~ Daniel Webster

How would your life change if you had more energy?  What would you do differently if you weren’t always so tired?  It’s a Catch 22.  Exercise gives us more energy but we need energy to exercise and because we don’t have any we choose the couch instead.  BUSTED.  If this sounds like you you’re not alone, and I want to hear from you.  READ ON:     

Imagine your perfect energy-filled day.  You wake up before your alarm and feel refreshed and excited about the day that lies ahead.  You’re up early enough that you don’t need to rush out the door, so you make a proper breakfast and enjoy the morning with your family.  As you glance at the newspaper headlines you make a plan to walk the dog before you leave for work, and remind yourself to pack your lunch and a bag for the gym.  You have a noon workout scheduled with a friend.  You’re excited to get to the office so you can finish that proposal you’ve been working on, and begin preparing the presentation that will help sell it.  You love your job.  You work hard at it, but you also value time with family and friends so you created a schedule that allows for maximum productivity without the long hours.  You get more done in four hours of work than most people do in a full day.  It’s amazing what you can get accomplished when you’ve got energy and clarity on your side.  You leave the office before rush-hour and have time to spend with your kids before making a nice dinner together with your spouse.  Since you don’t have to bring your work home with you, the evening is about family, friends, fun, and relaxation.  You’ve got your health, a sense of life balance, and energy to spare.  Life is good.  Actually, life is GREAT! 

“HA!  Are you kidding me?”  You get up early only because you have to.  You don’t have time to eat breakfast.  You commute to work in your car every day for at least 30 minutes in each direction and mainline coffee from morning until 2pm. Around 9:00 a.m. you grab a doughy treat at the coffee place near your office.   You sit at your desk for the better part of 8 hours a day with the occasional stretch for the phone, or ‘anaerobic burst’ to rush for the elevator at quitting time.  Lunch requires a trip down to the food court so you get a bit of exercise then, but you don’t have time to workout.  You don’t have the energy either.  By the time you get home you can’t see straight for exhaustion so if you had a dog it would be overweight too.  Your kids know not to bug you because you’re usually tired and irritable, or snoring on the sofa before dinner.  If you are involved in activity with them it’s usually sitting at the side of the playground watching them climb and play.  You channel surf for a few hours after dinner then fall into bed by 10:00 pm dog-tired, still wired, and wishing for a magical solution to get energy now.”

Which description is more like you? 

As frustrating and depressing as it may sound, far more people identify with the second scenario over the first.  We’re tired, wired, and ready to drop.  These days we’re working more than ever, spending less time with our friends and family, and inevitably watching our health and happiness drift away.  We are far more familiar with stress, sleep deprivation, fast food, and lack of exercise than we are with health, vitality, and vibrancy.

BE IN MY BOOK!  I want to hear your stories, struggles, strategies and successes, with exercise, health, and taking care of yourself!

Here is what I’d like to know?  If you’re currently not taking care of yourself the way you should, what are some of the major reasons why?  Click here to complete a short NEED ENERGY survey.

If you are able to keep yourself on your self-care priority list I’d love to know the strategies you use or your story about triumph over struggle.  Click here to complete a short GOT ENERGY survey. 

Read JACKIE’S story below!

Thank you in advance! 

WHATEVER IT TAKES (Jackie’s story)

A woman from a past audience shared her struggle with finding time to exercise.  Jackie was a single mom to two school aged kids and also worked full-time as a paralegal at a busy downtown law firm.  Her mornings were filled with getting the kids off to school, she often had meetings through lunch hours, and she usually had to leave the office right away at the end of the day, to beat the traffic and pick up her kids.  Apart from getting up at 5:00 am (a move she simply wasn’t prepared to make) she couldn’t figure out how to fit in fitness.  After hearing my presentation on overcoming barriers to exercise something clicked for Jackie.  At that presentation she remembered me saying “10 minutes of doing is better than the hour you were thinking about doing, so just get moving.”  She started using her coffee breaks to go for a walk - twice a day, 10 minutes each time.  At first she was surprised by how tired she felt walking just 10 minutes, but then she hadn’t been exercising at all, and 10 minutes was more than she was used to.  She kept at it and within weeks she was adding in stair climbing and even jogging into those 10 minute efforts.  She started calling her breaks ‘get moving’ sessions to motivate herself to get to it on days she was talking herself out of it.  A sign above her computer said “Get MOVING Jackie!” in bold print.  On days she didn’t feel like walking she’d tell herself out loud “Get MOVING Jackie, it’s only 10 minutes!”  She began to really look forward to her exercise breaks not only for the energy the movement gave her, but for the sense of satisfaction she felt when she was done.  She said the walks gave her way more energy than a coffee and muffin ever could.  Over the first 2 and a half months of her new exercise regime Jackie dropped 12 lbs, felt more energized at work, and even had the get-up-and-go to add in a couple of after dinner exercise efforts with her kids.  She even started dating again.  Some of her co-workers have started to join her on her daily walks now too. 

No one says exercise has to happen in giant leaps in order to be effective.  Jackie embraced the Whatever It Takes mentality and look where it took her!  

Michelle Cederberg, CSP (Canada’s Newest Certified Speaking Professional)

MKin, BA Psyc, CEP

Helping people with full schedules and a long list of responsibilities maximize their personal energy.

~ John Keats

Do it just because you can.  Then celebrate the fact that you chose action over indecision.  The tough phone call, that project you’ve been delaying, the run you promised yourself you’d get to, the trip you’ve been talking about forever, the next step in your plans - it’s a lot easier to delay but where will that get you?  No matter how busy, tired or stressed you may be, take the time while you have it.  Seize the day before it’s done.  Someday is not a day of the week.

Carpe Diem!  I was far too young when I learned the significance of that statement. 

When he was 57 my dad was killed in an accident at work.  I was 17 years old and up until that point in my simple, yet-to-unfold life, I had never imagined being one of those people who would have to live through immeasurable loss.  But there I was - there we were, my family and I facing the facts and rebuilding through grief and loss.  If you’ve ever lost anyone that close to you, you know exactly what I mean.  My dad’s death changed how I looked at life and daily events.   Suddenly I understood the impermanence of life.  Carpe Diem - which was my high school’s motto - took on real meaning as I wrestled with the knowledge that my life could be taken from me at any instant.  It didn’t matter that I was young.  My dad was a very healthy 57 and he should have, and likely would have lived until he was 102.  He was struck down in the prime of his life by a freak accident.  At 17 I became aware of the reality that it could happen to any of us.  It could happen to me.

An event of that magnitude hits you hard out of the gates and stays with you in decreasing intensity every day thereafter.  Dad has been dead for over 20 years now, so the big hurt has passed, but I can tell you even still, that not one day has gone by in all those years where I have not had at least a fleeting thought about him.  He’s always there.  The interesting thing about that kind of ever-presence is that it feeds your thoughts and attitudes.  It becomes part of your philosophy if you will.  Sometimes he visits me in a dream and I see him and hear his voice as if he were standing alive in front of me.  Advice, simple sharing, thoughts he is having - brought to me as I sleep.    On other occasions I might be reminded of something he’d told me about whatever I happen to be doing at the moment, or I have a flashback of a phrase he regularly used.  Sometimes I just replay his voice in my head sharing his dreams, wishes, and gratitudes.  My dad was a man who wasn’t afraid to show his emotions - to tell you what was on his heart.  I remember many Sunday dinners where he’d state quite proudly to us that he was a lucky man to have a happy marriage, 4 healthy kids, a roof over our heads … and he’d always tell us that he loved us.  When you know and love someone that well they stay with you in small, familiar ways like that no matter how much time passes.

My father was a proud man.  He was hard working, tall and strong, happy-go-lucky most of the time.  He wanted nothing more than to provide for his family and see to our happiness, which wasn’t always easy with 4 growing kids with increasing needs.  We didn’t always have a lot of money but I never knew that.   We had a summer cabin we frequented, we took camping trips every summer and managed trips to Finland - my parents’ home country - every few years, but we weren’t extravagant.  We didn’t eat out a lot.  My parents never went off on big holidays without us.  We were down home, practical, middle class.  Through all of his hard work my dad was a dreamer.  He looked forward to retirement when he and my mom would be able to travel and relax more.  I remember him saying on more than one occasion “When I retire mom and I will go on a cruise.”  I always thought that would be nice for them and after his passing I felt sad that he never got to live that part of his dreams.  His time ran out before he could seize the day. 

What dreams do you have on your Carpe Diem list?  What big plans have you been promising yourself for too long?  TODAY Write them down and put them where you can see them daily.  Make a promise to yourself to get the ball rolling.  No matter your age, energy level or income, choose to get out of the someday sector and seize the day.  Someday is not a day of the week.

Michelle Cederberg, CSP (Canada’s Newest Certified Speaking Professional)

MKin, BA Psyc, CEP

Helping people with full schedules and a long list of responsibilities maximize their personal energy.

Move SOMEDAY to TODAY ...  the idea is simple but it’s certainly not easy.  Let’s work on that together.

Free coaching

This week I want you hear from you.  Send me an email telling me what you want to improve in your life.  Tell me why that goal is so important to you, what’s getting in the way, and what it might take to kick into action.  I’ll email you back. 

Reduced rate coaching

Want some more help?

Ask me about one-on-one Skype or phone coaching to set your plan and get it in motion.

Summer Support Crew

Strength in numbers!

Success increases with accountability, and who better to keep you on task than your own friends.  This summer I’m challenging you to create your own ‘to do’ support crew with people around you who have the similar goals.  I’ll help you on your way by hosting a private webinar for you and your friends on the topic of your choosing, and follow up with each of you for a one-on-one half hour coaching session.  The more people you round up, the lower the per person fee.  Email me to find out more!  

“The name of the game is taking care of yourself, because you’re going to live long enough to wish you had.”

~Grace Mirabella

Feel great again. Find a way past fatigue and low motivation and start living a life full of energy.  If not now, then when? I know you’re tired and you have no time, but you really what choice do you have?  If you constantly put yourself last on your priority list exhaustion will eventually lead to ill health and unhappiness…and where’s the fun in that?  

Last week I was interviewed for an article in the Calgary Herald about investing in yourself.  The reported wanted me to share ideas on how readers could invest $100 per month in putting themselves back on their own priority list.  Here’s the segment of her article that shares my thoughts on that front:

If I had a hundred dollars (with apologies to the Barenaked Ladies) I’d . . . what? What could a person do with an extra $100 a month?  The Herald explores a trio of possibilities, with a number of side options, on how to invest a monthly windfall.

Invest in yourself

Got your debt managed? Take that extra $100 a month and buy some precious time — with a personal trainer, at a course or hiring a babysitter.  The returns will be tangible to you and possibly to your bank account through increased focus, energy and motivation, says Michelle Cederberg. While the author, speaker and life coach points out people don’t necessarily need money to invest in themselves, directing $100 a month toward something that will put them back on the priority list can help.

“The biggest gift that we need to give ourselves is a little bit of time in our day,” Cederberg said. “Most busy people will say they don’t have the time, energy or motivation to partake in anything that’s not on their to-do list. It’s usually the tasks related to self-care or leisure that get deferred.

“Really it is a matter of buying time each month, however that looks.”

Cederberg spoke from a busy air terminal in Orlando, Fla., on her way home to Calgary from a national speakers association conference.

She noted many Calgarians were running on empty (and being less productive) because of lack of exercise, sleep and because of a poor diet.

The trend can change by giving oneself higher standing in the daily list of must-dos, Cederberg said. And a shift toward self-care doesn’t have to be monumental. In fact, the motivational speaker recommends taking small steps to begin with.

“When people are in sales or doing anything that requires client work, if you’re not feeling good about yourself, that’s going to impact your bottom line,” she said. “If we prioritize ourselves and feel better about ourselves, we can put that positive energy into work and better our bottom line to make more money.”

Want to read the whole article? Click here

Investing in yourself ...  the idea is simple but it’s certainly not easy.  Let’s work on that together.

Free coaching

This week I want you hear from you.  Send me an email telling me what you want to improve in your life.  Tell me why that goal is so important to you, what’s getting in the way, and what it might take to kick into action. I’ll email you back.

Reduced rate coaching

Want some more help?

Ask me about one-on-one Skype or phone coaching to set your plan and get it in motion.

Summer Support Crew

Strength in numbers!

Success increases with accountability, and who better to keep you on task than your own friends.  This summer I’m challenging you to create your own ‘to do’ support crew with people around you who have the similar goals.  I’ll help you on your way by hosting a private webinar for you and your friends on the topic of your choosing, and follow up with each of you for a one-on-one half hour coaching session.  The more people you round up, the lower the per person fee.  Email me to find out more!

Michelle Cederberg, CSP (Canada’s Newest Certified Speaking Professional)

MKin, BA Psyc, CEP

Helping people with full schedules and a long list of responsibilities maximize their personal energy.

~Oprah Winfrey

I’m writing this blog post while sitting in the airport in Toronto.  I’m waiting to fly to Orlando Florida for the National Speakers Association annual convention and I’m going there to celebrate.  I’ve been a professional speaker for nearly 13 lucky years, and this year I’ve reached an important milestone.  After a lengthy, and at times pain-staking application process that involved tracking over 250 of my speaking engagements to over 100 clients, asking some of you for letters of recommendation and evaluations, and showing proof of business and speaker competency I have earned my  Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation.  This professional designation is something that I have been working toward since I joined the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers 9 years ago, so I’m a bit giddy at finally ‘making the grade’.

Established in 1980, the CSP is the speaking profession’s international measure of speaking experience and skill. Fewer than 10 percent of the speakers who belong to the Global Speakers Federation hold this professional designation, so you can imagine how pleased I am to be among this elite group.

The CSP designation is conferred by the National Speakers Association (NSA) and the Global Speakers Federation (GSF) only on accomplished professional speakers who have earned it by meeting strict criteria. CSPs must document a proven track record of continuing speaking experience and expertise as well as a commitment to ongoing education, outstanding client service and ethical behavior.  This year I am one of 18 professionals to earn the CSP in the class of 2010.  I’m one of only two Canadians and both of us are women. 

I don’t know… but I think that’s worth CELEBRATING!

We will be honored during a ceremony on July 18th at the 2010 NSA Convention in Orlando, Florida and I can’t wait!  Thank you.  If you’re reading this message you’ve played a part in a small or large way in helping me reach this goal.  Thank-you also to my brilliant assistant Brianna Strumm who single-handedly filled in all the gaps on ’the application from hell’.  I would not have finalized the process without her. 

So here I sit, waiting for my flight, reflecting on the path my speaking career has taken over the years, and looking forward to the celebration to come.

I’m excited for what lies ahead.  My business is heading in an exciting new direction, with new presentations, a book in the works, and so much more… and I am eager to tell you all about it when I return!

I’m taking next week off.  My messages will return after July 26th so stay tuned.  The best has yet to come!

Michelle Cederberg, CSP

Speaker, Consultant, Coach, Author

“Nobody can do it for you.”

~Ralph Cordiner

…though sometimes I wish that they would.  We all have tasks we’d rather not do, it’s true.  If you’re like me you’ll procrastinate the doing in hopes of gaining more energy or enthusiasm for the task, but in the end that just amounts to wasted time.  Let’s face it; unless you’ve got unlimited resources and have servants and staff at your beck and call, you’ve always got something that needs doing in your business or life.  Eventually delay leads to necessary action so why not get to it before the eleventh hour?   Nobody can do it for you.  Do it for you.

If Your Life Sucks It’s Your Fault.  Oooo that’s not nice of me to say, and yet if you meet me in person you’ll observe I’m anything but nasty, and in your face.

As a motivational speaker, personal trainer, life coach, and everyday optimist I genuinely care about helping people push past barriers and reach new heights in their health, happiness, and success.  I’ll admit I have been feeling frustrated lately though.  We’re a nation in a lifestyle crisis battling poor health, low energy, and lack of fitness.  We’re out of control with diseases of lifestyle, living with high levels of stress, and resigning ourselves to low levels of happiness.  You tell me you want more energy, better health, and less stress but in the fallout from long hours and busy schedules action is replaced by complaints of no time, energy, or motivation to create the change so desperately desired.  Smart enough to care, but too busy to do anything about it.  If any part of this description sounds like you I have one question for you.  What are you going to do about it?

Sometimes the barriers seem too big to get past but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.  Over the years I’ve posed the question to myself time and again over challenges I’m having in my business and life.   “What are you going to do about it?”  I rarely like the answer.  “You can sit there and feel sorry for yourself or you can do something.  Anything.”  I write this blog entry then, not as an all-knowing, super-expert, brilliant perfectionist who has it all together but from personal (sometimes painful) experience gleaned through a high and low “life sucking” journey that began for me as an early adult and culminated in clarity and higher levels of happiness the year I turned 40.  At many points between then and now my life SUCKED … or at least I thought it did.

I’ve battled low self-esteem, weight gain, cigarettes, failed relationships, so many failed relationships, discontent with my work, discontent with my health, disbelief at my low bank account, and disbelief in myself. 

I’ve struggled through trying friendships, crippling co-dependency, people pleasing, fear of failure, and fear of success.

I’ve almost quit, never started, and sat down and cried more times than I can count.

Through it all I wondered “When is it all going to stop being so. much. work?“

I probably hit my low point in the fall of 2001.  I was 32 years old, single, working at a job that didn’t pay me what I was worth, I was a personal trainer who had gained weight, I was stressed out, type A, hard to be around.  I was probably depressed and I was most certainly unhappy.  When my latest relationship with another mediocre mismatch came to a crashing halt I wrote myself a big old reality check.  “This can’t keep happening.”  I had to get to the root of my discontent and low self-esteem.  On the outside I ‘had it all together’ but on the inside I was questioning everything.  In my mind I was a huge fraud.  I was an unmotivated motivational speaker.  I was an unhealthy health expert.  I was a life balance strategist who had no life balance.  I couldn’t do anything right.  No wonder my life sucked!  I figured I could keep repeating the same patterns and continue suffering or I could get help.  I started to see a counselor.

Through several sessions I spilled my guts to her.  “Why does this keep happening to me?  I’m smart, I’m funny, I’m fit and attractive, I’m fun loving, easy going, financially stable, I’m hard working … blah, blah, blah …”

In my mind, if I was all those things then the world around me was at fault for not recognizing my worth and making me successful and happy.  In truth, I had been qualifying myself with these descriptors for years but deep down I didn’t believe any of it was true.  I had to get to the core of why I didn’t value myself at a high enough level to push through the fog and chase the silver lining, and until I did my life would continue to suck. 

Change began for me in small steps and was preceded by the very humble realization that I am, was, and will always be the common denominator in every aspect of my life that sucks.  That was hard for me to admit.  If something was wrong with my life I needed to take control and create change.  If I hated my job I needed to fix it or walk away.  If I was dissatisfied with my health I needed to quick drinking so much beer, stop eating chicken wings, and get back to working out.  If I was striking out with relationships I needed to learn to love myself better first.  Nobody could do it for me.  I could avoid personal responsibility and keep blaming other people, tough circumstances, or the environment, for my misery but that wasn’t getting me anywhere.    If I didn’t have the time, energy, or motivation to do any of that work my only choice was to stop complaining about how much my life sucked and suffer in silence.  I didn’t like that alternative. 

Perspective Switch

I’m not sure why it took me so long to flip the switch, but I guess when you’ve run into enough obstacles you quit stumbling around in the dark and begin fumbling for the light switch.  Mine was a simple perspective switch.  If I was the common denominator in every aspect of my life that sucked couldn’t I re-frame and instead be the common denominator in the development of a happy, abundant, successful life?  Sounds good to me…

Yeah so you’re …

Single and unhappy

Married and unhappy

Too skinny

Too fat

Broke

Hate your job

Out of shape

No time to exercise

No time for anything

Stressed out

Husband is lazy

Hate your wife

Hate your life

Stuck in a rut

Have no education

Boyfriend is a jerk

Girlfriend is crazy

Choices are limited

 What are you going to do about it?

If you want change, start by changing your attitude.  Nobody can do it for you.

It sure is simple but it’s certainly not easy.  Let’s work on that together.

Free coaching

This week I want you hear from you.  Send me an email telling me what you want to improve in your life.  Tell me why that goal is so important to you, what’s getting in the way, and what it might take to kick into action.  I’ll email you back. 

Reduced rate coaching

Want some more help?

Ask me about one-on-one Skype or phone coaching to set your plan and get it in motion.

Summer Support Crew

Strength in numbers!

Success increases with accountability, and who better to keep you on task than your own friends.  This summer I’m challenging you to create your own ‘to do’ support crew with people around you who have the similar goals.  I’ll help you on your way by hosting a private webinar for you and your friends on the topic of your choosing, and follow up with each of you for a one-on-one half hour coaching session.  The more people you round up, the lower the per person fee.  Email me to find out more!  

Michelle Cederberg, Speaker, Consultant, Coach, Author

~Terri Guillemets

I had a lightning bolt moment the other day that I want to share with you.  It revolves around why we have difficulty getting to some tasks in our day-to-day, and not others.  Forget house cleaning, laundry, and yard work.  I’m talking about the necessary tasks in our lives connected to health, career, and personal growth.  Tasks that if we chose to engage in them more regularly would bring us higher levels of success personally and professionally.

I admit to being a fair weather writer.  It’s one of those tasks I want to be better at, that I actually enjoy once I get to it, but it always seems to end up on the bottom of my ‘to-do’ list.  Heck, sometimes it doesn’t even make the list.  I want to write a book.  In fact I’ve been talking about it for years, but I’ve discovered that talking produces minimal results and I’m getting tired of listening to my own excuses as to why I’m not getting to it.  Yes it’s true; writing doesn’t come naturally to me.  I work hard every time I sit down to create.  It could be why I don’t leap at the chance as much as I could.  Even still, I’m dedicated to getting better at it.  And just like the golf swing I’m committed to finding amidst the hooks, slices, and straight-out botched shots, if I want to improve my writing it will require practice.  Lots of it.

In order to find a way to habituate my writing practice I thought about the things in my life that come easily to me.  Maybe I could apply some of that success logic to my suffering script?  Exercise immediately came to mind.  Through more than 20 years of immersion in health and fitness, teaching and training others, and practicing what I preach, exercise is just something that I fit in no matter what.    But it hasn’t always been this way.  BINGO!  When I thought back to when I was first habituating exercise in my life I was reminded that in the beginning it was all about structure, scheduling in my activity sessions and creating an accountability system that would add to my success.  Structure, scheduling, accountability – why should my writing experience be afforded any less? 

Here’s the sad irony of my awareness.  I speak regularly to audiences about habituating health practices through small steps and every-day accountability.  It makes perfect sense to me why people aren’t fitting in fitness and if they’d simply change their approach then success would be forthcoming.  When they do, it does.  Okay, why then would I not apply my own logic to the things in my life that I need to habituate?  DUH!?  I guess when the student is ready the teacher appears, and in this case we’re both slow learners.

My Summer Accountability Experiment

This summer I’m going to switch things up a bit with my weekly ‘Get to It Guideline’.  I’m still going to find and send a quote and my thoughts to my regular mailing list, but then I’m going to link to this blog and invite you to read more here.  Each week I’ll be working on parts of my book, and I’ll be posting what I write.  This will be as hard for me as exercise or eating right can be for others and I need your help to hold me accountable to this summer writing experiment. I’ll invite your thoughts and comments, ask questions I want answers to, and even ask you to try new things and step to higher levels of accountability with the things in your life you’ve been putting off.  Structure, scheduling, accountability … I think it will help.

Whatever it Takes

At the end of every blog post I will issue a task or challenge for you to take action on – to do whatever it takes to get to it.  If there are parts of your life you want to improve then why not do whatever it takes to make it happen? 

This week I want you to ask yourself “What have I been putting off that I really want to start doing more regularly?”  Make a list and then decide on one or two key items you can start on now.

On July 7^th I’ll provide you with information and opportunities that will help you take action on those things in a bigger way, so stay tuned and get ready for your best summer yet.

Michelle Cederberg, Speaker, Consultant, Coach, Author

  Share your thoughts, subscribe to the blog, check in regularly. 

 __________________________________________________________

Demystifying Stress.  Visit www.gottoit.ca for more information and registration.

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In my last post I opened up a can of worms by boldly stating “If your life sucks it’s YOUR fault!”  I went on to share specific examples where we regularly make excuses for ourselves to shirk personal responsibility …

If you’re overweight it’s because you eat too much and you don’t exercise enough.

If you’re tired all the time it’s because you don’t take care of your body through proper sleep, hydration, and nutrition.

If you have no luck with relationships it’s because you haven’t figured out the part you have been playing in all the failures.

If you’ve got no money it’s because you spend more than you make or you’re lousy at saving.

If you’re not experiencing success in your career it’s because you haven’t worked hard enough.

If you’re unhappy … if your life sucks … it’s nobody’s fault but your own.  Ouch!

Some of you whole-heartedly agreed with my directness and others of you disagreed vehemently.  I want to speak to one of the disagreements this week as it was a thought-provoking discussion.

My high school friend Liz sent me this note on Facebook:

“I work in HealthCare. Not a day goes by where I don’t see bad things happening to good people (who do the right things and lead a healthy lifestyle). I don’t doubt that your point is correct…..to a degree. My stance is that it’s not as cut and dried as presented. There is always an exception.”

She went on to share with me a story about Eva, a young woman of 25 who lost her battle with Cystic Fibrosis – a disease she didn’t ask for, that probably made many aspects of her life suck.  The disease wasn’t her fault.  I absolutely agree with Liz on this point.  It’s not fair that some people have to suffer through chronic disease or terminal illness.  It sucks that children get abused, spouses get beaten, or people have to suffer on any level through circumstances they didn’t ask for. 

So, what’s the answer then?

Yes, it’s true that certain life circumstances suck BIG TIME, but our attitude toward them is what we must then turn to in order to un-suck a situation even a little bit.  In our discussion Liz mentioned that Eva’s life sucked in essence because of her disease, but she also mentioned that Eva turned her disease into something wonderful for all to benefit from … creating the best possible outcome for a challenging situation.    

So there you go.  We can’t control that diseases happen, that people we love die, that mother nature can be vicious, or that violence happens … because that really does suck but that doesn’t mean our lives should suck and that is the point I’m trying to make with my bold statement.  I’m trying to help people see that ‘playing the victim’ has no good life outcome except for personal suffering.  I’ll bet Liz’s CF patient had a better attitude than many able-bodied, healthy people who complain they have no time, energy or motivation to do what they need to do to ‘really’ be happy. 

When it comes to chronic or terminal diseases I’m reminded of the Rick and Dick Hoyt video where the father and son (who is severely physically disabled) run the Iron Man together.   It moves me every time I see it.  View a version of it here. I can only imagine …

When I see something like this I am reminded that each of us can improve any difficult circumstance if we want it badly enough.  I want to help people past the excuses and into the realization that if you want something in your life to change, the best person to bring it about is you.  I chose to rattle a few chains in order to get people to pay attention.  So ….

What will you do today to change you attitude toward a sucky situation you’re living with? What small step can you take to un-suck that circumstance in the process?

Michelle Cederberg, Speaker, Consultant, Coach, Author, Truth Teller  

 Share your thoughts, subscribe to the blog, check in regularly. 

____________________________________________________________

Get to the Good Things Even with a Busy Schedule Visit www.gottoit.ca to reserve your spot.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK9grW-cg7Y

Here’s the thing (and I’m a bit irritated with myself for not doing it this year) I should have told the viewers how I really feel.  If you know me or you’ve seen me speak, you know that I am a kind, supportive, professional person most of the time, and when I speak in front of audiences or coach clients I am direct but politically correct.  There is really nothing controversial about my style.  The thing is, I’ve been feeling like rocking the boat for awhile now, and perhaps haven’t for fear of offending people.  But maybe it’s time for me to get real and tell you what I really think?

I wish I hadn’t sugar coated it in my W Network video.  Canadians are in the midst of a health crisis.  We’re sedentary and as a result more of us are overweight and obese. The lack of activity and extra weight leads to a myriad of diseases of lifestyle such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and even depression.  That’s not fun but not too many of you are doing anything about it.  I hear a lot of complaining and excuses, but not much action.  I really want to help, and I think I can, but not until you own up to one thing … brace yourself because this might hurt … if your life sucks it’s YOUR fault!  There.  I said it.  Own it, and do something about it.

If you’re overweight it’s because you eat too much and you don’t exercise enough.

If you’re tired all the time it’s because you don’t take care of your body through proper sleep, hydration, and nutrition.

If you have no luck with relationships it’s because you haven’t figured out the part you have been playing in all the failures.

If you’ve got no money it’s because you spend more than you make or you’re lousy at saving.

If you’re not experiencing success in your career it’s because you haven’t worked hard enough.

If you’re unhappy … if your life sucks … it’s nobody’s fault but your own.  Ouch!

If reading this stirs something in you or if you’re feeling frustrated or angry (especially if it’s toward me), tell me.  It may be a good thing!  I’m not preaching this information from a self-righteous point of perfection.  Not by a long shot.  If I’m saying it it’s because I’ve lived every one of the scenarios above and the only way out FOR ME was to hold up a great big mirror and ask myself “What is my part in this?”   Once I chose to own my part in it, I allowed change to come in.  Believe me, it’s hard for me to be so direct – and don’t worry, I intend to remain compassionate and willing to help as ever – but maybe the time has come to speak my truth a little louder at least some of the time?  Remember it.

The only person we can change is ourselves. 

I have more to say on each of the scenarios above.  I’m happy to meet your ‘yeah but …’ defenses and help you flip the switch for change.  I want to tell you how I invoked change in each area for myself.  Share your thoughts, subscribe to the blog, check in regularly.  We’re going places. Maybe not on the W Network (not this year anyways), but that’s not stopping me.

I’ve launched a new website I want to share with you.  www.gottoit.ca is live, and while we’re still building and developing the site I want to point you toward our first WEBINAR which will be completely FREE!  Visit the site, look around, and send me a message to reserve your spot:

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 at 12:00pm Mountain Time Join Michelle Cederberg for an hour for her first Mid Week Motivation session entitled:

Get to the Good Things Even with a Busy Schedule

Cheers!

Michelle Cederberg, Speaker, Consultant, Coach, Author, Truth Teller 

 A great tool to get you on track in 2010, my GOT TO IT Accountability Journal BUY NOW

Michelle Cederberg - “Your ‘Getting to It’ Guru”

Michelle leads the industry for life balance, health, and stress management programs, resources, and tools that actually conquer procrastination, fatigue, and loss of motivation.  Her expansive education and experience combined with her unique products, platform skills and messaging will ensure individuals and corporations understand that “It’s not the doing that’s tough, it’s GETTING TO IT!” and she helps you figure out how. With a Masters in Kinesiology, a BA in Psychology, and a specialization in Health and Exercise Psychology, Michelle combines mind, body, and practicality to inspire change! She has built her career since 1990, as a college educator, personal trainer, fitness coordinator, author, and business owner.  As a professional speaker, she shares her experiences in a humorous and realistic way with delighted audiences across North America.  Michelle knows her energy has fueled her business success!  Today, through her products and presentations she motivates you to take small steps toward BIG changes, so you can actually GET TO the good things - even with a busy schedule!

To book Michelle to speak at your organization please fill out a booking request at

www.michellecederberg.com

This week I have been thinking more about when to blog and what to blog.  I’ve also been using my business down-time to reach out to the universe with other tentacles of myself and my message.  I’m learning how to use You Tube  and will be creating a series of short videos that will hopefully educate and inspire you on your way to personal and professional growth!  I’m investigating blog talk radio as another way to talk more when I’m not presenting.  I’ll be able to create short messages, interviews, and mini-sessions that will then become pod casts that you’ll be able to download and listen to while you’re exercising, driving, or just hanging out.  I’m also learning how to host my own WEBINAR and will have a FREE introductory session to offer you in April.  Wait for the announcement and save the date.

So, why am I sharing all of this with you?  Well, last week, by simply telling you I would blog at least once a week, I thought about it more and brought it to fruition even sooner than I had intended.  I wasn’t planning on writing again until next week but the intention was set and I wanted to share my thoughts, and WHAM-O … mission accomplished.

I rationalized, therefore, that if I tell you my intentions for You Tube. blog talk radio, and my webinars, I will work harder to bring those elements of my business into being sooner rather than later.

I’m thinking of my blog posts as another element of my accountability plan.  Hey, thanks for your help.

Next week stay tuned for some exciting news about GOT TO IT!

Cheers!

Michelle Cederberg, Speaker, Consultant, Coach, Author, Truth Teller 

Michelle Cederberg leads the industry for life balance, health, and stress management programs, resources, and tools that actually conquer procrastination, fatigue, and loss of motivation.  Her expansive education and experience combined with her unique products, platform skills and messaging will ensure individuals and corporations understand that “It’s not the doing that’s tough, it’s GETTING TO IT!” and she helps you figure out how. With a Masters in Kinesiology, a BA in Psychology, and a specialization in Health and Exercise Psychology, Michelle combines mind, body, and practicality to inspire change! She has built her career since 1990, as a college educator, personal trainer, fitness coordinator, author, and business owner.  As a professional speaker, she shares her experiences in a humorous and realistic way with delighted audiences across North America.  Michelle knows her energy has fueled her business success!  Today, through her products and presentations she motivates you to take small steps toward BIG changes, so you can actually GET TO the good things - even with a busy schedule!

To book Michelle to speak at your organization please fill out a booking request at

Corporate/Group Keynotes and Seminars, Fitness Coaching, Workplace Wellness Consulting

I spent the day procrastinating writing this blog. It’s now 7pm and I’m finally getting to it. The last blog I wrote was in January and I recall delaying that one too. It got me thinking. Why do I suffer so when it comes to writing my blog, when I can sit down every week and happily write my ‘Get To It Guideline’? I’ve decided it’s partly because I have a short attention span. When I began writing my weekly email ‘e-spirations’ nearly 7 years ago I intentionally made it short and sweet - not only to keep it easy for my readers to prioritize in their busy schedule, but so I would commit to writing it each week in mine. That premise has worked for me through over 325 weekly messages so I decided to apply it to my blog writing along with a goal of making it more fun for me. Since I began my blog I have been inconsistent and uninspired (hard truth). The only blog I really enjoyed writing in the last year and a half was my October 2009 blog ‘Humility and my Own Accountability‘. Why, you ask? Well, that month I blogged from my heart, allowed myself to be myself, and told the truth about some of the things I was having trouble with … an accountability expert struggling to get to it? That’s rich, but that was the truth and it felt good to come clean. I’m not perfect. Yup, I’m a motivational speaker, fitness expert, coach, teacher, and generally upbeat kind of gal, but I’m far from having it all figured out. I sure do try hard though … and I pay attention to what works and what doesn’t in my own ‘work in progress life’ that’s for sure. I bet you can relate.

Here’s the truth then. As I enjoy the last few weeks of being 40 I realize that with age has come certain wisdom. I don’t have to be anyone but me. I can be an imperfect expert. I can show and share what I know of course … but the learning that comes through sharing the challenges and questions and screw-ups is so much more interesting don’t you think? It’s how I learn and grow, it becomes fodder for stories when I speak, and it’s A LOT more fun to blog about. So there you go. I’m springing ahead with a new blog writing plan that will mean a more authentic blog reading experience, more frequent blogs, and more fun for me!

Here’s what you can do to help. My goal is one short blog a week … some time before Thursday each week. Sign up for my RSS feed that will tell you when my blogs get posted. When you get them, read and report back with your thoughts. I’ll keep them short, I’ll be honest about the week I’ve had, share a bit more about my life beyond my business, and I’ll plan to end with a question I want your thoughts on.

This week I want to hear your thoughts on whether this is a good idea. Is it stupid for me to be so open about my shortcomings when some people may view me as the ‘go to gal’ on doing it right?

Next week stay tuned for some exciting news about GOT TO IT!

Cheers!

Michelle Cederberg, Speaker, Consultant, Coach, Author, Truth Teller 

Michelle Cederberg leads the industry for life balance, health, and stress management programs, resources, and tools that actually conquer procrastination, fatigue, and loss of motivation.  Her expansive education and experience combined with her unique products, platform skills and messaging will ensure individuals and corporations understand that “It’s not the doing that’s tough, it’s GETTING TO IT!” and she helps you figure out how. With a Masters in Kinesiology, a BA in Psychology, and a specialization in Health and Exercise Psychology, Michelle combines mind, body, and practicality to inspire change! She has built her career since 1990, as a college educator, personal trainer, fitness coordinator, author, and business owner.  As a professional speaker, she shares her experiences in a humorous and realistic way with delighted audiences across North America.  Michelle knows her energy has fueled her business success!  Today, through her products and presentations she motivates you to take small steps toward BIG changes, so you can actually GET TO the good things - even with a busy schedule!

To book Michelle to speak at your organization please fill out a booking request at www.michellecederberg.com

Corporate/Group Keynotes and Seminars, Fitness Coaching, Workplace Wellness Consulting