I wasn’t a geometry major, but I do remember that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. If everyone had a definitive straight line drawn out for them that would take them from where they are now to where they want to be, we would all make like Johnny Cash and walk the line. Body transformations would be a lot easier and I would be out of the job…Wait, that is my job!
Imagine having complete faith that this step-by-step guide would help you achieve your goals. In addition to having the plan you would also have the peace of mind that every step you took was one step closer to your goal. A great plan is valuable. Faith is priceless!
There is a question I have seen written that asks, “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” Few things have inspired me as much as that question, or more accurately, my own answers to that question. When you free yourself from doubt, your mind is free to focus on the present. Western and Eastern spiritual traditions from the teachings of The Bible to the Bhagavad Vita teach that presence of mind is the key to happiness and enlightenment. People also pay handsome sums of money to their therapists to achieve this state of mind.
I am not attempting to teach you how to achieve total presence of mind. That is way beyond the scope of my expertise. My goal is to help you reach your goals and to show you how you can thoroughly enjoy the process to the point that the journey becomes the destination. First, however, I need to point out that you will never be able to walk on that doubtless straight line unless you have an honest assessment of where you are now, Point A, and a crystal clear vision of where you want to be, Point B.
Point A
When you don’t have an honest assessment of your Point A you are trying to shoot a basketball into a hoop blindfolded after someone walked you out on to some random place on the court. You don’t know if the basket is in front of you, behind you, to the side or how far away it is. It is safe to say that you are doomed before you even begin.
In order to take the blindfold off you have to be brutally honest with yourself. You have to take responsibility for the fact that you are where you are at right now because of the sum total of your decisions and actions. There is no two ways around that. Deal with it and you can move forward. Refuse to deal with it and you will be shooting baskets with the blindfold on for the rest of your life.
Your body is the way it is today because of the choices you have made. Think of the way you move, eat, think and live as the language you speak to your body. The way your body responds to those choices is how it talks back to you. This is the cycle of communication between you and your body. The way you move, eat, think and live tells your body how it should develop, feel, function, grow, shrink, stay young, age, progress, digress, repair itself, stay in a state of disrepair, fight off illness or be chronically ill. When you become aware of this language you unlock a world of change.
The first part of the Rebirth Body Transformation is to honestly define your Point A. A simple way I suggest doing this is to fill out a 7-Day Lifestyle Diary. I have posted one on my Facebook Fan Page that you can download and print out. Follow the instructions and fill it out in its entirety to get the most honest assessment of Point A. Include any other benchmark measures that you would like to keep track of like weight, bodyfat, max push-ups, or max pull-ups to name a few.
Point B
“Your life is your tapestry and it should have great pictures, rich colors and a tight weave…Your life is your message.” - Dan John
Before we cover the ‘how’ of fitness, you need to come up with the ‘why am I doing this?’ The crystal clear vision of where you want to get is your goal and your Point B. To be more specific, your Point B is the lifesyle you want to be living that will allow you to achieve your goals. Make no mistake, a body transformation is always preceded by a lifestyle transformation. Living the same lifestyle you live now and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. That is a different program that I don’t teach.
A lot of people I have worked with in the past have a clear idea of their Point A, but a much fuzzier idea of Point B. They come to me saying, “I want to be more fit,” or, “I want to be healthier.” How do you define “more fit” or “healthier?” You have to be more specific. Someone at a networking group I am apart of once told me that specific is terrific. As corny as that is you should apply it to your goal setting. Also remember to make your goals S.M.A.R.T.
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Attainable
R – Realistic
T – Time bound
Part of any good strategy is good goal setting. As with anything else there is effective goal setting and there is ineffective goal setting. To paraphrase the great John Wooden, paying attention to details when you prepare a plan is and exercise in preparing for success. Read my earlier blog to learn more about Effective Goal Setting. If you are really committed to making a lifestyle transformation I suggest you take 20-30 minutes over the weekend to go through my Breakthrough Coaching Exercise. Commit 5 minutes to reading Designing Your Ideal Day and I feel confident you will want to commit the additional 20-30 minutes to do the exercise. The return on your investment of time is beyond anything else you could spend 30 minutes doing this weekend. That is one thing I can guarantee.
Once you have defined your Point A and Point B you have taken the first steps to making a transformation. In the next steps ahead we will draw the shortest, straightest line possible to connect the two.