Kristen invited me in this chat to be better. To use the positivity and knowledge to my advantage. I did not think that much of it didn’t use the opportunities around me that I should have. This place is a great way to share and gain knowledge from others as well as a place to inspire people. I plan to be more active. I was way too relaxed and lazy in Orange County. I was missing workouts and cheating my meal plan. I came to the conclusion that going to a Texas program would straighten me up and force me to lock in for baseball and life. Very much a shot in the dark but I trust Gods plan for me. I went to a Texas junior college to put my head down to work hard at my sport away from all distractions. Real commitment. It really teaches you a lot. First, the humbling effect. I get there and instantly everything that I was I wasn’t. No one knows or cares who you are and what happened before we got there. I showed up to a place where my whole life restarts. Second, earning respect. I had to earn the respect of my coaches and teammates by proving I was first off good enough at the sport to earn a starting spot and a fun person to be around. I had to prove I wasn’t a jackass and just there to goof off but a man with a plan to play baseball at the university level. That would do whatever it took to get there. I had to push away all negativity and focus on what was important to me. Getting stronger and gaining experience. Thirdly, the Commitment aspect. I trained my ass off for these 4 months pushing my self in the weight room and on the field to just squeeze every single thing I could possibly get out of this fall program. Got on a crazy strict meal plan, trained hard every day, and added natural supplements to increase my energy and keep my soreness down. Every time life caught up to me and I was sore and tired I would never give up because of the one thing I had in the back of my mind the whole time I was there. “My parents didn’t pay all of this money and raise me to be a failure” This sentence pushed me past my limits and created a monster. I was consistent as could be, I did the right recovery, snd pushed my self day in and day out past my limits because of the fact that I simply cannot be a failure.

You do not have to change your lifestyle. You do not have to want more. You do not have to want less. You can be content with where you are in your fitness, health, and performance in life. There is plenty to enjoy when you stop and smell the roses. My question for you to think about and act on today is: what do you truly want? The most common theme I hear with clients is the feeling of "misaligned" with who they want to be, vs. who they are now. Who is that person you want to be? What are YOU going to do to get there? The longer you SIT on your potential, the longer that NOTHING CHANGES. Call to Action: Pick a habit to start building that aligns with the person you want to be. For example, I am challenging myself to 75 pull-ups a day for 4 days a week. This not only helps me build mental toughness (doing something hard when I do not want to do it), but it is aligned with the version of myself that I want to be (functionally fit and able to protect myself and those around me). Disasters can happen, and what if I can't pick myself up out of a really bad situation? Set the Standard.

************* CALL TO ACTION: AFTER you complete this exercise! Share with the group an output of the exercise! ************* For many people, they live life on autopilot, not fully experiencing themselves or the world around them. It may be difficult for some to stay focused when confronted with challenges coming from multiple dimensions of their lives. Use the following framework to help identify and build your dreams and desires: 1. Acknowledge Your Obstacles: What is anything in your life you know you need to confront but have been avoiding (i.e., being more communicative about a situation, ending or improving a romantic relationship, losing weight)? When we allow fear to take the reins, we can sometimes get stuck in denial and make excuses. 2. Give Fear a Form: Ask yourself, what are you MOST afraid of? Which factors contribute to your fear, what triggers it, and what gives it power over you? Consider the ways your fears have been getting in the way of your happiness and success. 3. Visualize Your Dream Life: Don't miss this step! If not for other people's judgments and expectations, what would you be doing with your life right now? Make a list of as many things as you can think of, big or small, that you would do if you weren't afraid. 4. Break it Down: Once you become consciously aware of what you want, you can begin to confront the areas of your life that are not in alignment with your truth. From there, create a few small, reasonable goals for yourself each week to get yourself moving in the direction you want to go! 5. Celebrate Your Milestones: Each time you successfully overcome a meaningful obstacle, it is time for you to recognize it! If you feel comfortable, share your win with others. Celebrating your wins with the people you love will help strengthen your support network! CALL TO ACTION: AFTER you complete this exercise! Share with us what a fear you are breaking down! © 2014, 2016 Integrative Nutrition, Inc LETS MAKE THIS WEEK DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER!!

This community will specialize in helping you implement your health and fitness goals into your lifestyle. Reality is, we only have one body. The more we invest in our body, the better health we maintain. When we do not take care of our body, our performance, quality of life, and overall experience depletes. Sometimes we do not notice that our lifestyle plays a major component to affecting our health! Sometimes we wait until the inflammation in our body is so high, then disease develops, then we experience symptoms to actually look further into nutrition, physical fitness, and incorporating other integrative health measures. Higher investment into body, higher investment into health, nearly everything improves.

Before we jump into and get excited for the new year, it is important to make sure we reflect on what worked for us in the last year and what has not. Surely, there are things that we could not control in 2024. However, if you are committed towards making 2025 "your year" then we need to make sure we review what you liked and disliked from your habits/ lifestyle this past year. Take 5-10 mins this week to focus in on how 2024 went for you. Write out 1) What did you like in your lifestyle? 2) Was there anything that frustrated you in your lifestyle? 3) How did your actions align with your goals/ priorities this year? Remain non-judgmental, and remember that the purpose of this exercise is not to get mad at yourself and call yourself names. A large purpose is to recognize the points in your lifestyle that you want to address and navigate to best prepare you for 2025.