I just wanted to encourage you to be intentional with making giving a part of your success in 2012.  One of the ways you could start is by giving something of value to those who have been giving for a while.  People who are regular givers sometimes get worn out and feel discouraged because they think nobody cares.  You can make their day by making a meal, or giving them a card stuffed with a little cash.  You can be creative, but be intentional nonetheless.  Giving is a crucial part of your success in the coming year.

1. Real Time Success Update
2. You have something to give
3. Crazy Love

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Real Time Success Update

What’s the least you could be doing?  You may not be able to launch P90x right now, but you can make small changes.  I didn’t mention this in the podcast but It should be, “What’s the least you could be doing consistently?”

In my example I could make 1 new practice each month for 12 months.  That’s 12 things to improve my health being done consistently in a year!

Don’t you think that would have an impact on weight loss for me?

Start making a list of things you could be implementing to improve whatever you want to improve.  Break them down into steps and begin making small changes over time.

I decided that this month I was going to focus on making sure I walk twice a week a good pace for twenty minutes, and making my lunches for work.

Feature Segment

We are talking about how to begin giving, and what to give. At any one time you have a combination of 3 areas you can give in,

1. Time

2. Talents (Value)

3. Treasure (Money)

You may not have all of them in large quantities but you should make an effort to give in all three consistently.

Tremendous Learning

We are still talking about the book Crazy Love.  Francis Chan promises to change our paradigm.  I can’t wait!  The impression I have gotten from the first few chapters is that you need to seek out what God wants in our life instead of going through the template American lifestyle that most of us tend to follow.

Luke 2:1-20

The Message (MSG)

I am almost certain that no matter what the reason for you being down in the dumps this holiday season, you can boil it down to not being connected with others in a meaningful way.

So here are my suggestions for making it “suck” just a little less.

1. Stop thinking that it sucks and start asking your self why.

A lot of people moan and groan about the holidays but it may just be repetitive ramblings having rarely spent time wondering why.

Do you have a valid reason,  or are you complaining for complaining’s sake?  

Is it in your control?  

If not then stop focusing on what you can’t control and focus on what you can,

If you can do something about it, then do something.

2. Engage with others

Stop waiting for others to include you into their lives and be proactive about it.  If you know who you would like to spend Christmas time with ask them what they are doing this holiday season and ask them if they would like to get together.  If they say no,  don’t retreat, find someone to spend the holidays with.  There are a lot of people who feel the same as you; Make their holiday special by including them in your plans.

3.  Give

You either have time, talents, money, or some combination of all three.  Think of ways that you can make someones Christmas special using what you have been given.  I could give you some suggestions like go to a soup kitchen, give to the poor, or go to a nursing home, and they would all be good suggestions.  However, if it’s not meaningful to you then it won’t help. Think of how you can help someone this Christmas, make it radical.

Giving is the point of the season, so make sure you are doing something other than waiting for others to give to you.

4. Get some sunshine

It’s possible that lack of vitamin D could be causing you holiday blues.  If at all possible go for a walk and get some sun, go to a tanning bed, or take Vitamin D supplements.  I am not a doctor, so if there is any concern check with your doctor first before doing two of these suggestions.  My favorite could be simply taking a walk, the fresh air could do you some good as well as the sunshine.

5. Don’t feel the pressure to be someone you are not.

If you are usually the holiday entertainer, or you feel you need to give gifts to everyone to keep them happy, then drop that notion and  be who you can really be.  It’s not necessary to impress everyone, nor buy them a bunch of junk to win their heart.  If you have the money to give, and you want to then do it, otherwise just spend time connecting with others.

Also if you want to just rest at home and watch a movie, or spend time with those who are closest to you,  It’ ok!

6. Celebrate the purpose of Christmas

The real purpose of Christmas is to celebrate the gift of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Maybe you could benefit by a real relationship with him. For some this may fill the emptiness inside. I know it has for me.

If you have felt down in past holidays what has helped you?  For the rest of you who are down, how you feel this holiday season is mostly in your hands.  So how are you going to feel?

Merry Christmas!

Today’s topics:

• Real Time Weight loss
• Intentionally Giving For Success Part 1
• Treasure Principle Book
• Crazy Love

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Real Time Success

Can I be so bold to think that I know how to lose weight before I have done it?  Yes, I know it can be done, and although I have a lot to learn I believe I have the core principles figured out.  I will be going over my plans in the coming weeks.

Feature Segment

How intentionally giving has impacted my life. Also can you intentionally plan to give and be successful?  Giving is a major part of success for anyone and we will begin to create a plan for giving intentionally.

Tremendous Learning

We mention 2 books in today’s show.

1. Treasure Principle (Randy Alcorn)

A book of principles that change your paradigm about giving and it’s role in your life.

2. Crazy Love (Francis Chan)

I will be reading this book over the coming weeks, as I believe that Christmas is a good time to focus on giving.

Here a the book description taken from Amazon.

God is love. Crazy, relentless, all-powerful love. Have you ever wondered if we’re missing it? It’s crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe–the Creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies and E-minor–loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love. And what is our typical response? We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss. Whether you’ve verbalized it yet or not…we all know somethings wrong. Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions? God is calling you to a passionate love relationship with Himself. Because the answer to religious complacency isn’t working harder at a list of do’s and don’ts–it’s falling in love with God. And once you encounter His love, as Francis Chan describes it, you will never be the same. Because when you’re wildly in love with someone, it changes everything.

• Financial Management
• Multiple Stroams of Income
• Personal Health
• Relationships

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1. Short term faith vs long term faith.

2. Finding time to reflect on your goals.

3.When to evaluate your progress

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This a simple podcast this week just to remind you to stay focused on whats important to you.  If you focus on more of what is important to you and do those things first then you will automatically filter out the junk that distracts us.

How do you evaluate/focus on your goals and what’s important to you?  How much time do you spend on them per week/month?

In episode 003 of the Finding Forward Motion Podcast we talk about finding your calling. I thought that this video I recently watched from theRSA.org  might give you some insight into what may motive you and ultimately help you find your calling!    It talks about what motivates people from an employers perspective but it should still give you some insight into your own life.  I hope you enjoy.

Who's calling?

In episode #3 we talk about what it means to find your calling.

Here are the topics we discuss.

1. The 3 componets that make your calling.

2. The difference between the people who find their calling early, and late.

3. How to pursue your calling.

Here is the book that I referenced in the show from Marcus Buckingham.

Amazon Affiliate Link

Here is the link to the podcast from Brent Green called Pursuing Your Calling.

http://www.pursuingyourcalling.com/category/podcast/

Also if you want to subscribe to their show in itunes here is the link for that directly.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pursuing-

your-calling-interviews/id482411498

• Failure as a part of your journey
• Taking Responsibility
• Mastering the Choice
• The least you can do
• Preparing for big change

Photo by Donnaphoto on Flickr

Let me know what you need help with and I will make it a topic on the show.  Email me here at feedback@findingforwardmotion.com

In this show we talk about:

• Vision Setting
• MTO Goal Setting
• Making a movie trailer out of your goals

In this episode we talk about some practical things that have worked for me when it comes to setting goals, and keeping your priorities top of mind.    We also listen to an interview that I did with Dan Miler author of 48 Days to the work you love.

You can find his weekly podcast here:

48 Days Podcast

I am also looking for your feedback when it comes to the show.  What topics would you like me to cover? Is there a guest/coach you would like me to bring on the show?

Put your thoughts in the comments below, or email me at feedback@findingforwardmotion.com

We talk with Scott Smith today from Motivation to Move and find out a little more of what his program is all about.  He gives us an insight into the principles he learned from Tony Robbins while helping his wife battle the struggles of cancer.  He also talks about how he later applies those principles in everything he does from weightloss and his business.

Meet Scott Smith

Well hello!

My name is Scott Smith and I’m the guy you see and hear all over Motivation To Move and I thought this would be good place for you to get to know a bit about me and Motivation To Move.

I’m actually really pleased you’re visiting us today because it means that you are experiencing one of the greatest moments in your life – the moment you decide YOU MUST change.

It is total magic when you make that choice and you will be amazed by where your life takes you. That’s why I’m always saying… “Life Begins When You Move”. It’s true!

It’s pretty simple – and I like simple. When you decide to stand up, take a step and repeat… you get everything you want in your life.

If only it was easy to get started right? That’s where I come in.

“The Trick Is The Click”

Motivation To Move is totally focused two simple concepts: Start Moving, Stay Moving. That’s it!

It really comes down to what we WILL do versus what we CAN do and my mission is simply to inspire a “Click” that starts you moving and on-going “Clicks” to make sure you stay moving.

For some folks it’s diet and exercise tips that get the job done. For others it’s life strategies to help you accomplish your goals and enjoy the ride. For me? It’s all about the possibility – what CAN we do with our life? Man… I love my job!

OK- why don’t I tell you my story so you have a better idea why I do what I do.

Back to top

All About The “Voice”

If you’ve listened to my programs you might be saying to yourself, “Hmmm… this guy sounds like an announcer?”

Don’t worry… you’re not alone. And… you’re totally right!

I actually started right out of high school… about a million years ago… as a radio personality and spent more 25 years as a disc jockey, on-camera spokesperson, actor, voiceover talent and doing just about anything else you could get paid for in that industry.

And yes, if my voice sounds familiar it’s because you’ve heard me on the Golf Channel, ESPN, CNN, FOX and most other networks. Or, you might have heard me at Universal Studios here in Orlando or maybe on board Disney Cruise ships. Frankly, I’m always surprised by where I hear myself!

Along the way I formed a radio/television production company in Orlando and went on to produce thousands of projects large and small for clients like the Children’s Miracle Network, Weight Watchers, NASA as well as serving as a freelance producer for ABC and Fox television networks.

Back to top

And Motivation To Move Was Born…

Oh… I should also mention that I have struggled with weight most of his life – ever since I discovered cinnamon toast in 5th grade, free pizza at radio stations and mounds of food provided by television and film production catering departments. You know…. they say the camera adds 10-15 pounds… thanks!

Even though I worked in an industry that required I somewhat maintain my weight, I fought it every step of the way and lived a “Yo-Yo” diet that would make most folks proud. The good news was that for the most part exercise was part of my life… then again… sometimes you get lucky like the time in my mid thirties I was offered a position teaching Fitness Kickboxing at the Lake Mary, FL YMCA.

Actually, the real truth is was just a member participating in a step aerobic class to keeps the pounds off and word got out that I held a Black Belt in American Kenpo Karate. I guess the manager figured I was just the guy to recruit. Of course, when asked, I gave my favorite answer, “Sounds Great”, and jumped right in – and totally changed my life.

My first class had 2 members, including my wife. Good for me things got better and over the next five years my classes grew to average over 130 folks kicking and punching – it was great fun!

Then and now, my classes and seminars are truly a rock concert of inspiration, motivation and of course, exercise. And because of the “do-ability” factor, from average to athletic, folks of all ages and types go out of their way to attend.

Then… Life Got In The Way

I was really in the “zone” when teaching and enjoying how I felt but frankly, it didn’t pay well and my production company at the time was booming and needed my attention. After being awarded a contract from The Children’s Miracle Network to produce programming for the annual telethon I made the decision to take a break and focus on television. Another decision that changed life forever.

The project was huge and demanding and like lots of folks, I focused on work and stopped moving… completely. I just didn’t have time for exercise and eating right. Sound familiar?

Still, three years of producing documentaries at Shand’s Children’s Hospital gave me an inside look at what being healthy is really all about.

Along with my staff, I produced dozens of segments – including a feature on Type II diabetes and obesity. During the course of the story while conducting an interview, Desmond Shatz, MD said something that to me that was a revelation:

Needless to say, I had a new mission and all the skills needed to get it done. There was only one problem. I was WAY out of shape.

In the break I took from teaching kickboxing I managed to gain 65 pounds. Feeling terrible and old yet with a new mission in mind, I went off to my “motivator of last resort”, my doctor, and got the bad news. She said, “Lose the weight or take a pill. No matter what, you’ve got to lose the weight if you want to be alive in 15 years.”

How about that for getting my attention?

Back To The Club

The first thing I did was what worked before!

I was the fat guy in the back of the room and joined every group fitness class I could attend and in just a couple of weeks dropped enough weight to lower my Blood Pressure.

In two months I shed said goodbye to 40 pounds and then it happened again – I was offered another teaching position.

Over the next few months I continued to lose a total of 65 pounds and once again built the most popular classes in the club. But this time something was different.

Over the years I had always believed in the power of motivation and education. I was lucky to have had mentors share books and tapes, and coach me on the ways of success when I was younger. I was even hired as a staff member of the original Motivation Radio Station in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For a guy who loved to learn, it was a dream job that allowed me to be totally immersed in everything motivation and present it to others.

Now, being a little older and a little wiser, I began to incorporate my self-improvement background and interest as an NLP Practitioner into classes and continue to learn – earning certifications as an Advanced Certified Personal Trainer, AFFA Group Fitness Instructor, and Clinical Hypnotherapist. Combined with my radio, voice-over and producer/director skills my classes took on a whole new feel and became more effective than ever.

The Result?

Motivation To Move was born.

What started as a group of folks who came for exercise ended up being so much more. To support “my folks”, I launched www.MotivationToMove.com and began regular newsletters and a monthly get together. Then came June of 2005.

I looked around and realized that the folks I was working with were the “exception to the rule” because they were already taking care of themselves and it got me thinking… “what about all those folks who just can’t get moving?”

The solution was podcasting and the creation of the daily Motivation To Move Minutes and the Weekly Motivation To Move Show.

Now, just a short time later, Motivation To Move has produced over 4,00 programs and counting, and has become one of the most popular Health, Fitness and Motivation websites in the world with monthly downloads of programs that are in the hundreds of thousands.

Our programs are featured on iTunes on a regular basis – even routinely holding the #1 position in the Self-Help section.

Motivation To Move, it seems – is moving!

And One More Thing

I have a great family that includes two grown kids, Carlyn, 25, is Motivation To Move’s first full time employee, managing website operations, dabbling in marketing, and running day-to-day operations.

Austin is 28 and lives in San Francisco, California working as project leader for Bank of America’s web development department.

While Motivation To Move is a dream come true and getting more exciting every day – all of our success has come at a time when my family suffered our biggest loss – the passing of my wife Sheryl in 2006 due to Cancer.

Sheryl was the spiritual leader of our family and worked as a Reiki healer. She was a wonderful teacher and an incredibly strong and beautiful woman. Her legacy is the lessons she taught all of us about living our life to the fullest. Her lessons have allowed my family not only to go on… but to do so with a zest and true enjoyment of the life experience.

These days we’re all adjusting to our new life with our typical optimistic approach. While we still have what Sheryl would call, “bummer moments”, life IS good and getting better.

In 2009 Carlyn married her long-time boyfriend Joel and now wears her mothers wedding ring.

And me?

As usual, I follow my heart and in early 2008 met Joi. The meeting was unexpected after a friend suggested I sign up for eHarmony just to fill some of my free time.

I did… and only a few days later Joi walked into my life and made a connection that was instant and powerful.

Joi is a beautiful person inside and out and only the second woman I dated in 29 years. She shares my values, loves to exercise, eat right and lives for personal growth. I saw no reason to look any further.

Maybe that’s why it wasn’t long before I fell in love and asked Joi to marry me. Thank goodness she said “yes” and showed up to the wedding in April 2008!

I am one blessed man.

So there you have it. My story is a life in progress with an absolute determination to be fit, happy and enjoy every last moment I have on this planet… and take a few others along for the ride! Interested?

The Coach Me If You Think You Can Show is taking  a new direction, and I am looking for your help.  I plan to do more shows on the solo, and mix the interviews in between in order to add value and direction to the show.  I am looking for your help here, and i have a few questons to help me with the overall direction.

1. What topics do you want to hear the most?

2. What do you struggle with?

3. What do you want to improve?

4. Do you have a coach that you would like to see on the show?

You can put your thoughts in the comments section below, or email them to me at feedback@findingforwardmotion.com

Steve Jobs changed the world.  He really did, and that’s not a revelation, but more of a statement on my part to preface what I am about to say.  From his innovation in technology, to his ability to succeed in business.  I even think his charitable giving, his relationships to his family, and employees were probably unmatched.  I don’t really know, because I hadn’t met the guy.  I am sure I can read a book, or eventually watch a movie and gain some insight on the matter, but it will never match having a personal relationship with the man. Which leads me to my next point.

The ongoing tribute.

There isn’t a day since October 5th that I haven’t seen some sort of tribute to Steve Jobs.  Through Facebook, Twitter, or some other form of media.  This wouldn’t bother me as much, except for the fact that I don’t see this kind of tribute or praise about our immediate family on those same media sources.  As a financial coach I see a lot of people finger point to their spouse to a consistency that they don’t even realize they are doing it.  Blaming each other, and doing things to one another that we wouldn’t do to a complete stranger.

The real tribute.

The real tribute should go to your spouse.  Truth be told your spouse does more on a weekly basis to change your world, than Steve Jobs or any other public figure will. Public and private praise is one of many ways to deepen the relationship with almost anyone.  I’m not talking about unrealistic, insincere praise. Or the disgustingly sweet praise that a new boyfriend and girlfriend make when you are just trying to eat your dinner without vomiting.   I am just talking about regular, consistent thank you’s for the way they have changed your world.

Suggestions for praising your spouse.

• Make It A Priority:  What ever you need to do to keep it top of mind.  Make a note, put it in your iPhone, whatever.
• Make It Public: Don’t make it cheesy, or funny all of the time. And don’t make it back handed, for example “My wife has not been as much of an air head latley! Thanks for all you do. I love you babe!”  Shout it out on Facebook, Twitter, or on occasion when you are out to dinner with friends.  Especially their friends.
• Make it Private: I like the idea of mailing a card to my wife. Women appreciate a good written card.  This is hard for me, but I can do it once in a while.  For me, I like when my wife will make me a good batch of chocolate chip cookies, and a little note that says I am great.  Hard to beat simple things for men.
• Make it Often:  It’s always a good time to start right away, but a lot of people only do it when they are in trouble, or the other direction, when everything is good.  Remove the suspicion that you are wanting something, by making it often.
• Make it Sincere: No one likes phony or insincere praise.  Look for ways to praise your spouse daily, and write them down for later in the week when you can execute your appreciation.
• Stop Grumbling:  There is a negative net effect every time you complain about your spouse.  Stop doing that and you will be ahead of the game.

Finding the time to stay motivated and get fit especially during the holidays is hard to do when you don’t have a plan in place. As Dustin show it’s possible even for a busy man like him. Dustin also shares his passion with us for kids to stay active and eat healthy.

I am going to do the Thrive 90 workout program my self that he and Dustin have wonderfully put together, and track the results here.  Dustin suggests that I find someone to hold me accountable, and plan to limit my feeding spree during the holidays.  If you want to get the Thrive 90 workout program and lean into the holidays yourself then check out my link below.

Thrive 90 Workout Program (Affiliate Link)

Here is where you can find him, as well as some links to recent blog posts.

http://EngagedMarriage.com

http://FitMarriage.com

Chat with Dustin Online Here

http://facebook.com/fitmarriage

http://twitter.com/engagedmarriage

Meet Dustin

I have been happily married to my high school sweetheart Bethany for more than nine years, and we have three awesome young kids that keep us busier than we could have ever imagined.  I wouldn’t trade my crazy life for anything, and I share my best stories and advice on married life over at Engaged Marriage.

I have been a passionate student of fitness and nutrition since my early teenage years when I was a huge fan of natural bodybuilding.  While I was never on a path to competitive bodybuilding, I did use the knowledge gained to add muscle to my super-skinny frame and compete in high school sports.  When I moved away to college, my skinny past was left behind for good.

After gaining my Freshman Forty, I recommitted myself to fitness and enjoyed the benefits of being in great shape until the early years of our marriage.  Along the way, I designed workout programs for numerous friends, co-workers and family members with great success.  I had serious thoughts of pursuing a career in personal training despite my success as a professional engineer.

The next chapter in my health may sound familiar to many of you.  As life became busier with the demands of a new marriage and career, I let my exercise habits fall out of my schedule.  A few years later, I welcomed our first son into my life at an all-time high in terms of weight.

I lost some weight, regained it, lost some more and regained it once again.  I knew what I needed to do to lose weight, increase my energy and reclaim a fit lifestyle, but I was simply not making it a priority in my busy life.

Along the way, I achieved some notable fitness accomplishments including riding a Century (100 miles) on my bike and getting back to my high school football weight on one occasion.

However, I noticed that each time I set out to reach these worthy goals, it was requiring a great deal of my time and energy for training.  The efforts were not sustainable, and I would burn out and fall back into my yo-yo weight/health cycle on a regular basis.

Enter Fit Marriage

That cycle was finally broken when I got to know Tony through our respective work in the marriage ministry.  I was in the middle of another round of an ultra-intense fitness program called P90X, and I was totally worn out from working out more than an hour every single day while trying to keep up with the demands of my “real life” as well.

I explained that it was effecting my marriage because I was so tired, yet I wanted to shed my extra pounds so I’d be at my best for my wife and kids.  I knew I needed to find balance, and as Tony and I compared our backgrounds and experiences with fitness, we knew we had to get together to develop a new approach to fitness that met the needs of busy couples.

That was the birth of Fit Marriage, and I am now an example of the phenomenal success that can be achieved when you follow the training principles found on this site.  I am fit, I am full of energy and I have training programs that I can complete with my wife in a way that we can sustain during even the craziest of weeks.

I am at a new peak of wellness in both my physical health and in my marriage and family life.

I can’t wait to help you achieve the same…you deserve it!

One thing that’s for sure is that Tony DiLorenzo is passionate about two things, fitness and marriage.  He has become a dynamic coach by putting his two passions together to help you.  You can find ton’s of resources for free from their website, and you can add their podcast to your daily commute here.  Also, if your looking for a great routine to workout at home, then go check out Thrive 90 (affiliate)  made by Tony, Alisa, and his partner Dustin.

Meet Tony DiLorenzo

Hey everyone, Tony DiLorenzo here.

I’m about to celebrate 15 years of marriage with my beautiful, intelligent, and loving wife, Alisa.  You may recognize Alisa from our site and podcast over at ONE Extraordinary Marriage where we focus on marriage and intimacy.

For many of our years together, I’ve been active in endurance activities and fitness.  There is something about being fit and the associated intimacy I have with Alisa that has helped us through the good and bad times.  We are blessed with two wonderful kids, Alex and Abby, who also join us in our fitness activities from riding our bikes to spending time doing yoga.

We are a simple family.  We enjoy hanging out playing board games, reading and enjoying the Southern California beaches.  Serving in our community is also a big part of our family, and we love to spend time donating household items to the local rescue mission, working on trails, helping with food packing projects, and giving blood.

My Athletic Accomplishments

- Team Beachbody Coach
- Level 3 USA Cycling Coach
- Hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada in 138 days
- Stagecoach Century Team Time Trial Record Holder – Open Men 40+
- Completed 10 Double Centuries (200 miles cycling in one day)
- Completed the Whitney Classic, a hardcore endurance event
- Finished the Baldy Peak 50k Ultra-Marathon
- Graduated from the Spokane Mountaineers Mountain School
- Summited Mt. Athabasca in Alberta, Canada
- And much more!

The one constant through all of these accomplishments has been strategic, time-sensitive workouts that allow me to trim fat, lose weight and build muscle in a short amount of time.  I’ve used this strategy with great success over the last 3 years when I did 3 double centuries each year.  The benefits of doing these exercises helped me ride my fastest double century ever in 10 hours 48 minutes.

I look forward to sharing my experience and unique fitness expertise with you to help you achieve your goals.

It’s sort of common practice around the holidays (starting with Halloween), to ignore our health and finances.  As I lean into my physical health, I want to encourage you to lean into your financial health.

We have a tendency to “look the other way” during the holidays, and the credit cards fly, and the cash is used as wrapping paper around the presents, and come January we find ourselves face down in the gravy wondering what happened.  Then in January we try to muster up our atrophied financial (and physical)  muscles, and take on the ever growing monster that we hand built over the last 3 months.

What do I mean “lean into” your problems?

When you are up to bat in baseball your taught to choke up on the bat, keep your eye on the ball, and lean into the swing.  So translated to your financial health, I want you to get a grip on your money, have a vision on what’s important, and deal with the problems proactively rather than reactively.

Cut out excess spending by doing a budget and having a greater vision.

If I sat down and ate 14 plates at any buffet in town, you would find that disgusting.  Why is it ok to excessively buy presents that we cannot afford?  So lean also means learning to have fun with less. It really is cliché, but as long as we are together, that’s what is important.  Learn how to budget your money better, and then set a spending limit on Christmas Spending.  Have a “why” that motivates you to save money, more than waste it on frivolous stuff.

Maybe you should sell some stuff too!

Lean could also mean you need to sell some stuff.  I’m trying to prevent gaining weight, but I would like to lose a few pounds, (20 to be exact) by Christmas.  Not only do I think you can avoid excessive credit card debt, and spending, but I think you can become lean on the debt by paying some of it off.

Give yourself a real gift this year.

Make a reasonable plan for the holidays and stick to it!  And when you get into the thick of things during the holidays, don’t get emotional about how you feel like a heel for spending your way into oblivion and then run out and gorge at the mall on electronics, and clothes that will get returned in January for something the really wanted.

In the next few blog posts I plan to make suggestions that will give you some practical steps, for having a lean and healthy holidays, and give your self the gift of a Happy New Year.

.

If you are curious at all about the Paleo lifestyle then this episode is a great place to start.  Tony Federico gives a great explanation about primal (Caveman) living, and encourages us to focus on nutrition as the key to our improving our health.

My own encouragement is to not let the next 3 months slip by, and let the holidays get the best of us.  Instead of gaining 5 or 6 lbs by the end of the year, why not set goals lose 10-20lbs by Christmas.  Set your goals now, before the sugar addiction gets the best of you!

About Tony Federico

So easy a Caveman could do it

If you are looking for a career that you love (yes even in this economy) then you can get a lot of take aways and inspiration from todays guest Joel Boggess.  It’s unfortunate that we had some technical difficulties that I didn’t discover until after the show was recorded, but that wont stop you from learning what you need to know to find work that fits you the way you are uniquely made.

If you wish to connect with Joel here are some ways that you can

http://www.4pointscoaching.com/meet-joel/

http://www.48days.net/group/4pointscoachingcelebratingyouinchrist

Connect with him on Twitter and Facebook also!

About Joel

With the heart of a teacher and the patience of a friend, Joel blends his educational experience, (a Master’s in Counseling and an MBA) together with a passion for helping others to realize their God-given potential.

Our goal: To inspire and empower people to get in touch with who they really are, so they can move confidently into the life and work they love.

Our belief: Any occupation, no matter how worthy it sounds, or socially acceptable others think it may be, can not be called a “good job”, unless it is good for your spirit, your emotions, your relationships and your health. For anything to bring you true meaning and fulfillment, it must nurture you from the inside out. – Joel

Joel currently serves on the advisory board of 48days.net.

Dan Miller, author and life coach – 48 Days:  Joel is strategic, straightforward, yet compassionate. His clients are consistently moved toward higher levels of personal success and fulfillment. Click here to listen to Dan interview Joel on “How to coach successfully”

Rabbi Daniel Lapin, author – Thou Shall Prosper:
Everyone needs help enhancing effectiveness, because we simply can’t see ourselves as we really are.  Nobody can. 

Joel sensitively  shows you you and ends all self-sabotage by removing restraints.  He will help you unshackle your potential not only effectively but just as importantly, non-threateningly.

 

Joel and his wife live in DFW area in Texas and are active in their church and community. Here’s the story – 10 years of marriage: Our journey.

They have two Golden Retrievers, Bubba and Jake. The team of four (Joel, Pei, Bubba and Jake) has visited groups ranging from Autistic children to the elderly. Below is an episode on the “Hope Helps Heal – Tour of Giving”.

 

Kent Julian is one of my favorite coaches, and I am excited to bring him on Coach Me If You Think You Can.  I was so excited to bring him on the show that I even sang to him!  Make sure to tell me what you think.  I mentioned in the beginning of this episode about leaving a review in itunes.  Here is the link if you wish to do so > Itunes Store<  Once you go to the link, then you will have click the view in itunes link on the right hand side.  Thanks!

To leave feedback for the show send here!

Click here to Learn More About The Boot Camp (affiliate link)

About Kent Julian:

I am founder and president of Live It Forward LLC, a personal and professional development company that helps people “make the move” to the life and work they love.

I also speak to
thousands of educators and students all across America each year (www.KentJulian.com).  When speaking to students, my focus is on helping them answer two big questions: what should I do with my life and how can I really be successful?  With educators, my focus is on helping teachers remember exactly what makes a great teacher so….GREAT!

Even though I’ve been blessed to receive lots of glowing testimonials and endorsements, I know I’m just an “Average Joe” with no royal pedigree or over-the-top life story.  Yet, something I speak on frequently and teach every single one of my career coaching clients is this—REAL Success is not about tons of talents or special abilities…it’s about living WAY BEYOND average in a few, very important roles in life.  So, the success I’ve experienced in my life is not because I’m more talented than the next guy or gal, it’s because I’ve been highly intentional and proactive about a few key things.

Okay, now that you know all the promo stuff, how about some personal info.  I am an avid exerciser, which means you’ll often find me running, swimming, or doing strength training. I am crazy-in-love with the most incredible woman on the planet—my wife, Kathy.  We have three incredible children—a son and twin daughters.  I love living in the Atlanta-area, and my favorite pastimes include coaching a local swim team of 160 swimmers, eating sushi, reading, and sipping dark roasted coffee.

Oh yeah, one last thing…I’m very comfortable with my bald head because as I like to say, “God only uncovers that which is perfect.”

Annual Julian Christmas Eve PJ Picture

Annual Julian Christmas Eve PJ “Crazy” Picture

The Podcast Answerman

Have you ever wanted to start a podcast? Have you thought maybe your small business would benefit from podcasting?

Cliff Ravenscraft went from selling insurance during the day and doing his hobby of podcasting in his free time, to podcasting full time. Cliff has now produced thousands of episodes, with over a dozen different shows! He is best known as the podcast answerman, and successfully helps small business’s and hobbyist’s start their own podcast daily.

Cliff encouraged you to go listen to his talk at Blog World,  that tells you more about his story.  Here is the link for that episode. http://podcastanswerman.com/blogworldnyctalk/

Also here is Cliff’s number if you want to call his show and ask him a question about podcasting.

1-859-795-4067 (Leave a message asking your question, and you might here it on a future episode of podcast answerman!)

Also you can find Cliff here:

http://podcastanswerman.com

http://twitter.com/gspn

If you have any questions are comments for Cliff and I please feel free to email them in the comments below.

Gregg Pechmann is a financial coach in the Johnson City, TN area, and fought back financially short selling $2,500,000 in mortgage debt and managed to keep his family together. I interview him to find out what people can learn from him and we also talk about his new book Upside Down how we survived 7 shortsales. You can also read more about Gregg with this excerpt from his about page on his website.

http://fightingbackfinancially.com

http://upsidedownbook.com

About: Gregg Pechmann.

Gregg and Family

A of lot people hire someone to write their “About Page”. To me, that defeats the whole purpose.

I want you to hear my story coming directly from me. Not some “ghost writer” half way across the country.

So here it is:

I left college in 1993, and started my own manufacturing business. Yes, I do have a degree but let’s be honest…I learned more about life being in business the first 3 months then I did with 4 years of college.(If you are looking for the guy with all the letters at the end of the name, I’m not him. I’m the guy with the “real life” experiences with a ton of common sense.)

I started real estate investing in the late ’90′s and became a mortgage loan officer in 2002.

I was eventually earning up to $750,000 a year, owned over $6 million dollars in real estate.

Everything was going great until…..

It all came crashing down. I had go through 7 short sales and somehow keep our family together.

It was a complete nightmare.

But the funny thing about failure is that …….it is only failure if you did not learn something from it.

I learned big time. I know what works and what doesn’t work. Finances is 90% behavior and 10% head knowledge.

I became a certified coach with Dave Ramsey in 2008 and since then opened up Pechmann Coaching.

I love helping others dream BIG with their finances. It’s not just about being debt free (let’s face it, that alone is pretty boring). I mean, dreaming about paying cash for a new car. Dreaming about that trip to Hawaii. And my favorite, dreaming and blessing others who are less fortunate. How cool would that be?

Oh yeah…that pic in the upper left hand corner is my family. My wife Sharon, and our girls, Annabelle and Francesca. I am truly a blessed man!

My Old Trailer

It’s all a matter of perspective

If you watched the first episode of my show, then you know my story about living in 35ft travel trailer the first time.  That’s right I said the first time.  You see after my rock bottom moment, and near brush with homelessness, I moved back into that trailer a couple of years later.  I moved out the first time and sold the trailer to the parents of my friend on which the property resided.  I moved into my little brown apartment and began wrestling with all of my financial problems.  Meanwhile my friends parents fixed that little trailer up, and made it their 2nd home for a few months out of the year.  I moved back into the trailer a couple of years later because I wanted to save on rent for 3 months to help pay for my wife and I’s future honeymoon.  The funny thing is what was once a horrific experience in a “bad place”, ended up being one of the favorite times of my life.

What’s was the difference?

I’m not totally sure what the difference was, but I am sure it had something to do with me.  Maybe I had enough going for me in other places that I could put up with living in a tiny trailer.  I don’t think so, however. I know my spiritual relationship with God was 100% better.  I had learned a lot about  how to be content as well.  Also I think it had to do with me not trying to completely manage the outcome of everything in my life.  I still controlled most of what I did, but when things didn’t go my way, I reacted better.  My goal is not to figure it all out, but to help you realize that whatever you are going through, it can be experienced in more than one way.  Do you view your problems as obstacles, or opportunities?  Are you making things harder on yourself than necessary?  Remove your emotion from the problem and what do you have?  How can you look at it differently?  I’m not looking to make you happy about your problems, but to benefit  from the experience.  Let me know how you have turned your problems into opportunities.  I look forward to your comments.

I have known Brent Green for a while now, and I can tell you he is a genuine guy.  He has a heart for helping others find their calling regardless of where they live.  He tells us that everyone wants to fulfill a purpose, and that you can find your calling by listening to the Caller.  Despite Skype issues, and my growing skills as an interviewer, I think this interview is filled with great content.  I urge you to listen, and then go over to Brent’s website and see what he is doing over there.

About Today’s Guest.

Brent is the founder of Leadership Equip (the parent company of ‘Pursuing Your Calling’. His passion is to help you find your calling. He
has conducted business in the U.S. and more than 30 countries around the world. He enjoys helping people discover their ‘true self’ and living out their vocations fully. His interests also include Disc Golf, Adventure Travel, and true friendships.

http://pursuingyourcalling.com/about

Audio Only:

Check Out Justin’s website over at http://coachradio.tv

Jelly bean reference mentioned in the show.

Untitled from Justin Lukasavige on Vimeo.

Audio Only:

Welcome to the very first episode of “Coach Me If You Think You Can”.  The Ultimate show for those who want to escape Mediocrity.

Thanks goto a few people for helping me make the show.

Tim Sullivan for helping me look good on my first episode.  (Why did I do a video podcast?) You can find him over at http://roamschoolacademy.com

Marc Naugler for helping me make the video intro to the show! And making my banner for my website not look like a train wreck. You can find him over at

http://marcusnaugler.com

People mentioned in the show.

Justin Lukasavige - http://coachradio.tv

Cliff Ravenscraft -http://podcastanswerman.com

Brent Green – http://pursuingmeaningfulwork.com

Gregg Pechmann - http://fightingbackfinancially.com

You can also conect with me here

http://facebook.com/findingforward

http://twitter.com/findingforward

My former homes mentioned in the show

The trailer that leaked.

My little brown apt. Mine was the upper window on the left.

I am excited to announce the launch of my new show Coach Me If You Think You Can. This show aspires to be the ultimate show to help you escape mediocrity.  I plan to interview coaches in all areas of personal development to help you excel in what ever needed to move you forward.  The show will cover topics from small business, personal finance, health and fitness, relationships, and much more!

If you have a type of Coach that you would like to see interviewed, or a topic that you want covered,  place it in the comments below, and I will do my best to make that a part of the show.

The show will launch August 15th right here on FindingForwardMotion.com in the mean time check out the line up!

Justin Lukasavige from CoachRadio.tv

Brent Green from PursuingMeaningfulWork.com

Gregg Pechmann from FightingBackFinancially.com

Cliff Ravenscraft from PodcastAnswerman.com

I didn’t want to take his word for it, so I decided to take it in to my own hands.  I had loosely followed the principles for a couple of months and had lost nearly 20lbs already.  That’s when I wanted to know what it would be like to follow the diet for 30 days at 100% compliance.  If I was going to follow a diet that eliminated grains and dairy, I needed to see more results than just weight loss.  So from June 1st to June 31st I went legit, and here are the results.

As you can see in only a month I have done really well. I am really happy about my Triglycerides lowering by 55 pts!  I should also note that my overall scores from last years physical has come down substantially.  I am also stoked about the weight loss being mainly fat and not muscle.  I have felt better than I ever have, and my energy levels have been great.  Subsequently I have eaten more of SAD diet this week (Standard American Diet), and I have felt worse.

There were several factors that could have even made the numbers better in my opinion, and that would include better sleep, and working out more consistently.  I worked out on average 2 days a week for only 20 minutes total, with no cardio at all.  I walk anywhere from 5 to 15 miles at work on a daily basis, so I could have done more cardio but didn’t really need to.

I have decided not to include an after picture, because 30 days isn’t really enough to make a  dramatic outward appearance change.  People have definitely noticed the changes however, mainly in my face and stomach area (better fitting clothes).  I have decided to follow this plan for another 60 days, so I hope to have some great before and after’s for you then.  Besides I needed to leave something to the imagination

What do you say about the results?  Is it enough for you to give up grains and dairy to see how it would work for you?  I am convinced enough to keep going.  Maybe you already follow this plan, or have tried it.  How did you do?  Let me know in the comments below.

Tonight's The Night!

Money to Blow

My wife and I had received a lump sum of money that we had been expecting for a while.  Even though it wasn’t enough to retire, it with it was enough that we had to sit down and budget out what we wanted to do.  It was easy to see that it could get out of hand really quickly, so we put most of it in to our emergency fund.  Next we budgeted for things we needed, and then finally we decided to allow some to “blow”.  My wife and I divided the amount, and we both already knew  what we were going to do with it.

I should have gotten the stereo.

I go to my regular job every morning, and there are always these older men who check the lottery numbers, and what the winning jackpot is up to.  One guy always says “Tonight’s the Night!”, but it never seems to be his night.  For some it’s a strange form of entertainment, and for others it’s a retirement plan.  They obviously are working, but they aren’t content with life.  It’s really hard to understand why someone would continue to throw money away week after week.  I had $80 left of my “blow” money, and I was going to buy a new stereo for my truck.  That’s when I decided to get into their shoes.

It seems obvious

It seems obvious, that you have more of a chance of becoming the CEO of Microsoft, than winning the Jackpot, but of the people who play the lottery they spend an average of $20-$40 a week.  It also seems obvious that if you put that money into investments you have a chunk of change that will serve you well later.  The problem seems to be that the lure of immediate payoff is too great to invest into a delayed pay off.

What I experienced

So I decided to diversify my lotto tickets across a variety of different methods.  Half the fun was asking over 40 people what they would buy if they blew $80 on lotto tickets.  I got everything from straight up Powerball tickets, to all the theory’s about scratch offs. My first round I spent $80 to win $26.  I reinvested the $26 into scratch offs and won $52.  The third round I went with what was working and bought $52 more in scratch offs.  So, after three rounds I was bust, and I went home listening to my old car stereo.

What I felt

Tonight's The Night!

After buying the tickets, I felt full of possibilities and thought I would surely recoup my money.  I thought to myself, what would I do if I won a million dollars.  I remember feeling like a real jack mule after scratching off my first $20 ticket and winning nothing.  If this was money that I needed I would have felt a sick to my stomach.  After it was all over, I found myself rethinking my purchases and thinking I could have done better.  Then I came to my senses and realized that the variety of lotto choices was designed to create the illusion of possibility.

False Hope

I get it on some level, and if you scoff at the idea of people playing the lottery, and call them stupid, then you need to take a second look.  Although the act of playing the lottery itself, isn’t the smartest thing to do, we all buy into false hope from time to time. Even worse we buy into false fate.  Meaning we think there are no other options, and we are stuck  with our current situation.  People tend to get duped when they are greedy, or desperate.  The lottery is only one way this is played out.  Have you bought into false hope? Have you been a believer in a false fate?  Did you work your way out of what seemed to be a hopeless situation?  I hope to hear from you soon.

Well I am not sure why I stayed up but here may be some reasons to turn that TV off and put the laptop away.

1. More Productivity with what you do.

2. Decreased Cortisol, a stress hormone that leads to fat production.

3. You eat less, because your hormones are in balance.

4. Better Stress management, which means better relationships.

I am sure there are a million more, I just took a few from the book Lights Out by T.S. Wiley, it’s a hard book to read, and I haven’t finished it.  It’s a little “soapboxish” , but it has some good picking in it.  If you want to fall a sleep better you can pick a copy up here.

Here are some tips that I picked up from a website a few weeks ago, I can’t remember the name (Probably because I was tired )

1. Pick the regular time you would like to wake up everyday and subtract 7.5 hrs.

2.  Use an alarm in the beginning to wake up.  Add 15 minutes to your bed time every couple of weeks until you wake up before your set alarm time.

3.  Use an alarm to go to bed. If you have trouble getting off the couch or stopping whatever it is your doing, set an alarm 30 minutes before your bed time, and shut off all electronics and start heading to bed.

4.  Sleep in a completely dark room. Even the small flicker of your fire alarm light slows down production of melatonin in our body, due to over consumption of artificial light sources during the day and night.

Well I have to run, because I have to start getting ready for bed, because America’s Got Talent is over!  What is your sleep routine?  Have you figured anything out?  Let me know what works for you!  Until then Good Night!

I was listening to episode 50 of the Blue Collar Business Podcast by James Dibben over at http://bluecollarcoaching.net the other day.  He had received some feedback about how he apologized too much for mistakes he made on the show, and how his self-deprecating humor was beginning to be a bit too much for one listener.  It wasn’t given in a bad spirit or anything, and I feel James handled the criticism very well.

I am from the Midwest and self deprecating humor is a common personality trait that people from other areas don’t always appreciate, nor understand.  James made a good point however.  He said that it’s ok to make fun of your imperfections up to the point that you start to believe that’s who you are (paraphrasing).  That kind of rang a bell with me the other day, because I have always been able to make fun of myself (because it’s so easy as James would say).

One of the most recent jokes that has spread around work and amongst my friends is “Is that a fat joke?” The joke is, I kind  of play the overly sensitive role whenever someone says “big”, or “large”, or “hey big guy”, or about 90,000 other versions.  I would look at them and say, “Is that a fat joke” or “Did you say that because I am over weight?”  Most people would laugh, some would cringe thinking they offended me, but I never took it too seriously.  My friends even want to get me a t-shirt with the phrase “Is that a fat joke” on it.

The thing is there has always been a hint of truth to that phrase.  I never really felt like I was huge, but I was overweight.  I did feel bad day to day, and I was uncomfortable all the time, due to my bad diet.  When the fat joke became a little personal was when I hit 289lbs.  It was too close to 300, and I was feeling like I was walking a close line to never coming back.  That’s when I decided to stop joking, and do something about it before It became a joke.

The main point is I knew what I was capable of, and I knew I could do something about it.  That’s why I am documenting my weight loss here.  I know how to make lasting change; I just need to apply it.  Now the question is, are you making jokes about yourself?  Do they have any truth in them?  Do you believe you can still change?  Let me know what you are working on?  I am still going to get the t-shirt, but on the back it’s going to say “not anymore”

The Good

I have lost about 7 lbs of fat during the two weeks.  Here is the break down:

Before Weight      270 lbs

Before Fat                 33.4%

Break Down         180.16 lbs of lean tissue/ 90.34 lbs of fat.

Mid Weight         262.5 lbs

Mid Fat                   31.8%

Break Down         179.25 lbs of lean tissue /  83.475 lbs of fat

I used the Omron Scanner that many trainers use, and it’s seemed to be pretty accurate.  I got mine at GNC, but you can get a better deal on one at Amazon.  I took my body fat measurement 4 times within 30 minutes of waking, and before eating and showering.  I took the measurement in the middle and it’s good to see that I haven’t lost much body muscle.  About .75 lb, but that could be fluctuations.  Also my clothes are loose, and fitting better already. I feel great!

I feel great and have noticed sustained energy even when not sleeping as much.  Also I don’t have crazy hunger pangs like I used to. I have had some boredom hunger, and a few “I just want a slice of pizza with everyone else” feelings, but I don’t think that has much to do with the diet itself.

I have only worked out 4 times in the last 14 days for a total of 20 minutes at a very intense pace.  I intend to increase that to 3 times a week, but If it doesn’t happen I am not worried at the moment.  I need to work on getting 8 hours of sleep which I haven’t done, but I have increased my average amount of sleep to about 6-7 hours.  I will discuss sleep in another post.  Also I have had diet soda, but for the last 14 days I have had less than five 16oz bottles.  Which is a dramatic decrease for me (usually 2-3 days worth).

The Bad

In the first week I had a couple of terrible headaches and I was a bit grumpy, but I worked it out.  I am sure there were some withdrawals going on there.   I also had an increased heart rate when I laid down.  I am not sure what was causing it but It has gone away.  I stopped taking the massive quantities  of fish oil, that the diet wants you to have for the first month.  I am going to go back next week to following the fish oil regimen, to see if it increases my heart rate again.  I think it also could be lack of sleep and/or soda that was causing it.  We will see!

The last bad thing, and I am not sure what is going on, but I have had loose stools for several days. Other than it not being pleasant, and may need to be of concern for the long term, it hasn’t made me feel bad or in any kind of pain.  It may be the rapid amount of fat I am losing, but I am tweaking the food and supplement intakes for awhile just to see.

I have kept a food log and you can view it here if you are curious.  I plan to elaborate on some of the more specific things mentioned here, but for now I plan to keep moving forward on this and see where it goes.  What are your thoughts?  Any suggestions?  I will look forward to reading them.

As I am setting in the Doctors office writing this post, I am extremely hungry, because I haven’t eaten yet.  I want to document my blood work as I go on this challenge, and I have struggled to make that happen as of yet.  I haven’t eaten because I need to fast until I go to the lab.  Well by noon today I will have my blood work done, and I can make my first meal, which will be a Chicken Fajita Salad, I can’t wait!

Let’s Start with the Numbers

I will have to share the lab results with you when I receive them, also I hope my Doctor approves of getting my blood work done again in a month.  In the mean time I thought I would share my body fat composition, weight, and measurements.

My weight as of today was 273.5, so it has gone up since my visit.  I have binged on some traditional foods in the last couple of days.  I expect that will come off fairly quickly, so when I talk about the numbers I will go with what we measured during the body comp. analysis.

Here are my before photos:

Let’s just say I am taking this pretty seriously to put my pics up here.

I may need some sun too

Why are you going through the trouble to document this you might ask?  Aren’t you a financial coach?  What does this have to do with finances.?

My answer would be on the surface nothing, but at the core there are a lot of similarities. At the core you can’t be lazy, you need a plan, and you have to work to make major changes in your life.  I am putting myself out there to show that if you want to change you can.  There will be a day that I will find a healthy balance that works for me, and I won’t need to spend so much energy to make the changes.  It will just be a part of who I am.

Whether it be finances, health, work, or something else, making a change requires you to get outside of your comfort zone, and give up something that may not be doing you any favors.

I will be doing a post later this week about some things that I will be giving up, and I will be sharing my workout plans as well.  Also, I will share changes as I go, and after pics in 30 days.  In the meantime what do you need to change?  What are you going to give up to get there?  If you need to lose weight you can work on it along with me, but make sure you see the doctor.  Also find a plan that you believe in.  Don’t stand still on things you know you need to change, keep moving forward.

Whether you are a caveman or modern man, finding food has always been hard work.  I went out last week to price shop my groceries for the upcoming Paleo 30 day challenge, and to my surprise the food costs were astronomical for my average income.  I have posted my findings below.  It is a list of prices based on the shopping guide from http://robbwolf.com.

The Fan and the Fanatic

Like with anything there are varying degrees of how you can choose to do anything.  I quickly realized that I wouldn’t be able to afford to do this to the T, like I wanted to, but I can adjust to get as close as possible.  I will still do the paleo challenge, but I may have to make my own menu that better fits my budget.

If you want to find help, it’s out there

One of the reasons why I am going to the trouble of documenting every crazy project that I embark on, is because I believe that if it’s important to fix, then it’s important enough to find people who are excelling at that particular skill, and solicit their help.  Since deciding to take on this challenge I have been researching, reading, and talking with other people in the paleo community.  I have asked them for their opinion about the overwhelming costs of the food.  They responded with great help, and even Robb himself even pointed me out to this site http://balancedbites.com.  This website is run by Diane Sanfilippo,, and is great, if you are on a smaller budget.  Point is you can find a way to make it work.

Have it your way.

Although you can adjust according to budget, I don’t think you can eat $1 hamburgers at the local burger joint with a window in it, but full board organic won’t happen for me either.  With that in mind, I am going to follow the meal plan from Robb’s book for one week (for the most part), and then I am going to make my own menu based on the principles, adjusting for my income.  I will document meals, and food costs as I go.  Below is my findings for two stores, but I will update the shopping list on what I actually purchased later this week.  The challenge begins tomorrow!  If anyone from the Paleo community has suggestions feel free to comment below.

Shopping List For 1 Week

The goal is to test The Paleo Diet Solution by Rob Wolff for 30 days.  I have been sort of  half way applying the principles for a few weeks and I have lost 20lbs.  This is a good place to start the challenge because, any weight loss will be post water weight.  This will help eliminate any debate that the numbers were hyped.

Getting ready to do this right

Now when you are a McDonalds eating, diet coke slurping, plan less, knuckle dragger like me, going into a 100% diet regimen will be some work.  I don’t think that I will be following this diet 100% forever, but for 30 days I can do it.  With out a plan however, I won’t make it. I downloaded the shopping list here, from Robb’s site, and I have looked through the meal plan, and I plan to make a calendar of what I am going to eat for the month of June.  Also I have to look at supplements, and work out plans.  I will need to make a trip to Whole Foods, to stock up on the pantry.  Whole foods isn’t close, so I will have to plan the trip on my free day.

Undoing the Dew

I drink a lot of diet sodas.  I will need to stop for at least thirty days, and that’s going to be hard.  I will be honest, I don’t really want to stop drinking soda, but I know I should, therefore for the sake of the challenge I will.

Blood Work, Fat, and Strength Tests

I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to see the Doctor before the challenge.  The truth is I actually won’t be able to see him until August.  As crazy as that is, I needed to figure out how to get my blood work done before the challenge.  So, I talked to a friend of mine that works at the blood lab, and he said it would cost about $50 for me to just go in and have the work done my self.  Also I am going to have to have my body fat tested by a friend who is a certified trainer, and a paleo diet follower.  You can check his site out here.  The skinfold calipers are what he will be using, and that will cost me about $35.

As far as strength testing, I am still working that out, but it will be mainly for my benefit to know.  I will share it here however.  I am thinking something basic like push-ups and other plyometric exercises.  I can’t do many right now anyway so it will be an easy test. As you can see there is a little to think about, for the sakes of testing it for a blog, but I think you can just try the challenge for yourself and see how you feel.  You don’t have to go all out like I am going to do, but you can benefit from what I learn.  Keep checking back for updates!  If you have any thoughts or questions feel free to comment below.

Is it a moral decision or a financial one?

Let’s say that you bought a house at the height of the housing market last year, and we will assume that the payment fits within good financial guidelines.  Then lets say that you paid $225,000 for it, and felt at the time you got a deal considering other homes in the area.  Now your neighbor just short sold his him for $79,000 dollars and your new neighbor is only paying $700 a month and that includes taxes and HOA fees!  This kind of stinks!

So now if that’s just not grating enough, you begin thinking to yourself, of what you’re missing out on.  I will never see equity in my lifetime, and I could invest more if my house payment wasn’t so large (that’s being nice, some would want to buy more stuff, but not you).  The idea then grows in your head like yeast added to water, and then an “expert” comes on the radio and says, it’s not a moral decision, it’s a financial one.  You say out loud “That’s kind of what I was thinking.”, so you begin looking at what you would need to do.

What are the drawbacks, besides the moral implications?

Now you find out that you would have to default on your mortgage for several months. Then you would need to display a significant reason for the bank to accept a short sale.  What if they don’t accept the short sale?  Then you would move into foreclosure, and then ultimately a bankruptcy.  Is this worth it so far?  Let’s say you get the short sale, and now you would need a place to live.  Would you buy, or rent?  There is a lot to consider.

What about Integrity?

Let’s go back to the “should you” question. I hope you see that there is more that could wrong for you to attempt a strategic default.  I am just not sure the benefits are even worth diluting my moral integrity  What was your mindset when things were good?  What were your hopes and dreams when the economy wasn’t bad?  If you are really worried about how much you are paying for the home, then why not focus on having a strong financial grip on what you do from now on?  Maybe you could even pay your home off really early, therefore greatly reducing your interest paid, and the overall cost of the home.

What are your thoughts?  Maybe I haven’t considered everything.  I look forward to your perspective.  The housing market here in Florida and a few other states, is definitely  in need of some solid perspectives to help us keep moving forward.

I will be doing a new online video series coming soon.

Before we move on to part 3 of how to build your cash score, I suggest you read the first two parts of the series, part one here and part two here.

Ok, welcome back for those who left to read the other parts, and thanks to those who waited for them to return.

The last part of this segment is the simplest to understand, but the most difficult to apply for some.

Let’s break it in to a three part list of where to begin.

1. Reduce debt

2. Increase value through liquid assets. (Cash)

3. Increase value through investments.

This is a short list to get you thinking in the right direction, and to primarily focus on the first task, where most should begin.

Want a guaranteed return on your money?

Reducing debt that you are paying interest on is about the same as earning it via stocks, or mutual funds.  It doesn’t seem like it, but it is.  No need on trying to earn 6% on a CD, when you are shelling out 21% on your credit cards.

The other factor is the rate of which you pay them off.  If you pay off a debt in 6 months vs. 60 months, then you keep more money in your pocket, and you increase your opportunity costs (more on that soon.)  Also, I believe that if you accomplish this step, that it leads to greater confidence in controlling your future, therefore greater long term returns.

If you have decided to start building your cash score, by paying off debt.  Then you need to consider stopping all investing, and place all the income toward annihilating your debt.  If you know where I am going you can begin now, if not stay tuned for the next series on, you guessed it dumping debt.

Any questions about building your net worth?  Anything you want to add?  Please feel free to comment in the section below.  I am looking forward to it

The lens of my website is to try things, seeking out as many answers as possible on a given subject, then acting on what we know.  That’s why we are taking a look today at the Paleo Solution.   I have exercised, off and on for more than a decade.  I am the main source to blame for any problems with weight, but when it comes to my influences, my surroundings, is the deck stacked against me?

I have read a lot of books, and for the most part there are some obvious things that they all share.

1. Cut out the fake crap.

2. Eat less.

3. Move More.

They each have their own unique angle, and they have come up with their own blend of carbs, fat, and protein.  And that’s if you follow a more mainstream diet, that is “well rounded”, so to speak.  The conventional wisdom of the current age is to cut out saturated fat, and consume a low fat diet from most of your foods.  If you do have fat, get it from olive oils, and  from some chemically extracted oils such as corn oils.

I am no health expert, so this summary is open for clarification.  With that in mind however, this understanding I have accepted, but I have never fully believed.  I am not the person to argue this for you, but I can take responsibility for it in my life, and my family.  So, when I start reading, watching, and discussing The Paleo Solution with others, I find it to challenge conventional wisdom and make claims of more than weight loss.  I have provided a brief synopsis of the diet here, or you can read from my sources here.

This diet makes a lot of sense to me on many levels, but it makes some big claims. So, I am willing to give it a legitimate shot for 30 days.  Starting June 1st 1st am going to follow to the Paleo Solution 30 Day  Challenge as much as I can, for thirty days.  In Rob’s book (affliate link) he encourages you to try this and come up with your own conclusions.  I think this is reasonable.

I will measure muscle/fat changes, my blood work, and I will also include strength tests.  My primary interest is to see fat loss and muscle gain, secondarily though I would need to see blood work changes to make it worth it.  There are other proven methods to gain muscle and lose weight, so I need this to support autoimmune improvements, and overall  health gain, at least in the short term to move forward.

Let me know what you think, and what I need to consider.  I will be delving deeper into this as I go, so keep looking forward.

How do you eat an Elephant?  I am not sure why you would want to, but bit by bit is the answer.  Watch this short video I have made, that talks about the power of focus and setting goals.

I just want to encourage you to set goals.  You don’t have to wait until January to set them.  Pick one thing you want to change about yourself and begin with that.  Create the vision of what you want the outcome to be, then break it into smaller pieces.  Master the small changes, not the outcome of those changes.  I explain this a little more in the video.

Do you have any questions or comments? Post them in the comment section below.

Do you have any questions or comments? Post them in the comment section below.

One of my quests to finding forward motion is to be fit and healthy that’s why I started the November Fitness Challenge.  This is something that I have struggled with for at least 15 years.  I ate like crazy when I was in high school, but I was so active that it didn’t slow me down.  I am sure that you may have a similar story.  I am not completely unhealthy (yet), but I am not the icon of fitness.  I am a self described carb addict, and I make the best garlic knots, and pizza that you will find.

So, knowing that I have plans to lose weight, I have started listening to podcasts, and reading books to bolster my plans.  The books include The Four Hour Body by Tim Ferriss (affiliate link), The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson, and The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf.  I have been listening to two health related podcasts, by Robb Wolf, and one by Jillian Michaels of The Biggest Loser.  All three books support the idea of low carb, moderate protein, and high fat content.  In regard to The Four Hour Body, it has slight modifications that don’t really fit in to the Paleo lifestyle.

The Paleo lifestyle puts its anchor in the belief that our ancestors from the beginning of time only ate meat, nut’s, seeds, vegetables and fruits, and didn’t have foods that modern agriculture and science brings us.  This would include avoiding grains of any kind, legumes (beans), and dairy (mainly of a high lacotse content). This by no means is a comprehensive picture of this diet, and  I recommend that if you are curious you pick up a copy of the books I have mentioned and do the homework for yourself before embarking this journey.

I am not a believer in evolution.  I mainly operate under the mindset that I wasn’t there and It is of little importance for what I need to get done on a daily basis.  So, I roll my eyes a little bit when books presume what cavemen did on a daily basis.  With this in mind, I am not close minded to the science, and passion that these people have for health.  Also,  I am willing to give this style of living a chance for a period of time to see how I feel.

I have modified my diet partially for the last three weeks, and have lost 17lbs without intentional exercise.  I am fairly active with my current job, so that could be sufficient activity for weight loss.

Do you have questions?  What are your thoughts?  I will do my best to answer anything I can.  I will update you about my future plans in an upcoming post.  Till then keep finding forward.

The first thing is deciding to make the credit score the least important part of your finances  and building one of the most important parts, your cash score. So here is a table that I use to help you determine your score.

As you can see, all you need to do is go down the list and determine what you own versus what you owe.  The difference is placed in the equity column, and once you total that column, you have your net worth.  At least on a sufficient level, you might want to determine further  what you have it all wrapped up in.  For example, if you have a positive net worth of $20,000, but $10,000 of it is in Gold, you might want to work to spread it around some to reduce your risk.  You know, In case the Gold bubble pops, and it might

Step 2: Assessing The Score: Your score needs to stop being so negative.

We either have little assets of value, or the ones we have are highly leveraged (In debt), and therefore have a low cash score.  So, we need to begin the journey to zero and above.

The goal is not to go out and buy a bunch of stuff in cash, so we can build the score.  We need to pay cash for things yes, but mainly we need to be aware of what we are buying and the value it maintains or increases over time.  When you buy cars that are good for one thing, and that’s transportation, you begin to look at them differently when you see that they go down in value like a rock.

Putting money into things that increase in value or diminish in value become more important.  The scope of time also becomes more important.   We stop looking at today’s dollars, as only today’s dollars, and begin realizing time can be our friend if we are wise.  The funny thing is we don’t have to wait for the big million dollar pay off when we retire.  If we pay the up front cost of waiting and being patient, we can buy cars, and other goods, better than if we borrowed for them.

Debt is not leverage for building your cash score.

I would say that 90% of the debt incurred in this country doesn’t contribute to building any individual’s cash score. I might even argue that in the case of buying a house, once you factor the lifetime costs of owning a home, there really isn’t any investment there at all.  Make no mistake, for the average person, debt is a robber of the cash score, except maybe for the one lending.  Part 3 of building your cash score will focus on where most should start, and that’s with eliminating credit and debt.

From the time you graduate high school, and maybe even sooner now, you begin to focus on how to build your credit.  You are told that you need to build your credit in order to have some stuff.  If you want to have an Ophone, get good insurance rates, or buy a house, you need to have good credit.  This isn’t a debate about whether or not you should have credit.  My point is we begin, by focusing our financial decisions based on mostly untrue information, and information that’s really the least of importance.  Therefore, every decision guides you fractions of degrees into the wrong direction.

How about building your giving score.

It’s never a good time to be completely focused on how to get stuff.  Money, is good for three things, giving, saving, and spending.  It’s just so happens that spending seems to be the most fun.  We hear some about savings, (which is loosely used in our culture), but you rarely hear some one saying how to build their philanthropy score!  How about building a system that rewards people for being a credible giver?

Until that happens.

I don’t think mass philanthropy will take wild fire anytime soon, and also I think a lot of it should be done anonymously.  So, as you work on being a better giver, how about building something that will really determine how you are doing with money.  I call it the Cash Score, but in most circles it would be referred to as your Net Worth.

It cost’s you up front.

The problem with building your Cash Score is the up front cost.  The costs are things like having to wait for stuff.   Not only that, the stuff I have is Inconvenient, or embarrassing.  It’s doesn’t make sense on the surface to drive a piece of crap car, and put $1500 in to it, when I could buy a $15000 car with a small payment, and have no issues.  The thing is, a dollar today is ten future dollars.  If you don’t believe me, ask older people who are barely getting by on Social Security.

So, what is the right way to build my cash score?  How, do I live on a life with out, or limited credit? We will cover that in part two.  Until then, keep Finding Forward.

If you are reading this, then it would be rare, not impossible, but rare that if you decided to go on a trip to Europe, you would do all that you needed to do, and end up in Canada.  You, might not make it due to funding, or timing, but assuming that all went well you could direct your steps to get there, you would.

Once you know where you want to go

You can work on hustling to get there.  There are some limitations, you wouldn’t forgo making your mortgage payments to go to Europe, but you might be willing to do a little more to get there in the time frame that seems right to you.  Same with building the life you want.  There are restrictions that prevent you from getting there tomorrow maybe, but you are more than likely to give up things that are less important, to get the things that are.

So many people are going to Canada, but getting there fast.

Don’t get me wrong, in this example It may sound like Canada is a bad place to be, but that’s not what I am saying.  What I am saying, is that if you want to go to Europe why would you set a course to Canada?  If you want to retire with some savings, have some control over your time, not stress over finances, and be happy with your career, then why are you working so hard to spend it all, save none, invest none, and enslave your self to a career you hate, just because you need to pay the bills?

Learning how do budgets and invest is great

However, unless you take the time to set a course, and continue to realign your course all of that will take you on a heading that will lead you the wrong way.  So take time and cast out some future plans.  Try some for next five years, and then work backwards to setting goals that will lead you there over the next year.

Make a five year plan and know it will change.

I can’t tell you what’s going to be happing in the next five years, and if you asked me five years ago if I thought I would be doing what I am doing, I would have laughed.  That shouldn’t keep us from setting goals.  You will need to constantly keep learning, adapting, and revaluating your goals adding in the new information that you learn.  You will miss sometimes , but you will find that you will hit more marks than you miss, if you keep putting them out there to hit. Of course if you aim at nothing, you will hit every time.  What has been your experience in setting goals?  How has it helped you?  What works for you?  I look forward to seeing your comments.  Keep Finding Forward.

Let me explain……

1. Hulu has multiple streams of income.

I am not talking about Hulu the business, but Hulu the player.  They don’t manufacture any of there own shows, they bring them from multiple sources.  They know that you don’t watch all of your shows from NBC only and therefore they provides multiple sources of content for you to watch.  Therefore you keep coming back, and they stay in business.

Ideally you could have multiple streams of income

There are so many ways to develop a passion, or a hobby into income nowadays, that even if you have a regular job, you could be building something on the side.  This way your life could keep moving even if you lost your job.

2. Hulu streams can play on less than what it has available to play with.

So there are some flaws with this analogy, but I think you might get the idea.  If your internet connection isn’t that great and it has only so much speed, then it doesn’t try to play faster than what is available.  You can even change the quality settings to reduce the quality of picture, so it will play smoother.

You should live on less than you make

If you don’t adjust the consumption of your life, you will find that your life will be a constant disruption and you won’t have a pleasant overall experience.   It may not fun to reduce your standard of living sometimes, but it’s  just a necessary evil to avoid bigger trouble down the road.   Also you won’t have any savings which brings me to my last point.

3. Hulu has a buffer

If you hit the spacebar while watching Hulu, it will bring a little picture of bars up on the screen that will fill up with what it calls buffering.  The idea is, that it will play ahead just a few seconds or minutes while there is a good connection, and when there is a bad connection there will be no disruption in the programming.

You need a buffer

In your world this would be known as an emergency fund.  Ideally you would like to have 3 to 6 months expenses in the bank.  For most this would look like $6000-$12000.  The only purpose for this money would be to fill disruption in your life.  For example lack of income, or a major expense like the transmission going out on the car.

There is much more that you could learn about handling your finances, but if you just did these three things you would be well on your way to Finding Forward.  I had some fun with this analogy, so if you have any thoughts of how you could improve your finances, by comparing them to Hulu, place them in the comments below.  Thanks.

Starting February of this year, I began this idea of changing my habits of eating poorly and not working out, to doing just the opposite to improve my physical shape and overall health.  The goal was to create a minimum list that I had to accomplish every week, that should be very easy regardless of my work schedule.  So, even if I decide that I want to do P90X or another strenuous work out, but couldn’t complete the whole task that week, I had to at least do this minimum workout.  If you haven’t read my original post, you can see the whole idea here.

Three weeks In

So, the goal was to be consistent with these goals until November (I will explain why in a future post).  The thinking behind it was even if I only did these things, I would lose weight, because I would have made enough small changes to inch me towards my ultimate goal.  However when the time came to actually do the minimum challenge, I have failed.  Here is the break down.

Week 1: Went great, I completed 90% of my work outs, and ate exactly what I had set out to eat.

Week 2: Started to fall off the wagon, but one leg stayed in completing nearly 50%.

Week 3: No show to the rodeo.  Fell completely out of the wagon, making me feel like a bum.  No workouts, sneaking breakfast at my usual fast food spot.

Should I give up?

I have gone through this before, with my finances.  I struggled with what to do and it drug me through the mud for nearly ten years.  I see it in other people when they tell me they just can’t do budgets, and the aren’t good with handling money.  It’s the same thing at the core.  There is a script in my head that says I will always be this way and that I should just accept it.  I know the answer technically, but I don’t believe the answer.  Look at how many overweight people have lost the weight before, and for one reason or another they gained it back.  I don’t know the answers, but I do know that I once changed something that I struggled with, and I overcame it.

So I am asking you for your input.

Do you think I should give up?  Have you ever changed something you struggled with, and changed it for the good?  What did it take?  Please let me know your thoughts.  I have learned what it takes to control my finances, and I want to believe I can move forward with improving my health.  I look forward to your thoughts.

Starting February of this year, I began this idea of changing my habits of eating poorly and not working out, to doing just the opposite to improve my physical shape and overall health.  The goal was to create a minimum list that I had to accomplish every week, that should be very easy regardless of my work schedule.  So, even if I decide that I want to do P90X or another strenuous work out, but couldn’t complete the whole task that week, I had to at least do this minimum workout.  If you haven’t read my original post, you can see the whole idea here.

Three weeks In

So, the goal was to be consistent with these goals until November (I will explain why in a future post).  The thinking behind it was even if I only did these things, I would lose weight, because I would have made enough small changes to inch me towards my ultimate goal.  However when the time came to actually do the minimum challenge, I have failed.  Here is the break down.

Week 1: Went great, I completed 90% of my work outs, and ate exactly what I had set out to eat.

Week 2: Started to fall off the wagon, but one leg stayed in completing nearly 50%.

Week 3: No show to the rodeo.  Fell completely out of the wagon, making me feel like a bum.  No workouts, sneaking breakfast at my usual fast food spot.

Should I give up?

I have gone through this before, with my finances.  I struggled with what to do and it drug me through the mud for nearly ten years.  I see it in other people when they tell me they just can’t do budgets, and the aren’t good with handling money.  It’s the same thing at the core.  There is a script in my head that says I will always be this way and that I should just accept it.  I know the answer technically, but I don’t believe the answer.  Look at how many overweight people have lost the weight before, and for one reason or another they gained it back.  I don’t know the answers, but I do know that I once changed something that I struggled with, and I overcame it.

So I am asking you for your input.

Do you think I should give up?  Have you ever changed something you struggled with, and changed it for the good?  What did it take?  Please let me know your thoughts.  I have learned what it takes to control my finances, and I want to believe I can move forward with improving my health.  I look forward to your thoughts.