Category Archives: Self-improvement

The one thing you absolutely need to do this summer….

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My family and I just got back from a 10 day vacation and let me tell you it was so worth it. During that time I made it a point to stay away from the internet and TV.  I can’t tell you how relaxing mentally that was for me. So, if you have not already taken time off or if you do not have any vacation plans yet for this summer get going and plan something. It will make all the difference in your performance and production when you get back.

Now, as most of you know I am a voracious reader and I spent a good deal of my time reading. The one book that I chose to read was, “The Last Lecture.” Many of you may have seen the You Tube video of Randy Pausch’s last lecture and know that Randy had Pancreatic Cancer and during the time of the presentation he had 3-6 months to live. Unfortunately, Randy passed away not too long after he gave his last lecture  but before he passed away he was able to put a book together titled “The Last Lecture.” After reading his book I took away one thing and that is, time here on earth is precious and in order to have a fulfilled life you need to dream and live out those dreams. I don’t care how old you are it is never to late to start dreaming. Do me a favor and this summer when you are vacation taking time away from all the chaos of the internet and news do some dreaming!!!

P.S. If you would like to share some of your dreams with the rest of us feel free to leave a comment.

Coach Dave

Live Like You Are Dying

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May is the worst month and best month of the year for me. Today, marks the 4 year anniversary of my father’s passing and tomorrow will be the one year anniversary of my grandfather’s passing. If that isn’t enough, my brother and cousin passed away in the following weeks. So, you can see why the first part of May is not so good for me. My wife actually would like to lock me up and keep me quarantined until June, but I am not scared and I am pressing on.

Okay, so where does the good part come into play for me, you might ask? Actually, every year when I am reminded of my family members who are no longer with me  I get a sense of rejuvenation and a spirit of re-birth. I use their passing as a way to motivate me to do the things that I have said I want to accomplish before it is my time to leave.

I am just curious, how many of you say to yourself,  ” I will do that tomorrow or I will experience that next year because I am too busy.”  Let me tell you, don’t put off what you can do today for tomorrow because tomorrow might never come. I spoke to my dad hours before he passed away from a heart attack and we were talking about how in a few months he was going to come out to see me in Texas! That day, sadly, never happened and it always sits hard knowing that we should have gotten him out sooner to see us.

I hope you understand what I am trying to say here. I want you to realize that we only have a certain amount of time on this planet to make a difference, and  if you have goals that you want to accomplish or have always wanted to start your own business, today is a great day to get started.

Now, with that being said, I want to make sure I am leading by example here. So, here is what I am going to stop putting off.  For the longest time now I have had a goal to start a membership site for my business ,and today I am going to start taking action by announcing to you that, How to Train and Grow Rich has officially been started. I am working on the specifics, but initially the site will be geared towards fitness professionals, personal trainers, and group exercise instructors, however, the site can help just about anybody who wants to learn how to create passive revenue streams and develop the lifestyle they want to live. Once  I have everything mapped out I will give an update ,but for now I wanted to take action and announce my intentions.

So, what can you do today that you have been putting off? Take action, because tomorrow may be too late. As for me, I will celebrate the lives of my family by striving to become  a better father, husband, and business coach. Also I will strive to live out each day to its fullest.

In memory of you Dad, Gramps, Kevin, and Sheila. I will always love you!

Coach Dave

The Future is You!

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Last week I had the opportunity to attend the 2010 IHRSA convention in San Diego. Let me tell you San Diego is a little piece of paradise, and now I know why everyone wants to live in Southern California. Well, maybe not everyone! Anyway, that being said, I am not really here tonight to talk about how much I loved San Diego but to talk to you about the theme of the convention, “The Future is You.” As of this writing we are waiting to see if the government is going to step in and change the health care system as we no it. Most of you know where I stand on that issue but I want to get back to the light bulb that went off in my head when I thought about the theme of the IHRSA convention. Regardless of where you stand on the health care debate, my view is, if change is going to happen it is going to come from you. Yes, you the fitness professional! So, if you want to be part of the revolution and change here is what you need to do.

1.) Invest in yourself – I know with the internet it is easier to get information and knowledge but I recommend that you should go to a convention at least once a year and learn from the experts. Another reason I think going to a convention is a great investment is you tend to come away recharged and regenerated. Being around motivated and optimistic fitness professionals helps you get back your motivation and reminds you of why you chose this career.

2.) Quit going after everyone – Pick a niche and become an expert in that area. Too many times I see personal trainers trying to be everything to everyone. If athletics gets your blood boiling become a strength coach. If weight loss is your thing become an expert on nutrition and psychology. I made the early mistake as a young personal trainer and wanted to be a personal trainer for everyone. It was through a natural course of time and soul searching that I have finally settled into being on the business side of fitness.

3.) Be passionate – If you do not have a burning desire to help people then this profession is not for you. Also, if you do not have passion your actions will show and you will continuously struggle to retain clients. Search long and hard and understand that this profession is challenging and will take a lot of energy to succeed, so if you lack passion get out now.

As I left San Diego I realized one thing and if this country is going to see real health reform is is up to me and you!

I Quit

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We are in the first week of March and by now almost 90% of people who made New Year’s resolutions have either quit or are about to on those resolutions they made back in early January. Why? Well, to be honest it is just extremely difficult to keep disciplined day in and day out. The daily pressures and just plain life stuff gets in our way and prevents us from staying focused. The other big reason for failure is due to the lack of mental toughness. Mental toughness is probably one of the most difficult skills to master, but if you master the ability to control your thoughts and to stay mentally tough you can succeed in almost anything.

I first became aware of what mental toughness was all about last summer when I was reading the book titled “Lone Survivor.” The book is about the story of Marcus Lutrell and his life as a Navy Seal. It was through reading this book and the story of what it takes to be a Navy Seal that gave me insight into what mental toughness is all about. You see, what I took away from  the book  is that physical ability is a big part of actually becoming a Navy Seal but more than anything they are looking to see who has real mental toughness and who is going to quit! As one instructor says, “If they quit here in training they are more likely to quit when things get tough out in battle.” And, this brings me back to why people fail at their goals.

All to often when things get busy or really challenging we quit and once that happens we rationalize to ourself that, well I guess there is always next month or next year to reach that goal. Now, I use the example of  the mental toughness it takes to be a Navy Seal and I know that 99.9% of us will never have that ability to stay as mentally  tough as a Navy Seal,  but there are some simple strategies that you can implement into your life to help you get tougher mentally.

1.) Quit listening to the news and all the negative stories that they report on. Listen, it is so easy to fall into the trap of listening and hearing all the negative news that is out there and with that comes the weakening of your thoughts.

2.) Read positive and motivational books and quotes daily!

3.) Quit hanging around with people who are negative and do not 100% support what you want to accomplish.

4.) Understand that you will not always have great days but when days are tough have written down on a piece of paper your big “Why”. What I am talking about is the why do you want to achieve a specific goal. For me my big “why” is I want to have financial freedom and live life on my terms. Define your big “why” and every time you are feeling down pull that  piece of paper out and read it over and over until you change your thoughts and get re-focused.

These four strategies are just the beginning to the start of your mental toughness. Practice these and you will be on your way to stopping the “I Quit” words out of your mouth and start reaching those goals!

Do you have what it takes to win a gold medal?

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We are a week into the 21st Winter Olympic Games and once again the games always give me inspiration and motivation to become better. I love the story lines and when you see the athletes accomplish what they set out to do you can’t help but to feel good and inspired to go out and do something. My question for you today is, “Do you have what it takes to win a gold medal?” I know you are saying to yourself, “I am not an Olympic athlete, so why do I care if I have what it takes to win gold. Well, I look at life and goals as a contest or game. I am sorry but I do not believe in the notion that everyone gets a trophy. You either accomplish your goal or you do not. Simple! So, if you buy into this philosophy  of what it take to win gold you will want to see what it takes. Here is what I believe it takes to win gold in life?

Dream – Every Olympic athlete has a dream of standing on the podium, wearing a gold medal, and hearing their national anthem play. They have this dream as a kid and play it over and over in the mind until it because reality. What are your dreams? If you do not have a dream you are missing the key ingredient to success.

Focus –  After listening to all the athletes and their stories the one thing that I continue to hear over and over again is that they have unbelievable focus. Their goal is to win gold and they do everything to reach that goal. They do not get distracted by all the noise out there. Focus on what you want to accomplish and filter out the noise.

Perseverance –  Another common attribute that Olympic athletes portray is that they consistently overcome setbacks and failures. Whether it is injury, failure, or just some bad luck the most common theme amongst them is constant  persistent and determination to push through the pain and failures to reach that dream.

So, do yourself a favor and over the next week of the games watch and study the athletes. Listen to their stories and then, ask yourself, “what are your dreams, what kind of focus do you have, and finally, make yourself persevere to achieve your goal.