Motivation Monday

Since my Blog has grown and I have found that there are so many things to discuss and provide, I will be moving forward with more "themed" days. 

Mondays will be, "Motivation Monday." We could all use that extra push on Mondays (along with that extra coffee)!

One of my most favorite motivational quotes belongs to Jim Rohn, who says, "Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going."

Motivation comes from within, but is typically driven by or sustained by an outside force (person, thought, action, etc.). What is motivating for one person, will not necessarily be motivating for the next. Some are motivated by a need, others by a want. 

What's important is that you find your motivation. If you don't have any - get some. Without it, you won't form a habit and without a positive habit in place, you likely will not form positive change.

When it comes to your health, fitness and overall vibrant lifestyle - think about my 3 thoughts/questions to find your own motivation: 

• What do you want to accomplish? Set the goal, write it down and have it in your view. You'll be more likely to stay motivated.
• What will the outcome of goal achievement mean for you? (Weight loss, vibrancy, healthier, happier, fitter, etc?) Use motivation as your bridge to that place.
• Just do it. Stop being lazy.

And back to Mr. Rohn, "Motivation is what gets you started....." So what are you waiting for? Get started today - after all, remember last weekend when you said, "Starting on Monday.....?!?"

Stay tuned for next Monday when I'll give you my ways to beat your exercise boredom!

When the going gets Tough....

How many times have you been kicked down and thought, "Wow, how am I going to get myself up and ready for the next challenge?" I guarantee that every single time this has happened you ultimately have gotten up and moved on with it. The only question is,

"HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU?"

Don't let anything take you down for too long, if at all! Get up, look it in the eye and keep moving! 

Of course you have no idea what I'm talking about (okay, maybe like 5 people reading this do). I will reveal it soon - what I'm up to - what I've been up to! 

It's so true...."When the going gets tough, the tough get going (and creative!!)"

Until then, CHEERS!

(Monday-Eve) Inspiration

Sometimes I think that we could all use a little "gas for the engine" on Sunday nights to get prepared for the week ahead!

So I'm giving that to my reader's tonight. 

I received an email this weekend from someone I look up to and respect a lot. I have held this close to me all day since reading it. He told me, 

"Successful entrepreneurs are built on a foundation of failures."

This could not have come at a better time for me. I would guess many of you reading this can relate as well. 


Heading into each and every single week, I have an optimistic outlook. What's exciting for me (now) is the thought of "what if," and never "I am dreading tomorrow because it's Monday." 

I get these visions, imaginations and make my "To Do" list for the week in hopes of moving up, shaking it up and finding the success I'm working so hard to create.


But with that - ultimately - will come (and have come) failures. For you. And for me. 


Heading into the new week, I move forward like I always do - many visions, imaginations & a "To Do" list so large that I just may get great with prioritizing! And I remember, "Successful entrepreneurs are built on a foundation of failures." I know it's coming!

CHEERS!

And ps. Happy Birthday to my Baby Great Dane, Reagan, who turned 2 years old today! She is our heart - our lives would not be the same without her.

ME dot COM

My friend, Ted Rubin says, "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... it's about learning to dance in the rain."

I absolutely love that! But it's time for me to act that out.


Lately, I have been too consumed with work. That's the problem with Social Media and having a career focused around a computer - it's always there! And I have let it consume me. 

Couple that with my inability to run, run, run and I have basically just been nearly "cooped-up," allowing myself to be burried in the computer. 


No More! I am not waiting for my "feet storm" to pass, feeling sorry for the fact that "I can't run." And I'm certainly not going to fore go it while sitting by my computer working!


Time for action! It's not realistic for me to say, "I promise to turn my technology off for 3 hours each day." And the truth is, I don't want to! I currently work with certain individuals who inspire me each and every single day. And for that, I give back my time, energy and brain. But, I must always remember ME first! So, like a diet, I'm not making promises I can't keep (the computer stays on!). The best laid plans will fail with unrealistic goals.

My new "goals" are in the works. I like to call them: ME dot COM. And what does that mean? It means merging my love for Health/Fitness and Food with Social Media once again! Remember ME on NIKE? One project has already begun with Mr. Bob Stanke, Director of Social Media for Lifetime Fitness.

But what will be next?! My "Wild" Card is out there....  

Everything Starts at the Beginning

I got little sleep last night. I laid awake thinking about the last 5 simple words our CEO, Chris Ruggieri, sent me via email last night:

Everything Starts at the Beginning

I kept thinking about what a simple and yet engaging and exciting idea that is! We are all so excited in life because of what we work so hard to produce as the outcome. We strive to be the best we can because we can't wait for success to turn tables. 


Yet, reality is that it's the beginning and the middle that count the most. Sandra Bullock said it best in Hope Floats, "Beginnings are scary. Endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most. And you need to remember that when you find yourself at the beginning."


Today those 5 simple words are still fresh in my mind, lingering there. But today I'm more excited about the beginning. 


I'm excited about the ideas that are generated in the beginning, followed by the process of implementation in the middle and finally end up in pure success! (And if at first we don't succeed, we just re-invent until we get it right. But we appreciate, learn from and have a ton of fun doing it!)


And here's to great beginnings! CHEERS!

2010: A Brand New Year and a Brand New Decade

Happy New Year!

I spent most of my first day of the Brand New Year and Brand New Decade resting, relaxing and detoxing. I needed to after the fun last night!

I have completely dived back into the GAPS Diet. Today I gave my system a much needed "break" from digestion. I ate very little (chicken and turkey) but focused more on broth and water. Now that Day 1 is over, I can move on. This week, though, I will remain completely carb free, except for maybe 1/2 a ripe banana and/or well-cooked allowed vegetables. I will be back on all Probiotics, Enzymes and Probiotic Foods. I can guarantee that come Wednesday or before I will be feeling amazing!

I am so excited for this Brand New Year, 2010 and the Brand New Decade! There are so many things I'm looking forward to and so many goals I have put out there for myself.  


I want this year to be another year of change! Change is good! We need to keep "shaking it up!" I find that it's the moment I let myself become complacent that I am not as happy. Each day I reinvent myself, my thoughts and my attitude is just one step closer to another goal accomplished! 


I am reminded, yet again, of my Power Quote from the Curly Girl Designs, 

"I am fairly certain that given a Cape and a nice tiara, I could save the world."

I believe it's as simple as that and as simple as this: Positive attitude. Quirky thoughts. Random-ness. A good laugh, smile or cry. And Passion. LOTS OF PASSION!

Goals are waiting and ready to be achieved....CHEERS!

if better is possible - good is not enough

I found a Nike Blog post in July stating that they were looking for "Nike+ 10K Human Race Ambassdor's."

It sounded like fun to me. I applied on July 30th. The first two sentences of my email stated,

Choose me to be one of your Nike Ambassadors!
I promise to make Nike proud!

On August 3rd, just days after, I received an email from Nike. Their first two sentences were,

Congratulations! You have been selected to be a
Nike+ Human Race Ambassador.

Life has not been the same since! I have a quote that says, "if better is possible - good is not enough." This quote should have been my Human Race Ambassador Motto; I am now certain of that.

From August - October 24, 2009, I would habitually wake up everyday at 4:30am. I would check my email and respond to new or existing Pied Pipers. I would then head to my favorite coffee shop to "strategize, plot and plan" until about 6am. At 6am I would hit the gym to run and/or lift weights. (Since I was asking my team to run and then run some more, I felt it was nothing less than absolutely essential for me to be doing the same. I believe: Leadership does not exist without the leader doing as they wish to have done.) I would get home around 7:30am, at which point I would check more emails, shower and head to work. I would work my regular, full-time job, from about 8:30-5pm, fight traffic and get home. The rest of each and every night was devoted to the recruitment, development, inspiration, motivation and Social Media Marketing for the Nike+ Human Race promotion and the Pied Piper Team I worked so hard for!

And then on October 25, 2009 it was over. I had given the "run" everything I had. My only hope and wish at that point was that the team I had built enjoyed it all, ran their hearts out and (mostly) respected, appreciated and were (even more than before) motivated by not only Nike+ & the Nike+ Challenges but also by me, Sarah Kay Hoffman!

On October 29, 2009 it was announced that my team, Team Pied Piper, had WON the Nike Human Race Ambassador's Challenge!

Here is what they did during that short amount of time:

• Built my Pied Piper Facebook Fan Page to 723 Fans
• Grew to a team of 1,039
  
• Ran 114,390 miles (whew!)

In addition, the Pied Pipers had the most people sync their 10K runs on 10.24.2009. Mission was 100% accomplished! THANK YOU!

The Nike+ Human Race might be over, but I still believe...."if better is possible - good is not enough." I found my Passion in recruiting, developing, inspiring, motivating, leading through Social Media Marketing and through this wonderful (and yet crazy) Virtual-osity. I am not ready for it to be over. I am not ready to stop doing what I love so much! I can't wait to help the next person and/or company get from HERE to THERE! I can't wait to watch myself get from HERE to THERE!

Thank you, Nike (for the opportunity)!
Thank you, Pied Pipers (for having Passion and spreading that Passion)!
Thank you, Ryan (my husband who didn't see me for 3 months, for supporting me)!

Tonight I'm just simply thankful.

Tomorrow morning, I'll just simply be thankful for my coffee and the opportunity to "strategize, plot and plan" my next endeavor!

Something out of "Nothing"

Day 96.

It's not always easy. It's not always fun. BUT....eating few foods and few ingredients can still be good!

I know a girl from back home who just found out there are many foods she cannot have, either. Her nutritionist put her on a very strict diet and is adding food in every week. Here is a comprehensive list of what she can eat currently:

• Chicken. Turkey. Millet. Quinoa (but she doesn't like this one). Green Pea. Mushroom. Carrot. Apricot. Grapefruit. Banana. Orange. Cheddar Cheese. American Cheese. Olive. Cashew. Honey. Mustard. Maple. Crab. Barley. Amaranth. Eggplant. Celery. Cucumber. Honeydew Melon. Avocado. Grape. Plum. Whey. Cottage Cheese. Pistachio. Almond. Black Pepper.

Small list, right? Wrong! With a little creativity, a lot of positivity and a "foodie" on your side, this turns into a fabulously delicious list. And here's to you, Colette, some ideas:

Breakfast

1. Fruit Cup: 1/4 c. each of: Apricot, Grapefruit, Banana, Grapes, Honeydew Melon and Orange (If desired - Added Protein: 1/2 c. Nonfat Cottage Cheese.)
2. Millet "Oatmeal": Millet mixed with a tiny Organic Maple Syrup and chopped Almonds.
3. Cucumber/Carrot/Banana Food Smoothie: 1 Cucumber + 1 Carrot + Banana

Lunch/Dinner

1. Salad: Green Pea, Mushroom, Carrots, Celery and Cucumber. (If desired - Added Protein: Grilled Chicken or Turkey.)(Dressing: 1 part honey and 1 part mustard. May need to add a little water to thin out.)
2. Salad: Millet (cooked ~ 1/2-1 c.) mixed with Grilled chicken, chopped Almonds and Olives.
3. Cubed Chicken + Cubed American Cheese + Sliced Cashews
4. Stir Fry: Grilled Chicken or Turkey + Green Peas + Mushroom + Celery + Slivered Almonds. Add just a touch of Honey/Maple Syrup and Pepper (if desired)
5. "Pasta": Melt cheese. Add grilled mushrooms to it. Pour it over Quinoa (just try it!) and add either Grilled Chicken or Turkey to it.
   

Snacks

1. Almond "Sandwich": 2 Almonds + 1 small dried apricot ring. (Apricot goes in between the almonds) Make a few of these.
2. Celery + Raw, Unsalted Almond Butter.
3. Freeze grapes. Eat them frozen. Enough said!

And of course, as always, eating any of those foods - alone - is a great idea! I heard an awesome quote today from someone who "gets this!" It goes,

"Eat Boring, Have an Exciting Life."

That is such a true statement. And we need to remember this when life "gets us down" about what we can/cannot have!

I felt pretty good today. I lifted this morning and did my 8-mile run tonight! My mouth was about a 5/6. My stomach was not bloated at all. It hurt a little post run after I ate. Not bloated, just things were moving.

I am so excited for tomorrow - Kenny Chesney in San Francisco!

Here was my day:

Breakfast (Post-Workout)

• 1/4 Fruit Fusion
• Steel Cut Oats + Unsweetened Rice Milk+ Nutribiotic Vanilla Rice Protein Powder
• Cafe Au Lait (Vanilla Soy + Stevia)

Snack

• Nutribiotic Vanilla Rice Protein Powder with Unsweetened Rice Milk, Coconut Light Milk, Flax, and Stevia
  

Lunch

• (Steamed) Spinach + garlic
  
• 1/2 c. Quinoa mixed with XLean Turkey + dill
  

Snack

• Coconut-Hemp Smoothie
• Apple
• Raw, Organic Carrot
  

Snack (pre-workout)

• XLean Turkey + dill
• 1/2 Fruit Fuison
  

Dinner (post-workout)

• Grilled chicken
• Romaine Lettuce
• Quinoa + Sea Salt
  
• Maple Syrup + Balsamic Vinaigrette
• 1/4 Fruit Fusion

To Colette: I hope you enjoyed this blog posting!