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Muskoka Resolutions

It's January and you've decided that this is the year you're going to do 'it'. Write a book, lose weight, run a marathon. Where do you start? Why do you so often fail? As the owner of Muskoka Fitness these are familiar questions. Our club members enjoy great success because they have the courage to get started. It's no big secret; put something in to get something out. Success requires starting. 100% of the time, people who never start never reach their goal.

A disturbing resounding theme in our culture is:

"Reward me now and I'll pay you later."

How much heat will your fireplace provide if you don't fill it with wood? What sort of raise can you expect if you don't show up for work? How about a good grade if you don't study for the test? It seems silly to expect reward when we haven't done any of the work doesn't it?

Imagine standing in the cold, looking at the cold ashes in your fireplace. Angry and upset, there is no heat to warm your hands. It doesn't matter that there is a nice dry pile of wood next to you, a box full of matches, and all sorts of paper. You're cold! It would be really nice to light a fire while it's already burning, wouldn't it? The glow of hot embers would make you warm, and crumpling the paper, placing the kindling and piling the logs would be a lot easier.

Can you imagine approaching your employer and asking for their job? Lets say you've never shown up on time, you've rarely contributed to the workplace, and you're not qualified. However, you feel that you would just 'function' better being in charge. 'Make me the boss and I promise that I'll learn how to run things, I'll show up on time, and will contribute to the workplace. Give me the raise now, and I'll earn it later.' If only climbing the company ladder could be so easy!

What about a student looking at a failing grade on their report card? ' I know that I missed all the classes, didn't study, and was disruptive. Give me a passing grade now, and I promise that I'll study once I get into university. I'll take the time then'. Good study habits take practice. How would you ever earn your degree with this kind of work ethic?

Fitness isn't something that just happens. Bringing the garbage to the road, cutting the grass, or playing wii fit doesn't count. If you think these activities make a difference then ask yourself why 58% of people in the District of Muskoka are considered obese (8% higher than the national average)?

Do you want to be successful in your Fitness Program? Of course you do. You must realize and accept that you cannot attain good health on credit. You must put the effort in up front. More than likely you're already in overdraft. Make a change. Begin by showing up.

You've taken the first step; now what? Find your Motivation.

Our brain is wired to be risk averse. Have you noticed that when you are about to lose something, it suddenly becomes important? Here's two situations. a) Someone owes you 50 dollars and it's been a while since it happened. It bothers you and you've been meaning to call them to collect but, you have no time, it's an awkward phone call, and it's just not convenient to go pick it up. b) Now, you're having dinner with some friends in their apartment, the children are sleeping, you've just finished a wonderful meal and having a wonderful conversation. You look out the window and notice the police writing you a ticket for your expired parking spot. You drop your wine, trip over the dog waking the children, sprint to the door, take 3 flights of stairs and argue your defence to the officer...all for a 15 dollar fine.

The bottom line is that we fear losing our health more than we work towards being healthy. Lose your health and all of a sudden we're motivated! Not the best time to start a new exercise program. An alternative solution is being pro active and pursuing a healthy lifestyle. Find some real motivators; playing with your children, running for a cause, making a difference! Are you physically active? I don't mean passive active, I mean active active! I hope so.

Unfortunately, we often don't know that we're on a path to loss, we don't always see it coming. If you've been blessed with good health by doing nothing, you are more than likely already losing it.

Resolution.

The reward will follow the effort.

Decide if your health is important to you. Is your health something you would miss if it were taken away? Respect yourself. Commit to Exercise. Surround yourself with success. Otherwise, you're choosing to be complacent. Proactively seek groups of people who have a higher standard for fitness and health. There are always others who are on the same journey or have already achieved it. Jump in! We're waiting for you.

Andre Bourque

Muskoka Fitness Club

Bracebridge

If.

Back to making resolutions, or better yet some life defining thoughts.

Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( 1865 - 1936 )

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

better than not getting it done

So lets get this started early, sort of.

New years resolutions will soon be happening for 2010, but what am I to do with the ones left over from 2009? I figure I have a week to make good on all that stuff which I never took action on.

So here's the first...