March Fourth: It's not Magic. It's a Starting Point.

picture from "Joe on Twitter"

"March Fourth didn't work for me.  My goal didn't come true."

I had someone tell me that today when I wished them a Happy March Fourth (What is March Fourth?  It is the only date on the calendar that is a command.  March Fourth . . . Move Forward . . . Get Moving . . . Go!!!).  Her statement caught me a little off guard.  Celebrating March Fourth isn't an instant solution to a problem or mean that you will change a bad habit overnight.  It's not an "Advance to Go and Collect $200" card from Monopoly.  There is no magic in celebrating March Fourth.

picture from www.boardgames.com 

However, I think that magic is exactly what people are searching for.  We want the pill that will take away the pain forever.  We want the shake that will shed the pounds without having to break a sweat.  We want the big office, the fancy car, the title at work without having to start at the bottom and work our way up.  We want to be able to state a goal or a dream and wake up the next morning to find ourselves magically living our best life. 

1. That is never going to happen.
2. That is not what March Fourth is about.

March Fourth is a reminder that in order to achieve your goals and dreams you have to keep moving forward - especially when it comes to your health.  Your goals and dreams are only going to "come true" when you work for them.

picture from bluejayblog.wordpress.com

For those of you who made a New Year's Resolution and gave-up because you messed up after a few days or weeks - This is the perfect day to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and give it another try.

For those of you who have just plain given up on ever making a healthy lifestyle change because you just can't do it for whatever reason - you have no willpower, you're too weak, you don't like carrots, the calling of the couch is too strong - This is the perfect day to set those feelings aside and try one more time.

For those of you who think that you don't have time to make healthy choices in your life right now - you'll think about that later when your kids are grown, when your bills are paid off, when you're done with school - This is the perfect day to challenge yourself to make one healthy addition to your day.

Today is the perfect day to throw all of the doubt and guilt and anxiety and frustration and worry and indifference away.  You can make healthy choices in your life.  You can create change.  Start small.  One small step + one small step + one small step = a BIG change.

Here we go . . . It's going to take some work.  It's going to be hard at times.  You're going to want to give up.  You're going to mess up!  But if you keep moving forward - marching forth toward your goal - you WILL succeed!

picture from www.frozenfruitco.com

Need some help?  Choose ONE of the goals listed below and challenge yourself to complete it within the next 24 hours:

1) Today I will drink THREE glasses of water.
2) Today I will do 25 jumping jacks (whether all at once or in 5 groups of 5).
3) Today I will eat ONE piece of fresh fruit.
4) Today I will high-five FIVE people that are not members of my family.

It won't take long and I know that you feel great when you have accomplished it.  Then, set another goal for yourself.  And then another.  And just keep going.

Today is the day to start . . . Today is YOUR day.
March Fourth . . . Move Forward . . . Get Going . . . GO . . . a life filled with healthy choices waits for you!

March Fourth treats in the Break Room today!

3 Tips for Keeping Your New Year's Resolution

Today I celebrate a New Year's Resolution that I made eight years ago and have kept ever since.  Eight years ago I was overweight, over-stressed and about to go over the edge.  I resolved to get healthy in 2010 and to do that by training for and completing a 5k.  Eight years later, I weigh less, handle my stress better and am an overall much happier person.  How did I accomplish that?  Here are three simple things that I did to help me be successful.

1. Make a PLAN.
In my family, my father is famous for reminding us to PLAN YOUR WORK AND WORK YOUR PLAN.  It's one thing to state your resolution.  But how are you going to do it?  You want to travel more?  When?  Where?  How?  You want to spend more time with your family?  What are you going to do?   When are you going to get together?  Eight years ago I wanted to get healthy.  How was I going to accomplish that?  By training for and completing a 5k.  I chose a local 5k and registered for it.  I found a training plan on-line and mapped out how I would follow it marking training runs on my calendar.  I planned my work.



2. Be PURPOSEFUL in working your plan.
Talking is easy.  I can talk with others about what I plan to do.  Great conversation take place in my head about what I'm going to do.  Creating a plan is easy.  I can write anything I want on my calendar or make charts all day long.  In order to truly make a plan work you must put it into action.  That means making decisions that go along with your plan.  Reminding yourself of your resolution.  Actually doing what you said you were going to do.  For me, that meant posting motivational quotes and reminders of training deadlines around my home, car and desk.  Making the conscious choice to get off the couch and head out the door for a run.  Asking family and friends to hold me accountable.  I worked my plan.



3. Be PATEINT with yourself.
Nobody is perfect and change does not happen overnight.  There were days that I just couldn't get myself together to get out for that training run.  Sometimes that happened two or three days in a row.  I didn't throw in the towel and give up.  No.  I forgave myself, tied my running shoes and got out there.   You're going to mess up.  That's a fact.  Accept it and move on.  Don't let a single mistake or bad decision knock you off track.  Stand up and start again.  It's ok.  Be patient with yourself.



Eight years ago I resolved to get healthy and I set in motion the plan to do that by training for and completing my first 5k.  I beat the statistical odds of New Years Resolutions by successfully keeping my Resolution.

Me and my brother-in-law at the Finish Line of my first 5k - April 2010



And guess what?  Eight years later I am STILL holding tight to that resolution.  Every year I set a few goals for myself.  I PLAN out how I'm going to accomplish them.  I PURPOSEFULLY make decisions sticking with that plan.  And I am PATIENT with myself when things don't go as planned.

2017 Pittsburgh Marathon
Team Muscle Relay Team



If you are serious about making a change in your life - whether it's health/fitness related or not - YOU CAN DO IT!  It will take work and time and sacrifice, but it is possible and it is worth it.

Wishing you the happiest and healthiest 2018!

Discovering Motivation in the Moment

Boyce Park

Saturday morning was a warm sunny day in Pittsburgh.  The weeks before had been chilly and rainy.  That motivated me to get out for a run to enjoy the weather.

A group of friends and I are registered to run the Pittsburgh Marathon Relay in a couple of weeks.  My leg of the race is 4.2 miles - a mile farther than I normally run.  The need to train so I don't let down my friends motivated me to get out for a run.

Over these past few weeks I have watched several of the senior citizens that I help care for at work continue to physically decline.  I constantly hear our Physical Therapist talk about how they stopped coming to exercise and the impact that that sedentary lifestyle has had on their health.  My fear of becoming like them motivated me to get out for a run.

I parked my car and began to run along the hilly road that winds through Boyce Park.  A little over a mile into my run, my legs started to ache and I felt tired.  I was ready to turn around and head back to my car.  All of the reasons why I was out for a run came to mind.  They were very valid reasons to continue, but I wasn't feeling it today.  Forget the three miles, I was just going to do two.  My motivation was gone.

It was then that I rounded a bend and saw them.  An elderly man and woman.  Bundled up in winter coats with hats and gloves.  He with a cane and her bent over a walker.  Moving at a slow pace.  Each step purposeful.  Each step obviously coming with pain and difficulty.  Wow - if they could be out pushing themselves to keep moving, how in the world could I let myself stop short of the goal that I had set for myself?  If they could do it, so could I.

I picked up my pace and caught up with them.  They were just adorable.  Talking to each other while continuing to move forward step by step.

I couldn't help myself.  I had to say something.

"What an inspiration you are to me," I said as I ran past.  "Keep going!  You're doing great!"

They looked at me and smiled.

I suddenly had a surge of energy and pushed myself to run through my walking intervals until I came to a hill and started to walk.  I could sense a car coming up behind me and then realized that it was slowing down.  It was the elderly couple.  The driver's side window was down.

"We finished our lap.  Time to finish yours!  Keep going," the gentleman said to me as his wife waved at me from the passenger side.

My motivation had returned.  I smiled and waved as the car disappeared over the hill.

I spent the next mile thinking about the absolutely adorable couple.  I could tell that they both were in pain as they walked along the road.  Yet, they hadn't stayed home.  They didn't quit because it was too hard or because they were tired.  They kept going and kept pushing themselves to take one step at a time.  Which is exactly what I did as I wrapped up a three mile run that had almost become two.

I have several big picture motivators, goals and fears that keep me moving day after day.  But sometimes the big picture isn't good enough.  It's easy to tell myself that I will focus on that tomorrow while choosing to do something else.  Running into that couple reminded me to look around me for a smaller dose of motivation to keep myself moving.  The beauty of the environment.  A favorite song with a great memory attached to it that is on my playlist that pushes me to run.  A friend who is expecting me.  A couple who inspires me to keep moving because they are moving.  I am surrounded by motivating people and situations just waiting to be discovered and push me towards success!

Making my way up the hill at Boyce Park.