Indiferent daca obiectivul este sa termini primul tau

maraton sau un Ironman, sa scoti un timp anume sau

sa ajungi pe podium, o cursa nu este cu adevarat
satisfacatoare daca nu ne confruntam cu slabiciunile
interioare care incearca sa ne faca sa dam mai putin
decat corpul este capabil sau chiar sa aruncam
prosopul. Sa-ti confrunti aceasta voce si sa o inlaturi
poate fi cel mai satisfacator sentiment de victorie
personala din acest sport. Limitele apar atunci cand
riscurile sunt destul de captivante pentru ca totul sa
merite. Stii ca ai infruntat o provocare reala atunci
cand pe la jumatatea cursei disconfortul fizic te face
sa te intrebi de ce imi fac una ca asta?! Acesta e
doar inceputul a ceea ce poate fi o sumbra spirala
descendenta.
Pentru a te ajuta sa-ti intaresti jocul mintii pentru aceste batalii interioare ce vor veni
mai ales in cursele de lungimi exceptionale, calduri insuportabile, umiditate, vant,
pante sau toate la un loc am intrebat doi psihologi in sport ce instrumente si tehnici
ar trebui sa incerce un sportiv.

K.C. Wilder are un doctorat in psihologia sportiva si a fost ciclist all-America pe cand
era la Universitatea din Virginia. Wilder continua sa concureze la o categorie de nivelul
1 in statul natal Pennsylvania. Ea lucreaza in prezent cu atleti in sesiuni individuale
dar si de grup punand accentul pe anxietate si probleme de stres.

Pe langa ca participa la curse de triatlon off-road pentru profesionisti si ca este

membru Team LunaChix, Danelle Kabush are un doctorat in psihologia sportiva si
lucreaza cu atleti in sporturi de iarna in orasul natal din Calgary. Kabush se inspira din
lucrarile de laborator ce s-au focusat pe subiectul motivatiei, lucrari conduse in timpul
studiilor doctorale de la Universitatea din Ottawa.

1. Ia-ti angajamentul. Cand incepe sa lucreze cu un atlet, primele consultatii ale lui Wilder
implica o sedinta unde sunt setate obiective. Setam obiective pe termen scurt si obiective
pe termen lung, spune Wilder. In timpul discutiei, ea il ajuta pe atlet sa distinga intre ceea
ce ea numeste obiective de proces versus obiective de rezultat primele concentrandu-se
pe programul de antrenament saptamanal si cele din urma cu ceea ce atletul spera sa

ramana la sfarsitul programului. De exemplu, rezultatul poate fi ca la sfarsit isi imbunatesc

recordul personal pe o distanta anume cu un anumit timp. Wilder il pune pe atlet sa scrie
aceste obiective pe o fisa de catalog care ajunge intr-un seif din biroul ei. Poti face acelasi
lucru acasa cu o cutie de pantofi. Ideea este sa-ti iei un angajament pentru acest obiectiv si
sa-l pui deoparte; inlaturand orice neincredere ce ar putea sa-si faca loc in mintea ta si sa
te convinga sa-ti modifici obiectivul. Apoi, spune Wilder, cu decizia asupra obiectivului
stabilita, vei fi capabil sa-ti pui toata energia mentala in a te antrena pentru obiectivul tau si
mai putin tentat sa alterezi planul din pricina fricii.
2. Construieste-ti increderea prin antrenamente dificile. Dupa parerea lui Kabush, taria
psihica se fabrica cu sesiuni provocatoare de antrenament. Trebuie sa facem niste
antrenamente care ne sperie, spune ea. Asta inseamna ca trebuie sa fie planuite si
executate antrenamente cheie antrenamente mai provocatoare decat cursa. Si frica de
dinaintea cursei disparea. Acestea sunt elementele care iti dau incredere, spune Kabush.
Vei putea sa-ti impui sa termini cu orice pret.
3. Cunoaste scopul fiecarui antrenament. In plus fata de aceste antrenamente dificile, iti
vei mari increderea stiind ca toate antrenamentele au fost de calitate. Kabush spune ca,
intelegand scopul specific al fiecarui antrenament, un atlet va fi mai putin capabil sa triseze
sau sa risipeasca o perioada de antrenament. Intelegand ceea ce vrei sa indeplinesti la un
antrenament, va fi mai putin probabil sa tragi fara chef 30 de minute in loc sa faci un
antrenament de o ora de calitate.
4. Transforma cursa intr-un proiect de cercetare. Wilder ii consilieaza pe alteti sa aiba in
vedere resursele mentale, sugerand ca acestia sa acorde o atentie speciala stapanirii felului
de a se organiza in zilele si orele de dinaintea startului cursei pentru a evita orice pierdere.
Vrei ca rutinele pre-cursa sa curga snur, explica ea. Rutinele ajuta la prevenirea pierderii
inutile de energie. Pentru a pregati aceste rutine, informeaza-te cat mai mult inaintea
marelui eveniment. Abordeaza acest lucru asa cum ar face-o un cercetator. Citeste totul
despre subiect si intervieveaza-i pe cei care au mai concurat la cursa inainte. Scrie totul pe
hartie. Obiectivul este sa intelegi de inainte cat de mult poti despre eveniment astfel incat
stresul si anxietatea de inaintea cursei sa fie tinute la minim si-ti vei conserva maximul de
resurse mentale pentru efortul din timpul cursei. Daca o cursa este intr-un loc in care n-ai
mai fost, aceste principii devin si mai pretioase afla de unde iti vei cumpara mancare,
unde iti vei manca mesele si cand si unde trebuie sa fii pentru toate sedintele pre-cursa si
primirii kit-ului de concurs.
5. Fa simulari inaintea cursei. Cand faci cercetarile de dinaintea cursei, identifica aspecte
ale cursei care pot fi in special suparatoare si fa tot ceea ce poti pentru a simula situatia in
timpul antrenamentelor. De exemplu, ia in considerare un start haotic ca cel de la proba de
inot de la un Ironman. Este greu sa te pregatesti pentru panica de la startul unui inot in
masa, spune Kabush. In cazul acesta, se poate organiza un antrenament de grup la bazinul
de inot pentru a simula nebunia generala din primele minute ale inotului. In acest
antrenament poti practica senzatia de a fi lovit si zgaraiat si ai putea lucra la lucrurile de
baza, cum ar fi sa continui sa respiri si sa intri intr-un ritm. Este ca si cum ai studia pentru
un examen important. Vrei sa fii atat de pregatit in asa fel incat atunci cand intrebarile vin,
vei putea raspunde automat.
6. Concentreaza-te pe ceea ce poate fi controlat. Tot in interesul de a conserva energia
mentala, Wilder ii sfatuieste pe atleti sa-si monitorizeze gandurile si sa-si restrictioneze
gandirea la lucruri care pot fi controlate. Nu poti controla starea vremii, spune ea ca
exemplu, asa ca nu are nici un rost sa ardem energia degeaba ingrijorandu-ne despre
aceasta. Inerenta in cadrul acestei strategii este centrarea gandurilor pe obiectivele zilnice
de a duce la bun sfarsit antrenamentele si verificand lucrurile extra cum ar fi o dieta buna,
un somn adecvat si a administra recuperarea de dupa antrenament adica, a controla ceea
ce poate fi controlat.
7. Nu concura nepregatit. Cand vine vorba despre importanta de a imbunatati increderea si
taria mintii noastre pe termen lung, Wilder ii descurajeaza pe atleti sa inceapa o cursa daca,
pentru vreun motiv, antrenamentul a fost insuficient. In caz ca o accidentare, o imbolnavire
sau presiunile vietii te-au privat de nivelul de fitnes cerut de cursa, nu concura. Daca nu ai

incredere in abilitatea ta, du-te inapoi si lucreaza la ea. Intoarce-te la a te pregati asa cum
trebuie. Sa faci altfel, spune Wilder, poate fi o forma de auto-sabotaj.
8. Atunci cand concurezi, gandeste pozitiv partile dificile. Atunci cand presiunile fizice
ale unei curse anevoioase incep sa-ti supere dispozitia, fii pregatit, spune Wilder. Ocupa-te
de orice nevoi nutritionale sau de echipament care te-ar putea ajuta sa-ti pastrezi un
anumit nivel de confort, dar fii de asemenea pregatit cu ajutoare psihologice. Ii invat pe
atletii mei sa memoreze trei sau patru afirmatii pozitive. Atunci cand gandurile negre incep
sa apara in peisaj, apeleaza la aceste afirmatii si treci peste pasa rea cu imagini pozitive ce
te fixeaza in moment. A te gandi la rezultate negative iti poate taia energia. Insa a fi in
moment si a-ti aminti cat de mult iti place sa ai libertatea de a fi pe bicicleta sau sa fii acolo
alergand te poate ajuta sa-ti recapeti un sentiment pozitiv.
9. Efectueaza o analiza aprofundata post-cursa. Dupa proba tinta, Wilder ii pune pe
altetii sai sa studieze daca experienta a fost un succes sau o dezamagire. Vreau ca ei sa se
gandeasca la cursa din punct de vedere al unui proces, nu al unui rezultat. Analizeaza cu
seriozitate tot ceea ce s-a intamplat. Transform-o intr-o experienta de invatare completa
pentru te folosi de ea la urmatorul obiectiv. Wilder sugereaza ca ceea ce ar putea fi numite
esecuri pot fi, de fapt, o parte importanta a dezvoltarii tariei de caracter. Sa ne revenim in
forta dupa o dezamagire este o parte critica a construirii tariei mentale. In acest fel ne
construim rezistenta.

10.

De multe ori, cel mai mare obstacol n calea continurii antrenamentelor de

alergare este cel psihic, ce ine de motivare, i nu cel fizic, legat de efort. Ca orice alt
proiect pe care l planifici i demarezi, i atunci cnd te apuci de alergat, trebuie s fii
motivat. Dar motivaia nu vine singur i, mai ales, trebuie meninut.
11.

Iat deci cteva sugestii care te vor ajuta s rmi motivat cnd alergi!

12.

Scrie-i obiectivele

Un jurnal de antrenament este metoda perfect de a-i urmri progresele i de a

rmne motivat. Nu te complica prea tare, un simplu caiet, n care s notezi cteva
informaii dup fiecare antrenament, este suficient: data antrenamentului, distan a,
timpul realizat i cteva cuvinte despre experiena n sine (dac ai ntmpinat vreo
dificultate, un moment plcut, un gnd, o idee). Privind apoi n urm pe experien ele
fiecrei curse, vei realiza ct ai avansat i te vei motiva s alergi mai departe. Dac i
se pare mai eficient, poi s-i notezi toate acestea i direct n telefon.
13.

Citatul motivaional care te reprezint

Descoper o fraz, cteva cuvinte, pe care s i le repei n minte atunci cnd alergi,
pentru a rmne concentrat. Nu este dificil s identifici citatul motivaional care te
reprezint: poate fi versul unui cntec preferat, o fraz care te-a marcat citind o carte
sau chiar revista favorit, sau pur i simplu unul dintre citatele motivaionale care
abund pe internet.
14.

Ofer-i o recompens

Din cnd n cnd, recompenseaz-i tenacitatea cu un nou accesoriu de alergare sau o

sesiune de masaj (un rsf care poate preveni diferite accidenttri). Orice
recompens crete nivelul de motivare i ntrete astfel angajamentul fa de
alergare.

15.

Un dialog cu ali alergtori

Dac te simi nervos sau demotivat, ncearc s vorbeti cu ali alergtori,

mprtete idei i experiene, i vei gsi cu certitudine suportul necesar pentru a te
motiva i a continua s alergi. De aceea sunt foarte utile diferitele cluburi i grupuri de
alergare.
16.

Nu aplica regula totul sau nimic

Chiar dac nu ai timp sau dispoziie pentru un antrenament complet, pentru a alerga
toat distana pe care i-ai propus-o, nu te demotiva. Chiar i un antrenament
incomplet (4-5 km de alergare sau 20 de minute) i va ridica moralul i te va ajuta
s i menii motivarea.
17.

Amintete-i de efectele pozitive ale alergrii

Unul dintre principalele obiective ale exerciiilor fizice, i ale alergrii implicit, este
mbuntirea strii generale a corpului. Amintete-i periodic de beneficiile micrii,
att la nivel fizic, ct i mental, energia suplimentar i nivelul redus de stres.
18.

Alearg alturi de prieteni

Latura de socializare a alergrii este unul dintre raiunile care ne mping s alergm.
Dac vrei s rmi motivat s alergi, nconjoar-te de prieteni pasionai de acest tip
de exerciiu, nu alerga singur.
19.

Urmrete un obiectiv prioritar

Stabilete-i un obiectiv de a alerga o curs de 5 km, un semi-maraton sau chiar

maraton, i perioada de timp (realist) n care vrei s l atingi, iar apoi poveste te
tuturor despre acesta, inndu-i la curent cu progresele realizate (acas, la birou sau
chiar n social media). Aceast informare public periodic i menine motivarea,
orientndu-te n permanen ctre scopul stabilit.
20.

Distreaz-te cnd alergi

Alergarea, exerciiul fizic n general, nu trebuie s constituie un factor suplimentar de

stres n viaa ta. n momentele n care alergi trebuie s te destinzi, s scapi de stres,
aa c profit pentru a admira peisajul, a asculta muzica preferat sau a medita.
21.

Pe tine ce te motiveaz s alergi? Spune-ne ntr-un comentariu ce te

motiveaz s alergi i inspir-i pe cei care nc nu au gsit cea mai bun

soluie!

19 motive pentru care te simti neimplinit si

neinspirat (si ce sa faci in loc de asta)
Cate lucruri din urmatoarele iti suna cunoscut? Te trezesti in fiecare dimineata ingrozit de ziua care
te asteapta. Blocaje in trafic, cafea statuta si un sef care a pierdut din vedere imaginea de ansamblu.
Vrei mai mult decat neoane, intalniri superficiale si legaturi fara autenticitate.

Stii ca esti menit pentru ceva mai mare. Poate ca vrei sa renunti la slujba ta de la 9 la 5 si sa faci ceva
ce iti place cu adevarat. Poate vrei sa devii un instructor de yoga in Belize, sau sa deschizi o ceainarie,
sau sa devii scriitor sau bucatar.
Deci ce te retine? De ce mai esti inca aici si nu acolo unde vrei sa fii?
Aici sunt 19 motive pentru care nu te simti implinit, plus modul in care sa
schimbi acest sentiment!
1. Nu esti motivat.
Astepti ca altcineva sa iti vina alaturi si sa te motiveze. Uhh, problema este ca nu vine nimeni.
Intreaba-te Care este acel unic lucru pe care il pot face astazi si care va avea cel mai mare impact
asupra vietii mele?
2. Ii invinovatesti pe altii.
De obicei circa 80% din motivul pentru care nu ai facut asa de mare progres pe cat ti-ar fi placut iti
apartine. Doar 20% din ceea ce te opreste este extern. Cum de faci ca te dai singur inapoi?
3. Pierzi timpul.
Facebook. Twitter. Pinterest. Netflix. Ore fericite cu colegii de munca pe care oricum nici nu ii placi.
Stii despre ce vorbesc. Daca nu te implineste, opreste-te din asta chiar acum.
4. Nu ai grija de tine.
Nu dormi destul, nu faci exercitii fizice, si mananci porcarii care au gust delicios, dar zero nutrienti. Ce
ar trebui sa incepi sa faci? Din ce ar trebui sa te opresti sa mai faci?
5. Nu iti fortezi mintea.
Cand a fost ultima data cand ai citit o carte pentru a invata ceva? Urmezi cursuri sau participi la
conferinte pentru a deveni cel mai bun in ceea ce vrei sa faci?
6. Te astepti ca sa fii perfect.
Inceteaza. Fii pregatit sa esuezi din nou si din nou inainte ca sa faci ceva bine. 7. Nu ti-e limpede care
iti sunt telurile.
Stii macar ce vrei? Stii catre ce lucrezi? Ai nevoie de aceasta claritate inainte ca sa continui.
8. Crezi ca le stii pe toate.
In loc sa faci asta, descopera ce fac alti oameni de succes si fa aceleasi lucruri pana cand ajungi unde
vrei sa fii.
9. Nu termini lucrurile.
Ai prea multe proiecte in lucru simultan si nu poti termina niciunul. Termina ce ai inceput, inainte ca
sa continui.
10. Esti distras.
Raspunzand la e-mailuri. Raspunzand la telefon. Stabilind intalniri. Aceste lucruri pot astepta.
Focalizeaza-te asupra a ceea ce este important in acest moment.
11. Esti prea focalizat pe ziua de astazi.
Daca nu ai o perspectiva pe termen lung asupra a ceea ce vrei, te autosabotezi prin a face ceea ce
este usor sau convenabil.
12. Nu stabilesti prioritati.
Invata sa spui nu. Ce poti elimina in mod gratios de pe lista lucrurilor de facut?
13. Nu ai un plan.
Stii ce este nevoie sa se intample in pasul urmator? Esti pregatit sa faci acest pas?

14. Esti criticul tau cel mai aspru.

Devino propria ta majoreta. Incurajeaza-te sa faci lucrurile cel mai bine si crede ca vei razbi.
15. Nu stabilesti termene.
Responsabilizeaza-te. Fa din asta un joc. Termina treaba inainte de termen.
16. Te plangi.
In loc de asta, cauta o solutie. Cum poti sa treci de problema?
17. Lasi regresele sa te opreasca.
Gaseste lumina din spatele norilor. Cauta lectia pe care o poti extrage din experienta.
18. Nu iti faci timp.
Incerci sa gasesti mari perioade de timp pentru a lucra catre telurile tale? Gaseste-ti timp in fiecare zi
pentru a te concentra asupra ceea ce este important pentru tine.
19. Nu faci sa conteze fiecare minut.
Nimic nu te va ajuta mai mult decat sa termini lucrurile de care te apuci. Fa asta sa conteze. Fa-o
acum.

Deci ce ai de gand sa faci astazi pentru a te simti

implinit si inspirat? Cum o sa te apropii de punctul
unde vrei sa ajungi? Ne-ar palcea sa stim parerile
voastre in comentariile de mai jos!
4 metode pentru reprogramarea creierului sa
devina mai productiv

Internetul este plin de articole despre cum sa devii mai productiv. Formatori fara numar te invata tot felul de
metode prin care sa-ti maresti productivitatea zilnica, de la metoda Big Rock pana la a-ti incepe ziua cu cea
mai usoara sarcina, ca un fel de incalzire, pentru ca treptat sa atingi un maxim de productivitate.

Insa, pentru a deveni productiv trebuie sa dezvolti obiceiuri noi si deseori aceste noi obiceiuri necesita o
reprogramare a creierului. Altfel, asa cum multi dintre voi probabil au observat deja, poti aluneca usor de pe
panta productivitatii.

Adevarul este ca pentru a atinge un nou nivel de productivitate - si a-l mentine - trebuie sa lucram serios cu
propria noastra minte. Sau, cu alte cuvinte, un creier neantrenat pentru performanta se va adapta foarte greu
la un obicei nou.

Aplica aceste metode pentru a-ti reprograma creierul sa devina productiv si

sa te ajute sa faci mai multe lucruri.
Incepe sa practici meditatia

Nu este niciun secret ca meditatia ne ajuta sa ne limpezim mintea si sa fim mai concentrati.

Motivul pentru care meditatia functioneaza este ca ne tempereaza ritmul. Creierul nostru produce peste
50,000 de ganduri zilnic. Pe langa aceasta, cam 70% dintre ele sunt negative si repetitive. E usor de imaginat
ca te pot obosi si impiedica sa-ti atingi scopul.

Meditatia este, in esenta, un exercitiu de concentrare a atentiei. Intr-o lume bombardata de media, cu atatea
informatii fragmentate si stiri de ultima ora, este dificil sa ramai concentrat pe o singura sarcina timp
indelungat, cand esti atat de des intrerupt. Iar creierul tau ajunge sa creada ca asa trebuie sa functioneze. De
aceea un exercitiu precum meditatia ajuta sa-ti redobandesti concentrarea.

Dezvolta-ti inteligenta emotionala.

Inteligenta emotionala te ajuta sa gestionezi stresul si emotiile. O persoana inteligenta emotional stie sa-si
conserve energia si sa o foloseasca la maximum doar atunci cand are ceva de facut. In plus, stie sa-si
stabileasca prioritatile si limitele.

Daca-ti dezvolti inteligenta emotionala, care are legatura cu mintea mai mult decat cu orice altceva, iti
maresti, de fapt, si productivitatea, pentru ca vei putea sa-ti gestionezi mai bine emotiile generate de stres si
anxietate. Vei sti sa faci diferenta dintre un lucru care trebuie rezolvat imediat si altul care poate astepta.

Identifica perioada de randament maxim

Nu toata lumea munceste in acelasi ritm. Unii au mai multa energie dimineata. Altii se simt mai productivi
dupa amiaza. Si mai sunt si "pasarile de noapte" care lucreaza foarte bine noaptea.

In loc sa te fortezi sa faci ceva cand nu ai suficienta energie, fii mai atent la momentele cand ai energie si
incearca sa rezolvi cat mai multe dintre treburile tale zilnice in acea perioada.

Daca iti programezi agenda dupa bioritmul tau natural, vei putea sa rezolvi mai multe in mai putin timp. Si ti
se vor parea si mai usor de facut, pentru ca vei avea capacitatea mentala si energia necesara pentru a le duce
la indeplinire.

Fa miscare

Un articol recent publicat in New York Times facea mentiune despre efectele pozitive ale mersului pe jos in
timpul pauzei de pranz. Persoanele care merg pe jos 30 de minute in pauza de masa au o dispozitie mai

buna, se simt mai putin stresate si sunt mult mai dispusi sa-si reia sarcinile cand se intorc la locul de munca.
Pe langa aceasta, sunt multe alte studii care arata ca persoanele care fac miscare regulat sunt mai productivi.

50 Ways To Start Fresh

Defeat. Boredom. Lack of meaning in your life. All these symptoms, and many others, of
course, are a sign that you need to start fresh. To run again. To leave the old behind and
embrace the new. Te ignite a new spark that will light a new life, with a deeper meaning,
broader experience and much more fulfillment that you had so far. A rebirth.

I started fresh for many times in my life, and, hopefully, Ill start fresh again. Because, like it or
not, change is the only permanent thing in this Universe. Here are 50 proven (and Im not
kidding you) ways to start fresh.

1. Accept Change
Sometimes starting over means accepting that youre no longer the person you used to be.
Youre no longer attracted by the same things or persons, youre no longer driven by the
same goals. Its ok. Dont blame yourself for it and dont try to resist. Start over. As hard as it
may seem in the beginning. Youll be surprised how fast things will fall into places again.

2 Just Leave
Quit the boring job, the abusive relationship, the past. Embrace the unknown. Make the first
step. Every trip starts with just one step. Youre resisting to this impulse because leaving is
associated with letting someone else down. Well, you wont let nobody down if youll step out
of an abusive relationship. But if you wont leave, you will let down somebody very important:
you..

3. Accept To Meet Someone New

Too often were unconsciously rejecting other people by habit. Well, make a fracture in that
habit. Dont put a label on every person you meet, assuming you know beforehand who they
are, what they do and how they can interact with you. Open up, let yourself flow and look for
the signs. Many times my life was truly changed when I just accepted to meet someone new.

4. Accept Defeat
And move on. Yes it hurts. Yes, you lost something, or somebody. Yes, your hopes are broken
down and maybe so is the heart. Accept it. Close the battle and move on. There is this very
simple thing which many people are just blindly ignoring: you cant have a new victory until
you close your current battle (by accepting defeat, if thats what just happened).

5. Talk to somebody
It doesnt have to be a friend. Anybody willing to listen will do it. Just take it out of our chest.
Transform your experiences in words and let them out, transfer your story to somebody else.
Not only youll feel a little better, but you may also find a new idea, a surprising solution or
just the courage you lack to start fresh. Let the others be the triggers of your change.

6. Do Something Reasonably Risky

Bungee jumping, for instance, if youre the physical type. Or, if youre the shy guy, do a public
speech in front of one thousand people. The more consuming the challenge youre
embracing, the faster youll get out of your comfort zone. And by getting out that comfort
zone, you literally stretch your limits up to the point youre forced to break up with the past.

7. Go To A Live Event
A concert or other stuff involving hundreds or thousands of people. Be in a crowd. In
something way bigger than yourself. Blend in and lose your sense of identity (which is false
anyway, were all part of something bigger). Confronting your own tiny ego with this huge
surrounding energy will make any decision you embrace much easier. Especially a new start.

8. Write A Story About Your Past

Dont make it a novel and dont aim at publishing it. Just write down in your own words what
happened to you. Describe the sequence of steps which drove your life to its current position.
Be verbose. Dont rush. And little by little youre going to realize that once you put it in words,
your past will become more manageable and youll be able to break up easier.

9. Make A Plan
And stick to it.

10. Enjoy The Victory And Move On

You dont have to start fresh only after a big defeat. Victory is just the other face of the same
coin. Dont get too addicted to it, or youll end up in a continuous frustration loop. Attaching
yourself to an already consumed victory is as bad as not accepting defeat. Just because your
prison cell is pink, that doesnt make it less of a prison cell. Yes, you won this one. Next.

11. Make Peace With The Past

Accept ALL your past defeats and victories. Accept all your past mistakes or brilliant decisions.
Accept that the moment you stepped out of a second, theres no way to live it again, because
its gone. The past doesnt really exist, its a human invention, just like the future . Look
around and accept that the only option you have is to live now. Or not at all.

12. Write Down The Worst Case Scenario

Ok, you wanna change, but youre not yet sure. Then write down the worst case scenario.
What could go wrong? Pick the worst possible case. Write it down and be very careful at the
details. It will not only make you more aware about what you really are up to, but it will also
reveal that its much more easier than you feel. Hoping for the best and preparing for worse.

13. Clean Up Your Closet

Throw away clothes, things, devices, memories. They drag you down. Clean up your room,
wipe the dust, get rid of the clutter. The more you do that, the more youll realize that things
are not you. The more you let go, the more lighter youll feel. And that will make you move
easier and faster. Change will look like a natural path, not an effort.

14. Limit The Stuff You Own

Get rid of your possessions. Do it until your life will finally become a matter of enjoying your
time here and not managing your stuff. Im sure everybody was there: you badly need
something, you get it and enjoy it, but after a certain time (and a certain number of things
you own) you spend more time managing your inventory than living your life.

15. Format Your Hard-disk

If your brain could be assimilated to a computer hard-disk, do a raw format. Accidentally
lose some data. Re-arrange drastically all your information and intently destroy some of your

hard-disk sectors. After youll finish moaning the disaster, you will will have no other chance
than to push yourself forward, in order to be functional again.

16. Update Your Life Device Drivers

Redesign your social circle, your friends, your goals. Continuing the metaphor above, if your
brain is a computer hard-disk, than your interactions will be assimilated to the drivers. Rewrite them. Re-engineer your social life at a much deeper level. Ignore the old devices, update
and upgrade. The old you is obsolete and your old life is deprecated.

17. Break Up A Habit

Sometimes all you need in order to ignite a bigger change is just shifting some small,
unconscious behaviors. Like a habit, you know. Before engaging in a bigger change, start by
breaking up a small habit. Tiny moves (or baby steps, if you prefer) are easier to do and to
monitor. Just stack small victory over small victory. Youll soon be there.

18. Create A New Habit

But, as hard as it may be to understand and accept, we are living huge parts of our life on
auto-pilot. By habit. So, breaking up a habit will only take you half way. From there, you gotta
try to build a new habit. The good thing is that youre consciously choosing a new habit now.

There is not any bad thing about starting a new habit, by the way.

19. Find Out What Went Wrong

And write it down somewhere visible. Keep it in front of your eyes. Day in and day out. If you
really did something wrong, then make it painfully obvious. If somebody else did something
wrong to you, remember it. In both cases, tell to yourself: I wont do this anymore. This
aggressive visualization will push you to something new. And maybe better.

20. Commit To Someone New

A new friend, a new personal relationship or a new business partner. The keyword here is
commit, not new. Be there for somebody else, hook up to something or somebody. Too

often were hit by life when we try to unglue, to subtract ourselves, to give up, to avoid.
Exercising commitment to somebody new will help you avoid this situation.

21. Reconnect With An Old Friend

Find somebody you didnt speak to in the last 10 years. Re-connect. Start understanding his
or her life, see how your paths took different ways. Your life will certainly look different after
this reconnection. By shifting your perspective, youll start to understand which parts of you
are the same, and which ones are changed. Like in a spiral path.

22. Move Somewhere Else

Live in another place. Your physical environment has a memory of itself, interlinked with
yours. Changing your current surroundings will make those dragging memories fade away. It
can be as easy as choosing from the dozens of moving companies and getting out of
town. Moving in a different city, or even a different country will push you to completely
redesign your life. It may be stressful and painful in the beginning. But, eventually, it will
change.

23. Flip A Coin

The elders had a name for it: asking the gods. If a coin wont do the job for you, feel free to
use whatever divination method youre comfortable with: dice, yi-king, astrology, whatever.
Just keep in mind there will be a significant amount of hazard in this. And sometimes hazard
is exactly what you need in order to destroy a poisonous structure.

24. Restart Your Morning Routine

Mornings are certainly underrated. They have a huge influence on our lives. A small insertion
in your morning routine could have incredibly deep effects. In fact, the way youre starting
your morning will completely shape the way youre spending the whole day. A butterfly wing
in Venezuela can generate a storm in Australia, they say.

25. Create And Keep Close A Minimum Survival Kit

Its not about clothes or food, this minimum survival kit. Its more about a certain attitude and
life skills. Be prepared, keep hope and avoid excessive baggage. Stay thin. If youre on the

adventurous edge, you can also stay fool and hungry, that will certainly bring some
excitement in your life. But dont forget that survival kit, its incredibly useful.

26. Change Your Game

Were all playing games. Even if we think we dont, we do. We play the game of the career, the
game of the family, the game of being rich or poor. By transforming every part of your life
into a social game, you will empower yourself. Its much easier to start a game than to repair
a serious situation. Its just a game, what could go wrong in a game?

27. Do The Magic Fairy Exercise

Every time youre stuck, go meet your fairy tale. I know, were not all having our personal fairy
tale, floating around ready to fulfill our deepest, craziest desires. And yet, you can do
something else: you can pretend that fairy exists and that she can really fulfill you any desire.
Just be very careful about what youre asking. Because youre going to get it, eventually.

28. De-virus Your Mind

If youre going to start fresh, one of the things that would really help is to realize your mind is
not perfect. In other words, dont believe everything you think. Your mind may be the victim
of many social viruses, and youre certainly not aware of many of them. Just take some
distance from your own thoughts every once in a while. De-virus your mind.

29. Laugh More Often

It may be that youre fighting to get back your life, to find your purpose or to attain your goal.
Be there, be a warrior, but dont forget to laugh. Even in the most difficult part of your lives
you can find reasons to laugh. Too much commitment, too much strain, too much
seriousness will have in the end the opposite effect. Theyll drag you down.

30. Start Teaching Others

You do have a talent. You do have some special skills. That talent, it doesnt really have to be
spectacular, you know, but its really something that defines you. Use it, dont loose it.
Sometimes the only way to learn something new is to teach others. By sharing your
knowledge, time and experience, youll in fact ignite new ways to live your life.

31. Write A Book

Any book. Unblock your thoughts, if youre the organized type and just got stuck, or get the
courage to imagine new worlds, if fantasy is your type. Chose a topic you know or like and
stick with it. A book is wonderful milestone. Even if it wont change your entire life
immediately, something important will shift inside. Creativity is a magical thing.

32. Practice Your Yes

Change is never about negativity. You cannot change as long as you are in denial, right? This
is what denial means, by the way: resistance to new. Any genuine change will be fueled by
your capacity to say Yes. The good news is that this ability can be strengthened the same
way you strengthen your muscles at the gym. Practice your Yes.

33. Practice Your No Too

It goes hand in hand with the one above. Learn how to say No. To an abusive relationship,
to a boring job, to a limiting context. The more you practice, the better youll get at. Dont take
anything for granted. You have the power to say No to certain things in your life. You have
the power to say No to the past, and Yes to the present.

34. Quit Being A Quitter

Quitting something (your job, your family, your friends) doesnt mean you start fresh, it
means youre not finishing your stuff. Quit doing this, take responsibility and do your part of
the job. If you committed to something, finish it. It may be difficult, but until you consume
everything you set up for a meal, you wont be able to fill your plate again.

35. Keep (And Read) A Log Of Your Breakthroughs

Sort of a personal history of things your consider important in your life. It may be the fact that
you had the courage to speak to somebody, or the fact that you climbed the Everest. If you
think it will help, you can share them, but thats not compulsory. What is compulsory is to
read them from time to time. It will pump you up beyond expectation.

36. Learn How To Be Ridiculous

Too often were rejecting change and avoid starting fresh by fear of rejection. What if Im
going to be laughed at? What if people will reject me because I will be clumsy or shy in the

beginning? Well, they may reject you. You will be ridiculous if you start something completely
fresh. And thats the good news. Learn how to be ridiculous. Its an art.

37. Take An Interview With Yourself

Yes, youre a star and yes you deserve exposure. You can light this world with awesomeness.
Take an interview with yourself. It doesnt necessarily have to contain exactly these questions,
but you can start with them. Just be honest. Put it aside for a week or two and then come
back and read it. You really want to be that person?

38. Practice Hazard

Learn how to get from A to B in 5 easy steps. Leave your mind free and see where it goes.
Thats a great exercise not only for enhancing your creativity, but also for strengthening your
change muscles. While it will not directly build up your courage to take action, youll learn
how to spot opportunities and broaden your vision.

39. Keep Your Brain Fit

The most important tool you have is your brain. You have this amazing engineering
machinery with you all the time and yet, you chose to use only a tiny percent of its capacity.
You wouldnt be able to climb a mountain without a fit body, right? Then be sure you wouldnt
go through a complex and difficult change without a fit and agile brain.

40. Clean Up Your Lenses

The road to change may be right in front of you, but you may not see it. Why? Because your
life lenses got blurred. Its like a camera which doesnt know how and where to focus. Move it
back and forth a few times and see what picture it shows. Thats equivalent with shaking a bit
things around. In the end your lenses will be cleaner.

41 Act. Dont React

If youre reacting to whats happening , youll never start fresh. Change by reaction is rooted in
fear and is just a form of escapism. Even more, youll end up continuously being chased by
what youre running from. Make your own judgment and dont react to pressures like lack of
money and social rejection. That too shall pass.

42. Stop Solving The Wrong Problem

Focus on what matters. What they say about you is not that important. What you really do
with your life, thats important. We do have a tendency to get lost in the details and start
solving the wrong problems. Cut it short. Those tiny little things you want to solve around
will soon grow to the size of the swamp. Dont allow that to happen. Stay sharp.

43. Forget I Can, Embrace I Do

Youre largely what youre saying to yourself. You actually do what you continuously tell to
your brain to do. Insert yourself in this process and change all the I Cans with I Dos. I
Can may be empowering but I Do is truly life changing. You cant start fresh without taking
action. Change this monologue. Youll be amazed by the results.

44. Pay Yourself First

So you can pay others too. Altruism doesnt worth a nickel if you cant make ends meet.
Giving and giving and giving away, without taking care of yourself, will eventually drain you
out. Turn your face to yourself and find out what you really need. Start getting it. Forget the
blame and the shame. That change alone could spark a new beginning for you.

45. Shift Your Focus

One thing we often ignore, is that our reality is generated by our focus. Whatever were
focusing on, it grows. So, a new beginning could be in fact just the result of a focus shift. Place
your attention on other things. It may be difficult in the beginning, so start training.

46. Take A Long Distance Trip

Traveling long distance is an art. Whenever I did a very long trip something changed inside. A
new perspective, some unexpected ideas, something fresh and surprising emerged from that
trip. Whenever you feel prisoner of a lifestyle you dont want anymore, do your best to travel
far and away. Youll be back, most of the time, as a different person.

47. Stop Trying To Be Perfect

Perfection is a big mind trap. Its nothing more than a state of suspension in which youre not
really alive. Perfection means you reached the end of the journey. And the understanding of
this end, for us, as human beings, is being dead. Just try to be better instead. Being better will
always give you room for change. Chasing perfection will not.

48. Eliminate Self Sabotage

What if Im going to tell you that the biggest enemy of yourself is you? What if Ill tell you that
youre afraid of success? What if Ill tell you that you dont live up to your dreams by fear of
failure? All of these mindsets are forms of self-sabotage. And they are more dangerous than
you think. Thinking that change is impossible is a form of self-sabotage.

49. Get Rid Of Your Guardians

Theyre living inside of you, as images of authority. Or they live with you, in imbalanced
relationships, based on power games. Whatever the place, those guardians have only one
mission: to keep you in a perpetual state of slavery. To prevent you from growing, by selling
you the illusion of safety. Youre much better off. As scary as it may be.

50. Recycle Aggression

You need it. You have it in yourself because deep down, when you were just a sparkle in the
dark, you had a deep need to survive. And you survived. Aggressiveness is not toxic, the way
you use it may be. Re-channel that huge force, that immense energy flow you get from
aggression and put it to good work. Dont bottle it deep down, let it out.

Follow These 11 Steps to Reach Your Goal Weight

The jeans don't lie. You knew you let yourself go a little bit, and after throwing the stupid bathroom scale
away because it said you were (insert red-flag number here), you went for the true test slipping on your
favorite jeans. Ugh. Not being able to pull your pants past your thighs sure does tell you something. If you're
at a loss as to how to begin, here's a no-fuss, straightforward, 11-step guide to losing weight.

1. Calories per day: Losing weight is all about creating a calorie deficit. One pound
equals 3,500 calories, which breaks down to 500 calories a day. Do a combo of exercise
and cutting calories to reach 500, and you'll lose a pound a week. You can meet with a
nutritionist or your doctor to find a more specific daily calorie count, but don't dip below
1,200 as it will slow down your metabolism.
2. Keep track: Monitor your calories as accurately as you can. Look up calorie amounts,
and write them down in a food journal, or use a weight-loss app. Everything you put in
your mouth gets written down yes, even that handful of M&M's you grabbed off your
co-worker's desk! It may not seem like much, but at 70 calories, those little nibbles will
add up. Then weigh yourself once or twice a week to keep track of your progress.

3. Measure and repeat: Have measuring cups, spoons, and food scales on hand to
measure correct portions. Eyeballing a cup of cereal is not exactly accurate, and you'd
be surprised how easy it is to overestimate when you're hungry. In the first few months,
you'll need to measure everything, from the milk you pour into that bowl of cereal to
the dressing you drizzle on your salad. After a while, you'll become familiar with what
correct portions look like.
4. Eat five times a day: In order to prevent that famished feeling that drives us to
overeat, plan on eating three meals and two snacks a day, timing them so you eat
every two to three hours. Here's a sample schedule:
7 a.m. Breakfast
9:30 a.m. Snack
12:30 p.m. Lunch
3:30 p.m. Snack
6:30 p.m. Dinner
Don't skip meals or snacks to save calories since it'll slow down your metabolism and
cause weight gain. If you're up late, enjoy a snack after dinner, but be sure to finish it
at least an hour or two before bed, so digestive issues don't keep you up getting
enough sleep will help you lose weight.

Related: An Hour After Breakfast, You're Hungry What Gives?! What to eat: Every time you
nosh, be sure to include protein to satisfy your hunger, fiber to fill you up, and healthy carbs to sustain your
energy. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner can be between 300 and 500 calories each, and the two snacks 150
each. Break them down to fit your needs, but you might want your midday meal to be the highest to ensure
you have enough time to burn off those calories.

6. Save calories: Find simple ways to cut calories, whether it's swapping your daily Coke
for water, using one slice of cheese on your sandwich instead of two, substituting
spaghetti squash for pasta, or choosing a turkey patty instead of beef.
7. Plan ahead: Dealing with hunger is the worst part about trying to lose weight, so in
order to prevent those pangs from pushing you to grab the nearest cookie, plan out
your meals and snacks ahead of time. Write out what you'll be eating for the entire
week, and you'll be even more successful if you pack and label foods for each day.
8. Get moving: Diet is one part of the weight-loss puzzle, and the other part is exercise.
In order to burn calories to reduce your overall body fat, include 60 minutes of heartpumping exercise five times a week. A leisurely walk around the block unfortunately
isn't enough. We're talking running, biking, swimming, and high-intensity classes for
cardio, strength training to build fat-burning muscles, and stretching to keep those
muscles supple and to prevent injury. Here's a 60-minute workout to get you started
that incorporates all three.
9. Set small goals and celebrate them: Losing weight is a long journey, so it's helpful
to set smaller goals along the way to your big goal. Find healthy ways to celebrate
those milestones such as a pedicure after 10 workouts or a cute workout top after
losing five pounds.
10.Come to some tough realizations: The first one is that diets aren't the answer.
There is no quick-fix diet and no one food you can or cannot eat that has magical
slimming powers. Anything that sounds too restrictive or not nutritionally sound is not
the way to go. Find a way of eating that can be sustained for the rest of your life, where
you eat healthy most of the time and allow for occasional splurges. The second
realization is that you can't go back to your old habits once the weight melts away. If
you gained weight chomping on half a dozen doughnuts each morning, you can bet

your sweet new buns that you'll gain the weight back if you head to that bakery once
the scale says what you want it to.
11.Be patient and remember why you're doing it: Just as those pounds slowly crept
on, losing weight the right way takes time, which means dropping about a pound or two
a week. Practice patience, reveling in each pound lost, and when you feel like giving in
to that second cupcake at your friend's birthday party, have one enormously personal
reason you want to lose weight that resonates strong and keeps you motivated no
matter what. Thinking "I want to be there for my family" is sure to be more effective
than "I want to look good in my jeans."