Consistency? Requires Decisions... 2012 TIP

As we approach the New Year,  the word "consistency" has been lingering in my head. 

LITERAL DEFINITION(s)
-steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form,
-the condition of cohering or holding together and retaining form; solidity or firmness.
-the state or quality of holding or sticking together and retaining shape


Think about it.. Consistency should be conceptualized in our daily lives. Let me rephrase.. Productive and positive consistency should be a fabricated throughout our lives with a decisive plan in order.  Woooo, letssssssssssss be honest.. we all STRUGGLE with this concept in some part of our lives. Mostly with things that we care not to do or common areas in our lives that are of disregard or ignorance. If you feel not, YOU DO (haha!).... AND you have not done enough self-reflection. Take my word for it :).. 




A few of my Common Examples of INCONSISTENCY(without making myself look completely foolish and without getting all spooky deep...)   


Example 1 
Not stretching conistently 

Consequence 1
My body gets hemmed up, not as flexible, walk funny, ha!


Example 2 
Not consistently hydrating (with water!)


Consequence 2 
Dehydrated, less effective physically and mentally..


Example 3
Not consitently reading bible 


Consequence 3 
Staying in complete faith, retaining invaluable knowledge consistently 

WORK LIFE BALANCE

Example 4 
Staying in touch with family, wonderful friends, mentors, amazing people that effected my life positively


Consequence 4 
No exact consequence, just not good.. need to know more respect and love...


Example 5 
Not consistently posting on this blog like I said I would and commonly making excuses as to why I don't, lol.. 


Consequence 5 
Not seeking my full potential in my passion, cutting myself short


Example 6 
Consistently procrastinating in areas of my life


Consequence 6
I seem to somehow always get things done, BUT I could improve my results in areas with proper planning and thought 

Consistency required to run this half, no joke, no lie!!

CONSISTENCY QUOTES 

"Consistency is the foundation of virtue." -Francis Bacon

In other words, consistency builds relevant goodness..

"Without consistency there is no moral strength." -Owen

In other words, you can not build in your character through inconsistency...

"Inconsistency is the only thing in which men are consistent. "-Horatio Smith

In other words, we are all inconsistent in some areas of our lives...

"What, then, is the true Gospel of consistency? Change. Who is the really consistent man? The man who changes. Since change is the law of his being, he cannot be consistent if he stick in a rut." -Mark Twain

Wooooo, love this one... some things got to change in order reward yourself with consistent positive behavior

The secret to success is constancy to purpose. -Benjamin Disraeli

My favorite! Be consistent in what is important and purposeful for you! Don't try to be somebody else and don't try to be consistent with things that are not of you or you'll get caught up, even if what you're doing is of good (well at least that's how I interpret it, lol)

* DISCLAIMER *

now by know means am I a psychologist, my above statements are simply my interpretations of the above quotes.. you might have your own personal thoughts of the above quotes, " to each their own", think about it though.. 

So the questions I ask are.. How do we become consistently consistent? AND how does this relate to living a healthy lifestyle?? 

I'll answer the second question first, since it seems easier, lol.. Simply put... The more consistent we are in our daily lives in accordance to our purpose, the healthier we will be! 

EX. 1

If I consistently work out.. then I'll be healthy, less stressed, and will most likely live longer..

EX.2

If I consistently partake in continue education in my job or passion.. Then I will be knowledgeable, more productive, and less insecure.. 

IT'S THAT SIMPLE !!!!!

Now for the more complicated, first question.. Consistency and how do we become more consistent?? 

1st 

I think becoming consistent requires thought

- Self reflection

- Realize what in your life lacks consistency

- own up to your inconsistencies

- why do you need to be consistent for what purpose, recognize this.. otherwise you'll never be consistent with out knowing why

2nd 

Reorganizing and Planning

- What are you going to change in order to become consistent? 

-What do you have to do in order be consistent? 

3rd 
WATCH VIDEO:

DECISION MAKING 

-your life consists of decisions and decision making... PAUSE and read this quote that I read the other day, and eternalize it 

"What you thought before has led to every choice you have made, and this adds up to you at this moment. If you want to change who you are physically, mentally, and spiritually, you will have to change what you think".-Dr. Patrick Gentempo

- experiment with and learn how to properly fuffill your day to day decisions,these are powerful forces in your life 

- Major and sudden decisions are sometimes involved in your day to day decisions, consider these too! (fyi, your not going to always make the right decision, don't trip! but learn from it, for the future...)

- Read this passage in a reading... Can we say REVELATION or CONFIRMATION!!!

"The person who has trouble scheduling his or her time often ends up being chronically late to work, to meetings, and to social events. It begins to interfere with job performance ratings and personal 

relationships. What appears on the surface to be minor decisions—what t

ime do I get up in the morning or leave for a date—leads to losing a job or 

alienating a friend. In many cases, a person “down on his luck” is really just 

a person who has made some bad choices...

He dropped out of school; tried drugs, believing he couldn’t become addicted; made some foolish investments; failed to develop marketable job skills or to keep those skills current; procrastinated too long and missed out on a great business opportunity; failed to show up at work on time; chose to save money by Who you are and what you’ll become (or have become) are largely determined by your decision choices. Not buying health insurance; didn’t think it necessary to read the “small print” in the contract; or thought there was nothing wrong with drinking and driving. The choices we make—the small ones as well as the large ones—shouldn’t be taken lightly. To do so places our future in the hands of fate

- Simply put again, the choices we make, shape our lives.. BUT REMEMBER
"One caveat before you begin your journey. Perfecting your decision skills doesn’t guarantee that all your decisions will come out the way you had hoped. Good decision skills focus on the means you use to reach a decision, not on the ends. You can’t control outcomes. You can only control 
the process for arriving at those outcomes. As the old adage goes, however, the race doesn’t always go to the swift nor the battle to the strong, but that’s the way to bet. Improving your decision skills just increases your chances of winning life’s races and battles"

IN MY CONCLUSION... HOW ARE YOU AND I GOING TO BECOME CONSISTENTLY CONSISTENT IN 2012, NO FEAR CHALLENGE YOURSELF..




* Next blog topic will be about fear*

COMFORT ZoNe.. Learn to be Uncomfortable sometimes.. It's good for the soul.. (Inspired by Rdowdy)

How often do you go out and do something completely spontaneous and off the wall? Do you ever feel uncomfortable? I'm not saying a bad uncomfortable.. I am more or less talking about the uncomfortable of you not being used to your surroundings and uncertainty of your mental and physical reaction to the situation. I live for healthy uncomfortable moments. Do you? So in relation to living a healthy lifestyle how often do you do the unlikely. Do you even give a new exercise/activity a chance? Is it in your make-up to get down and dirty? Would you try a new sport knowing you'll be absolutely awful? Would you try a new class knowing you might be in over your head? Would you train for a marathon or 1/2 marathon with no fear?

Life is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo short, and since I am approaching the "dirty thirty" in six months, my goal is to live it up! I've never been shy at trying new things, but I am trying to go above and beyond and initiate all newness (not a word, lol) even if it is trying some things all by myself. Eve Zibart said, "Prejudice rarely survives experience".
In other words prejudice and judgement usually stems from unfamiliarity. Many people often just don't know! Judgement is cast upon ignorance. Now, I know I am going slightly off topic, but at times this directly relates to individuals take towards exercise and activity. If you are unfamiliar about the feeling and the way living healthy makes you feel, then you might have initial ill will or rejection towards anything new and spontaneous despite the overall positive outcome. Someone also said, "Familiarity creates understanding that bridges any
line that may have been drawn. Soon we realize the line was artificial."..


So, how can you learn to see yourself in a different light (I'm telling you, you might surprise yourself)? My appreciation for others and different activities really came in to play when I moved to the Bay Area/CALI in 2005. Whoa! Shocker! People were so different, at first I thought I moved to a different country. To me everyone was just weird, and I have to say the first few months were hard because I was so unfamiliar with my surroundings. I had experienced nothing like it before even though I went to college out of state far from home, and I also saw myself as a very liberal/non-judgemental person until Cali encompassed me. Soon, time passed, and I learned to appreciate all the culture that I was surrounded by... What a blessings in disguise. I learned so many new things, did so many different things, and met so many great people of different ethnic backgrounds. I came to learn that people live and do amazing, wonderful outrageous things in so many different capacities, and I also learned there is and should be no limit to your doings because of your race, age, sex or ethnicity. I have been back in south for more than 2 years and I have often come across  prejudice feelings and judgements, and it truly bothers me because why should something like "being a black woman who likes/enjoys running and physical activity" be something of judgement or uncommon distaste. Who says or thinks that and then approaches me with abrupt questions/statements? AND Why and where does my race come into play? Please tell me.. I could go on and on, BUT I'll stick to the topic at hand.. GETTING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE, LIVE IT UP!

So, you may ask, where do I start in doing this? I would say start with something that is of interest, but you've been to fearful to try... I wouldn't start with the complete thing that you despise or have no interest in doing. Secondly, I would research your activity. Find out what other people think or did, ask questions.. Often when you do this, you'll find out that your fear/judgement is beyond absurd. Even ask someone who often does or plays this activity, have them give you a brief testimony. I know this sounds corny as heck, but best believe it might make you feel a little better.

I can also correlate and testify seeing improvement in fitness, weight loss and overall health to stepping outside of my comfort zone. When I started off my soccer career at Florida I had not been pushed to the capacity that they were going to push me. Lord knows I almost died, lol.. But seriously, I dove over the hump my freshman year. My body was in constant shock, and I soon realized that I had to suck it up and give my blood, sweat and tears in order to grow as a player. The accomplishment and overall growth that I experienced during this period of my life is something that I can never duplicate, and it just further continued as my lifestyle and pushing myself personally. So, if you're in that category where you want to change and grow physically, and you feel as if  you haven't or can't, ask yourself... Have I stepped outside my comfort zone?  

Here is a great link to an article about stepping out of your comfort zone
http://www.bodybuildingforyou.com/articles-submit/tom-venuto/get-out-of-comfort-zone.htm . It gives you a personal assessment activity to help achieve your health, fitness, physical physique and/or athletic performance.

Lastly, in regards to physical improvement it doesn't always  have to be complicated and super imaginative, just challenge yourself. Instead of doing the same old regular bike ride instead try a spin class. Instead of running 3 miles, try stadiums. Instead of doing weight machines try a "insanity"/"cross-fit" or some type of circuit training. You get the point... Do something that shocks your body mentally and physically. Again you'll surprise yourself and you'll feel so good and accomplished afterwards.

So I leave you with some of my guaranteed new challenges that I am partaking in this summer.. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF THIS SUMMER?

Gladiator 5K- Obstacle course of mud, fun, obstacle courses and running
Water Skiing- Always wanted to do it, Lake Tahoe, yesssss!
Sailing- taking lessons on Lake Crabtree this summer, should be interesting to say the least
Marathon- something I said I'd never do, but after taking the wrong route in my 1/2 marathon this spring I figure what's an extra 7 miles, lol (long story)


AND FINALLY... I leave you with this quote

"You'll pass out before you die" Lol.. CHALLENGE YOURSELF!!!! (LOL!!!)

Will I be able to do this thing called exercise forever?

I'M BACK (for the summer)! FIRST POST OF 2011!

So, I was doing Insanity today, and despite my honorable fitness level, I was struggling! Woowoo! Shaun T (fitness instructor for Insanity) is not right! Bottom line, at the end of grueling intense workouts, I love the way I feel! Not only do you feel good, BUT you feel like you can demolish a hearty meal w/no guilt , which often defeats the purpose but that’s besides the point.. . Anyway…..


So, I take you to place inside my head on how my mind operates before during and after exercise. For me as most of you know, I have been an athlete/active since age 4. Doing activity was like reading a book, it’s just what I did and how I grew up… Thoughts often pop into my head like… Will I continue to be this way for the rest of my life? I seem to think so…. I mean god willing, if I live for a long time and if everything on my body continues to work properly during my life span. Then I begin to contemplate… hmmmmmmm, will I just get bored and say, “funk it”! I’m good with this workout mess! I seem to think not, because for me it’s an addiction. Exercise is more than just a bangn' body. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all about the “look”. I’m not gonna lie, I’m a bit shallow in that aspect, BUT to me exercising takes on sooo many more facets. It relieves stress like no one’s business. Woo! There are days that I thank-god that I am too tired to deal wit mess, which allows me to be a lot more calm and collect in a“jacked up situation”. There are also days that I am in a quick need of workout to avoid me being in a quick encounter with craziness. In other words, it's a savoring outlet (like the lord above). It's the right answer that I need to prevent me from doing something dumb and crazy at times. It keeps me sane! Duly noted, I like to say that I am in tune with my body and spirit, so this all TRUTH! Exercise also allows me to just feel healthy! I acknowledge the fact that if I put in the work, I can live for a significant amount of time and not deal with indefinite amounts of health bills, pills and overall health issues. Although, I know you can't stop all inherited issues, and problems, but I am big believer of controlling what you can control. Why not do so..? Lastly, exercising can be fun! I don’t go hard all the time, that’s just madness. I promise if you switch up your game, you’ll never be bored. Run, bike, swim, kayak, sports, yoga, body pump, hiking, dancing, paintballing, lazer tag, white water rafting,boxing,fun competitions, charity events, the list goes on and on.. AND no that doesn’t mean you need to spend copious amounts of money. I say this because I am a bit frugal, lol…Lady and Gents just do your research and do what you like to do. Trust me, I don’t love everything, but I appreciate all activities especially if I stink at certain ones (ie CLIMBING!)


So, with that said I have to say that I was not always a health nut (started my journey in 2003), and even though I was an athlete since a tot exercising was not often enjoyable to me. It was process just like everything else in life… Step by step I learned my body and what I did and didn’t like to do and what skin I was most comfortable in, along with how I personally functioned daily at my best with the most energy possible. There definitely was a time where I exercised too much and ate to little which allowed me not to be at my best, and so I learned….. So, with that said, None of us are perfect, but why not get it done.. Start slow and work your way to the best you, be consistent, don't try to kill yourself and lastly research your plan a little. 

“YOU CAN DO IT” – in my Rob Schneider Waterboy Voice.. yesssss “YOU CAN DO IT”. Vamos! Let’s GO!