***This is an excerpt from a newsletter I wrote to all the EXL clients this last April, so it’s a little out of season, but the message is timeless.***
This time of year is challenging for me. I find it hard to transition from winter to spring, from ski season to mountain bike season. Because the snow has been so soggy I’ve forced myself to do a few spring bike rides. Ya, I was slow. A ride that normally takes me 90 minutes took me close to 2 hours. I can probably chalk it up to being out of biking shape, but more importantly I contribute it to a lack of passion. My heart just wasn’t in the ride. Passion is what drives us to excel. I will find my passion again for biking, it’ll probably take a few miserable spring ski adventures, but I will find it.
“If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen FOR you, TO you and BECAUSE of you.” T. Alan Armstrong
Speaking of passion, I recently had the opportunity of training an individual that I believe epitomizes passion. Some of you know him, he’s been a regular 6am camper for the last 3 or 4 months and he has gone through an amazing transformation. His name is Stanton. Stanton is a gym teacher at Orem High School. He came to me at the end of last year asking for my help. He told me he was going to win the Gold’s Gym Body Transformation Contest that would begin at the new year. He told me he didn’t have the money to pay for my services, but he would once he won the contest (I believe there was a $1200 purse for the contest). I was impressed, so impressed that I took him up on his offer. I would train him and he could pay me later. For the next 3 months Stanton was the first camper at boot camp showing up early everyday. Not only did he do the regular boot camp workout he doubled up his exercise by performing cardio intervals in the evening. As far as nutrition went we worked on eliminating the bad habits for the first month, then we worked on eating healthy…lots of lean protein, veggies and healthy carbs. In month 2 we started rotating his carb intake. Never once did he give me the excuse, “But, Mat, I can’t eat that much protein.” or “Mat, I’m so sick of cottage cheese and chicken.” He was passionately chasing his goal. I could’ve told him to skip backwards down State Street while shaking a shake weight would’ve helped him lose a few extra pounds and he would’ve done it. Passion and compliance, it’s a magical formula for success. Now, Stanton won’t know the results of the contest for a couple of weeks. To be quite honest, the results don’t matter. In my eyes, Stanton has already won. He is a champion.
Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character. T. Alan Armstrong
My challenge for you is to find your passion. What is it that drives you to workout? To plan out your meals? To skip dessert? Is it to look good naked? Or maybe you want to feel younger, healthier, stronger…? Whatever it is find it, grab a hold of it, internalize it. Write your passion down. Write in down in powerful language that describes your fire within. Post it in places so that you will see it often. And then share your passion with others. If you can’t go through the simple task of writing it down or muster the courage to share it with family and friends, then how passionate is your passion? Passionate enough to be a champion?
Passionately,
Mat “the trainer”
Not that it matters, but, here are Stanton’s before and after pics…and not only did he win the state wide contest he won his age division nationally and was runner up overall…Well done Stanton, my friend!!!
Drop the white socks, sport a smile and a spray on tan and you too can have a transformation like Stanton...oh yeah and a whole lot of sweat.
What a great story! Great job stanton!!! Thanks for sharing.