What a year.

Who would’ve guessed that I would be reflecting on my year in India of all places.  (We’ll get to the “why” in #6) But getting away from it all is a great idea to gain some clarity and reflect upon the year past….the tropical weather doesn’t hurt, either. ( – :

This post is to help me as much as it is to help you.  I feel like I’ve been on a roller coaster ride this year and I’ve learned some very valuable lessons that I want to share with you.  They are lessons to live by for certain.

Lessons in 2010

1. Be Uncomfortable! If I could sum up this entire year for me, I would use the word “Uncomfortable”.  What I mean by “being uncomfortable” is that I did things that I knew I should do, that made me scared, nervous, and anxious.  One of the biggest fears for me was jumping in with full commitment to running my own Boot camp and Personal Training business.  There are Boot camps around every corner, so fear can easily leave me sitting scared and doing nothing.  But here is the take away message I want you to remember; anything you do doesn’t have to be perfect.  So often in life we wait until everything is perfect to start that new job, get into a new relationship, get in shape, or focus on your relationship with your spouse.  I have realized that we are wasting so much time waiting for the perfect moment to do anything!  If I hadn’t gotten past my fears, there would be no Be Fit Boot camps and Personal Training, and I wouldn’t have been able to help 100′s of amazing people who I didn’t have access to prior.  I don’t possess anything special that you don’t have, so make 2011 the year of being uncomfortable!

2.  Be a Go-Giver. If there was one amazing shift I had this year, it would be becoming a go-giver.  Running fitness programs to give back to a worthy cause helping not only our members change their lives, but also at-risk kids right here in the Bay Area, Haiti Victims, and our soldiers returning home.  I’ve discovered that being in service to others is really the only way to true fulfillment for my life.

3.  Pay it Forward. Everything I am taught in my education as a health and fitness professional, a nutrition educator, wellness coach, (and all the other hats I wear), is about paying it forward to you.   But really, what I’ve learned this year is how powerful you are.  YOU have the ability to change your life, show it to the world, and show up as a role model for those around you.   And then giving YOU the permission to be empowered instead of letting fear hold you back, because maybe you think you don’t have the right knowledge or education to inspire others in your life.  So many of our members have gotten amazing results.  I feel it is my job to help get you amazing results, to believe in yourself, educate you, and empower you to go out into your circle of influence to be a beacon of hope with those who struggle with their health and fitness.  Paying it forward by sharing your stories with others is how we change the world one person at a time.

4.  Success breeds Success. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but if you are serious about getting results in certain areas of your life, success leaves trails if you’re willing to find out what others have done.  If you are interested in changing your health, body, mindset, and life, then click here to see and hear the stories of many of our members who have done just that.  They did it…and now they WANT to pay it forward to you.  In my business, I have surrounded myself with the best coaches in my industry and through them have met other mentors all over the world who are way ahead of me in their game.  I truly believe that Be Fit Boot Camps and Personal Training keeps growing and succeeding because I have surrounded myself with success (while other trainers and gyms are shutting down and quitting).

5.  Invest in yourself. My story: I have spent well over $18,000 this year alone on education, self-care, and fitness.  I study nutrition, physiology, psychology, coaching concepts to facilitate behavior changes, meditation and other spiritual topics, business, leadership, time management, and finance.  I’ve hired the best coaches in my industry, attended certifications programs and conferences, and purchased many products to better myself as a leader, role model, and business person.   Your story: Investing in yourself is the best thing you can do.  You read my blogs and are a part of my life because you care about your health, fitness, and nutrition.  But it’s only when you take that critical step of making the investment into your life that providence moves and the planets align so that there is no other choice but to succeed.  I’m not trying to get all “hokus-pokus” on you.  I can say this because that’s exactly what happened to me and my business once I decided to invest in myself.  Once I finally “made the leap”, success was the only possibility.  If you are interested in learning about my story and watching me speak to over 200 of my peers about the success I experienced this year (because I finally decided to invest in myself), then go ahead and click here. The speech I gave won me the very prestigious title of “Member of the Year” with my coaching company.  The lesson?  If your health and fitness really matter to you, making the jump and investing in yourself will quite literally change your life.

6.  People first: Family, Friends, and Community are our lifeblood. I decided to make this voyage ½ way across the world to India (which is where I am writing this article) because of a very important lesson that was taught to me in a way that I never want to be taught again.  A very close friend of mine and one of Miguel’s best friends died on Thanksgiving weekend.  He was the picture of health and just celebrated his 37^th birthday 2 weeks before.  Why does it take a tragedy to realize just how important the people in our lives are?  This year for me has been a daze as work has taken priority over friends and family.  While I believe in my work and am passionate about it, my friend Victor taught me that family and friends come first.  It’s so easy to forget, especially in our success-driven valley.  2011 will be focused on nurturing my closest relationships first, while building our Be Fit community into a strong, educated, and supportive community for all who seek a better, healthier, and fitter life.  Two of our very close friends for over 7 years, Kristen and Giju, will be getting married right here in Trivandrum, India on January 2^nd.  I am so honored to be here in this magical country to be a part of their special day.  (This experience alone could also be considered another lesson learned this year called:  Actions Speak Louder than Words….but we’ll save that for another day!)

7.  When you change your body, you change your life. From all the interviews I’ve done with our members on their successes, it’s true that all of them lost weight, and probably are in the best shape of their life.  It’s usually why people seek out our Be Fit Program in the first place.  But it’s what accompanies their newfound bodies that interest me the most.  They’re self-esteem is through the roof.  They see themselves in a light of power and possibility.  Anything is possible now.  You see, changing your health, fitness, and weight are within your control.  And when you experience that, it literally changes all aspects of your life.  I’ve seen it time and time again…maybe it’s your turn for 2011?  (read:  it IS YOUR TURN for 2011!!!)  The human body is one of the most amazing and fascinating things around.  Once your mind sets the stage, your body will follow suit every time.  When the mind gives the body permission to push past the comfort level, magic happens.  Overcoming limiting beliefs about ones fitness level is very powerful and has brought some of my clients to tears. (Hell, it’s even brought me to tears!)  A common thing I hear is something like, “I can’t believe I just did 100 Burpies.  I never considered myself athletic, I always was a little chubby, and hated gym class.  I just can’t believe I can do this!”  Another common one I hear is, “I thought as a woman I wasn’t suppose to or shouldn’t be able to do pushups on my toes… I should just do them on my knees.  I can’t believe now I can do 50 perfect pushups on my toes and kill my husband in a pushup contest.”  Make the decision to change your body and watch how many other amazing changes happen in your life.

Question of the day:  What in 2011 did you learn about yourself?  Please share in the comments below.