Time For a New Chapter

chris-rainey-new-chapterIn less than 24 hours from when I’m writing this my life will begin yet another new chapter.

It’s funny and alarming at the same time just how much life can change within seconds, hours, days, and months.

2016 was a highlight year for me. I took control of my health and became the healthiest I’d ever been in my life. As a result of the work and effort I put in over the course of those twelve months I was a winner in the 1st Phorm Transphormation Challenge.

I loved the hours, days, and months of 2016.

At the beginning of 2017, I chose three words that I was going to focus on and have as my theme. I had no idea that those three words; grit, execute and disrupt would be so appropriate and prophetic.

The calendar changed and little did I know that I was headed into one of the most challenging years of my life. In the spring of 2017, I accepted a position with a new company. This required me and most of my family to move to Myrtle Beach, SC. I say most of my family because we left behind one of our sons and our daughter, her husband and our grandkids in St. Louis, MO. We had spent almost 5 years in St. Louis and had just started to put down some roots and then seemingly overnight, the roots were being ripped up.

Next came a number of health challenges in 2017. Earlier in the year, I had an operation to try and repair tendinitis in my elbow but it was unsuccessful. At the same time, I developed significant plantar fasciitis in my foot. Both of these injuries kept me out of the gym and sidelined me from working out for several months. I had been accustomed to being in the gym 5-6 times per week and with that being gone I was not only feeling the physical impact but the mental as well.

On top of a significant geographic move, leaving family, and dealing with physical setbacks I was learning a new job with a new company in a completely new industry. The stress of all of these things didn’t help with my health, physically or mentally. Over the course of the year, I fought depression. And if you know my story from the past few years you know that exercise has been my anti-depressant. So, with my injuries and not being able to exercise I was experiencing some dark times.

I didn’t love the hours, days, and months of  2017 too much.

BUT here’s what I’m grateful for and learned as I look back over the past 12 months.

  1. I’m grateful for a family who didn’t hold anything against for making the decision to take a chance and start a new job that moved us across the country. They loved me and supported me through it all.
  2. I’m grateful for a company that took a risk on hiring someone from outside their industry. They had faith in me and gave me the opportunity to do things I’d never done before.
  3. I’m grateful for meeting new people and forming new friendships.
  4. I’m grateful I’ve had the opportunity to live in a beautiful part of the country.
  5. I’m grateful for the good, bad, stressful, and everything in between experiences.
  6. I learned that I need to reach out to others in the hard and dark times for help and encouragement. There’s a lot I can carry myself but I can’t do life alone. Having people I can call, text or email and lean on is priceless.
  7. I learned what it meant to have true grit.
  8. I learned that even when you think you’ve made the wrong decision, it may be the right decision but disguised as a wrong one at the moment.
  9. I learned that I still need to learn how to effectively deal with regret, stress and the relationship those things have with the food I put in my mouth.
  10. I learned that there is a time and season for everything.

So, here I am at 10:10 PM on February 1st, 2018.

I’m thinking about the four (not three as in years past) words I chose for this year; renew, relentless, resilience, and victory. I believe those will define a lot of things over the next 11 months.

Now, onto the next new chapter.

On Monday, February 5th I’ll be starting a new job with an old company. I’ll be returning to Kerusso, where I spent over 8 years leading their marketing efforts. I’ll be rejoining an amazing team of people who are doing some incredible work. This will also allow me to work from home once again and put us in position to move back to North Carolina which has been a desire and goal of ours for several years.

Like I said, it’s funny and alarming what can happen within twelve months. I know I take time for granted way too much. But the fact is, it does move fast and we need to cherish it and soak it in.

I’m optimistic that I’ll enjoy the days, hours and months of 2018.

Be grateful. Be hopeful.

Never Settle!

 

Are You Building The Future You Want To Live In?

There are times when a song comes on the radio or a scene in a movie captures your thoughts and draws you in. Sometimes it’s the words on a page that cause you stop in your tracks. Those words compel you to contemplate and think; to think about the past, present, and future. When I read this quote, “We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims” it did all of those things.

To architect a future where you are the victor and not the victim takes work and specific actions.

The Battle in Your Head

The first step to architecting a better future starts with your mindset. The biggest challenge and battle you will always face sits squarely between your ears. It’s been said where the mind goes the body follows. What you believe and focus on is usually what you get.

Your number one priority now and forever must be putting things into your mind that cause you to believe for a better future, whatever that looks like for you. Listening to podcasts, reading books and surrounding yourself with people that fill your mind with belief that you will succeed is critical

Decisions

Once you have the right mindset you still have choices. You still must make the right decisions and act in a way that is line with your mindset.

Grit, Determination, Perseverance

At the end of the day architecting your future takes hard work. It’s a daily fight and struggle, granted, some days the fight and struggle is easier but rest assured it’s always there. There are no shortcuts or silver bullets.

Taking responsibility for your past, present and future is the only way to overcome and not become a victim. Develop grit, stay determined and persevere – fight for your future!

Two Ways to Achieve Your Summer Goals

Summer Goals 2017When you think of setting goals what comes to mind? Do you think it’s a bunch of ‘woo woo’? Do you think it’s only for the ultra-motivated athlete or business person? Do you think setting goals sets you up for failure?

In my mid-twenties I landed my first management gig at a large retail chain. I was responsible for almost 20 people and a multi-million dollar operation. This position required me to set goals for the sales of our store as well as each individual team member. So, I read everything I could from Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits to Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People in hopes of leading my team and store to success. I learned a lot from books, my mentors and life. Thankfully I was able to string together some goals that we not only achieved but blew away.

Those lessons have evolved over the years and I’ve applied them to multiple areas of my life including my health. I’ve realized that when I set goals I’m more likely to try and achieve them. As Wayne Gretzky has been quoted over and over, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Having goals gives me something to take a shot at.

Over 150 days have gone by this year. Did you have resolutions 151 days ago? How are those going? Is it time for a reset? Is it time to renew?

There are hundreds and thousands of ways to approach goal setting. There’s a flavor for everyone and no wrong way; if it helps you then go for it.

Here’s how I’ve set and achieving goals.

Small Goals

This goes against my nature and probably your nature. A few years ago I would set the goal of losing 30 pounds in 30 days. I would say this is the week I’m going to hit the gym every day. My goal would be to not eat any sugar for the next 30 days.

The problem for each of those was that they were totally unrealistic. For 45 years I had developed habits that were totally opposite. Think about that; I thought that by setting a goal was going to magically turn around 45 years of bad choices. The goal needs to be realistic and 30 pounds in 30 days isn’t very realistic, especially if you are making a lifelong commitment to health. If you are making a lifelong commitment then the next 30 days are a drop in the bucket, they are important but they aren’t the end goal.

48 Hour Goals

I took the approach of making two day goals. The next 48 hours seemed much more achievable than 7 days or 30 days. Out of those 48 hours I would be sleeping at least 12-16 so that left only 32-36 hours that I needed to manage. It’s not that I didn’t have goals that were further out, it was that I was focusing on achieving more immediate goals.

Wins Create Momentum

Getting some early wins keep you motivated to go after more wins. Achieving goals can easily take on a snowball effect. And when you start getting wins you start creating momentum and that is priceless to your success.

 

 

 

 

 

Your Environment Impacts Everything

Surfside Beach, SCAre You Even Aware?

This week marked a significant new chapter in my life. Several “ingredients” changed overnight. I moved to the Myrtle Beach, SC area. I started a new job. Now I’m surrounding myself with new people. The foods I’ve been eating have not been my normal diet. The amount of exercise I have been accustomed too has been impacted, in a negative way, due to five straight weeks of travel and moving.

How to Handle A New Environment

Over the past 5 1/2 years I have made three VERY significant geographic and career moves and each time I’ve learned a lot of new things. And, in some cases, having to learn some lessons again. If you find yourself in the midst of an environmental change these things will help you.

  1. Dive in head first and go all in.
  2. Don’t second guess your decision.
  3. Don’t let the challenges of learning an abundance of new things overwhelm you. You will learn how to get around the new city. You’ll find a new dentist. You’ll figure out where Starbucks is. You will figure out your new job. You will find a new gym. Whatever you need to learn, you’ll find a way.
  4. Start new habits and create new mindsets. Just because you’re in a new environment doesn’t mean habits and mindsets change automatically. Use the new environment as a catalyst to making needed changes.
  5. Explore your environment and be adventurous.
  6. Be grateful for your previous chapter, from the place you came from but look forward to what’s ahead even more.

Don’t ignore your environment. Embrace and engage with those parts that add value to your life and walk or RUN away from the parts that don’t.

 

Disruptions and Transitions

At the beginning of this year, one of the words I chose to frame my year was DISRUPTION. Little did I know when I chose that word that it would raise its head and present itself so quickly and with such force.

When disruption shows up at your door it doesn’t knock and ask if it can come in. No, it kicks the door down and stands in the center of your living room with its head held high. Disruption is not considerate. It does not ask for your permission. Disruption isn’t aware of time – it comes and goes as it pleases. It doesn’t consider your current circumstance or comfort level. Disruption doesn’t care who it impacts or what kind of chaos it causes.

Disruption requires you to change and respond in ways that leave you feeling vulnerable and not totally in control of your life. Disruptions lead to and demand you to transition into something new.

For me, the disruption that recently arrived at my doorstep has come in the way of a new job. This week I’m in transition from a company I’ve thoroughly enjoyed to a new company that has me extremely excited about the future.

Ryan Holiday said, “Don’t be afraid to make a change, a big one.”

When you embrace disruption and change TRANSITION begins. And transition brings about its own unique experiences.

Even if the transition is a good one it will come with a variety of emotion. You might experience a level of depression as you leave behind relationships. It’s normal to be anxious as you transition into something new and in some cases unfamiliar territory.

Transition means one chapter or season of your life is ending and a new chapter or season is beginning. When you can mentally acknowledge and accept this you are in a much better place for the transition to go more smoothly.

Maintaining a positive attitude and looking at the transition as an opportunity for better things in your life is extremely important. You have to keep a vision for the good that the transition can provide. Having realistic expectations during a transition is also critical, don’t expect everything to go as planned. And while some circumstances are out of your control, your attitude and response are totally within your control.

When disruption comes into your life and transition happens to you, embrace it and look forward to the journey.

 

 

3 Behaviors That Position You To Win

Did you wake up this morning and think to yourself, “I want to feel worse than I did yesterday?” Or maybe you said to yourself, “I want to have less money in my bank account than I did yesterday” Or, did you say to yourself, “I want my relationships to stink?” My guess is that you didn’t wake up this morning, or any other morning, thinking any of those things to yourself.

Most likely you woke up saying to yourself, “I want to be healthier, wealthier and wiser.” There was some part of you that wanted to be at least a little better than you were yesterday.

Three years ago I found myself in the worst health of my life (you can read more of that story here). After a fateful trip to my doctor I realized I had to make changes. At that point a tiny fire was lit and I began to capitalize on it. I began to do many things that turned my health around but there have been three behaviors which have been major keys to success, winning and getting healthier.

JOIN A CHALLENGE

One of the most motivating things for me is being part of a challenge. When I’m competing, achieving milestones and working towards an end goal I’m at my best. And when there’s a reward at the finish line, even better.

When you intentionally put yourself outside of your comfort zone you have to find strength you didn’t know you have had. You have to dig deep and learn new things that help you rise to the challenge. Authors Adam Morgan and Mark Barden explain that authentic success is really about changing our stories from “We can’t, because,” to “We can, if.”

BECOME PART OF A COMMUNITY

Laird Hamilton says, “A lonely place is an unmotivated place”

The first couple of years on my health journey were done without a lot of interaction with other people. I kept to myself and didn’t think connecting with others about exercise and diet would help much. But last year I was part of a few different health challenges that changed my perception on a community.

Last year I connected with a number of people who were at different points in regards to their health. I met coaches and trainers who have been helping people achieve their health goals for decades. My path crossed and I connected with people who had great insights on nutrition and supplementation. There were others that were in the same spot as me; they had been getting healthier but wanted to go to the next level. And then I met some who were where I had been, just getting started and needed encouragement to begin.

Throughout the year I got to know a lot of people and through those relationships experienced the best year of my life in regards to my health.

MAKE A COMMITMENT TO CHANGE

You will have daily opportunities to turn back to where you came from. If you are going to make long-lasting, long-impacting change it takes daily commitment.

When you are part of a community there’s accountability and encouragement to change and stick with the commitment. You have others around you, on the same journey and pursuing similar goals that keep your tank full. And when you have a “why” like a challenge, there’s a purpose that drives you and helps you stay on track.

Change takes time which is why you have to stay committed to the process. You have to be patient. And if you are looking to lose weight or change the composition of your body you have to change your thinking and know it will be a lot of work and effort. I found that taking pictures of myself along my journey helped me to see the changes that the scale didn’t reveal. In addition to the photos, I also took my body measurements every couple of months because those also revealed what the scaled did not.

SUCCESS AND WINNING IS YOUR DECISION

You are not at the mercy of your circumstances, body type, personality or anything else. Getting healthier begins with a decision to get healthy. Putting these three behaviors; challenge, community, and commitment to change into practice will help you maintain that decision.

 

 

 

Everyone Has Been a Beginner In The Gym

Have you let the fear of not knowing how to do something prevent you from trying something you’ve never done before?Have you let the fear of “being a beginner” hold you back from starting or learning something new that will benefit your life? This is where I was at with my health a few years ago.

I hadn’t been in a gym in years, actually, it was more like a couple decades, at least. Let me tell you, there were plenty of intimidating images that ran through my mind when I thought of what it must be like inside those four walls. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt it was full of beautiful buff people. Inside those doors were guys and girls that were ripped, shredded and bursting with amazing physiques. Elite bodybuilders and magazine cover models dwelled inside the iron shrine, not middle-aged dudes who could barely climb a flight of stairs.

Then there were the thoughts of how I would look. Forget about the beautiful people, how was I going to look working out? When I thought of getting on an elliptical machine or treadmill the only thing that went through my head were  YouTube videos of people ending up on their butt or face. And then I won’t even get into my fears of how I would looking lifting weights – ha!

When I made the decision to hit the gym and start exercising there were a couple of things that I had to face head on right away.

Fear of Not Doing it Right (And Looking Stupid)

Nobody likes to look stupid and the fear of not knowing how to work the equipment, do certain exercises and even stretch properly was a real deal for me. I didn’t want to look like the inexperienced gym-goer that I was. Obviously, from the way I looked, I had little experience in the gym, but still…ego played a part 🙂

The one thing I realized after walking through the doors was this; there were plenty of other people in the same place that I was. I wasn’t alone and there were others; men and women of all ages wanting to get healthier just like me. People just like me were learning how to use the equipment and when I saw that the fear of not doing things right or looking stupid began to fade.

Unrealistic Expectations

Having unrealistic expectations in regards to weight loss, becoming fit and healthier was, and still is sometimes, one of the biggest challenges I deal with. Everyone wants to see results right away. Everyone wants the magic bullet. But the uncomfortable fact is that it takes work. It takes eating right, using the appropriate supplements and sweating a lot to get the results.

Three Keys for Beginners

  1. Start at your own pace – don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Don’t be concerned about how fast or long someone is running on the treadmill. Don’t focus on the guys or girls who are ripped because they’ve been working out for most of their life. The most important thing for you is to start and not give up.
  2. Set realistic expectations – make up your mind that you are in this for the rest of your life. For more than 20 years I didn’t eat right and didn’t exercise. You don’t turn around years of living unhealthy in a few weeks or even a few months. It takes time to get healthy so develop that mindset from day one.
  3. Connect with a community of people who share the same health goals as you.

Three Words for 2017

3 Words 2017

Happy New Year – 2017.

Over the past few years (here’s a link to 2016) instead of choosing to create a list of resolutions I’ve picked three words that create a theme or an outline for the upcoming year. As always, big thanks to Chris Brogan for turning me onto this idea!

Why Three Words?

Let me say this first, I like lists. Like most “list people” I love the feeling of accomplishment and checking off the items on my list. When I think of a list I automatically think of getting a task done and then moving on. So, when I think of resolutions they aren’t something I just want to “get done”. I want to create more than a resolution and a checklist, I want to do things that lead to a long-term lifestyle change.

As I look ahead a year from now what do I want my life to look like? What story do I want to tell and create?  To create that life story it takes more than a checklist, it takes a blueprint of sorts. By choosing three words I have a guide that I can apply to different areas of my life throughout the year.

For example, when I set a health goal for myself I will use my three words to guide me in my approach. I’ll use those three words in relation to the food I eat. Those three words will provide motivation in regards to my exercise. Hopefully, you get the idea.

My Three Words For 2017

Grit

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, grit is defined as “firmness of character; indomitable spirit.” Angela Duckworth (author of the book Grit), edited this definition to be “perseverance and passion for long-term goals.”

I’m wanting to develop a tenacity and a grit in my approach to the physical, mental and spiritual areas of my life.

Execute

Moving beyond planning and “dreaming” to executing on my ideas and plans.

Disrupt

Intentionally doing things that disrupt my life and my routines that lead to new experiences and lifestyle changes.

That’s it – those are my three words. Those are the three words that I’ll be thinking about and letting guide me over the next 365 days.

Let’s roll!

 

My Transphormation Starts Today – Final Week – Update 1

This has been an incredible year – plenty of ups, downs, twists and turns but being a part of the MyTransphormationChallenge has been a constant source of encouragement. It has pushed me to become better in many areas of my life, not just health.

So, as the final week is happening I wanted to share it with you through some videos. I’m going to share some of the highs and lows, what eating habits have helped me the most, what types of exercise have been the most beneficial, supplements that have helped and the power a being part of a community.

My hope is that this week will encourage you to end 2016 strong so you can head into 2017 and make it even stronger.

 

 

 

Don’t Give Up Just Because “Life Happens”

If you woke up today and are reading this then there’s a good chance that something happened OR will happen that you didn’t see coming. Your car breaks down, you trip on the stairs and twist your ankle, your computer crashes, your child is sick, you didn’t get the promotion, etc…The point is “LIFE” is going to happen, the stress of those situations is going to come crashing in and you have two options in how you respond and how you let it affect you and your health.

Option One: Let Stress Get The Best of You

Consider these facts as reported by WebMD

  • Forty-three percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress.
  • Seventy-five percent to 90% of all doctor’s office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.
  • Stress can play a part in problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety.
  • The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) declared stress a hazard of the workplace. Stress costs American industry more than $300 billion annually.
  • The lifetime prevalence of an emotional disorder is more than 50%, often due to chronic, untreated stress reactions.

Before I got serious about my health I was experiencing each of these to some extent. When I encountered stress my immediate reaction was – FOOD. Even today, as in just a few hours ago of writing this blog post, I faced a big serving of stress and I immediately felt the desire to go hunting for something to eat.

Option Two: Conquer Stress and Win

Stress definitely has it’s roots in the mind and there are a number of mental tools to deal with that side of stress. But, one thing I have found that help keep stress in it’s place is the dreaded E-word; EXERCISE. And yes, I get it and have been there – nobody wants to talk about it or do it but if you are going to conquer stress it’s going to take work. There will be a level of discomfort involved.

Exercise

My personal experience with exercise and the positive impact it has had on my ability to deal with stress has been incredible. Over the last eighteen months I have experienced a physical change in my brain, no just my mind and emotions. If I miss working out for more than two days I start to feel the effects in my brain. I will begin to feel slower in my ability to process things and will lose my mental edge.

The American Psychology Association reports the following:

Biologically, exercise seems to give the body a chance to practice dealing with stress. It forces the body’s physiological systems — all of which are involved in the stress response — to communicate much more closely than usual: The cardiovascular system communicates with the renal system, which communicates with the muscular system. And all of these are controlled by the central and sympathetic nervous systems, which also must communicate with each other. This workout of the body’s communication system may be the true value of exercise; the more sedentary we get, the less efficient our bodies in responding to stress.

How I Started Exercising

I love challenges. Over the past three years I’ve competed in several different health challenges. Even as I’m writing this post I am finishing a year long challenge sponsored by 1st Phorm supplements called My Transphormation Starts Today. But I love the competition and being in the trenches with a group of other people pushing towards a shared goal.

Through my challenges I have learned a number of things.

First, I’ve learned NOT to set unrealistic goals. If you haven’t exercised in quite a while don’t expect to run three miles within ten minutes your first time out. Don’t expect to lift like Arnold your first time slinging the barbells. Set your expectations high enough that you are going to need to sweat and work hard, but not high enough that you become discouraged fifteen minutes into your first workout.

Second, you need to be consistent. I started exercising three times a week and doing 30 minutes on the elliptical machine. Over the course of the first six months I worked up to three times a week at sixty minutes per session. But, by the end of my first year I was hitting the gym five times a week and doing a variety of cardio and core exercises. During the second and third year of my health journTrust the Processey I began to lift weights in addition to my cardio. But the key was staying consistent and committed to working out.

Third, trust the process. Eric Thomas says you have to fall in love with the process. And when you fall in love with the process the results will come. You have to take a long term outlook with your health. If you are looking for a quick fix and not a lifelong change then give it up now. You will need patience and when things are tough and you aren’t seeing a lot of change you will have to trust the process and know that your persistence will bring the results.

Life is always going to happen but in the midst of it you have to stay committed to your goals, remain consistent and trust the process. Don’t give into the temptation of justifying poor choices just because “life happens”. Push back against “life” and run towards the prize of a healthy and productive life.