The Global Healthy Lifestyle Challenge has come to an end, and Elaine has asked me what the top three fitness tips are. There are so many great tips that you have learned over the past four months, and I am running the list in my head as I think to myself, what do I want you to remember the most? In my last interview I said, “Consistency/Frequency, Intensity, and Time” which is very much a textbook answer and it’s scientifically sound, but I think I would like to change that answer.
When it comes to fitness, the most valuable tool would have to be a plan. Without a plan, nothing gets done in this world. If you want to get from Point A to Point B, you need a map, otherwise you are just going to get lost, and when that happens, you quit.
The Global participants were a unique experiment for our company. Normally we train our clients one-on-one in a private setting, but this was different. We weren’t allowed to train them at our facility as one-on-one’s. Instead, Elaine insisted they had to train on their own, to show the world that health and fitness can be achieved by everyone, and not just the rich and famous.
In order to achieve this goal, we set out to provide the participants with the best map possible. We designed a program they could do on their own, and we spent our time focusing on educating them and teaching the program. Programs come in all shapes and sizes, much like architectural plans do. And each program delivers a different result, just as each blueprint leads to a different development. The program became the structure that created the habit, and provided the participants with a foundation. Looking at the results, I can say that the best results came from the participants who followed the program. For this reason, I have to say that a great program is the first ingredient for success.
Once you have a map, or a program, the next tool you must take with you, as you take your adventure in fitness or anything in life, is the belief that it’s possible/faith in the plan. If you have a map, but do not believe in its ability to take you from Point A to Point B, you won’t follow it. It doesn’t get much simpler than that. You have to believe that the road you are on will get you to where you want to go. Belief in oneself can be questionable at times, and it is at those times that you have to believe in the plan. You have to believe that the map is real. If you don’t have this faith or belief, you will ultimately quit when the going gets tough.
In addition to the program and the belief, I have to then say that results came to those who disciplined themselves to follow the program. Without discipline, the program would not be followed, and the results would not have come. Having a map is one thing, but following it is another story all together. Many people know what to do, but it doesn’t mean they do it. They know that following the map is the way, and yet they can’t seem to do it. Getting yourself up and moving forward on your journey on a daily basis takes dedication and commitment. And this can only be served by self-discipline. Self-discipline is the third ingredient for success.
When you have all three of these tools: A Plan, Faith and Self-Discipline, you will succeed in fitness and in life. These are more than fitness tips, they are principles to live your life by, and that is the most valuable lesson that anyone can teach. I am fortunate to have learned these lessons, even though I learned them the hard way, I know that more than anything else, they have provided me with every success in my life. I hope that you will apply these principles to every area in your life, for if you do, success will come.
Kimberley Payne
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