What can a dumbell teach us about success in life?

I have been getting back into my fitness training lately. Having joined a gym in the city, I am now able to train for longer each day without having to worry about being on time in the mornings or falling asleep on the tube on the way home. I have especially been enjoying training my legs, which any gym enthusiasts out there will recognize as the body part to cause serious achiness, otherwise known as DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), which kicks in a day or two after a workout. Legs seem to be particularly adept at attracting and maintaining DOMS, making everyday tasks like stairs and sitting down far more… well… interesting!

 

Having studied as an exercise physiologist, and now as an NLP trainer and master practitioner, I have noticed that there are countless similarities between the body and mind, creating more of a psychophysiology rather than two separate disciplines. And each time I workout in the gym, I learn a little more about how my mind works.

 

Example? Ok. Well imagine for a moment a bar loaded with weights just resting on the floor. The exercise, known as the dead-lift, is a regular appearance on strongman contests and is generally considered one of the best measures of overall strength. Now imagine adding MORE weight to the bar. Now as you look at the bar, you seriously doubt whether you would even be able to lift it high enough to slip a piece of paper between the weights and the floor, let alone stand yourself all the way up. So you stand there, just looking at it!

 

We may recognize this pattern everyday as procrastination, which often kicks in when we are faced with such a daunting task. How many times have you been faced with something of great importance and challenge, and rather than take action, you look at it for a while and then decide to go off and do something else. Classic procrastination alternatives may include making a cup of tea, doing the washing up or just generally doing something of low importance. We tend to have our favourite ways to fill time.

 

However, we occasionally hear stories of people doing the seemingly impossible, such as the old woman who lifts a car off of someone and drags them to safety. In these moments, the superhero literally has no awareness or cognition of their own limitations, and is therefore able to perform acts of unbelievable personal power.  

 

So what is the difference?

 

The answer is State. State management is one of the most important elements of success and is so simple to change that people often overlook its importance in creating results, preferring to look to advanced strategies or exciting new techniques. However, this fundamental principle is the foundation to all success.

 

(When I started writing this, I was not planning to talk about state management, as there are so many articles and passages out there on the subject, but as I was writing, its importance was reinforced to me again, and I wanted to share my thoughts with you!)

 

So how can you improve your state management? Three areas – Physiology, Focus and Language.

 

Your physiology, how you carry yourself, is the easiest predictor for someone to pick up on from the outside. When you watch sport, you can often tell who will win before a match just by looking at the posture and movement of the various players. Somehow, winners seem to move differently.

 

Your focus is how you filter information. We are bombarded with 2 million bits of information per second, and we could not consciously take it all in. We therefore develop various filters that help us make sense of the world, and we delete, distort and generalize to make life easier for us. Just imagine what information you are not picking up on right now just because you focus is on reading this article.

 

Finally, your language is what you say, not just to others but also to yourself. It is vital to train yourself to use words in a more constructive and positive way, and to find a way to control your inner voice so that it serves you rather than holds you back. We are all very good at criticizing ourselves; how good can you be at giving yourself praise and recognition?

 

So when I am faced with big tasks tomorrow, I will remember to manage my state. I will view these challenges not as obstacles, rather as opportunities for me to discover really how good I am. I have no limits other than those my imagination creates for me. I have all the power I can use if I just choose to tap into it.

 

As Thomas Edison said, “if we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves“

Top 5 things that keep me busy at the moment

Wow, it seems like there is so much going on at the moment; everyday sees more opportunities becoming apparent and more chances to push myself even further. I feel I am learning a lot about myself at the moment, which can only ever be a good thing!

So what is keeping me so busy at the moment? Well, here are my top 5 ways to spend my time at the moment. Hopefully they will give you a bit of an insight into what I get up to, and you may find the odd handy link here or there too! Read more

Olympic Life Coaching

Are you enjoying the Olympic Games?

 

I love to see the athletes on top of their sport who absolutely dominate their events. I am just watching Rebecca Addlington, GB swimmer, giving a demonstration of what is possible in the pool. Obviously, Michael Phelps has been similarly impressive and dominating. I also saw Usain Bolt, Jamaican sprinter, making the 100m look like a Sunday morning jog in the park and still finish under 10 seconds! It really is inspirational to see.

 

The other area which is so exciting is the close finishes. Congratulations to the GB men’s coxless 4 in the rowing, who won gold a short while ago. I don’t think I breathed throughout the final 500m as I willed them to catch the Australian boat, which they did with only seconds to spare. It is amazing how many events will end with a photo finish, even some events that take long periods of time.

 

It is events like the Olympic Games that really illustrate the difference between great and outstanding. 1/100^th of a second between everything and nothing; 1% separating the gold medal and the also competed.

 

I am reminded also of the “Inches” speech that Al Pacino gives in the film ‘Any Given Sunday’ (read it here).

 

So what does this have to do with life coaching? Well, I know that the key aspects that make the difference are rarely made in the gym or the training area, but actually occur on the starting line. The real difference that makes fractions of a percent of difference is the mindset that an athlete adopts in the moments before a race; the beliefs that athlete holds about themselves and their competition; the thoughts that pop into the head in the seconds building up to the starter’s pistol.

 

Having a good coach can help to give you this mental edge that is required, and this translates far beyond the realm of sports and into all areas of everyday life. Business deals are won and lost everyday because of the fine distinctions that one sales person can make that another can’t. Relationships and made and broken depending on key elements of communication and the understanding of the subtle differences between the sexes.

 

Do you live your life like an Olympic athlete? Being in the top 5% is no longer enough. Do you want to put yourself in the position where you find yourself in the top 1% of the top 1%, the realm of unrivalled success and results? If the answer is truly yes, what are you doing about it?

 

All life coaches will help get you into the realm of the elite. They will direct you to do the things that successful people do, to read the books that winners read, and to attend the seminars that those who treat their life like the Olympics find themselves at.

 

It is then up to you to put the energy and determination into all of your endeavours so that you earn the chance to compete in the final event!

 

If you want to know more about my coaching services, email me at info@danstorey.com with the subject Olympic Life Coaching!

Channel Swim 2009 – It’s Official!

Finally, its official. Everything is in place now for my challenge to swim the English Channel in August 2009… well not quite everything, but enough to get started!

 

I have decided to set myself one of the most physically demanding challenges on the planet, to swim from England to France, in one go, without armbands or a rubber ring! This is widely considered the toughest open-water swim possible.

 

So why this challenge? Well, I believe that anything is possible if you choose to focus your energies on it and commit to doing the behind-the-scenes work that precedes all public victories. I also am passionate about teaching people about the potential that lies untapped within and this is a great metaphor to help them realise it!

 

I have set up another diary website at www.danstorey.com/channelswim which will give the reader updates on my training progress, charity events and fundraisers as well as much more information about the channel swim and all the elements that go into a successful crossing! Click here now to check out more about the challenge and my reasons behind doing it!

 

If you would like to support this, please email info@danstorey.com with more about how you would like to be involved, either in direct support, sponsorship, fundraising or any other way you feel you can assist.

 

 

On another note, congratulations go to Andrea Smart who won the Free Website giveaway over the weekend. Andrea is an author writing about personal development and needs help publicising her book. I am excited to be able to help! Visit the post and the winning response here!

To Give or Receive? Free Website Offer!

“Do the thing, and then you will get the energy to do the thing!”

 

Emerson had it right. It’s amazing what else comes back to you when you put the effort out; business opportunities, new relationships of all kinds, doors opening in all sorts of places. In fact, the more value you can add to others the better as it does indeed come back multiplied.

 

However, it doesn’t always come back in the same direction as you put it out. For example, you might find that you spend a lot of time working in one particular area, pouring your heart and soul into improving that specific situation, only for it to seem to be all take-take-take… and I am sure you can relate to that particular idea.

 

Many people in this position would get frustrated, and you could hardly blame them. The challenge is that frustration limits your ability to see the possibilities that may be surrounding you at any particular moment.

 

The answer then is not to give without the expectation of receiving, but to allow yourself to get value back from unexpected sources. Also, you should never be resistant to accepting things from other people as this would deny them the opportunity to give themselves.

 

With that in mind, and helping to profile one of my new ventures which is Internet Marketing, I am prepared to go even further with my giving and give away a FREE website design package. OK, so I am not offering the most technically advanced site, but I can at least get you started with an online business or internet presence for anything you are looking to promote. All you need to do is provide the domain name and the content and let me do the rest (obviously with guidance)!

 

All you need to do is leave a comment at the bottom of this post (by Monday 4th August at 9am GMT) with up to 50 words on why you feel you deserve a free website. I will then choose the winner and will get the website up and running as soon as you can create the material you want to put on it. No catch. 100% free… even the hosting!

 

Why wait? Leave your comment below as to why I should choose you and I’ll make the decision for you Monday! Good luck!

Help the Planet – 11th Hour

As many of you will know, ecology and recycling are issues that are close to my heart. I believe it is down to all of us to do whatever we can to preserve this planet. As it has been said, “we did not inherit this planet from our ancestors, but we are borrowing it from our children!”

 

I have just found out about an amazing new initiative called 11^th Hour… a project led by and involving some of the planets largest names from all fields. A documentary, presented by Leonardo DiCaprio, highlights the plight of the planet’s ecosystem to keep up with man’s ever increasing desire to use up its natural resources. With global warming, increasing use of fossil fuels and a population that is growing exponentially, some scientists fear that we may even have already gone too far!

 

However, far from being all doom and gloom, the overwhelming message is one of possibility and solutions. Some of the ideas coming out of the film are incredible, and show what we are capable of in terms of creation rather than destruction. The knowledge that this technology is out there already means that we are already making steps in the right direction; the time has come, however, to really step up our endeavours.

 

I ask you all to visit the site, register and have a good look around. There is so much incredible information, as well as practical exercises that you can do to help make a difference! I am just looking through some of the ideas that I can start immediately this week. So far I have come up with a few great ways that I can help reduce waste in the office… am sure more will come once I get all my creative energy onto it!

 

That’s enough for now! If you take this planet seriously and care for its wellbeing, take action now. Visit www.11thhouraction.com and do everything you can to make this world habitable for generations to come! For a little more information, simply watch the video below!

 

 

Are you a Personal Development Hoarder like me?

 I don’t know if you are like me but I tend to hoard things. I guess I am reluctant to throw things away, as that little voice inside always seems to but in there with “well, you never know, you might need it one day!“, and that’s it, you cant throw it out! Do you ever find that? It might even be the most ridiculous item ever, and looking around me now I can still see some things that I could get rid of… but you just never know!

Sometimes things come into your life and you don’t know when you are going to need them right? I had one of those moments recently! I got Jerry Clark’s CD with my Success University welcome pack and I listened to it right away… in fact I listened to it over 4 times in the first 2 weeks, and I had another 3 I listened to during that same period! Something about it just seemed to make sense!

At the same time though, much of it didn’t seem applicable to my current situation. Everything was going great and really flying, as I am sure many of you are aware, but suddenly one day last week, Murphy Number 2 hit me! I guess this doesn’t make any sense unless you know about Murphy’s Committee (check out Jerry’s site at http://www.clubrhino.com/ for info!) but I found myself exhausted.

Now maybe it was my change in sleeping patterns, maybe it was the extra stress of the new year, maybe it was because I hadn’t exercised enough that particular week… whatever the reason, I found myself both physically and mentally drained. I had felt this way occasionally in the past, but this was something else! Now I’m not after sympathy, but when you feel that way that little voice inside just takes the opportunity to say something like “why don’t you take it easy, join the rat race and get a regular job, then you wont have to feel like this!“. Because I was so tired, this voice was LOUD!

As soon as that voice kicked in, I recognised it as a Murphy immediately! I smiled to myself, thanked it for the message, and then sent that voice on it way. You see, I knew there was going to be a point when I was going to feel tired, and here it was! The surprise factor that this would have on another person wasn’t there, and I was able to enjoy my relaxation safe in the knowledge that I was still right on track for success!

Waking up today, I went to the gym filled with a new vitality and energy. I knew that I had taken yet another step towards my success, and as Jerry puts it, my skin was now a lot thicker… my resilience to adversity greatly strengthened!

How would I have reacted had I not have listened to the Jerry Clark CD from Success University?

I don’t know, but I am sure that voice would have carried on for a long time, getting louder and more persuasive each time it delivered its message. I am reminded now of the importance to be constantly filling my own mind with positive thoughts, ideas and energy so that when the time comes, what I need will be there!

Thank you Jerry Clark for being there for me BEFORE I needed you!

So here is my question to you: how much positive information and personal development material are you filling your mind with? Brian Tracy says you should be investing at least 3% back into yourself… you are your own greatest asset! Chances are if you are reading this then you are into personal development and success strategies, but if you haven’t started yet, check out the following video to give you more of an idea!

And if you want a copy of this Jerry Clark CD, do yourself a massive favour and join Success University… the welcome pack alone makes it worthwhile! Here’s to all our successes!

RAAM 2008?

Talk about crazy! Thats probably the only way you can describe this event. I don’t want to give you too much information, so just sit back and watch the short video. One of two things will probably happen…

• Firstly, you will probably think “Dan is right, those guys are insane! No way I would do something like that!“. To be honest, this is probably the sane and sensible reaction!

• Secondly, you may find yourself drawn like a moth to the flame, inspired to become part of Team Inspiration’s challenge.

If you find yourself in the second group, I need to hear from you! Email me at madgroup@danstorey.com to find out more. We aren’t just looking for cyclists, but also crew members, drivers, masseurs etc… all contribution will be welcome! Don’t delay on this as the event is literally just months away! Together we can achieve greatness!

Visit www.teaminspiration.co.uk for even more details if you are MAD enough!

Is this REALLY the new way to Control Weight?

An article out today has apparently revealed that standing up may be as important as exercise when it comes to weight control (click here to read more). It would appear that the enzymes responsible for burning fat can tell what position our body is in and will adjust their activity accordingly. People that sit down too much are therefore unable to keep their weight under control. The answer is simply to stand up and “putter“.

What I see is yet another excuse for people to blame for being fat. As an ex-personal trainer, it may seem strange for me to admit being “Fat-ist” but, controversial as it sounds, I am. However, I do have different definitions for Overweight and Fat, and they are very similar to my ideas about Winners and Losers. I also think that the differences are obvious even on the outside.

Overweight people may have similar bodyweight, but their outlook is a polar opposite to Fat people. They are prepared to take responsibility for their situation, to admit that in the past they over-ate or under-exercised, and to stand accountable for the circumstances that they have created. Then they take the required action to change for the better, whatever it takes.

Zig Ziglar talks about the time when he was overweight and admitted that he “never ate anything by accident“, and that when he chose to over-eat one day, he chose to be overweight the next.

Fat people are constantly looking for ways to absolve responsibility. They blame their genetics, family history, metabolism, education, finance etc. They are continually looking outside of themselves for the answer to their problems, hence the massive market for slimming products and cosmetic surgery. These are the only ways that a Fat person will ever lose weight, albeit temporarily. This study, I feel, is just going to give them another excuse to remain in the same place.

Now I am not saying that we should all be super-athletic, but you should treat your body with respect at is has to last a long time. Also, when you get to your more advanced years, what would you rather have carry you around; a rusty old banger or a finely tuned and serviced classic vehicle?

“If I knew I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself”

Mickey Mantle

However, I do agree that people should move their body more. A few extra calories burned here and there will be significant throughout the year. Take the stairs instead of the escalator, park a little further from the supermarket door, do the washing up instead of using the dishwasher… it all helps! However, these can be done IN ADDITION rather than as an alternative.

Unfortunately, those years of abuse cannot be undone in a couple of weeks, no matter how hard you try. You have to make the commitment to long-term change rather than continually looking for the quick fix. It is this long-term motivation that helps with the occasional stumbling point, the occasional day off (in the case of weight loss, the odd indulgence), or when things don’t turn out quite as planned.

Remember, this mindset is required for success in all areas. Successful people are willing to lay good foundations before they attempt to build anything worthwhile. They take responsibility for their own results and then take whatever action is required in order to achieve their goals, maintaining a long-term focus. Adopt these ideas for yourself in all of your pursuits.

Want to know the Secret to Success?

People often ask me how to become more successful in different areas of their life. However, they often are disappointed at the answer that they receive. I guess they are expecting some magic formula, an esoteric teaching or maybe a super-success vitamin pill or something! Unfortunately, the truth is far less glamorous than that. The answer that people are looking for is simply this:

Do what successful people do!

Surprised? Well that is really all it takes to be successful! Want some proof? Look at all successful people; have they not done what successful people do? I guess you could call this one of those chicken-egg conundrums where you try to figure out which comes first. I am afraid I don’t have the answer to that riddle, but I can tell you that when it comes to success, you need to remember this phrase:

Energy follows commitment, it does not precede it!

What exactly does this mean? It means that when you take action, something happens in return. I mentioned Brian Tracy’s Law of Accelerating Acceleration in a previous post (click here) and this links very closely into that very theory. If you think about natural laws of the universe, the sowing always precedes the reaping. It would be crazy of a farmer to go into his field at harvest time and expect a crop to be there if he had not put in the work in the seasons before!

I tell this theory to many people and they often feel hard done by. They believe that success should be given to them, not something that they have to work hard at and earn! They say things like “well I’ll start when the time is right” or “I’ll put in the effort when I see the results“. Maybe in the past you have said things like this, I know I have! Remember, it only takes a moment to change your mentality to become a winner and a success!

I remember listening to an audio program of Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith who reminded me that energy follows commitment, and I realise that this works in two ways. For those of us who want to be successful it means that as we follow in the steps of other accomplished people, so shall more success be apparent in our lives. Not sure what to these activities are? Here are a few examples: Set goals, read a book on success, attend a seminar or training event, join a support group or network, listen to an audio CD, interview a successful person, take even just a small action in the direction of your goal. What we need to create is momentum, and by taking lots of little steps often we find ourselves moving faster and faster towards whatever it is we are focussing on.

However, for those of us on the wrong path at the moment, it means that more of those possibilities are also evident. Does this mean we are unable to change? Of course not, but it does mean that change will involve some effort and work from the individual. Ah… Work… Oh! You thought it was going to be easy? I’m afraid not! The easy path never leads to anywhere of any worth or value! It may be simple, but not easy!

So what is your challenge for this weekend? It’s simple (but not easy!); just take action (ideally massive action!) on one or more of the biggest goals and challenges you have set for yourself. Find out how far you can get in just one weekend; how much of your goal can you achieve in the next 2 days? If you have a large goal, break it down into lots of smaller actions so that you do not feel overwhelmed. You will find this makes building momentum a lot easier! I don’t care what you are doing; you can find time to make something happen if it is important enough to you! If not, you need to read my previous post about sitting on the fence!

Have a great weekend and I wish you success with your massive action!

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