The road to excellence has no finish line.

This Everyday Health article basically says what I’ve been saying all along here at Lane 8:

1. Pick one impossible goal, not several
2. Start small
3. Be creative with your motivation
4. Find a million ways to keep it alive
5. Don’t quit

Simple?  Yes.

Easy?  Not on your life.

Share/Bookmark

• Find a million ways

Today, a second favorite:

• Pay attention

In August, I had the privilege to watch a 70-year old man do the equivalent of Roger Bannister breaking the four-minute mile barrier (1956).  Do you trust me enough to click here?

Please know up front that clicking will take you to an August 2009 Lane 8 blog post, which includes my You Tube video of a world record being broken.

Here’s a third motivation tip, as a bonus:

• You must find time and reason to do things you don’t what to do

Share/Bookmark

May I summarize what they said with ten tips, and be so bold as to say there is really only one tip?

BE THE ROLE MODEL

Be the model of great health and wellness. Show the people you love, your Family, that great health isn’t a myth, isn’t something reserved for athletes, or good genes.

And be honest too.  You will have to work very hard at it your entire life.  And if you are the model, how can people say it can’t be done?

Share/Bookmark

People constantly come up with ideas to run the government better. Or ideas to help their favorite sports team do better. Or ideas their boss ought to use to become a better leader.

But when do we actually use any of these ideas on ourselves?  When do we look at ourselves with the same level of scrutiny as we do others? When?

And when do we ever attempt to take one of our ideas and apply it to ourselves?  When?  Seriously, when?

My advice is simply this.  I don’t give advice unless a person’s situation is life threatening, or, they ask me for advice.

So, when talking to myself – which is everyday, all day – I’m constantly looking for ways to become better.  Lane 8 is only one of five daily blogs I write.  Why?  Because it’s an idea that’s being implemented.

Share/Bookmark

As responsible adults, if we don’t make conscious choices, and fight the hard battle to get and stay healthy, what are we left with?

The opposite.

The opposite stinks.  Not making hard choices leads down a path that scares me.

Halloween is just around the corner.  That’s about as scared as I care to get.

Share/Bookmark

Did you eat sensibly?

Did you read anything that inspired or motivated you?

Did you think about anything that inspired or motivated you?

Did you take some sort of action, different from your usual?

Did you get adequate rest (way under-rated) yesterday?

Did you consider how you’ll stay committed until you die?

Did you have fun yesterday?

Did you do at least one thing that scared you?

Nine yes answers means you lived in the moment.  Less than that is, well, less than that.

I only got eight.  Adequate rest has been elusive.  Which reminds me, nap time.

Share/Bookmark

1. Establish a long-term goal before you start
2. Preview your workout – visualize it
3. Warmup
4. Keep it intense, and, fun
5. Stay focused
6. Sweat when you need to – cardio, strength & core
7. Write/log your workouts
8. Vary your workouts – hard, medium, easy
9. Cool down
10. Stretch
11. Partners are ok, if they show up

Hey, I’m not an Olympian, but I am in great shape for a 50 year old.

Bottom line, we all have to find what works for us.

If you’re just getting started, GO SLOW.  Nothing is worse than trying to do too much too soon.  Seriously.

If you don’t have patience, you’ll probably fail.  There is no short cut, despite what the media tells you.

Carpe diem, jeff noel  :)

Share/Bookmark