You can't steal second base if you don't take your foot off of first

On one of my many sleepless nights last week, rather than toss and turn and stare mindlessly into the dark abyss of my bedroom, I decided to try and be a bit more productive and opened up my iPad.  Before long I found myself jumping onto my own blog and going back to Day 1 and re-reading all my past entries. Truth be told it took me 2 nights to get through all of them ... I wasn't kidding when I said I like to talk a lot !!

I was actually quite surprised as I read through some of the earlier posts. For starters, I'm a little blown away at how far I've come. I suppose when you're living it, you don't quite realize the progress you've made.  But as I looked back, when I started writing it just 8 short months ago, my world was completely different than it is today. 

I was lost :(  I had no direction and my life was in turmoil. I was stressed to the max and scared to death at my future prospects, or lack thereof.  And even though I titled my blog "Changing My Career", I wasn't really sure where I was headed. 

Now however, things look starkly different in my little world.

•   I've sold my house and moved to a different city, and to a condo nonetheless !!

•   I've rid myself of debt, and I gotta say - god bless being debt free :)

•   I'm very close to completing my first course and becoming officially certified as a Personal Trainer

•   And most important of all, I finally have direction in my life

I'm confident and certain of my future, and extremely pleased with the choices I've made.  I will never again don that icky green accounting visor. It was a pretty pukey colour anyway.

If I must say so myself ... you've come a long way baby ;)

Another revelation discovered as I perused my own blogosphere was the change in my mood and my attitude, as well as my overall outlook on life.  Of course ridding myself of stress was a huge contributing factor, but I honestly believe making a conscious and concerted effort to bring happiness into my life is the real secret to my success. I rid myself of stress because I decided to ... and I made the necessary changes in my life to ensure it. Some were forced upon me (like getting fired), but the rest were my decision. Some were major and some were minor, but all of them helped build the stepping stones to lift me to where I am today.

Surprisingly since going through my own personal diary-to-the-world, sleep has come much easier lately too.

Life's good :)  It's not perfect, but I challenge the person who claims their life to be perfect.  Sure I have my moments; why just a week or so ago I blogged about the return of my funk. But if you recall I referred to it as more of a restlessness.  I think I'm just eager to continue along this wonderful ride I've been on ... patience is definitely not one of my virtues.  I think I've finally learned to appreciate this roller coaster and enjoy it as I do at the amusement park.  It's scary as hell but at the same time it's exhilarating.

And as much as I hate to admit it, all those self-help books I read really did help ... myself :s  Don't get me wrong, I don't see myself attending an Anthony Robbins seminar anytime in the near future, or ever for that matter. I just feel that they helped me realize that no one is responsible for my own success and my own happiness except me. And a HUGE contributor to happiness and success is your attitude towards it.  It wasn't easy and was (is) one helluva bumpy ride, but by george I think I've got it.

I leave you with yet another inspirational quote I came upon just last night in my Personal Trainer text, by one of the more popular past U.S. Presidents, Calvin Coolidge:

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."

Go Cal :)

A year from now you may wish you had started today - Karen Lamb

I made my newest list the other day … short and sweet, just like me :)

There are only 2 goals on it, however as directed I made them specific, realistic yet challenging, and I wrote them down. I don't know why I do so much better when I commit to goals in writing, but whatever works right?  And it seems to have worked ... so far I've accomplished all the to-do's that detail my goals every day this week, and with promising results.

Goal number one is to lose 6 1/2 pounds by May 6th ... it seems my estimate of 'about 5  pounds' was a little lean - no pun intended.  Since I started on Friday the 8th, that's exactly 4 weeks to reach my goal, or a little over 1 1/2 pounds per week.  This is actually pretty aggressive for me since it's those infamous last few pounds, but I know I can do it once I set my mind to it. One of the perks of having become a regular exerciser is that my metabolism has definitely skyrocketed. Anyone who's every gone out to eat and/or drink with me can attest to that ... I can out eat just about everyone I know, and I'm not that big a girl ;)

My detailed plan of attack to reach goal #1 is quite simple; I just need to get back on track with my diet and exercise !!  5 days a week of weight training, 6 days a week of cardio, and I've gone back to counting calories as this seems to bring me success. I didn't get off to a great start though :(  I went out with one friend Friday night for Indian food and a few drinks, then out again with another friend Saturday night for dinner and MANY drinks. I finally took advantage of the subway being just steps away from my new home and we took the tube downtown, visiting several bars throughout the evening. By Monday morning my 6 1/2 pounds grew to an appalling 9 pounds, and seeing that number was enough to drive me into immediate action.  I did not adjust my goal based on this new number, as I knew from experience that it wasn't real weight gain but rather bloating and dehydration.

And I was right !!  After just 4 days of following the details of my plan, this morning I was down 3 pounds from my starting point and a whopping 5 1/2 pounds down from Monday's weigh-in debacle.   Talk about motivation :)

Goal number two details my plan of attack regarding my studies. As indicated previously I am now just trying to complete the Personal Trainer course and have put the Nutrition course on hold until after I get my PT certification.  Studying has actually been going well lately; I've managed to study for an hour or two a day on most days of the week. I added this as a goal however because it seems I've either spent my time getting in shape OR studying. Whenever I seem to succeed with one the other takes a back seat. I guess that explains my recent weight gain.  So I don't want my efforts towards goal number one to take away from my efforts for goal number two.

Goal # 2's plan is simple, but again fairly aggressive. I need to study a minimum of 1-2 hours EVERY day - the weekends I seem to get lazy and never open the books. And I set a deadline to write my exam by May 1st ... yikes !!  That's just over 2 weeks away.  It's definitely challenging so I'll have to work hard to get 'er done.  

And just to make things fun, the playoffs are upon us ... and anyone who knows me well enough knows I'm referring to the NHL.  I'm typically glued to the television for two months straight this time of year, regardless of which teams advance - although my Wings are looking good this year, as usual :)  I've been known to stay up till the wee hours of the morning, drinks in hand watching triple overtime, then crawling in to work the next morning on just a couple hours sleep and a mean hangover. 

I think the reasons for my dismissal are suddenly becoming clearer ;)

I will continue to watch my hockey of course; it is after all the greatest sport in the world. I just need to watch it soberly (damn !!) and still make time for exercise and schooling.

Fingers crossed !!! :)

Life has no limitations, except the ones you make - Les Brown

I’ve been thinking a lot about success lately.  Coincidentally someone asked me the other day for my definition of success.  I didn’t even hesitate before I blurted out my answer.  Success is different for everyone.  For one person it might be about money; their security comes from having a big bank roll and the prestige that comes along with it.  And don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking that.  If that’s how you define success and that’s what drives you in life, more power to you.

I think it’s pretty obvious by now that’s not my definition of success.  My answer to my friend’s question was that to me success means happiness.  We’ve all heard the old adage that money can’t buy happiness, and while I still am a regular lottery player and I actually dream of winning the big one, I now do believe this saying to be true … I didn't always.  And while money certainly helps, I still can’t ever imagine that being my driving force in life.

I did hear a cute saying the other day though ... whoever said money can't buy happiness, doesn't know where to shop ;)

However the reality is I must work for a living.  So if I can get up every morning and go to a job that I love, leave each day with a sense of accomplishment, while at the same time making a decent living so I can enjoy life, then I consider myself a successful person.

I guess the reason I've been pondering success lately is because suddenly I find myself in that oh-so-familiar funk again. I can't quite pinpoint my mood, but the best way to describe it is restlessness. In the past several weeks I'm lucky if I've managed 3 hours of sleep a night, sometimes less. It's really starting to piss me off.  I'm lying on the couch barely able to keep my eyes open some nights, but the minute I go to bed and lay my head on my pillow, I'm wide awake again.  I've taken all the steps the so-called experts say to help induce sleep - no tv or reading in the bedroom, no caffeine in the evenings; I even got some curtains and have blocked out my glorious view to darken my room at night.  Nothing seems to work.

The only difference now is my sleepless nights are not stress induced. Previously I would stay awake in fear, worrying about money and my future, but those worries don't exist in my life anymore.  I rid myself of my money woes, and I'm very confident in my future :)  My mind is definitely racing, but it's more happy, fun thoughts, fantasies even.  Don't worry, I won’t go into details … it's not that type of blog !!  The point is I have a very hard time shutting my brain off long enough to get some sleep.

One thing I know for sure, and perhaps this is a clue to my disquietude, is that I have not been able to get back into a routine of regular exercise and healthy eating.  I put on a few pounds over the holidays, but rather than using the holidays as an excuse, I used the hustle and bustle of my move as reasons for my slacking off.  I suppose if I'd been working full time AND performing the multitude of tasks required to relocate, this might have been a valid excuse. But we all know that ain't the case.  And even if it were, I've been fully settled into my new home for some time now, so my old excuses no longer fly.

Normally this wouldn't be that big a deal, it's not like I put all my weight back on and sit around the house Peggy-Bundy-style eating Bonbons all day. Right now I feel I'm about 5 pounds over weight, and I'm not feeling as toned and fit as I'd like to be.  I still eat pretty well most of the time, although I've been indulging a bit more than I should lately.   And I've still been going to the gym, just not regularly enough. I'm halfway there, and this lifestyle has proven to be good for maintaining my current weight and shape.  But maintenance is not my current goal.

I got another clue as to why this may be bothering me so much while studying today. I'm on the section of the text that teaches Program Development, and part of the material discusses keeping clients motivated and developing client goals. When the author discussed motivation, he mentioned how a trainer’s own physical condition is a billboard for their own level of expertise. How can I earn a clients' trust of my knowledge and expertise when I can't even practice what I preach ??? I certainly would never hire an unfit Personal Trainer, and I shouldn't expect my future clients to either.   The author quoted Ben Franklin as saying "the best sermon is a good example".  Amen to that !!

So perhaps as I near completion of my studies and prep myself to officially start my new career, the slow but steady return of my flabby ass and love handles are triggering an impending fear that's keeping me awake nights.

Further along in my text the author details goal setting with clients and lists specific criteria that all goals must encompass.  Among them are that goals must be written down, they must be difficult but realistic, and they must have a time line.

Shit, you know what this means don't you ??  Time for yet another one of Tina's famous lists. Oh joy.