Ok I know what you’re thinking……”I don’t have time to journal!!!! Life is crazy busy enough without adding more stuff to it.”

To respond to this very common reaction….here are a few things I want you to know about me:

1 – I am an extremely disorganized person. (just ask my husband)

2 – I HATE making lists of any sort

3 – If I make a list……I forget where I put it.

4 – I have never been successful at keeping a journal for ANY reason

But…..over the past few years I have made it a priority to start looking at what and who I want to be as a Trainer. I want to be the kind of trainer who inspires other trainers. I want to be a mentor to my clients and others around me. But I have realized I have a lot of cleaning up to do in my own life for that to happen. Over the past several months I started my 6,794th attempt at journaling (yes, I like to exaggerate too). What has this done even to an unorganized person like myself? Two things: 1) It opened my eyes to holes in my own fitness journey (what specific areas am I weak and neglecting in my workouts), and 2) It opened my eyes to my successes (what am I good at, etc)…..which is very important. Always, always, always…… be willing to look for and correct your blind spots so you can grow, but then take time to celebrate your gifts and your strengths. Be your biggest fan!!

My challenge to you:

1 – start a journal

2 – Pre-Plan your workouts even if you don’t do exactly what you have written down for that day. I make last minute changes all the time to my workouts based on how my body feels that week. Listen to your body. If you’ve killed it for 3 days straight and you aren’t able to do what normally comes easy and are just flat out fatigued….then maybe it’s time for some yoga or a leisurely walk that day instead. Rest and recovery are so important and a journal will tell you if you are allowing your body time to recover.

3 – Write down WHY you are doing this…….

4 – Write down WHAT you WILL accomplish…….

5 – Then look at your WHY and WHAT each and every day. Tape it to your mirror. Make it the first thing you see each day in your journal. Say it out loud everyday as a mission statement. Believe you will become what and who you want to be.

And then…..what about Nutrition? Don’t work hard to journal your fitness journey/goals and then forget the most important piece. Write down what you eat/drink every day. Write down new ideas and recipes. Write down your struggles and why you break down and binge on that bag of cookies on certain nights or when certain stresses are thrown your way. Then…..write down what happened and how you felt that day when you got it all right. All of the ups and downs are important in order for you to learn why you react certain ways to food and how you can fight it.

My biggest tip……the hardest lesson I have learned by failing MANY times myself: YOUR WORKOUTS AND YOUR FITNESS LEVEL WILL REFLECT HOW YOU FUEL YOUR BODY. Feed it junk…..the output will be junk. Feed it right…..welcome to wonder land……your body will respond in ways you have probably never experienced if you are like the average American eater.

My guess why a lot of you will choose not to journal even after reading this blog is that deep down you aren’t ready to see what you are doing wrong staring back at you in black and white. We don’t like to admit when WE are to blame, do we? But when you reach that point when “enough is enough” and you’re tired of “getting no where”…..then it’s time to look in the mirror at the person ultimately responsible.

Take responsibility for your life. Stop allowing all the excuses in the book keep you from being who you want to be. Don’t live defeated any longer.

Do I still fail? Absolutely. And after I pick myself back up off my feet…..I always learn something.

“Fall seven times. Stand up eight.”