I remember the day pictured above like it was yesterday.
I spoke live at the Portland Women’s Show.
Now, what was interesting is this: even though I speak live daily, and at the time I was on the air with my fitness radio show daily, I was a bundle of nerves before I got on stage.
The truth is, I was worried. I thought I would forget what I needed to say…or that I wouldn’t be able to get my points across clearly.
Seriously.
Before it began, my wife Beth filmed me looking like I had just seen the ghost of someone yelling, “Go Home!”.
So the announcer introduced me…
I approached the stage …
And what happened next was amazing.
You see…
the moment my mouth opened, all jitters evaporated.
The words came out smoothly and clearly.
I forgot where I was.
How?
3 words…
I
was
prepared.
No… I didn’t memorize a script. I just happened to be speaking on a topic with which I was familiar. And didn’t want to read a mental “script” — or sound… you know… forced.
So how did I prepare?
The key was this:
before the show I used the power of my imagination to “preview” the future.
I pictured the crowd laughing. I felt my feet planted firmly on the ground. I saw myself smiling and felt myself enjoying myself. I pictured myself as 50 feet tall. I imagined the scene exactly as I wanted it to be…picturing the end with everyone clapping and me feeling satisfied that I delivered helpful information. And most of all… I pictured the people clearly understanding the message and feeling happy about that.
I made it as real as I could and didn’t let a single thought of failure wiggle into my mini mind-movie.
Now why did I do that? What’s so special about mental movies and imagination? How can imagination improve anything at all?
Well…
A long time ago, I decided the worst that could realistically ever happen was someone would yell “boooo” from the back row.
And I’ve come to realize.. ok, so what. I’ve carefully considered the law of averages. And you know what? The reality is, it’s as likely to get a boo and a hiss when you are prepared and in the moment as it is to get struck by an armadillo driving a bus. Plus, I figured I could handle it even if I did get a boo. My life wouldn’t be over and I would get a second chance to improve and try again.
I would live.
So, when the time came my mind was free of mental roadblocks.
Guess what?
It was great!
We laughed… I got my points across and everybody won.
Not a single boo.
How can you apply these ideas to your life? Your body? Your weight loss efforts?
Are you stumbling blindly into life’s “stressful” situations? Or do you clearly envision the outcome exactly the way you want it to be?
Do you prepare for your success by establishing and following a plan? Do you foam roll? Stretch? Eat healthy foods? Plan your meals? Go to bed at a decent hour so you can have the energy for Boot Camp?
Expect the best of yourself. Imagine it. Let go and get out of the way of your mind. Make a decision.
And charge boldly forth!
Cheers,
D
You: Slimmer, Stronger, and More Flexible
I have a favor to ask.
YES, you can.
But before I ask you, I wanted to share something with you.
You know, when you stop and think about it…
Getting in great shape distills down to just 3 fundamental actions.
They are:
That’s really it.
Simple.
But not easy for a lot of people.
Why?
Because the media is filled with myths, half-truths, dogma, out-of-context facts, and sometimes just pure bunk.
So, hopefully, this blog will help you cut through the clutter.
It’s chock full of hard-won information. Filled with answers. And stocked with fitness tips.
Now to be fair, I haven’t always gotten it right. Years ago, for example, I believed the Atkins diet was the only way to go. I fought the low-fat proponents tooth and nail. Turns out we were both wrong. We’ll talk food in here.
More recently I began integrating more effective recovery techniques into Portland Boot Camp and my personal fitness regime. And I’m always searching for more information, integrating what works, and removing what doesn’t. We’ll cover that too.
So here’s the deal and my promise to you…
If it works, you’ll know. If it’s proven, I’ll put it in here. And if I discover a better path I’ll share it with you too.
So have fun, browse around, and enjoy the info here. All the categories and posts are listed to the right.
Oh, about that favor…
If you have an extra second or two would you leave a comment or two when you read a post?
Your feedback matters very much.
Thank you!
Daniel
P.S. Here’s a quick blog post to get you started. It contains 39 Boot Camp Success Secrets you can use right away:
http://portlandbootcamp.com/bootcamp_blog/2009/09/26/39-boot-camper-secrets-to-help-you-break-free-from-a-growing-waistline/
P.P.S. If you’d like some of my best “insider tips” I didn’t put on the blog, just tell me where to send them. I send them out to subscribers once a week or so. You can sign up in the blue box with the dumbbell at the top right of this page. See you soon!