Once the decision is made to be healthy is made it is up to your mind and body to work together to achieve your goals. It does not matter if your goal is to lose weight, to get in shape, or just to feel better about yourself it takes both parts of you to make it happen.

The first and most important thing that you have to do is to get the right mindset. It is your mind after all that makes all the decisions about everything you do. It is your mind that you need to use to get your body into the shape and the look you want.

Diets don’t work

If you simply decide that you want to lose weight and go on a diet the mind is really not active. You want your body to be a part of it but what always happens with every diet? Sometime along the way we all say to ourselves ‘I can cheat just a little’ and that just a little turns into a lot and your body suddenly becomes worse off than it was before. How can this happen? Your mind was not involved, your body was, but your mind was on auto pilot. It was not ready for the change. Your mind controls everything.

So your mindset:

• Have a Positive Attitude — Your mind needs to have things positive in order to work effectively. Your mind has to set a positive attitude about what you are trying to achieve. Be happy about your new body. Be happy to be able to get outside and have a good sweat. Don’t make it a chore, you will eventually not want to do it. Make it fun. Run with a smile on your face. Eat right with a positive attitude “This carrot is going to make me healthier, and stronger, than I was before”. It may sound a little funny but it works. Even if you have to fool yourself for a little while do it with feeling and you will be successful.

• Believe That It Can Be Done — We all know those people out there who say “I can never loose weight” well guess what, they won’t. If you really believe that you can loose weight, be more fit, feel better you will. It is a matter of belief. You can do it, and your mind will lead the way.

• Focus on your Goal — If your goal is to lose 20 pounds then focus on that one thing very intently. Don’t worry about how your belly looks. Don’t look for bigger bicepts or sculpted legs. If your goal is to lose 20 pounds then focus only on the weight loss. If your goal on the other hand is to have nice long slender legs that have good muscle tone, then focus only on making your legs look good. Set a goal and stick to it until you achieve it.

So we have a goal, we have a positive attitude about the goal, we believe that it can happen, and we are focused. We have not even started on the body. In reality once you have to proper mindset the body is the easy part. It is the part that is happy to do what you want to. Your body wants to be in a good fit state. Everyone knows that their body feels better when it is healthy. So be healthy.

Your Bodyset:

• Eat Right — Eating right is the first step to a more healthy you. You don’t need to diet, again diets don’t work. Just eat right. You know what is right. You know that prepackaged food is not healthy. You want to know how to buy the right food? It is simple, shop around the outside of the grocery store. The stuff that is bad for you is in the isles of the store. If instead you shop around the outside of the store, that is the area with the fresh food, fresh meat, and dairy you will be well on your way to eating right.

• Exercise — Sorry you couch potatoes you have to get off your butt get out of the house and do some activity. Any activity is better than no activity. Here is the key…MAKE IT FUN. You don’t have to go out and kill yourself to get some exercise. You don’t have to make laps around the same neighborhood. Get outside and get moving. Go to a festival the next town over and walk around. Find hiking trails. Get out with the kids and play basketball, or throw a baseball, or heck take a camera and walk until you find the perfect picture to take. It does not have to kill you, any activity is better than no activity.

• Enjoy The Time — For many of us the only time we have to ourselves is when we get out and exercise. Enjoy your quiet time by yourself. Get an MP3 player, download a good book and listen to it as you are exercising. Heck just listen to the birds, to nature. Find a place with activity and just relax and enjoy yourself. This is your time feel good about it.

Get your mind right and your body will follow. Then enjoy yourself and your new body, it will be there before you know it.

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It is almost impossible for me to pass up a good contest, so I have entered one at Site Flip University (http://www.siteflipu.com). Bryan Clark is the webmaster and has a great site going.  See the contest here:

http://siteflipu.com/30-days-of-site-flipping-contest/

The contest is to get an original site up and running and attracting visitors within 30 days.  It does seem like a long time, but to get some good visitors it is no time at all.

So here is my entry Professor Prosperity (http://www.professorprosperity.com)

How can you help?  Sign up for my feed, and visit often.  This may be against contest rules, but if you are not cheating (or maybe just bending the rules a little bit) you are not trying .

Here is my competition:

http://blogfluff.com

http://acthighbrow.com

http://traveltipsdigest.com

http://gogreenlifestyle.net/

http://reggae-artists.com

http://bloggerssearch.com

http://frugalzeitgeist.com/

Again vote for me by subscribing to my RSS feed and my soon to be email list.  Also don’t forget my competitors.  Visit them also there are a lot of very talented people out there.

Conceive It, Believe It, Achieve It

Coach Kip

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“Poor people have jobs, Rich and Successful people have careers.” - Colin Cowherd ESPN Radio

I heard this over the radio one day and it took me a while to figure out what he meant. It was one of those days where I just had a few minutes to tune into the radio. As soon as I turned it on I heard this. I don’t know what lead up to this statement but it struck me and stuck with me.

I brought up this statement with my students, most of whom fall into the poor or poverty social class, and they all understood exactly what I was saying.

I explained it like this:

Poor people have jobs. They work for money and nothing else. So what happens? Is a person who makes $250,000 a year poor? Maybe not by money standards but what is their life like? How much do they work? How much do they enjoy themselves?

If they just have a job that pays well they are probably not completely happy. Actually if they are like most of us they have a job that they just don’t like. It is nice to make a lot of money but are they happy?

What is the sense of making a lot of money when all they do is work? Then what happens? When people work in a job that they are not happy in they need to supplement this unhappiness with something. Some buy toys, a bigger house, new cars, and more. Then what happens? They have to keep working to pay it off. Some are more destructive and turn to alcohol or drugs. Still others take their frustrations out on others.

Rich and successful people have careers. What do they work for? They typically don’t work for money, they get money as a result of their effort and their hard work. Instead of working for money they work to learn. They learn what it takes to get to the next step. That next step may be the next rung up the corporate ladder (something I have no interest in). For some the next step is to open their own business. For others it simply is a case of lifelong learning.

These people may not be rich with money, but they are rich and successful with their life. They are happy because they are doing things that they love to do. They are successful not because they work hard, but because they enjoy their work. Since they enjoy their work they tend to spend more time with it, and they tend to do a better job.

So what are you doing? Are you happy with your job? If you are maybe you should begin to learn and turn it into a career. What is the next step? Where will it take you in the future? If you are just starting out don’t worry about the money right now. If you work for money you will rarely get ahead. If you work for your career then you will find the opportunities will come to you and you will get paid soon. The money comes as a secondary result of how well you develop your career.

Be patient, I know it is hard, I fell into those same traps, but there is a payoff in the end.

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Act As If II Podcast

On Sunday I posted an article about acting as if. Simple acting as if you already have something will bring more of that thing to you.

You want to be successful in business? Act as if you are and people will treat you that way. They will offer you more opportunities, more responsibility, and eventually more success.

So what can you do now? If you are spinning your wheels, wondering what can be done to get you out of where you are at, if you are looking for a change what can you do?

I have a little story for you. I told this to my 9^th graders. I hope that you can translate it to something you can use.

I would guess that somewhere in your city there is some sort of financial district. Somewhere that has some really big buildings. You know the nice shiny ones with tinted windows that go right up to the clouds.

If you are in a small city like the one that I grew up in you may have to go to a larger city to find such a place. This will make it even easier since you will not know anyone there.

Go downtown to that area sometime during a normal work day. Make it a Tuesday or Wednesday. Help break up the monotony of a regular work week. Dress nicely but casual. Dress business casual. Dress to make an impression, but be humble, that is the sweet spot.

Look for the suits. They will look like bustling ants scurrying from building to building. Watch them for a few minutes. Look at which building has the most traffic, then follow them in. Ride the elevator up with them. Get out when they get out. Find the largest office on the floor and walk right in.

Now just before you go in look at the name on the door. Companies are proud and they will display on the door their name and what they do. Walk into “KIP Inc. Financial Services to the World”.

There will be a receptionist, secretary, or some other person sitting at a desk right up front. This person is the gate keeper of Midevil times. They will most likely ask if they can help you.

Say “Yes. I would like to get into Financial Services” or what ever else their door says “and possibly work for KIP Inc. I was wondering what I should do to be able to get a job. Is there a manager, or possibly the president that I can speak with for a few moments?”

About 85% of the time it will work. Say it with a smile (see my post on smiling) Stand at the desk and let them call the person in charge, don’t go away and sit down. Don’t leer, just stand there with a nice smile. Act as if they are going to do this for you.

Soon the president or manager will come in. They will probably say something like “Come on in but I only have about 5 minutes for you.” They really don’t but they like to act really busy.

They will probably lead you through the company. Past all the workers at their desks. Casually look around and observe what is going on. This will give you a good idea if you really want to work in this type of company. If you feel good about the people that are working around you then great, you may have found a place that you would like to work. If it is a bit scary for you then that is good too. You may not want to work at this company but you will still get something out of asking the manager for his opinion.

When he sits you down to talk to him simply ask one question.

“What do you do, and how can I do it?”

It is very powerful. Watch the beginning of In Pursuit of Happyness and see what happens. Watch the rest of the movie to see how hard you will have to work to really get what you want.

The manager/boss/president will be very happy to tell you all about what they do and how they got there. You may or may not want to do the same thing, after you ask a few of these people you will begin to see common things come up.

What can you learn? What can you find out? How valuable would this be?

SCARED? Good! How bad do you want change? Try it, it might even be fun.

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There is not a whole lot that I want in life.  I great wife (I have one) a nice tempered dog (got one of those too) and a house on the water (well within reach).

But I don’t want some house on the beach, although it would suit me just fine, I want a house on the water.  Yes a real houseboat.  That would just be too cool don’t you think?

Well guess what I just came across this today, a nice article on MSN about living on a houseboat.  Ahh the nice sunsets, commuting via kyak, the gentle rocking of the boat.  Nice don’t you think?  Or are you one that gets sea sick easily?

Check it out it is a good read.  (http://realestate.msn.com/Buying/Article_bankrate.aspx?cp-documentid=7162126&GT1=35000)

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You want a really powerful technique that will knock the socks off your competitors and your customers? Just act as if.

Act as if you have already made the sale, you will sell more.

Act as if you have already beat your competitors, they will pick up on that and begin to panic.

Act as if you are already successful and people will begin to treat you that way.

My father was a master at this. He was a great salesman and later a great teacher. We would go to a college campus, or a football game, or sometimes just be out and about. I am always curious and would ask about a building, or I would say out loud how I wish we could go in there.

Off he would go, just pulling on doors to see which one was unlocked. I would get scared, but he would turn to me and say, “Act as if you were supposed to be here and no one will say anything different”.

Guess what? He was right, he was always right. We would get inside the private practice facilities of major sports programs (I will not tell you which). One day we decided to go into the science building of a large university. Before we knew it we were in the reptile lab with several graduate assistance and they were pulling out exotic snakes, lizards, turtles, and things that I did not know even existed.

Why? My father just went in and started asking quesitons. He was genuinely curious. When he asked he acted as if he expected them to answer him. He was not rude or disrespectful. He was not loud and boastful. He was not overbearing. He simply asked and waited for them to answer in a very polite and respectful manner.

You know what? They always answered. They always were happy to answer. No one ever questioned why we were there.

He acted as if. It was great fun, it was harmless, and I got to see many things that I never thought I would see.

Just act as if, and see where it gets you!

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You know the old phrase, ’smile, it will make people wonder what you are up to.’ Well a simple smile can go a long way.

You ever wonder how that person gets his or her way all the time? You know that person. The one who always gets the best tables, the one who always gets the free give aways, the one who never seems to get in trouble for anything. You know them. How do they do it?

Watch them. Most likely (there are always exceptions to every example) they do not get this through intimidation, they do not get their way through being grumpy and gruff, they do not get their way yelling and throwing a fit. Watch them. They probably have a really good smile and are not afraid to show it.

I admit it, I am a sucker for a good smile. There are students that I have that will get away with a lot more than others, simple because they smile. Not just the girls either, the guys can do it just as well. They will do something silly or dumb. They will bend the rules to the point where I have to say some thing and they will turn around with a smile and say “Sorry, Mr. Coach Kip” and somehow it will be all right. Another kid will do the same thing and I will say the exact same thing to them and they will instead give me an attitude about the whole thing. That never ends well, usually ending with them in the principles office and me continuing on with class.

In the book How to Have Confidence and Power in Dealing with People Les Gibons says

A smile is relaxing, a smile shows confidence. A smile shows that you “just know” the other fellow is going to come through

There are two ways you can apply a simple smile in your every day life.

For You: William James once said that it is impossible to feel pessimistic when you have the corners of your mouth turned up. So smile during your day. You will feel better. This will translate to others. Be happy with you life, who you are, and how things are going. If they begin to turn sour just smile. You will be surprised how this works wonders. Looking at things optimistically will help you solve problems, not add to them.

For Others: Smiling when asking someone to do something for you will almost compel that person to do it for you. A smile will tell that person that what you are asking will make you happy, and is probably not that bad. People want to please others so they will feel compelled to do it. Smiling also takes the sting out of less than pleasing news. Now you wouldn’t want to smile when you tell someone that their Mother has died, but a smile while saying “I am sorry but you will have to do this report over again, I know you can do better” will greatly soften the blow and tell the person that you still believe in them.

A good smile takes little practice unless you have not used it often lately. A good smile does not come from a combination of muscles in your face that turn the corners of your mouth up. A good smile comes from deep down inside. It comes from the heart. Smile from the heart and you will find that life will be more enjoyable, more fun, and a heck of a lot easier.

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We have always been taught backwards. This coming from a teacher.

I remember going into the guidance office and they said “Coach Kip, what would you like to do with your life?”

Heck I didn’t know, at that time I still wanted to be a professional football player. I had no idea what my career was going to be. I stammered “A teacher I guess?”

And so it was, from that point on I was defined by what I wanted to do. I was put in classes that helped me get into college. I was advised on the best colleges for teaching. I went to one of the best Universities in Michigan for teaching, Northern Michigan University. I then promptly dropped out of the teaching program.

Why?

I was beginning to see how that would define me. As I got into my teaching classes I found that students were already getting cynical. I found that I was not getting support for math and sciences in our open discussions in class. I was finding it difficult to write papers on philosophies and issues that I did not agree on. I would not let it define me.

I got a degree in physics instead. Why? I thought physics was cool. I had no idea why. I had no idea what I was going to do with it. I just liked science and physics. So I graduated.

I got a good job but it did not satisfy me. Heck I lived in Russia for four months, I lived in Argentina for a month, and in Dubai for three months (I stayed in the original buildings that are shown with the arrow). Besides that I traveled all over the United States. Still not very fulfilling to me. It was not me. It was not the definition of who I wanted to be. So I went back to school.

I got a teaching degree along with a mathematics degree. I became a teacher. I was lucky. I did not get a teaching degree because I wanted a job, I got one because that is who I am.

So what does that mean to you?

Define - Learn - Do.

The better question that the guidance counselor could have asked is “what do you want to be?” I may have answered a professional football player, but hopefully she would have steered this 145 pound weakling in a different direction. I could have decided who I wanted to be. What I wanted to be. How I wanted to live. What I wanted to have. I could have formed a decision on that

Define

Instead of finding something that you want to do, define who you want to be. Once you define who it is that you want to be the steps are more simple. The steps are also in reverse order that we usually take them in.

Learn

Once you have defined yourself you learn how to become that person. For some it is education, and schooling. For some it may be an internship. For others it may simply be setting a stricked budget to get what they want.

Do

Once you have learned how to get what you have defined for yourself it is a matter of doing it. This can be very difficult because you are bound to make mistakes. Guess what, making mistakes is part of living. It tells you that you are alive. So make mistakes.

Let me give you a little secret. Instead of doing what it is that you think you need to do to get to your definition of life…that sentence and the process is very difficult to understand, I know I have done it that way for a long time…FIND SOMEONE WHO HAS DONE IT BEFORE AND DO WHAT THEY DO.

I am not yelling, just using it for emphasis. Don’t reinvent what has already been done. Just find someone who has the life that you want and copy what they do. Will that make you successful alone? No. But it will get you started. It will then be your task to make it your own. Making it your own, and living the way you want to live will be your success.

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Well it has been quite hectic around here. As most of my readers know we are getting together funds, sponsors, advertisers to purchase a boat so that we can live on it for the next 15 months to two years. It should be a great experience.

My favorite question is where are you going to live? Duh on a boat. We will not really have a harbor to call home. We plan on traveling much of the time, meet new people, and expand our knowledge. (Check us out at TrekkingAround.com).

In doing this it has really made me keep things in prospective. There really is no need to have all this extra junk. It made me realize that I was working for possessions, for junk. Why did I need all that stuff? I have a nice little townhouse that is now for sale. That was good for me. I would have liked to have been in a nicer part of town but I was living on a golf course. The problem was that I was spending all my time working and spending money on possessions that I did not need. Half of the time I would get a bill for something that I did not even know I had. I had no idea why I bought it and I had no idea where I put it. It was terrible. I was working to pay off credit card debt, house debt, student loans, car loans, and trying to keep up with all the bills. Bills are not hard but they tend to change from time to time. Sometimes they change the due date on them, and if you are not paying close attention then you miss that change. Not a very good thing.

So we had a fire sale. Everything must go and what does not go is given away. Yes my wife gave away a little too much but that is OK.

Without all these distractions I have been able to focus. To really focus. With out all these distractions I have become refamiliar with what I really want.

That may be a good practice for you to. Get away from the things that are distracting you. If you are not happy go somewhere so that your distractions are gone. Go to a quiet park, go to the beach, take a drive into the country and stop on the side of a little used road.

Then think. Take a pad of paper and think. Think of what it is that you really want. Think of what you can do without. How bad do you want it? What are you willing to do to make the change? Are you willing to change?

Einstein “Doing the same thing over and over expecting something different is the definition of insanity.”

What is it that I want? I will post more at another time but basically it boils down to this. I want enough money to be able to travel with my wife, play golf, play on a boat, and enjoy life before I have to retire and I am too old to really enjoy life.

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