This is one of the slooooooo-west weeks of the year – unless, of course, you sell champagne and party hats.

Naturally when everyone else slows down, so do we.

Most people don’t do much of anything this week (even if they’re “working”) except relax or vacation, eat left over holiday food and relive all the top stories of 2011 on TV or the Internet.

Already people are saying, “Well figure it out next week” or, “Let’s work on this in the New Year” or, “I’ll have so and so call you next week.”

I get it.

We all have to rest. All work and no rest makes for a very tired.

We all have things we want to change. BUT, at this point of the year, it’s so easy to give in to our short term, irrational mind.

Why?

We have THE most perfect excuse, ever.

“I will start on January 1st!”

It’s incredible, right?

No, I’m not saying we need to start taking action on ALL of our goals for the New Year right now. After all, I want to relive the top stories of 2011!

But telling myself, “I’ll start on January 1st.” is pure bull-secretion, unless…

I say that because when we wait until January 1st, the date itself becomes the agent of change. Instead of us!

Change happens when WE decide it’s going to happen. It happens in an instant. In a flash. It doesn’t care what day of the year it is.

And then…and then…it ONLY happens we fight like heck to make sure we have all of the tools and support necessary to back up that decision. Because if we don’t, our short term, irrational mind is going to be relentless in trying to fight our long term, rational mind at the first hint of discomfort.

Because after all, change is uncomfortable.

(Are you ready for a run-on sentence? I know I am!)

So, if we find ourselves watching (or reading) the top stories of 2010, and on the verge of ignoring our long term, rational mind, and not taking the action we really want to take – like going to the gym, or returning that gift, or cleaning that closet out – because we’ll just do it on “January 1st” — because we (want to) think we’ll become this “different” person — because of the date, let’s call bull-secretion.

And at least acknowledge that if we don’t change our actions, we can’t expect our outcomes to change either.

We’re better than that.

**
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For a few of us, it seems as though once it was officially the holiday season – our motivation officially started to fall.

I hear ya. BUT, I’m not so sure it’s our motivation as much as it is our environment.

Because in the face of GINORMOUS temptation, it’s easy to start questioning why we’re doing this. In the face of GINORMOUS temptation our motivation fades.

Hold up.

What is a temptation anyway?

My definition is very simple: A temptation is something – anything – that makes us think irrationally.

Our motivation fades because our rational and long term mind is asleep while our irrational and short term mind is W I D E awake.

But even so, even after all of my rational/irrational talk, what’s the point of this? Why bother?

I figure now (TEMPTATION) is as good a time (TEMPTATION) as ever to remind (TEMPTATION) you why because (TEMPTATION) there is temptation everywhere (TEMPTATION).

(See what I just did there?)

But first let’s start with the question, “Why?”

Why do you want to lose weight? Why do you want to get more fit? Why do you want to accomplish your professional goals? Why do you want to accomplish your personal goals? What is your goal in life?

When I ask people these questions, I get a lot of different answers.

Whatever your goal is, think about the answer to the next question: Why?

And then keep asking yourself why.

What’s so fascinating to me is that if we keep asking ourselves, “Why?” enough times, we’ll arrive at the same answer that most people do.

We’re all doing what we do because we believe it’ll ultimately make us happier.

I think the end goal of anything we do is: happiness. However, I think happiness is a very ambiguous term. Instead, I’m very interested in how I can become happier (and how I can help other people become happier).

Not that I’m unhappy. I’ve always been a happy person…

But why not be as happy as I possibly can be? Life is short.

We might as well be as happy as we possibly can be.

These questions and thoughts are what led me to write all of these posts.

So, here’s a question I’ve been noodling on, and it helps me a lot:

“Will this make me happier?”

But you have to be honest with yourself when you ask that to yourself.

Let’s explore a little:

I’m not saying I’m unhappy when I’m shoveling a burger and fries into my face. I’m not saying I’m unhappy when I’m eating ice cream. No. Not at all. That makes me happy.

At least, while I’m eating it.

I’m saying I’m happIER when I eat healthfully.

I’m not saying I’m unhappy when I’m lounging around watching TV. That’s fun!

I’m saying I’m happIER when I’m moving around and enjoying my fitness! That’s MORE fun!

I’m not saying I’m unhappy when I have a great meal and overeat because the food is just so tasty.

I’m saying I’m happIER when I leave the table feeling satisfied and not stuffed.

When are you happier if you’re really and truly honest with yourself?

And of course, our rational and long term mind knows the answers. The challenge is that in the face of temptation everywhere – we lose sight of what makes us happier because we’re thinking irrationally.

By asking yourself this question (“Will this make me happier?”) it helps you to think rationally, and that’s the key.

**
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On Friday, I sent out a riddle. I offered the first person who responded with the correct answer, AND an explanation of why they picked what they did – a $50 gift card to Amazon.

From time to time, I like to do fun things where somebody can win something, and this is the first time no one has won.

A few people sent in the correct answer but without any explanation.

Sad story.

Here is the riddle, one more time:

The Facts:

1. There are five houses in a row in different colors.
2. In each house lives a person with a different nationality.
3. The five owners drink a different drink, smoke a different brand of cigar and keep a different pet, one of which is a Walleye Pike.

The Question:

Who owns the fish?

Some Hints:

1. The Brit lives in the red house.
2. The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
3. The Dane drinks tea.
4. The green house is on the left of the white house.
5. The green house owner drinks coffee.
6. The person who smokes Pall Malls keeps birds.
7. The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhills.
8. The man living in the house right in the center drinks milk.
9. The man who smokes Blends lives next to the one who keeps cats.
10. The Norwegian lives in the first house.
11. The man who keeps horses lives next to the one who smokes Dunhills.
12. The owner who smokes Bluemasters drinks beer.
13. The German smokes Princes.
14. The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
15. The man who smokes Blends has a neighbor who drinks water.

This IS solvable with all the information provided.

**

Here is the answer —–> Click here for an image of the answer.

**

Although some of you may have been too busy to try to figure it out, I know many of you, based on some of the emails I got (“I’d try Adam but I don’t want to embarrass myself!”) were too scared to even attempt this puzzle in case you were…W.R.O.N.G.

Enter…

FEAR.

Either fear of failure.

Fear of success.

Or fear of change.

THE PROBLEM WITH FEAR:

The problem with fear is that it doesn’t allow us to think about what’s possible…

Instead, fear keeps us exactly where we are. And the reason why so many of us choose to think about what can go wrong is because it absolves us from having to take any action.

Isn’t thinking about what’s possible way more exciting than thinking about what can go wrong?!

**

This reminds me of a few prospective clients that email me every month or so. And every time they email me they ask me another question or three about my program. And that’s totally fine! I am truly here to help.

But you know what? These people have been asking me questions for years now! Some more than others, of course. But without fail, every month or so I get the same people asking me questions.

You know why? Because asking questions FEELS good. It feels like they’re taking action when in reality they’re not. They’re not doing anything at all.

These prospective clients are in exactly the same spot they were in when they first emailed me.

Most prospective clients focus on the possibilities – as opposed to letting the fear hold them back.

So, all the while we’re taking action on a daily basis, and reaching goal after goal, these prospective clients are in exactly the same spot they were in asking question after question…

All because, fear in one way or another is holding them back.

**

Next time you find yourself saying no to something (maybe because of fear?) why not think of what’s possible instead? As we grow wiser, we become more cynical. We become more skeptical. We become more fearful…

And this can really limit us.

But thinking about the possibilities is WAY more fun because it inspires action.

**
Ready to take some action and make those possibilities come true? Join MyBodyTutor now!

I know. I know. I know!

BIG claim in the subject line. But, I believe I can deliver.

Here it is…

So a monk tells Joshu, “I have just entered the monastery. Please teach me.”

Joshu asked, “Have you eaten your rice porridge?”

The monk replied, “I have eaten.”

Joshu said, “Then you had better wash your bowl.”

At THAT moment the monk was enlightened.

I love this little story. Why? Because it reminds me to stop thinking so damn much, and just take the next action.

It’s so easy to get caught up in figuring out answers to questions like, “What’s the meaning of life?” and all sorts of other mind-numbing questions.

It’s also so easy to get frustrated and intimidated when we have a long journey ahead of us.

When something seems overwhelming (like trying to lose weight), we usually choose choice C: None of the above and do nothing.

Instead, let’s just focus on our very next meal. Our very next workout.

Focus on your very next action, your very next interaction, your very next task.

That’s it. That’s all you can do.

Although you can worry about eating poorly this coming weekend, there’s nothing you can do right now. Except, focus on your very next meal.

When in doubt…just wash the bowl.

Don’t ask questions. Don’t ponder.

##

What camp are you in?

This reminds me of a few prospective clients that email me every month or so. And every time they email me they ask me another question or three about my program. And that’s totally fine! I am truly here to help.

But you know what? These people have been asking me questions for years now! Some more than others, of course. But without fail, every month or so I get the same people asking me questions.

You know why? Because asking questions FEELS good. It feels like they’re taking action when in reality they’re not. They’re not doing anything at all.

These prospective clients are in exactly the same spot they were in when they first emailed me.

Most prospective clients focus on the possibilities (as opposed to fear) because I make it easy for them to do that since I offer a 100% money-back guarantee.

So they sign up, get major results and move on with their life. All the while, these prospective clients are in exactly the same spot they were in asking question after question.

What camp are you in? Learn more about our ridiculous guarantee: You know you wanna click me.