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Going to the gym Greg?

Going to the gym Greg?

It's tradition at this time of year to enjoy all the team night outs, office parties and christmas dinners that are on offer. Another successful year is complete and it's an opportunity to reflect over all your achievements and perhaps to think about your goals for 2007.
It's also tradition to have good intentions to start a new health regime in the New Year! You know, something that will detox, revitalise, tone, shape your body and "burn" those mince pies away!! Gyms up and down the country have already started to advertise their attractive offers to join them. This is a crucial and busy time for gyms and it is for you too.
Joining a gym is common practice. A friend or colleague has recommended their gym to you and said it'd be fun to go together. So, you call up and arrange a time to have a look around. The gym manager will give you the tour and show you all the "big sells": the treadmills, the cross trainers, the yogalates and thai-bo classes, the individual TVs with MTV and sports, the shiny knew weights machines that they've just brought in. The music is pumping and you already see gym members sweating, lifting, stretching and running. And it's ten days away from christmas!

"What's wrong with these people? I mean get a life!" You might say.
Or you might think "Ok, this place looks cool. I want to look like him on the treadmill or lift like her on the benchpress. I'll join January 2nd!" as the sales managers mentions the generous corporate discount.

You decide to sign up to the 12 month contract when the sales manager offers you a free session with a gym instructor. Afterall, there are a couple of new machines just in that are great for "allround toning" that he or she can demonstrate plus you get a "personalised program set according to your goals".

Sound familiar?
It's a good deal right?
It's definitely a good deal for the gym as they get your money for 12 months and the gym instructor gets a 45 minute sales opportunity for their training sessions.
The question is "Is joining a gym always the right investment to make for your health, bodyshape and weight?"
The answer is it's an option if you have realistic goals and know exactly what you're doing.

Research shows that many, once enthusiastic gym goers, lose focus and the motivation to go to the gym due to the lack of variety in their workout and the lack of continuous goal setting. Just as you set weekly, monthly and annual goals for your business the same needs to be done for your body.

Setting realistic but motivating goals that resonate emotionally with my clients is a crucial part of any of my programs (www.greghollings.com/choices.htm) be they nutrition, stress or exercise.

So, before you think about your new 12 month gym membership, my 20 minute "big bang" work out that can be done at home may be an easy alternative!

Don't Panic

Don't Panic!!

My heart was pounding.
We walked in silence to what I know is the coldest room on the floor.
I could feel a bead of sweat slowly trickly down to the small of my back.
Doubts were filling my mind quickly. I smiled and said it was Time as confidently as I could.
We took the lift down to HR for another short meeting. Questions were answered. Forms were signed.
The walk back up to the kitchen and to the front door was like walking through treacle.
A shake of the hand and I walked through the sliding doors.
I took a deep breath and my doubts disappeared.
I knew, at that moment, that the decision I had made 18 months earlier was the right one.

The emails and text messages I received during the day supporting my move has put a spring in my step throughout the weekend. I'm genuinely excited about getting up on Monday morning to officially start a new chapter in my life. The prospect that I will be talking and practising what I love doing will seem unbelievable.

I know I will hear "Guys, 12 in the queue!!!" ringing through my head for the first couple of hours. I guess it's just habit and as somone said to me on friday evening we are all manifistations of our choices: the choices we make every single day throughout our lives.

I have chosen to help people who are fed up with waking up with no energy. I want to help those that are frustrated and bored with restrictive diets and the same old gym routine that lacks goals and effectiveness. I will help these people take control in their lives to help themselves feel energetic, fit, lean, confidant and focused.

That is what I want to do with my life!
Will it be easy and plain sailing? No.
Will there be difficult challenges ahead? Of course.
Are there going to be times when I fail? Yes
Is that worth the risk? Yes. When you love what you do the risk is worth taking (with some thought and planning thrown in!! (www.leawoodward.com)

Time for a snack and to bed! I have an early start tomorrow..

The Last Few Days

The Last Few Days.....

My last few days at Bloomberg are nerve wracking ones. I am counting down every hour until Friday. I'm finding it hard to concentrate on my work. My mind is firmly set on my new career as a holistic health coach. I'm constantly being interrupted by my work! It's a good job, but it's not enough for me.

Luckily, I get asked a few questions every now and then about food and nutrition in general.
"What's good to eat?"
"Why can't I eat this?"
"Isn't that bad for you Greg?"
"What's so good about avocados anyway?"
Some of my answers are met with derision and snorts of disbelief. Some are met with understanding nods that mean "You're a weirdo and you're making me feel uncomfortable". And, occasionally someone might say "Thanks, I didn't know that" or "How come you know all this stuff?" There's been many a time when I've been dying to tell someone but I thought it best to keep a lid on things.

However, that's soon to change when I give my first free teleseminar in December about the food in the Bloomberg Food Kitchen! See http://www.greghollings.com/choices.htm

I had made my decision to leave Bloomberg over 18 months ago. It wasn't an easy one. I've always wanted to be my own boss and to run my own business but I never knew which direction to go in. It was only until a friend had told me about his new lifestyle and diet that was having such a dramatic effect on his energy levels and his bodyshape that I became interested in nutrition and health.
It certainly has helped me a lot! Over the last eight months I've dropped from 83 kgs to 74 kgs simply by exercising for 3o mins from Monday to Friday. Even then I don't work that hard in the gym! I simply know what's effective and what isn't.

I know I will miss Bloomberg when I leave. The people and the working environment are fantastic. The "safety" of a good job in a very lucrative business was stimulating enough for me 65% of my time at the company.
There came a time, though, when I realised I wasn't happy. It's very hard to do your best when you're unhappy!
After a little bit of soul searching and planning (see www.leawoodward.com) I've found what makes me happy: a role where I can help people be full of energy, look great and feel confident about their role in life!!