Intentional Work, LLC

I've got a choice. Do I want to be fit or fat when I turn 40?

I'm almost at mid-life, or what used to be mid-life (the big 4-0) and really didn't start taking stock until this summer. There's a lot one can do to prepare for it, but what I wanted most was to be in good shape. It's not about loosing weight, it's about feeling really good, not getting out of breath when chasing my friends kids and making sure that I'm fit enough that nothing major breaks when the date of my birth finally arrives (I've heard things break THE DAY OF).

I'm such a procrastinator that I need a goal and a nice big golden carrot. So, out of the blue a few weeks ago I decided that I would host my very own 30 Day Challenge. Of course I'm intending for it to go beyond 30 days, but I liked that number and felt I could hold myself accountable to it.

The other challenge is really knowing that I can talk myself in or OUT of anything. We all can. We're human, that's one of the things that makes us superior to the cute monkeys (ability to reason, and yes, talk ourselves out of stuff). Knowing that, I am setting up a structure and getting myself support. In essence, I'm setting myself up for success.

The Structure:

I've got 30 Days. Day 1 is actually TODAY (Sept 27th 2009). I have given myself enough variety that I won't go nuts. I like variety, so the plan, so far, looks like this:

• 3 Days a week - Run w/friend (Mon, Wed, Sun or Sat)
• 2 Day a week - Dance (at home or a Nia class) or Yoga
• 2 Days a week - Weights and a long walk (Saturday and any day that is dry, aka, not raining)

I need to make sure I don't over-do the running since I'm building up a knee that has an old injury and have put on weight that makes the running, um, a bit more difficult for my body. As many of my close friends know, my motto for years has been:

"The only reason to run is when you have to run away from something".

I also didn't make any activity too time consuming and I am scheduling it like anything else important in my day (like my coaching clients or doctor's appointment). 30 minutes to an hour will make it do able. And the days where I feel down, in pain or just don't feel like, well, that's where dancing comes in. I am giving myself three (3) 10 minute episodes of dancing. Dancing like I don't care that someone is watching (hoping no one will). No program, just free form getting jiggy with it.

But, even at my best, I can still find a way to wiggle out of doing this. Even though it's for my health, my sanity and I'm making it fun. That's where the support comes in.

The Support:

In order for me to really make this happen, I'm getting support. A lot of it. Like anything, we humans like to be connected in our efforts. Really we do. And sometimes that looks like joining a group (like a gym) so we can do the work we need to do in concert with someone else, and feel supported. I am not a gym person. I've joined gyms and never gone. Paid for an entire year and never gone. I don't know what my block is, but I'm not going to let it stop me from getting the healthy body, mind, and eventually spirit, I want!

So my support looks like this:

• A running buddy - a friend that is faster than me, but wants a buddy to keep her going and also really just wants me to get better so I can run with her. In fact, I'm calling on all my friends to join in...
• Keeping track- I'm journaling what I've done, here, on a blog, and on Facebook (I might even Tweet about it). I have a feeling all those things, or at least my friends reading, will keep me accountable and on track.
• Making music - I know that I am motivated by music and it makes me feel good. I dorun longer when I play 'Eye of the Tiger', for example and I dance longer when I play Gaelic Storm. Next agenda item - create iTunes list for all my activities. Stay motivated and maybe even sing along. Maybe.
• The right equipment- Since I knew I wanted to support my body, I needed to get the right shoes and clothes. I'm on a tight budget (like so many people right now) so I did a little research. Ross, Marshals and TJ Maxx all carry the name brands at budget prices (Nike, Adidas, etc) for running shorts, t-shirts. There's no need to buy them at full-price these days. The shoes and inserts for running are important, so I went to a running store and tried on 'Only Worn Once' shoes. Sounds funny, but they guarantee them and since I know they want me to come back to buy another pair, I decided to trust them. I'll let you know how it goes.
• Doctors permission - I wanted support from my Doctor as well. I wanted to start with a clean slate so that I would have no excuses, and I wanted to be able to make smart choices. With the help of my doctor, I found that my schedule and structure really support me. Possibly just me, which is why I recommend you talk to your doctor too before starting any new fitness plan. I'm not a doctor, I don't even play one on TV. So go see yours.

So, that's the skinny, the low-down, the plan. For now. I would love for others to join me in their own 30 Day Challenge.

• What habit do you want shift, begin or end in the next 30 Days?
• What is something you just want to see if you can do for 30 days in a row?
• What structure and support do you need to be successful?

Come on! Join in! Share your story!

Stay Tuned to the blog for updates on progress, resources, tips from experts (I know a few fantastic trainers) and some FUN (music lists, recipes, and readers stories).

My 30 Day Challenge has officially begun! Start yours!

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power. ~ Alan Cohen, inspirational author, speaker

Monday is a great day to start fresh, with courage. It's a new week, an opportunity to embrace the seemingly secure and prepare to do something different. Take a different route to work, switch to tea instead of drinking coffee, eat a healthy breakfast, let another car ahead of you, say hello to employees and find out about the weekend and the week ahead before getting on the computer. There are any number of things we can do things that are more intentional, more meaningful and more powerful.

What small change can help you start the week off more powerfully, intentionally?

If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down. ~Mary Pickford, actress

It's Monday, again. Each of us has a new day, a new week (or maybe if it's your birthday, a new year) ahead of us. And at each given moment we can choose to start new. Mary Pickford, an Academy Award winning actress made a big impact on the film industry, and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. A woman, a smart woman in the film industry during those time had to be persistent. I'm starting to believe that persistence is really the key to any success.

Think about it. Things only seem impossible until we do them. Man on the moon. Discovering we can break the sound barrier. Gravity. Even learning to tie our shoes when we're little. The really great things, the things we really care about and have passion around aren't always easy. They're hard and when we achieve them, the victory is sweet. The really good goals tend to be hard and we achieve those goals by being persistent.

Of course, it's easier said that done. But that's the definition of persistence isn't it? Continuing to try even when you aren't succeeding. I've recently given clients homework that is was only one tenth of what they thought they should be doing. But I wanted them to gain some confidence and keep the momentum, to learn to be persistent.

Try this - when you feel the most down, the most defeated, the lowest, you do one tiny thing that moves you toward your goal. You'll feel a little better and you'll do another small thing, and that will feel good. Then the next thing you do will be a bit bigger and so on.

Action leads to success. It's the only way. That's the power of persistence.

Where do you need to be persistent? What goal is making you feel low or doesn't feel achievable? What tiny little action can you take to get on the path of persistence?

These are trying times. The media doesn't help. I've turned off the TV, and the radio and it's helped quiet things down. More than not hearing the sad stories, the scary jobless stats and such, I'm hearing a lot of silence. I'm starting to hear myself.

No, it's not a little voice inside my head that tells me to hurt people - it's a strong, calm, steady voice that speaks with a lot of power. She's been trying to get through all the static. Now I hear her. She tells me that I'm clever, savvy and great with people and in making connections others don't. She tells me that I need to take a walk (and get lost too) and clear my mind. She tells me we're in the middle of an end, and a beginning. She tells me that I'll be just fine.

Wow, she's smart.

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow. ~Mary Anne Radmacher

How does courage show up for you? What would help you hear it when it does?