Details do add up!

I returned a few weeks back from a 4-day, 3-night road trip with my family while my kids were out of school on Winter Break.  We're in Indiana and chose to drive 3.5 hours to see my cousins in Newark, OH and then stay at a water park in Columbus, OH for a few days getting wet while it froze outside!  Good choice and the fam had a ball!

As I prepared for the trip I was just 14.5 weeks out from my first Figure competition on 4.13.13.  14 weeks also interprets to 98 days.  In the grand scheme of things, that's not really a long time especially since it takes LOTS of time for the body to change and make progress.  I'm not a procrastinator, so I believe that everyday and every choice makes a difference in the long run.  Even though my first show seems months down the road, I know from my research that what I do today and tomorrow will have the compound effect on the package I bring to the stage in 98 days.  So before we left, I prepped ALL my food, labeled my supplements, set my alarm early while on the trip so I could get up to go workout at several YMCAs where we were, and took the time to ask questions and make my special orders when dining out.  I believe that EVERY choice matters on this journey.
(Abs are coming in after a great, clean week.  Lots of rest, cardio, lifting and clean eats; Day 4 of our 4-day trip and in my swim suit and heading down to play with the fam at the water park!) ------>

Even for those that are not competing and are reading this post, how does it affect you?  Maybe you're not in a competitive mindset and you're just beginning to revamp your lifestyle towards a new you.  I have a tip for you.  Pretend like you've got a show or event or race and put a special date on your calendar!  It does something to your journey and really takes it up a notch.  When you put a time frame or deadline to your ways, it just makes each day, meal, and choice that much more important.  Imagine if we had no deadlines, due dates or expiration dates on our products or actions.  We'd have an "I'll get to it eventually mindset" because there would be no urgency in what we did with our time or actions.  In our minds, we'd always have a little more time to get there, right?

Putting a time frame on your actions forces you to pay attention to details.  You stay present and mindful and you realize that what you do today has impact on tomorrow and accumulates to next week's results.  You start thinking about how important it is to have your next meal prepped or planned.  You know the value of asking for the nutritionals before you order.  You understand the why of knowing the content of what you're putting into your body.  And you know the impact proper form when lifting and knowledge of a balanced cardio plan has on your physique.  Otherwise, if you had all the time in the world, what's one more day to push it off and worry about it tomorrow?

In order to really focus on the details, I urge you to put a date on the calendar.  Train for a competition, sign up for a race, or even plan to throw a party at your home so you can have a reason to go out and get a fancy new dress in a smaller size.  Putting a timeline in the mix will keep you focused on the little details which eventually turns out BIG results!