Be Fit. Be Fierce.
It’s time to get your fierce back. If you’re a Cougar, you might remember the movie, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, a romantic comedy starring Angela Bassett and Taye Diggs. Long story, short … Stella, bogged down by day-to-day life and lonesome success, finally takes some much needed vacation time and during this time, just like a Cougar, finds happiness with a much younger man. Basically, she has some downtime and takes a good look at her life; examines her values, explores the possibilities and decides what is really important to her. And, at that point, her happiness and getting her groove back is paramount.
So, what about you? Have you been going along with life, stuck in a rut and being swayed with the tide of everyday tasks? Are you barely getting by and dragging yourself to the gym only if you’re lucky? Is it hard to stay on track with your diet and you’re just too tired and stressed out to deal with it?
[pullquote]Do you need to get your fierce back?[/pullquote]
Do you need to get your fierce back? You know it’s in there. You had it not that long ago. And, if you had it, the good news is that you can get it back again. You have what it takes to get it done because you’ve done it before. You just need to remember how to tap into it again and get back into your groove. Well, I’ll give you a few pointers that worked for me and can work for you, too.
It’s time to retrace your steps.
What did your life look like when you were in the groove? What was different then and what did you do differently then than what you are doing now? It’s time to stop, take stock of your current habits and rituals, and see where they differ from what made you successful in the past. Maybe you’ve started ordering the fries every time you’re out with friends and you used to stick to protein and salad. Maybe you used to do an extra 20 minutes of cardio after every weight lifting workout, and that’s slowly gone by the wayside. Whatever it is, there are certain habits you had, and certain things you avoided, in the past that got you to the place you were. And, unfortunately, the same goes for where you are now. You’ve adopted new (bad) habits or let good habits fall away. So, take some time to figure out which repeated activities got you where you were and where you are today.
Let’s start with your diet and nutrition.
Have you start dieting and stopped, waited until Monday to start, decided this week was shot and so you put it off until next week, or next month, or God forbid, next year? Or, have you made up some other (probably bogus) reasons for why you can’t get started now? Maybe you need to wait until after the party on Friday, or the family dinner on Sunday, or that summer cruise, or after the holidays, or after the kids go back to school, yada yada yada. Have you ever noticed how those imagined roadblocks often play out? For me, many times, they haven’t even happened at all. So, the party I was so worried about attending because I was going to blow my diet, never happened. And, instead of being that much further ahead, I put myself another week behind by waiting until the moment was “perfect” to get started. So, stop the starting and stoping and just make healthy eating a lifestyle. There, that’s it. It’s a lifestyle, so that means that nothing drastic has to happen or change, even if you’re scheduled to got to a party, a social event or something else.
Moving on to your workouts …
Have you started to slack at the gym? Did you used to go more often and lift heavier weights? Did you force yourself to just get it done, even if you didn’t feel like it? If so, that means that you made it a priority. So, what happened? What has gotten more important in your life than your workouts? It’s time to reevaluate. What is most important to you, and why is it important?
[pullquote]Emotion follows Motion[/pullquote]
Sometimes, you just need to get back into the groove. It’s time to retrace your steps to success. And, if you don’t feel you have been successful in the past, then find a role model who is and trace their steps. It is said that emotion follows motion. I’ve noticed that on occasion, I really don’t feel like cleaning the house but, once I get started, I suddenly find myself in the ryhtym. Has this ever happened to you? Hour hours later, everything is sparkling and you’re flopped on the couch, exhausted. What the heck happened? What in the world took you from completely unmotivated to completely motivated, plowing through chores like a freight train?
Motion. In other words, it was action that brought you back into the groove, and it is action on your plan that will get you your fierce back.
[pullquote]Take Massive Action[/pullquote]
I’m sure you know all about goal setting. If not, than that’s a subject for us for another day. Either way, it’s important to note what is said about a goal. A goal is only a dream unless it has a deadline. Better yet, you can expand that to “a goal is only a pipe dream unless you put a deadline on it, have a step by step plan, know why you want it and take action.” Or as Tony Robbins, super motivational speaker says, “take massive action.”
How do you take massive action?
[pullquote]Action brings Satisfaction[/pullquote]
So, let’s review. Here are the steps.
- Take stock of where you are right now. What are you happy with in your life and what is causing you stress?
- How is your life different now than it was at a previous time when you were happier?
- What did you do differently before and how is it different than the way you operate now: your rituals, your habits?
- What is important to you and why is it important that you change now?
- How did you get where you were before and which steps can you follow now to get back there?
Once you answer the above, you will now have an outline of a plan in place. Decide on the steps needed to accomplish each part of the plan … and then do it.
Remember, action brings satisfaction and the achievement of your goals. And, by the way … if you can be fierce, then you should be fierce. It’s a travesty to waste such God-given potential and beauty. Be a role model for other women. Show the world that age is really just a silly number. Get it done and reclaim your fierce.
[pullquote]Reclaim Your Fierce[/pullquote]