2) don't have the time. Those reasons may as well be the footnote to about 60 percent of all the fitness plans that end up going the way of the dinosaur.
While I empathize with those who don't succeed, I know that if you want something badly enough, you'll make the effort to do it no matter what your circumstances. So, I've never been a big fan of any one who complains and gripes about bodily dissatisfaction if the only moves they've made towards changing is to talk about what they're going to do as opposed to actually doing it.
On a personal level, the majority of the women in my family are either overweight or obese and it's a condition most of them have come to accept—and even embrace—as a fact of their life. They've convinced themselves that they're just "curvy", "thick" or "real" women.
I often look to them as motivation to not become complacent because, as shallow as it may sound, my desire to be thin trumps any desire I have to over-indulge in the types of foods that were once a staple of my Southern upbringing.
That next level confidence I have in myself as a woman and as a, pardon my frankness, sexual being, comes in large part from being comfortable with my body—both clothed and not. You can't buy that sort of thing over-the-counter and you certainly won't understand the great love it inspires within oneself to know that you've set a goal and stuck with it.
Fitness more than anything is about making a personal commitment to change. You are sending the message to that inner you that the outside will match the inside. You can't do that if you're constantly making excuses and justifying the bad choices you make regarding food.
I read an article recently and something in it struck a chord with me. The author said that, where being healthy is concerned, you know what you should and should not eat, and you understand that there are consequences to being cavalier with those choices. So, if you never reach your physical potential, the fault lies in you. It's a simple message that speaks volumes.
If you want better, you do better. It's not rocket science.
And that change starts with you.
While I empathize with those who don't succeed, I know that if you want something badly enough, you'll make the effort to do it no matter what your circumstances. So, I've never been a big fan of any one who complains and gripes about bodily dissatisfaction if the only moves they've made towards changing is to talk about what they're going to do as opposed to actually doing it.
On a personal level, the majority of the women in my family are either overweight or obese and it's a condition most of them have come to accept—and even embrace—as a fact of their life. They've convinced themselves that they're just "curvy", "thick" or "real" women.
I often look to them as motivation to not become complacent because, as shallow as it may sound, my desire to be thin trumps any desire I have to over-indulge in the types of foods that were once a staple of my Southern upbringing.
That next level confidence I have in myself as a woman and as a, pardon my frankness, sexual being, comes in large part from being comfortable with my body—both clothed and not. You can't buy that sort of thing over-the-counter and you certainly won't understand the great love it inspires within oneself to know that you've set a goal and stuck with it.
Fitness more than anything is about making a personal commitment to change. You are sending the message to that inner you that the outside will match the inside. You can't do that if you're constantly making excuses and justifying the bad choices you make regarding food.
I read an article recently and something in it struck a chord with me. The author said that, where being healthy is concerned, you know what you should and should not eat, and you understand that there are consequences to being cavalier with those choices. So, if you never reach your physical potential, the fault lies in you. It's a simple message that speaks volumes.
If you want better, you do better. It's not rocket science.
And that change starts with you.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
A Pin for Motivation: You Earn Your Body
I am an avid "Pinner" thanks to the lovely Southern Belle, Ally of Copacetic in Carolina, so I often look to Pinterest for quotes and what-nots to put on my boards. My hope is to one day design my exercise room around some of the awesome things I've found.
So, to suit my obsession, I've decided to start blogging the Pins I find that I often turn to for personal motivation when I simply don't feel like lifting a weight or doing a lunge.
There won't be any posts behind these pins as many of them will speak for themselves. So, without much further conversation, here is the first "Pin for Motivation".
So, to suit my obsession, I've decided to start blogging the Pins I find that I often turn to for personal motivation when I simply don't feel like lifting a weight or doing a lunge.
There won't be any posts behind these pins as many of them will speak for themselves. So, without much further conversation, here is the first "Pin for Motivation".
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Fit Takes Sense, Not Dollars
I'm as obsessive about my workouts as I am about just about everything else in my life so that means I am almost always looking to challenge myself in new ways. Now, I have to admit, I'm all about being frugal these days so if I can't do it in the comfort of my own home, I'm not likely to do it at all.
(True story: massive debts built in college lead to massive accumulated debt once you become a married couple with kids to raise. I freely admit that I have a lot of work to do to get as financially fit as I am physically. That said, I have always been a sucker for being creative and using this rather expensively built brain my mama paid for to get the job done minus a gym membership).
So, back to my obsessiveness.
For those of you who might not know it, I am a football fan....wait, let me rewind that statement, I am more than a football fan, I am a GEORGIA BULLDOG fan! I love the Bulldogs and I love talking Bulldog football on college football Saturdays in the fall. And, one of my favorite all-time players is former Georgia Bulldog running back Herschel Walker.
Walker grew up in the rural south, and he didn't have access to great equipment or fitness programs. However, he never let that stand in the way of his success. And though many have questioned the truthfulness of his claims over the years, I believe it when he says he never used a weight or supplement to look like the physically chiseled specimen he did whilst playing running back for the University of Georgia because my personal experience planning and executing my own fitness plan has proven to many around me that much is possible if you're truly motivated.
That said, if you don't have a structured environment to walk into everyday, you have to be diligent in finding new techniques and avenues by which you can better assist your body in reaching it's potential.
At present, my home gym consists of several sets of dumbbells, a 20-lb barbell, a pilates ball, and an exercise bike. Those are my staples. However, using just those items, I am able to create a diverse workout routine that helps me build muscle, increase physical stamina, and tone and lift the parts that I most wish to emphasize when the weather is warm.
For example:
(using 20 lb dumbbells)
shrugs: 1 set/15 reps
100 jumping jacks
shrugs: 1 set/15 reps
rest :20
curls: 1 set/12 reps
100 high knee runs in place
curls: 1 set/12 reps
rest :20
overhead tricep extension: 1 set/12 reps
Mountain Climbers for 30 seconds
overhead tricep extension: 1 set/12 reps
rest 1:00
The above is the upper body portion of my workout from last week.
I always do full body workouts because that works well for me and each workout typically includes 6-8 exercises per muscle group. So on that particular day I also did arms, legs, glutes, back, and abs. It was a 70 minute workout with a total rest time of 5:00 minutes.
Some days I increase the sets and decrease the repetitions just so I'm not overtaxing my muscles—leaving them susceptible to injury.
This is an approach that has worked well for me and I'm fairly satisfied with the results I've attained over the last year or so.
My point in sharing this with you is only to say that if you're honest about your fitness goals and you truly want to make a positive change to your body, you have to be willing to think outside the box.
My dedication to getting my family financially fit and debt free means that I am less inclined to spend money on luxuries like going to the gym. That's the plain and simple of it. But by no means am I willing to let that be an excuse for me to not feel or look how I want.
Nuff' said.
(True story: massive debts built in college lead to massive accumulated debt once you become a married couple with kids to raise. I freely admit that I have a lot of work to do to get as financially fit as I am physically. That said, I have always been a sucker for being creative and using this rather expensively built brain my mama paid for to get the job done minus a gym membership).
So, back to my obsessiveness.
For those of you who might not know it, I am a football fan....wait, let me rewind that statement, I am more than a football fan, I am a GEORGIA BULLDOG fan! I love the Bulldogs and I love talking Bulldog football on college football Saturdays in the fall. And, one of my favorite all-time players is former Georgia Bulldog running back Herschel Walker.
Walker grew up in the rural south, and he didn't have access to great equipment or fitness programs. However, he never let that stand in the way of his success. And though many have questioned the truthfulness of his claims over the years, I believe it when he says he never used a weight or supplement to look like the physically chiseled specimen he did whilst playing running back for the University of Georgia because my personal experience planning and executing my own fitness plan has proven to many around me that much is possible if you're truly motivated.
That said, if you don't have a structured environment to walk into everyday, you have to be diligent in finding new techniques and avenues by which you can better assist your body in reaching it's potential.
At present, my home gym consists of several sets of dumbbells, a 20-lb barbell, a pilates ball, and an exercise bike. Those are my staples. However, using just those items, I am able to create a diverse workout routine that helps me build muscle, increase physical stamina, and tone and lift the parts that I most wish to emphasize when the weather is warm.
For example:
(using 20 lb dumbbells)
shrugs: 1 set/15 reps
100 jumping jacks
shrugs: 1 set/15 reps
rest :20
curls: 1 set/12 reps
100 high knee runs in place
curls: 1 set/12 reps
rest :20
overhead tricep extension: 1 set/12 reps
Mountain Climbers for 30 seconds
overhead tricep extension: 1 set/12 reps
rest 1:00
The above is the upper body portion of my workout from last week.
I always do full body workouts because that works well for me and each workout typically includes 6-8 exercises per muscle group. So on that particular day I also did arms, legs, glutes, back, and abs. It was a 70 minute workout with a total rest time of 5:00 minutes.
Some days I increase the sets and decrease the repetitions just so I'm not overtaxing my muscles—leaving them susceptible to injury.
This is an approach that has worked well for me and I'm fairly satisfied with the results I've attained over the last year or so.
My point in sharing this with you is only to say that if you're honest about your fitness goals and you truly want to make a positive change to your body, you have to be willing to think outside the box.
My dedication to getting my family financially fit and debt free means that I am less inclined to spend money on luxuries like going to the gym. That's the plain and simple of it. But by no means am I willing to let that be an excuse for me to not feel or look how I want.
Nuff' said.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Truth in Individualty
I can be a tough woman to please. My mood shifts on a dime, I'm constantly obsessing over something that to most people would seem petty, and I'm never altogether certain if I'm where I want to be–emotionally–on any given day of the week.
Exercise, for me, offers a way to remain connected to my body (and hence myself) long enough to figure out what my goals are and where I need to refocus my attention in order to meet them.
However, if I make the mistake of going astray from my food diet or not getting the sleep I need the night before–often leading to a lackluster workout—then I'm prone to regress into bad habits as willingly as any other.
Simplicity comes easily only if you're life isn't complicated or cluttered. And if the only person you have to worry about is yourself, chances are it'll be easy to step away and not be as accountable for your misgivings because there won't be anyone there to call you on it.
That said, if you're presenting your life to the same people on a daily basis, any mistakes or missteps you make will undoubtedly be on display. You can try to run from their critiques for a while but, eventually, you will be forced to endure the opinion of that person who feels the need to "keep it real" with you.
The thing I've tried to learn from my numerous trips down the road of imperfection is that I'm likely always going to be my own worst critic. As such, the bar I've set for myself is one that has to be flexible, realistic, and open to success and my failure.
Truth in individuality is the key to becoming better as a person and more focused as a woman/man of good health (both physical and mental).
Take the three steps forward as a sign of progress and any regressions as your personal message that no improvement can be complete without first revisiting where you began.
Exercise, for me, offers a way to remain connected to my body (and hence myself) long enough to figure out what my goals are and where I need to refocus my attention in order to meet them.
However, if I make the mistake of going astray from my food diet or not getting the sleep I need the night before–often leading to a lackluster workout—then I'm prone to regress into bad habits as willingly as any other.
Simplicity comes easily only if you're life isn't complicated or cluttered. And if the only person you have to worry about is yourself, chances are it'll be easy to step away and not be as accountable for your misgivings because there won't be anyone there to call you on it.
That said, if you're presenting your life to the same people on a daily basis, any mistakes or missteps you make will undoubtedly be on display. You can try to run from their critiques for a while but, eventually, you will be forced to endure the opinion of that person who feels the need to "keep it real" with you.
The thing I've tried to learn from my numerous trips down the road of imperfection is that I'm likely always going to be my own worst critic. As such, the bar I've set for myself is one that has to be flexible, realistic, and open to success and my failure.
Truth in individuality is the key to becoming better as a person and more focused as a woman/man of good health (both physical and mental).
Take the three steps forward as a sign of progress and any regressions as your personal message that no improvement can be complete without first revisiting where you began.
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