We know what you’re thinking…I’ve got to get in shape; I’ve got to get that flat stomach I’ve been attempting to pull off.

Here’s the trick: You must be strictly watching your consumption of food, be consistent with your workout schedule, and be willing to modify your routine.

First Thing’s First: I can’t stress enough how important it is to be strict about your diet. Make a plan of attack for each day (or the whole week!). Balance out your meals with plenty of protein, salads (minimal vinaigrette dressing), and vegetables. Remember that fruits have a lot of sugar in them so keep those to a minimum as well. Make sure you’re eating enough because you’ll need the energy for your tough workouts.

Secondly: Be completely consistent to your workout schedule. If you plan to go to gym in the morning before work go at the time you set your alarm for. If you plan to go at night after work, pack your gym bag with all the essentials the day before and put it in your car. If you are going to do “two-a-days” (working out twice a day), then stick to it. Whatever time or times of day you plan on working out, then really do it. Don’t let that voice in your head that wants you to fail talk you out of your routine. The hardest part is usually getting to the gym, but once you’re there, and you start workin’ it, that angel on your shoulder usually kicks in with encouragement. Sometimes, it helps to create a calendar and X-off the days that you go. It gives you a visual countdown to your goal date.

Last, but Not Least: Modify. Modify. Modify. Switch it up. Every two weeks you should be switching up your routine. If you’re always working with weight machines, do a class instead. You can also buy an exercise book with many different exercises in them. Work out an exercise routine and constantly review it to update the moves you are doing. Tweaking it just slightly will keep your muscles guessing. This is what keeps us (or gets us) in shape.

These three steps aren’t always easy, especially since we have so much temptation around us 24/7. Avoid it, and keep your goal at the front of your mind. Getting into shape isn’t just great for us to maintain our health, but it’s a step closer to living that Full Throttle life we all desire.

As always,

Live your life…Full Throttle!.

Handing in your resignation letter is uncomfortable.

Let’s face it-You’ve planned it now for weeks, thought about what you were going to say, how you were going to say it, and even thought about a few “Office Space” walk out scenarios. The big day finally arrives, and you.just.do it. Resigning from a position should feel, taste, and breathe bittersweet. It means you actually cared about what you did. You may have even had a passion for it. It means, although you may have had a love/hate relationship with your job, you still cared about your position.

It’s always sad leaving a job that you care for, but the thing to remember is that there is more to look forward to. There are doors wide open, and sometimes smacking us in the face, for opportunity. I think that we often look for a job that is “in our skill range,” and we aren’t open to opportunities that may challenge us. Don’t fear opportunity or the chance to expand your skills.

When the day calls for you to close the door to an old job, keep your spirits high knowing that your future holds something good, something new, something that will only help you to grow as an individual. Hopefully, it will mean an increase in your earnings as well! One can hope, right?!

Embrace the bittersweet resignation. Reminisce. Move Forward.

Live your life…Full Throttle..

So I was flipping through the channels the other day, and stopped on the widely known America’s Next Top Model. I don’t watch it regularly so I have no idea what cycle it was, but it was interesting and quite insightful.

They had this drama coach on there who was teaching the girls about bringing out themselves (the inner self). They were supposed to do an exercise where they were given a pad of paper, and told to draw a picture of the little voice inside them that always said why they weren’t good enough, why they couldn’t do things, etc…You get the idea. Each of the girls drew the little voice inside their heads, and then the drama coach asked them to confront the picture while the coach held the picture. The coach would then act as the “little voice”, telling each girl that they weren’t good enough, weren’t able to model, and the girls would respond with “Yes, I am good enough…I am strong.”

Watching this exercise made me really think about all the times that “little voice” talks to me all the time. How many times do you listen to that voice in your head? How many times you let that voice talk you out of doing something, or encouraging you to do something you absolutely know is wrong. Why does that voice always show up and make you do the wrong instead of the right? When are we going to start listening to our “gut feeling” instead? We should be pumping ourselves up instead of listening to a voice that is always negative. We let our little voice put fear in us, and then we become afraid to do things that may challenge us and make us stronger in the end.

My point? Start ignoring that little voice and begin believing in that little angel on your shoulder-You know, the one encouraging you to go for things, reach past your comfort border.

Live life. Love life. Enjoy life.

Live your life…Full Throttle..