Category Archives: Motivation

The Power of Imagination for Boot Camp Success

By Daniel | Published: March 4, 2010
Daniel Iversen and Kristina from Z-100 moments after completing my presentation.

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

Also posted in Failure, Mindset | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Boot Camp Islands of Discontent…

By Daniel | Published: January 18, 2010

Do you like to read?

I do and this is something I read recently that galvanized me…

I was reading a book by Wayne Dyer.

In it he reminded me of how to visualize my goal.

He says, “Your imagination allows you the fabulous luxury of thinking from the end. There’s no stopping anyone who can think from the end.”

Profound.

Now, I do not claim to be the world’s MOST successful man… (whatever that means)… but I feel good.  I’m happy most of the time.  And I have been able to actualize every dream I have had.

Instead of living life adrift in a sea of unhappiness…

I sail purposely in a sea of happiness… punctuated by islands of discontent.

What’s the secret?

Well, part of it is thinking about the end… and working backwards.

What I always do is: I imagine what I really WANT… without worrying about what I imagine others might think of that goal.  Then, I work myself backwards, step by step, to where I am currently.

I never let myself believe it is impossible.  I just start taking steps.

Heck, I might fail.

I HAVE failed.

But then…

I got up and dusted myself off and took a new direction.

I have always believed it was best to…

Never let doubt creep into the imagination for a single second.

Know that all of your experience/existence is a function of your creative and programmed imagination — and that if imagination can work for “the source”, or God… or whatever you call it… it can work for you too.

Visualize who and what you want to be… see your goal as the end result exactly as you want it.

Cheers,

D

Also posted in Failure, Mindset | Tagged | 2 Comments

Boot Camp Success Story

By Daniel | Published: November 30, 2009
Kerri and Jessica after!

Kerri and Jessica after!

An amazing boot camper wrote to me and wanted to share this:

“I was trying on my skirts and they were all zipped and buttoned up, and okay if I was standing still, but the minute I tried walking they started to fall down and ended up around my legs!!  I love skirts, and tried on all 17 in my closet, and not one fits!  I packed up 15 sweaters/sweatshirts that are huge on me.  I packed up 8 pairs of p.j. bottoms.  Everything I have had to get rid of from last winter is an x-large, and I am now wearing a small.  I had packed up all my size 10 jeans  a few months ago and was able to buy size 8′s, but now those have had to be packed up as well because I am now in a size 6.  I packed up four beautiful dresses all size large. “

IMG_0971_3

Kerri and Jessica before...

Way to go, Kerri.  You’ve earned it.


Posted in Motivation | Tagged | 1 Comment

39 Boot Camper Secrets to Help You Break Free From a Growing Waistline

By Daniel | Published: September 26, 2009

Hi, Boot Camp Heroes,

You know…

Since you are in Portland Boot Camp, I know how you feel about yourself more or less.

But the unfortunate truth is, most people don’t really care too much about their bodies.

And that is their choice.

Of course, there are some who care, (or claim to care) but not enough to do something about it.

The dwindling minority stay trim and healthy all year…or are currently watching their waistlines disappear.

The rest… well, let’s just say they are what they eat.

What makes the difference?

Lots.  But to offer a few suggestions, here are  39 quick ways to help you stay (or get) lean and trim.

  1. Eat whole, natural foods 90 percent of the time or more if you like them.
  2. Avoid refined sugar like the plague
  3. Read information from outside the fitness world and apply to your fitness
  4. Read “Think and Grow Rich” and “PsychoCybernetics”.  TRUST me on this.
  5. Get a copy of “The Strangest Secret” by Earl Nightingale or watch it on YouTube.
  6. Above all: never, ever, give up.
  7. Read everything you can about achieving your goals… take and learn from what is useful, discard the rest.
  8. Eat a “cheat” meal once a week. Cheat MEAL.  Not cheat meals.
  9. Become a student of Nutrition
  10. Surround yourself with fitness and health minded people. (Like Portland Boot Camp!)
  11. Read this success blog as often as possible
  12. Write down your goals as clearly as you can
  13. Write your goals on 3 x5 card and reading it many times through the day.
  14. Focus on what you WANT…and NOT at all on what you don’t want
  15. Don’t listen to advice from jealous, out-of-shape friends or acquaintances… they will drag you down if you let them.
  16. Treat your body like a holy temple and watch it return the favor
  17. Realize that your efforts to stay or get lean may upset or offend lazier people.  Who cares.  Ignore it. Refer to number 15.
  18. Take entire days off from exercise sometimes to just stretch and CHILL OUT.
  19. That being said, exercise 6 days a week.
  20. 2 minutes of exercise is better than none
  21. Stick with multi-joint movements (like squats, pull-ups, pushups, and rows etc) and interval training as the core of your fitness program.
  22. If you fall off the wagon, so what.  Get back on again.
  23. Every passing moment is a chance to turn it all around.
  24. Sign an irrevocable contract with yourself to do what it takes to achieve your goal.
  25. Be yourself.  Choose your own body and body fat level that make you feel and look the way you want to feel and look…for your own reasons.
  26. Program your self-image exactly as you want it to be.
  27. Whenever negativity strikes…instantly think of the positive alternative. If you hear your mind say something like, “I don’t know why I try.  I always fail anyway.”, immediately switch to a positive thought like, “I CAN.  Success comes to those who persist.”
  28. Read your goal card whenever you feel good or positive.
  29. Read your goal card whenever you feel bad or negative.
  30. Write out an action plan with a goal and goal achievement date and drive forward with intensity and gusto!
  31. Take the highest quality food-based multivitamin you can afford.  I take VGF+25
  32. Take the highest quality Omega-3 supplement you can afford.  I take EFA Icon
  33. Prepare your veggies in advance.
  34. Buy a steamer and use it daily.
  35. Create your own cookbook of quick master recipes that you can rotate through.
  36. Focus on your goal relentlessly.
  37. Life is brief…make it your best life NOW.
  38. Seek expert advice or help if you are stuck.  If you aren’t in Boot Camp… I can help!
  39. Try Portland Adventure Boot Camp without risk.  It REALLY does work and I promise you will love it.  If, for any reason whatsoever, you aren’t totally thrilled with boot camp… I’ll give you every single penny back no questions asked.

Tell me what you think.  I love hearing about your successes!

Cheers,

D

Also posted in Boot Camp Diet Tips, Boot Camp Vitamins & Supplements, Exercise tips, Mindset, Weight Loss Tips | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

To All Portland Boot Camp Women: Never, Never, Never, Never Give Up

By Daniel | Published: August 21, 2009
2007 & 2008 came and went. Did you give up? 2009 is still going… and every passing moment is a chance to turn it all around…

Photo by Eric Charlton

With rain stinging our hands and faces, we scaled a dormant volcano at Mt. Tabor last Wednesday.

3 miles, a couple hundred stairs, and a sprint to the top.

We reached the caldera and I was overwhelmed with the tenacity of my boot camp superstars.

While catching my breath, I said,

“You know… people who try to get in shape… who lose fat and gain it all back…who are laying in bed right now saying they will start moving ‘some day soon’… those who enviously attack successful types… those who sit around wishing for a new body to magically appear… they all believe people like us have some special quality.  Some kind of mojo that sets us apart. They actually believe that we something built-in at birth that they lack.

Well they are right.

And they are also wrong.

They are right: we do have something they lack.  But they are wrong because it isn’t something built in at birth.

It’s something they can have NOW…at any moment.

The magic power we have isn’t glamorous — or really magic at all. It would be easy to dismiss it as too simple to be true.

But it is.

It is simply: persistence.

The power to drive toward a goal relentlessly, even with setbacks and temporary failures, sets you apart.

So I applaud you.

That’s as plain as it gets.

Sure you have to have a clear goal.  Sure you have to have a proven plan.  And of course, you may need some guidance or education.

But the “secret sauce”… the thing that makes it all work  is plain old persistence.

The greatest contributors to humanity have all failed repeatedly… but they never gave up.

And I know you will never give up either.   Because you have the same power they do.  And that’s what sets you apart.

Cheers,

D

P.S.  For an incredible perspective on this topic and a list of 39 or so greats who failed and won…go to Dax Moy’s Ultra Inspiring Blog HERE. right now.  You will hardly believe the inspiring stories of famous people who rose to the top despite the odds.

Also posted in Failure, Mindset | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments