This article is guest blogged by Joe Sarti. Joe blogged recently on the topic of Nutrition and Kettlebell Training to Improve Your 40 Yard Dash Time
The Commandments of Being Healthy
1. Commitment
What do goals, deadlines, words mean if you are not willing to commitment to seeing them through? What is more important than committing to yourself, your health, and your well-being? In order to achieve in life you need to commit, you need to follow through and make it happen. The ‘exception’ is always committed no matter how big the challenges, goals, etc. The ‘exception’ believes that they can achieve anything and are committed to the process.
What does commitment involve?
It involves a thorough analysis of yourself and your goals. You need to evaluate your life and be willing to ask questions that help uncover the deeper layer desires that drive you to do what it is you truly enjoy and what will support your lifestyle. It is the desire to achieve, to see, feel, and be your objective that will be a source of fuel to your willingness to commit and see it through to the end.
The key with any commitment is truth. If you are committing to something that is more a façade or illusion rather a true reality then your ability to succeed will be lessened and thus your commitment challenged. Therefore, having clarity in your life and having a clear vision of your reality are keys to knowing and living your truth.
2. Consistency
Daily practice, daily actions and consistent behavior are essential to progression. You must consistently put forth the effort to succeed. Inconsistent behavior, actions, and practice do not develop or bring about the results we set for ourselves and commit to. Commitment requires a consistent approach. Even if your workout calls for an hour of yoga and you only have time for 30 minutes, then you do the 30 minutes. Then you can smile because you followed through with your commitments and continued your daily practice with consistent application of the plan.
3. Accountability
It helps to have someone (most important yourself) that you are accountable to. You want to have a person or persons who will help support, encourage, and motivate you to stick with your commitments. This may mean having a person who coaches you, having a nutritionist, a counselor, a workout partner, etc. as long as you have someone that you trust and will hold you accountable for your actions.
4. Movement
Get out, get up and start moving your body. Exercise/movement are essential. The reasons are long and it is well documented about the importance of movement. Find something you enjoy, something you will and can do consistently and with commitment.
Activities such as walking, hiking, yoga, martial arts, weight training, bike riding and aerobics classes are some wonderful ways to exercise and move your body.
In addition many of these activities have a built in support system in the form of a class and/or gym atmosphere. However, if going to the gym or a class is not your cup of tea than grab your partner, friend, child, etc. and do both of you a favor and move together. Then you have a built in accountability and support system with people you love, trust and enjoy being with. Plus, you can share in joys of your successes.
5. Clean, Lean and Green
As a good friend of mine said, to be lean you must eat clean. To take it a step, further add in the greens. Nutrition is an integral piece of the pie when it comes to being healthy. The old saying goes that you are what you eat so when choosing food choose clean (natural, organic, minimal ingredient based), and choose greens and other veggies and fruits and look. These simple acts will lead to a healthier and leaner looking physique.
6. Goals & Deadlines
Take an arrow and shoot it at an empty target and what do you get, nothing. However, if you take that same arrow and aim for a bulls-eye you are going to make a hit. Having a clear vision of your goal and establishing deadlines will help to keep you on track and help with your commitments, consistency, and you will have something to be held accountable too.
7. Knowledge
It is near impossible to accomplish a goal if you do not have the knowledge. Reading magazines and the Internet are not nearly as reliable as hiring a professional to teach you and educate you on what, how, and why to do what is necessary to accomplish your goal. After all, you most likely would not try to learn a skill like playing a musical instrument or remodeling a bathroom without the help of a professional. The same is true of learning healthy principles for life.
Therefore, seek out some help and take a close look at the person(s) you are asking for this help and see if they are practicing what they preach and have the education and experience to back them.
8. Action
Take action! The exception to the rule always takes action on their goals, on their commitments and consistently follows through with their plan to the best of their abilities on a day-to-day basis. In order to be healthy you have to get off your butt and get moving, taking action now to get where you what to be.
9. Moderation
Everything should be done with balance and moderation. Going to extremes rarely leads to long term, sustainable results. It often leads to instant gratification that rarely holds up over the long haul. Instead take living healthy, being healthy as part of a lifelong process. Remember to have a glass of wine, eat a piece of your child’s birthday cake, etc. but just do so with a conscious mind being aware and mindful of your actions and their affect on your goal(s).
This applies to all aspects of health i.e. goals, exercise, and nutrition. This transformative process takes time and needs to reflect and respect that health is a part of everyday living throughout your live.
10. Enjoyment
Along the lines of moderation you must enjoy this journey. You must remember that you have to live each and everyday to your fullest. You have to act in a consistent and committed manner toward everything with an on being balance and having a joy and peace in your being. Being healthy does not have to be a chore but instead should be representative of you on all levels; physical, mental, emotion, and spiritual. Being health is supposed to be fun as it adds to your quality of life and helps you to enjoy the wonderful world and people around you with little limitation.
11. Perspective
One of the most important aspects of life is perspective. The value of having a clear perspective cannot be underscored. This clear perspective will enable you to develop realistic and feasible goals/deadlines. This will act like a compass and keep you on the path you set out to follow. In addition, this principle will serve to remind of the importance behind your actions and how they affect your ability to navigate along this, your chosen path.
Aim for the nothing and you will hit everything!
12. Discipline
Know when to say when and know when to say yes and no. Only you have the answer and you must maintain self-discipline when faced with a choice that may interfere with your path you have chosen. Realize and understand through compassionate terms how your actions, your choices affect your desired outcome. Many things appeal to the mind, to the eye but the question remains, do they serve you and your desired goal(s). Have the awareness and the discipline to know how to respond at all times.
In Summary:
In life when you take the approach that you are going to do good for yourself everyday and that these actions are going to benefit all of those of you around including your loved ones, co-workers, friends, etc. you life instantly becomes more meaningful and healthy. Your disposition, your attitude, your actions will reflect that of a healthy person who others feed off of and enjoy being with, enjoy interacting with and in many ways inspires. However, this is just a natural by product your living a healthy life. You do this for you and everything, everyone around you benefits just because. You have made not only your life but the lives of others more meaningful on many levels just by being a positive role model, an example worthy of respecting and emulating.
About Joe Sarti
Joe Sarti’s website can be found here and keeps an updated training log on his Blog here.
Jimson Lee
Latest posts by Jimson Lee (see all)
Yup. Somehow when you do everything positively and think positively it will work out all the better =) Thanks for the tips. They are very insightful and useful for me.
My tips for a healthy life are a positive attitude and lots of gardening. Plenty of fresh air and exercise, plus you get free fruit and veggies too. You can’t loose.