You either have it or ya don’t…if ya don’t, FAKE IT, or you won’t make it! A positive attitude is reflected not only in your actions and words, but also in your self-talk.

     Most of us have been guilty of self-sabotage through the internalization of negative beliefs about ourselves and/or our abilities. Often these negative messages are recurring, playing over and over again in our minds. They can be likened to a track on a CD that has been programmed on "repeat."

Strategy:

     Here is your opportunity to "purge" any negative beliefs and/or thoughts which may be taking up too much room in your mind. List three self-defeating "CD tracks" on a piece of paper, and below each, "erase" the corresponding negative message with something positive. You are going to reprogram your mind to play these new messages! After you have completed this task write the positive "tracks" on a separate sheet of paper and tape the "happy thoughts" in a place where you will see them often, such as the bathroom mirror.

     We humans only use a small percentage of our true potential. It becomes easy to "get by" with doing the minimum, as everywhere you turn life is made "easier" for us. Thanks to technology, we simply do not have to exert nearly as much energy to perform daily tasks as our ancestors did at the turn of the century! We have become conditioned to take the easy way out. Do you want to be remembered as "the woman who did just enough to get by?" I sure don’t! I say make your mark on the world! Don’t think 100%…think 110% when it comes to putting forth effort as you work towards your goals. Give it your all and then some, for this is what sets champions apart from the masses!

Strategy:

     Your assignment is to list up to three examples of instances in which you gave 110% effort in reaching a goal. How did you feel afterward? What did you learn about yourself in the process?

     One of the benefits of working with a trainer is accountability. My clients must be accountable to me in order for our trainer-client relationship to be effective. In addition, I encourage my clients to do all they can to be accountable to themselves. Ultimately, if you’re not accountable to yourself, you are going to let yourself down. It is smart to have a team of "supporters" (such as a trainer, spouse, workout buddy, etc.) to whom you are held accountable to some degree. All the support in the world, however, won’t get you to your goal if you do not recognize that your ability to be accountable to yourself is the catalyst for change!

Strategy:

     Your task is to list three obstacles that have served as barriers to your success in the past. For example, hitting the snooze button every morning instead of getting up to the gym first thing to take care of your daily workout. The simple task of getting these potential "snags" down on paper may help these self-defeating actions be a thing of the past. We have already worked on self-defeating thoughts. How will you fight back against the tests that life is going to throw at you day after day? Underneath each obstacle, come up with a strategy you can use to counteract it. These strategies can be added to your "arsenal" and may be of benefit to you as you work towards your goal!

     You will be working towards your individual goals alongside several others each week in the Boot Camp session. There will be obvious differences in everyone's fitness level, fitness background, physique, and desired result, but there will also be a common theme. Each recruit has enlisted knowing that they will be expected to work hard and follow a plan of attack in order to improve. This creates a unifying "energy" that can serve to reinforce each individual's belief in oneself and one's abilities.

     Over the course of the eight-week program, you will get to know your fellow recruits. You will encourage and push one another during workouts. You will assist eachother and work together. In addition, I will be right there alongside each and every one of you. As a Personal Trainer I am right at home working with individuals one-on-one. It is imperative that I focus on the needs that are specific to each of my clients. I am keeping my Boot Camp groups small so that I may provide more attention and instruction to each recruit. I emphasize to my private clients that we must work as a team from day one. We must be on the same page, so to speak. Without this approach it is extremely difficult to make progress in the gym!

Strategy:

     Your fourth preliminary task is to write down your expectations of the teamwork concept. This applies to working with a team as well as working with me. What do you forsee gaining from working alongside others? What do you need from your teammates? What do you feel you will gain from the process? What do you need from me as your instructor?