Category: Uncategorized

Procrast…..Procrastination

Posted on by Michael Devon

I’ve had the idea to write this blog for a long time, so I guess that makes me no expert on the topic, however I have much experience with procrastination and have learned how detrimental it is to overall success. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s easy to keep putting things off for the future and, as we all know, the future is not guaranteed. I could have died yesterday and then this blog would have never been written. See what I mean?

Just as easy as it is to put things off, also known as procrastinating, it’s just as easy to do the thing that you need to do. It comes down to the decision you make in that moment, it’s simple, you either do it or you don’t. When you don’t and you continually repeat that behavior then you never get anything done, and that’s when you become known to your friends and family as a procrastinator. However, in that same moment, if you decide that you are going to do it and then you get to work on whatever it is and you keep repeating that behavior, that’s when all the things you wanted to do start getting done. If I want to start waking up early to exercise but every morning when my alarm goes off I hit snooze, and then hit it 3 more times, eventually I run out of time to workout and I have to leave for work- and as most procrastinators say, “I’ll wake up early tomorrow and workout.” Then they go about their day the same way they have been for the last 5 years. Then what happens? Tomorrow comes and they repeat the same behavior, caught in the vicious cycle of procrastinating and never really advancing with their goals, and they wonder why they feel depressed.

Procrastination isn’t an easy habit to change but it’s important to start recognizing the responsibilities in your life that you tend to put off until “the mood feels right” so in that same scenario you can set yourself up for success. If I’m aware that every time my alarm goes off I automatically hit the snooze button then I could try setting multiple alarms and putting my alarm out of arms reach so I have to physically get out of bed to turn it off, then once I’m up that’s half the battle. I’m a step closer to exercising today than I was yesterday. Whatever it is that you’re trying to do, just start by committing to do it for 5 minutes, research shows that you’re likely to keep going once you get started. Instead of setting out to read an entire chapter in a book just start out with the goal of reading for five minutes, instead of setting out to run a mile just start out with the goal of running for five minutes, instead of setting out to clean your entire house just start out with the goal of cleaning for five minutes.

The 5 minute trick won’t magically solve your problem with procrastination (I got side tracked several times while I was writing this), but what it does do is get you to take action and over time all of those actions start to build on each other and you’re closer to your goals than you were yesterday. Before you know it, you’ve finished the book, started running 2 miles, and your house is always clean. By committing to five minutes, you started building a habit of “taking action” instead of “waiting.” If you’re always waiting, nothing ever gets done so don’t delay anymore, find something today that you need to get done and spend 5 minutes on it… that’s how this blog got finished. 😉

Dedicate Yourself

Posted on by Michael Devon

Learning how to stay on track and dedicated when obstacles present themselves on your fitness journey is one of the keys to success. Your goals could be anything; weight loss, rehabilitation to a pain free knee, building a business, improving yourself, graduating from school. Through dedication you build habits that help you reach your goal and then sustain the results. What is the difference between a habit and a dedication? Dedication is being committed to a purpose, task or goal. A habit is something you do without thinking about. Fortunately the two go hand in hand. The more dedication you practice the more something becomes a habit or natural response.

 

So what habits should you spend time working on and developing and what habits should you work on breaking? To answer this, begin with the end in mind, have a vision of how you want to see yourself in 1 week, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, etc. Visualize and imagine how you want your life to be and then set (do-able) daily habits for yourself that help you reach that end goal. The steps you know you need to take to accomplish these goals are examples of the good habits I am talking about. Spending more time doing the right types of habits will simultaneously cause your bad habits to dominate less and less of your life but this is where dedication comes in. You have to commit to doing these things with a “no matter what” attitude not a “mañana, mañana” attitude. Once you are consistent with whatever those habits are, continue to perfect those habits, and then add some more challenging tasks that will cause you to develop more positive habits and progress you towards the life you want for yourself.

 

Whatever your goal may be, you have to practice dedication to get to where you want or what you want. Once you get what you want, you have to be consistent with your good habits to keep your progress. Developing these types of good habits will cause you to take a more proactive role in reaching your new goals as you find previous obstacles limited to your new natural habits that you built from dedication.

Self Discipline

Posted on by Michael Devon
Discipline is the key to success because it allows you to have a sense of control over your day by day and minute by minute obligations. Without self discipline we are at the mercy of our emotions, saying “oh I’ll do that when I feel like it.” When self discipline is part of your life it allows you to get what you need done, no matter how you feel.
Self discipline comes down to doing the things you should do because you need to do them and not letting yourself wait until you’re in the mood. News flash, there will never be a convenient time in your day to do the things you need to get done. You have to be like Nike and, Just Do It.
Discipline is one of the most important things we can develop in our lives because, without it, we never get that continual progress toward what we really want. I’m sure there are areas in your life that you wish you had more disciple, like eating healthier, exercising more, practicing your music, standing up for yourself, and staying committed to your big dream. There’s a saying that goes, “with a little discipline you do little things, with a lot of discipline you do a lot of things, and with enough discipline there is nothing which you can’t do.” To begin practicing self discipline, start simple, think of something you can start doing every day no matter what. This could be drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up, or putting your shoes on the shoe rack and not leaving them in the middle of your room at the end of each day. Little things that help you become better and lead you toward your end goal.

Summer Salad

Posted on by Michael Devon

This is our go to salad for any dinner or party we are contributing to! It is super easy to make, minimal ingredients and you make everything down to the dressing, so you know exactly what is in it! This refreshing salad also makes for a great lunch and will be the talk of your next office party or summer cookout!

How to make it:

Dressing:

  • 1 C Strawberries
  • ÂŒ C Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
  • ÂŒ C Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 TBSP Dijon Mustard
  • 1TBSP Honey
  • 1 Clove of Garlic
  • 1 Pinch of Salt
  • 1 Pinch of Pepper

Put all of the items above in your blender, NutriBullet or whatever you got and blend it up! Once that is done put it in a container in the fridge to chill. Make sure the container you put it in pours easily and you can control how much dressing you are putting on the salad, it doesn’t need much!

Salad:

  • Bed of Spinach
  • 1 C Strawberries
  • 1 C Blueberries
  • ÂŒ C Red Onion
 sounds gross but just trust me.
  • Âœ C Nuts (Pecans or Walnuts taste the best to me)
  • Feta Cheese * Optional

Side Note: I only put measurements on this recipe because some people have to follow something to a T. If you want more onion, add more onion. If you want less berries, don’t put as many. This salad is great because you can make it your own and to your taste.

This salad is proof that eating healthy doesn’t take long or taste bad! If you make this, let us know what you think! We would love to hear your version.

Enjoy!