Where would we be if everybody would be realist?

No or Less – Progress, No or Less development, we might well be in the middle ages.

I wouldn’t sit on a laptop now, have internet connection, get this notion out to the world wide web. Who would have dreamed 50 or 100 years back about being able to communicate around the globe with everybody, instantly, share ideas, work on projects with people from Asia, South America, Australia – everywhere in the world. I think these things are amazing…

We need dreamers in the world to come up with ideas, as unrealistic as they might seem at the moment.
We need action men/women to implement these ideas and focus on execution.
We need to believe in the possibility that we can do x, o, p ….

I read another chapter of Steve Jobs biography at the weekend. It describes the time when he pushed his team to the physical and mental limits to get the first “Mac” computer out in the early 80s.

His project team wore t-shirts with wording similar to “Working 90 hours per week and proud of it! – Apple Mac Team”, they say Steve created a “distorted reality for him self and the people around him”.

The team called it the “reality distortion field”, nobody could resist even if they knew the ideas he came up with were so so unrealistic for the time. His personality, drive, charisma, skill to persuade to make the impossible possible was unbelievable.

They several times believed to have seen a certain technological development by Xerox, which they aim to copy and improve, only to find later out that Xerox actually didn’t have that technology yet. He believed so much into his ideas – which were often completely crazy – this belief made the impossible possible.

Dream on, create, doodle, fantasies as you might well be able to create your world if you believe strong enough in it and if you are willing to commit enough resources, time,  possibly money, energy to it and focus on execution  and regular (daily, weekly, monthly) action.

This applies to creating your own job, a satisfying life, getting fit, healthy, getting a stronger and mental or physical body.

Martin

Thanks for sharing – Shaun Furman

A one to one Pilates client of mine made a few notes during our first Pilates session earlier this week. She jotted down some of the basic Pilates principles e.g.

1. Slight Transversus Abdominis Engagement/Contraction
2. Neutral Spine Placement
3. Lateral or Thoracic Breathing.

I generally go through these Pilates basics so it is easier to understand the words, phrases I use and the general exercises or movement we do afterwards.

For her it made it easier to understand, remember and learn what we were doing if she wrote it down (I drew my well known stick men beside her notes, adding a visual memory aid).

I try to make it as easy as possible for my clients to remember the exercises we do, as clients ultimately or better ideally do them two to three times per week at home, get into a habit of doing these Pilates exercise regularly.

This will allow them to reap the biggest possible benefits - no matter if it is to tackle a back or neck issue, increasing flexibility and core strength, for toning and conditioning or weight loss.

Then I remembered an NLP principle I learned during my NLP Practitioner Course that I did seven years back in Dublin called
“The Stages of Learning”

1. Unconscious Incompetence
   You don’t know that you don’t know.
   E.g. in her case we recognized that she had a very stiff and rigid mid and lower back, she wasn’t really aware of that.
2. Conscious Incompetence
   You know that you ideally improve or learn a certain new skill, movement, etc. that’s beneficial for you, but you don’t have that skill yet. In her case various Pilates, stretching, strengthening and mobilization exercises.
3. Conscious Competence
   You are able to apply a new skill, you can do that movement etc. but you need to pay conscious attention to do it, e.g. maintaining good posture, keeping you back straight rather then sloughing.
4. Unconscious Competence
   You just do it – you don’t need to think about it any more, it just happens. E.g. you maintain good posture throughout the day, or in our case she just does the prescribed exercises and  movements first thing in the morning, as she has developed a routine or habit e.g. like getting up and having a cup of tea or coffee.

This client of mine is now in stage 3 – she knows what kind of Pilates, stretching, mobilization and strengthening exercises she should do. She will stay probably for a few weeks in stage 3 and progress then ideally to stage 4 and forms a habit or routine to do these exercises.

Ask yourself at what learning stage you are in relation to different skills, exercises etc. that you want to learn.

One last tip - schedule exercise and activities that help you to improve you health into you diary (ideally at least 2-3x per week at the same day, time – to establish a habit) make it as important as an appointment with a client or customer.

Yours in Health and Fitness
Martin Luschin

It’s just another way to keep me focused, reminding me of – why I’m doing what I’m going.

Here another one for you, the picture was taken on the beach in Portmarnock, North Dublin, Co. Dublin – a few months back  – a beautiful, windy day, ideal for kite surfer as you might see.

“When you most feel like giving up is when you most need to be persisting.”

Think of and show:
Perseverance – Focus – Determination – Chutzpah – Audacity  

and you will get where ever you want to get.
My glass is – always half full

Martin

Here you see her using the TRX – Suspension Training equipment during the Circuit Training Class. There is no exercise she doesn’t a least try – no matter if it is a cardio, resistance training, mobility or flexibility exercises.

She does Push-Ups, One-Arm Rows, Russian Twists on the Ball, Kettlebell – Two Arms Swings, Rowing, Pilates exercises, Gymstick moves etc. etc.  – as said there is nothing she doesn’t do.

To be honest – it happens from time to time that she does exercises to a certain level where other class participants give up and those class participants are early 10….20 or more years younger than her or even be her daughter or son.

She is a “real role model” for everybody.

I really hope that I will be as active and energetic, full of life when I’m at that age.

WELL – DONE and keep the good work up, I looking forward to seeing her coming back to next Tuesday’s Circuit Training class.

I apply various outcome frames - some from NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programing), some taken from other coaching and mentoring practices with my clients, this might be for personal fitness training, business mentoring and coaching or for diet and nutrition advise.

It comes nearly always down to determining you goal, ambition and objective first - do this in writing – and then planning and scheduling regular action steps that you take at predetermined times and days…. meaning it’s all about taking action, focus and determination.

Here a few simple question that my clients answer initially to get focused and take action.

1. What do you want?
2. What will achieving this allow you to do?
3. What will it feel like if you have achieved this?
4. What will others e.g. friends, family, your partner (business or personal) partner say when you achieved your goal?
5. What will you see/hear if you have achieved your ambition?
6. What will others see/hear if you have achieved your objective?

7. Have you done or accomplished this before?
-> if not: Do you  know someone who has? Contact that person and find out how she/he went about it.
-> if yes: How did you go about it?

8. What are the next 3…5 steps / actions that you will take in the next 5 days to get closer to your goal?

-> scheduled these actions in your diary and “DO IT/THEM”!

Review your goals regular, possibly revise them, take regular action and I promise yourself, that you will achieve your goals.
-> Focus on regular – scheduled Action – Action – Action

“If you don’t make mistakes, you’re not working on hard enough problems. And that’s a big mistake.”

I can’t rmember who said it but a person in his 70s got asked what he would do different if he could re-live his life over again … answer was along the lines of “I would do more, make more mistakes and learn from them.”