90 Days of serving you.

For those that know know me, you know that I started this year on top of my physical game. I was spending 15+ hours a week training, riding over 40 miles running 10+ miles, and in the gym hitting the weights a couple times a week. I was literally in the best shape of my life. I went from weighing nearly 300 pounds (285 at my heaviest), to coming under 200 pounds and performing the aforementioned physical feats that I previously would've thought impossible.

Thanks to ViSalus and the Challenge, I found a new confidence, a new pastime, and a new source of income thanks to Project 10. My wife and I both won $1000 just for losing 10 pounds, and we were both recognized as Active Fitness Couple at our companies national event in Atlanta, GA.

It truly was an incredible year. As great as last year has been, this year has equally been filled with obstacles. I've suffered with foot pain, elbow surgery, and numerous other physical challenges.  I find myself in a unique position now, two months after I had planned to compete in my first Ironman event, and having to make the decision on whether or not to cancel my last two planned events for the year (the Rocketman Tri & the Red Ribbon Half Marathon), I have extra time on my hands to help YOU achieve your goals.

So I ask you what do you want to achieve? How can I serve you in your fitness or weight loss journey? For my next 90 Day Challenge, I'm here to serve you, to serve anyone that needs the help, encouragement or the guidance in this journey. Ask me anything you want, come to me for advice, for help, for whatever it is that you need. Walk this path with me for 90 days and I can guarantee that your life will not be the same.

Goals. Or something like them?

Do you have goals?

Do you have goals?

I'll bet the majority of folks reading this would say emphatically "Yes, of course I have goals". My next question would be, does everything that you do in your life reflect those goals? Are you constantly and courageously striving towards them? Are you making waves with your goals? Changing lives? Challenging yourself or others? Are you advancing ever forward toward your goals with every fiber of your being?

Yes?!?! Awesome! You ROCK! You are one of the few, brave, resilient souls that will make a mark on this planet, leave it a better place and in doing so, gain more than you thought possible. You probably don't need this blog, heck you're probably not reading this blog because you're out affecting change in your world. Here's a hearty internet pat on the back for you, keep up the good work.

No? You're floundering? Struggling? Treading water? Maybe you're "in a holding pattern" or a "rebuilding phase". There's all sorts of names that you can assign to times when you're not chasing your goals, but the truth is, if you're not working on it, than it's NOT a goal, it's a dream.

Dreamers are great, god bless them, they dream up imaginative, creative things, some of which get given to doers that go out and create incredible works. Without dreamers our society would not be as enriched, I don't write this to drag down the dreamer, I applaud them. I write this to encourage you to be honest with yourself about which one you are.

Are you a dreamer, or are you working on your goals?

True goals can be birthed from dreams, many are. Many are also birthed from practicality, or a need for something not found in your current existence. Dreams have to turn a corner though, to become goals. It's the action, the effort, the simple fact that forward progress is being made that turns dreams into reality.

Life is full of seasons, I've heard that manny times and you can in your life be both a goal seeker and a dreamer at different times, but pretending that you're seeking a goal when you're simply dreaming is a sure way to set yourself up for frustration. Telling yourself that you are chasing a goal, when not putting in the action is the surest way to ensure that you will quit before you ever get any where close to that goal.

Today I was dreaming, literally laying in bed asleep, my alarm went off at the assigned time to wake me for an early morning cycling session, I made the conscious choice at that moment to go from being a true dreamer to truly seeking my goals. While this is a little bit of "literal hyperbole" it's that same sort of get up, get out of bed, and go sweat action that will take your dreams and make them a reality. Today I didn't reach my goals, my goals truth be told are pretty lofty, but today I made progress, today I advanced, and I know that today I'm one step closer to my goals, and that feels good.

Starting Over, not quite from the start.

Today marks a big day for me, the start of a new Challenge. What's a Challenge? A Challenge is all about setting a 90 day goal, and living your life in pursuit of that goal for 90 days. Since my first Challenge, my life has changed immeasurably. I went from being a couch potato to a triathlete. Never in my life did I imagine competing in one of the events encompassed in triathlons much less all three in one day! The funny thing about a Challenge though is, at some point it's over. 90 days only lasts for 90 days. Then you have a choice, do you go back to living your life the way you were, or do you embark on another 90 day journey. I've been living this lifestyle for over a year now and while I've had victories, I think it's important to note that there have also been defeats. I'm not where I wish I would be, I haven't achieved all I want to achieve, BUT I have achieved much more than I thought I could.

I'll make a confession, the last 90 days, I haven't been "on Challenge", I haven't been drinking my Vi-Shake, I haven't been watching my nutrition, and the last 90 days have brought an attack of gout, the brief return of some of the medical issues that I used to experience, and some of my weight has come back. Some would decry their fitness regime, some would blame ViSalus, but I'm a realist, and want to be honest with both myself and you. Nothing external failed me, ViSalus works, it has worked for me. My training while not as consistent has been solid. I have failed me, my fitness and my health. I've made more bad choices than good, I've decided to live my life without keeping my goals in mind. There is no one and nothing to blame but me.

Don't think that I'm being down on myself, there's comfort in being the problem. When you're the problem you can also be the solution. If you are the only thing that is holding you back then you can change. You can make a conscious choice to be different. That's what I'm doing, I'm making a choice to change.

"My Line in the Sand"

Today I'm drawing my line in the sand, today I'm saying that enough is enough. Today I'm making the conscious choice to be better. Today I start a Challenge. My Challenge over the next 90 days is to lose 20 pounds, and I will accomplish it! It won't be easy, but I know that it will be worth it. I'll be updating this blog along the way with thoughts, stories and triumphs. Thanks for reading and look out for my next post!