So….when I found this little fella here, I printed him out and posted him in the corner of my cube, where only my cube-mate and I can see him.  He makes me smile and laugh and all that good stuff!  He is a very good antidote for the crankiness I sometimes feel at work.  Plus, I too LOVE peanut butter.

Ummm, yeah.  These are just the four that I most notably violate:

The Top 10 Bonehead Workout Mistakes to Avoid and The Top 10 Kick-Butt Training Tips

by Tom Venuto, NSCA-certified personal trainer and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle

Bonehead workout mistake #1: “Winging it”

“Winging it” means having no written goals or plans, no training journal and no way of “keeping score.” It’s when you just show up at the gym day after day and do whatever strikes your fancy, whatever machine happens to be available, or whatever you’ve become habitually accustomed to doing.

Winging it is when you don’t know where you are, where you’re going or how you’re going to get there – but you start your journey anyway – no compass, no roadmap. It’s been said that “Action without planning is the biggest cause of failure,” and I believe that statement is 100% accurate.

Kick butt workout tip #1: Develop a strategic plan

Successful people never “wing it,” they always have a plan. Strategic planning is a never ending process and includes: Assessment (where am I now?), goal setting (where do I want to go?), creating a plan or strategy (How will I get where I want to go?), executing the plan (what action steps must I take daily to reach my goal?), and measuring results (how will I know if I’m moving towards my goal and how will I know when I’ve reached it?). Boneheads “wing it.” Butt-kickers have a master plan and goals for every workout.

Bonehead workout mistake #4: Skipping scheduled workouts

A great body doesn’t happen overnight. Successful body transformation is the cumulative result of dozens or even hundreds of successful workouts. Each workout brings you one small step closer to your goal. Each workout missed takes you one small step backwards. Most people underestimate the cumulative effect of each small step. They figure that “It just doesn’t matter… it’s only one workout.”

If you don’t think that one little workout matters, then think about the humble termite; they’re such itty bitty little creatures and they take such itty bitty little bites, yet when enough little bites are taken, an entire building can come crumbling down.

Kick butt workout tip #4: Be disciplined and consistent

Not only do you slip backwards physically when you skip even one scheduled workout, perhaps more devastating is the effect on your mind and character. Every time you successfully complete a scheduled workout, you build your discipline and self esteem. When your self esteem increases, it makes you feel good and that stimulates a positive self-reinforcing cycle of even more discipline, confidence and action. Everything you do helps or hurts. Every workout counts. Treat your word as law. When you say you’re going to work out… WORK OUT!

Bonehead workout mistake #7: No mental preparation

This mistake goes hand in hand with mistake number one (winging it). You see, preparation is more than setting goals, writing out plans, and scheduling workouts. Preparation is also mental, yet most people haven’t the slightest idea just how powerful the mind is or how to harness its power. Psychologists and “brain scientists” have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between an experience that is real and one that is imagined. Failure to take advantage of this discovery is a mistake of enormous magnitude.

Kick butt workout tip #7: Use visualization and mental rehearsal daily

Arnold Schwarzenneger, Jack Nicklaus, Andre Agassi and countless other sports legends have written and spoken extensively about their regular use of mental imagery. Those who succeeded, but claimed not to use such techniques as “visualization” were surely using it unconsciously or in a non-formalized manner.

I would suggest you consciously and deliberately use this technique in the following manner: Twice a day, once in the morning and once at night, get relaxed, close your eyes and form mental images of yourself having the body you’ve always wanted, completing perfect workouts with motivation and enthusiasm and reaching all your goals. These images will penetrate your subconscious mind and literally program your brain to activate your body for total success.

Bonehead workout mistake #10: Making excuses

Many people, when they don’t get the result they want, or when things don’t go the way they expect, insist it’s not their fault. When they don’t lose any body fat, it’s their genetics or “The diet just doesn’t work!” When they fall off the wagon, it’s their friend’s and family’s fault – “They just don’t support me… they even tempt me with junk food and eat in front of me.” When they miss workouts, it’s their boss’s fault – “I just don’t have time with so much work being piled on me at the office.”

No matter what the situation, the boneheads never even consider that the problem is staring right back at them in the mirror – someone or something outside of them is always responsible.

Kick butt workout tip #10: Accept total, 100% responsibility for all your results – good or bad

When you win, you don’t attribute it to luck or give someone else the credit for it. You proudly say, “I created it… I did it… that was me!” However, if you want to take the credit for your wins, you must also take credit for your losses and say, “Yep, I created it… I did it… that was me!”

Boneheads want to take credit for their successes but not accept responsibility for their failures. Ultimately, that turns them into nothing but big losers. Winners and successful people became successful because they learned three magic words: I AM RESPONSIBLE.

Once you claim responsibility for every result in your life – the good and the bad – the feeling of empowerment and liberation that comes over you is beyond description. For the first time in your life, you realize that YOU are in control. From that moment on – and not a second sooner – you become the creator of circumstance rather than a victim of it. – - – - -

Well, that’s all ten of em’. Let me wrap up with what is perhaps the biggest mistake of all, and that is: Not learning from your mistakes. Mistakes are okay. The only people who don’t make any are the timid, wimpy people who don’t even attempt anything. If you realize you’ve been making a lot of these mistakes, don’t beat yourself up. As long as you learn from them and stop making them, you’re off the hook! But if you keep repeating these mistakes over and over again, then it’s official: You’re a bonehead!

If you enjoyed this article and you’re interested in learning how to quickly and easily lose fat permanently – without drugs, supplements or fad diets – AND without making any bonehead mistakes – click here to visit the BURN THE FAT website: www.BurnTheFat.com

http://www.mens-total-fitness.com/workout-mistakes.html

Thank you, Tom Venuto – there is so much more for me to learn! 

Now, the sole reason I am putting this out in the world, is because I cannot do this anymore.  I cannot live like this, and I do not want to continue living like this.  Posting these desires here makes them real, and makes them tangible.  I do not want to continue not taking care of myself and my relationships because I feel like the family drama makes doing those things harder.  I have come a long way in how I deal with the family drama, but I feel like eliminating this aspect of coping is one of the final steps towards being released from it all.  I love my family, and I will always be a part of it, and the drama that goes with it, but I must continue learning how to deal with all of it in a way that is not harmful to myself, nor allows me to feel sorry for myself or pull out of doing things with others or for myself because I am dealing with the family drama. 

It all seems very cut and dry once I am looking at it here, but I cannot believe how much time I have spent hiding (even out in the wide open) from my problems.  And what’s worse, is that I don’t realize I’m doing it at the time.  I just don’t “feel up to it” or my personal favorite, “I just don’t wanna.”  Then, I look back or realize how much other stuff I should have, could have done – and I think, what the hell was I doing?  No more.  As of today, no more.  Get up, get moving, get on with my life.  This will be my mantra for the future.  And when the going gets tough, get up, get moving, and write about it.  Although laughter is usually really good medicine, I think this can only be cured by thinking it through, getting it out of my system, and thinking some more.  No more avoiding my own thoughts through booze.  No more avoiding exercize through a hangover.  No more avoiding my life at all!

• I joined @lskrocki and @twitfit and a slew of other tweeple (not tweeters, as I had previously called us) in an adventure called 100 workouts in 100 days.  I thought it was very ironic that this adventure would come up at practically the EXACT same time that I wanted to start a 60 pounds in 6 months adventure, primarily b/c I REFUSE to go to my 10 year high school reunion in October looking like the whale that I am right now.  What a way to get the ball rolling!!  I’ve already decided that after a brisk walk on the treadmill, I will break out and break in my most recent healthy purchase, “Pilates for Wimps.”  I am very excited.  Sort of.  Not really.  But I will keep telling myself that I am.

• The name Ralf Rentz always makes me think of Scooby-Doo.  Because when I say that name, it sounds like something Scooby-Doo would say.

• Personally, (and I don’t think I’m alone here) fireman hold a VERY dear place in my heart, and in powering my libido.  I was just driving down the street and saw a smooshed squirrel in the road.  I was very sad for this squirrel.  Then I saw a pretty fire truck full of pretty fire men, and let me tell you…that frown was turned UP-SIDE DOWN!  I also have this uncontrollable habit when firemen are driving by to smile my biggest smile, wave, and say, “Hello Boys!”  I sometimes don’t even know I’m doing it until I’m already doing it.  It’s wierd.  Like when you have stop your car quickly and you reach out to the side to prevent whatever is in the passenger seat from flying forward.  It’s unconcious.  Luckily, the firemen don’t ever seem to mind. 

• And finally, as I’ve said a couple of times today…slow people and slow talkers make me angry.  I know I should be patient and understanding, knowing that it must be a rough life to be so dim – but I cannot stand it.  Certain aspects of life are difficult to understand and perhaps very complicated, but a freaking on-line mail service is NOT one of those things. 

Thank you for listening today.  Hope to see you again sooner rather than later! Rock On! And stay classy San Diego!

There are so many brilliant people out there, and I feel honored and privileged that a fair number of those are in my direct vicinity.  A good portion of the panel, and the event itself, was focused on filling a need where no one else was doing so.  The first thing that pops into my head around this crowd is that they know their shit backwards and forwards – but they’re not an overly outspoken group.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I am not this way.  I certainly have my shy moments, but I know when I really need to man up and do something that might otherwise make me uncomfortable, I’ll do it – IF I, or my interests, will be furthered by the effort. 

Maybe that’s the gap I need to fill.  A lot of these people have some really brilliant ideas, but not so much the voice to reach the potential customers/investors/collaborators/ employees etc…  Maybe I need to do some research.  And for the love of Pete, get some business cards that aren’t generic ECM business cards.  No matter how cool I am, it doesn’t look cool to have to hand-write my name on my card.  Makes me look like a fake, no?

• How Google Analytics works
• Why kids like using FaceBook
• How the guys in the factory make the widgets you sell
• Six ways to make your web browser work better
• How to Sell Stuff on eBay 

Plus my list:

• Why I am so impatient
• Why claim that I don’t have ADD
• How to change the oil on my truck
• How to handle plumbing problems

Has there ever been a better time to learn what you don’t know? It’s faster, easier and cheaper now than ever before (and, of course, there’s way more stuff now that we don’t understand). If I don’t learn it now, when will I?  (This author’s note: I did very much enjoy editing the grammar of Seth’s blog.)And an obvious addition to that list should be:  How to use Ordered Lists on WordPress – JEESH I grabbed this idea from Seth Godin’s daily blog : Things You Don’t Understand