"Attitude is a little thing that makes a huge difference”. - Winston Churchill

Every second of our life we get to make a new decision. Therefore, attitude is everything! It affects our outlook on life and it’s the one thing that will pave our path to success. We all have the desire to be successful, whether it be to achieve a fitness goal like the journey you’re embarking now, or to reach the pinnacle of your career. We all have enormous potential to be successful or get good results, but the one thing that gives us the potential, the drive to reach… is our attitude.

Attitude means one of two things. Positive or negative attitude. Simple! There is only a 50% chance of being one or the other in any particular moment in time, but over 50% of people choose to have a negative attitude. Alarming, hey?

!It’s because having a negative attitude is easier than having a positive one. For example, when you’re stuck in traffic it’s easier to curse and honk your horn than say it’s ok, it’s not the end of the world if I’m late. It’s easier to curse at yourself and give up if just for one day you slip up in your exercise program, rather than say it’s ok if i slip up one day, just as long as I learn from it, pick myself up and continue the program tomorrow.

So for you to achieve success with your training program you will no doubt NEED to raise the 50% bar and have a 110% positive attitude. Nod at the screen if you’re with me.

Nobody can control your attitude but you. It’s one of the few things in life you have complete control of. People can certainly affect your attitude, they will do or say things that make you react and it’s this reaction that will reflect your attitude. For example, people don’t make you angry, you make yourself angry by reacting in a negative manner. There is always the choice to react in a positive way to everything someone says or does.

Remember the saying,
"Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it”.

So when you get up each morning, the attitude you choose will set you up for the day and will determine if you are going to not only exercise, but going to stick to your program and food plan and do it with gusto!!! 

So when you start a training program or tackle your next training day, be aware of the attitude you have at the particular moment and alter it if you need to because trust me…. it will change your life.

“We have a choice each day about what attitude we’re going to have for the rest of the day” - Charles R Swindoll.

What’s yours?

Remember, keep your eyes on the prize.

In 60 seconds I talk about something that is happening too often - people don't value their health until something happens to them. And sadly, in most cases it's too late.

“95% of everything you do is the result of habit”. - Aristotle 

VIDEO SCRIPT: 

Tell me? What did you do as soon as you woke up? There is a good chance you could tell me exactly what you did without any hesitation. All of us have morning rituals, or you may call them habits, that you do everyday, whether you know it or not. Some are more beneficial than others. 

And it’s more than likely that it’s the boring actions that are the beneficial ones, like waking up at 4.30am to go for a run or waking up to eat a healthy breakfast. Don’t forget, the first hour of the day is known as the Golden Hour because it sets the tone for what happens for the rest of the day. You cannot take it casually. Use it wisely because it prepares your mind and body for that day.

And it’s for this reason all successful people have daily morning rituals that they do religiously, meaning they proactively and consciously spend time everyday on themselves first, to help make sure they’re strong and that they are in a great state to tackle the day ahead.

Benjamin Franklin, for example, every morning asked himself “What good shall I do today?” and then at night he would ask “What good have I done today?” I’ve been doing this for 2 years now and it really helps me prioritise my day and then at the end, I get a real sense of fulfilment when I can answer what good I have done today.

Tony Robbins, as you know from me always quoting him, is someone I look up to and have followed for many years. As soon as he wakes up he jumps into a warm bath and then minutes later changes it to a freezing cold bath. If you want something to wake you up and increase motivation first thing, try this one. I’ve been trying this for more than a year now, and as much as I dread doing it because of the freezing cold part, it really helps me wake up especially on those days where I’ve had 3-4 hours sleep.

It’s funny, studying the morning rituals of the world’s most successful people, I’ve noticed that the most common morning ritual is exercise. Go figure, hey? Barrack Obama, Ellen Degeneres, Bill Gates, Lady Gaga, Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey and many others start their day with at least 45 minutes of exercise. 

Obama even has said  “The rest of my time would be more productive, if you give me my workout time”.

So if you want my opinion, do your DIYPT program in the morning. Not a morning trainer? Too bad, because here are 5 reasons why those who workout in the morning have a big advantage.

1. Crucial hormones that help build muscle and reduce fat (ie. testosterone) are elevated in the morning
2. It leaves time for other priorities
3. You’ll be more focused when you reach the office, school or when your kid/s needs you.
4. You’ll be less likely to skip a workout
5. Your metabolic rate will receive a quick boost, allowing you to burn more calories for the rest of the day

So if you want to succeed in your DIYPT program as well as other areas in your life, you need to know that success consists of lots of small, often boring actions or rituals. Basically the bigger your goal is, the more boring rituals you’ll have to do.

I think it’s very important you recognise this because if you understand this then you would have a better chance of succeeding.

Simon Reynolds makes a good point. He says “We see the glamorous lives that elite sportspeople live, the money and fame, crowds of people adoring their every move and we think we want their life. But so often the day after a glamourous event you'll find them back at the track, vomitting from the hardships of training (they don't like to show that on primetime TV), or rising at 4.30am to do two hours of laps in a lonely pool, or lifting weights until their muscles fail because they’re exhausted.

Remember, it’s the small, possibly, boring actions you do consistently everyday that makes the most difference. If you're stuck as to what ritual you should start with, try exercising in the morning,

Keep your eyes on the prize!

“Excuses only sound real to the person making it”.

VIDEO SCRIPT: 

I thought I always had it bad. I thought God didn't like me so that’s why he made me suffer so much.

• I grew up one of five children and we weren’t well off. 
• Being one of a few Filipinos in a predominantly Anglo-saxon and Caucasian High School, I was an outcast.
• I was a shy, skinny Asian kid, picked on and bullied.
• I didn't excel academically or in sport.
• My career was like the first 3 episodes of Game of Thrones with so many different directions, I was so confused I didn't know what I wanted to do with myself for over 10 years. An Advertising graduate, turned Financial Services Admin Officer, turned Account Manager for The Good Guys Electronics store, turned HR Consultant, turned Personal Trainer. 

For a long time, I would blame and complain saying “Why me, God, why me!”. But not anymore. No more excuses.

I stopped being a victim and I stopped saying “I’m waiting for good things to happen to me”. I work my butt off and fight for what I want. I used to often say, “I’ll wait until I win the lotto”. Stop waiting for things to happen to you and go get what you MUST have!!!

No excuses. Live an extraordinary life. Don’t settle for an ordinary one. If it was easy, everybody would do it.

Find your magnificent obsession… something that you’ll stop everything for and you’ll go out and get it. Something that will not let anyone or anything tell you, you can’t do it. FIND YOUR OBSESSION.

I was watching my favourite Motivational Speaker, Dr. Eric Thomas the other day and it’s funny what he said.

“We ask for guarantees from others but not from ourselves. 30 day money back guarantee. If you don’t make what they say you’ll make in 30 days you want your money back. You never demanded the money back from yourself”.

Stop pointing fingers at other people, and start pointing fingers at yourself. What did you not do?

Remember, you’re never going to feel like it. No excuses. Fight for what is yours. Grind, work hard and obsess over what you MUST have. NO EXCUSES!!!

Now hold yourself accountable to have no more excuses when you do your DIYPT program or anything else for that matter. Reflect on these questions as a start:

1. What are the top 3 things you value in your life right now? These top 3 are your priorities in your life right now, so when a situation arises, if it’s not one of these top 3, they will be put on the back burner. For example if you, your health or fitness goal is not in the top 3 right now, you won’t succeed in your DIYPT program.
2. If money wasn't an issue, what job would you want to do?
3. Do you believe you’re living an extraordinary life? If yes, what makes it extraordinary?
4. What is your magnificent obsession? For those who do have an obsession, this will get you to the next stage. For those who don't have an obsession, this may open up some opportunities for you to explore and challenge yourself.

Please I urge you to take a moment and answer these questions for yourself. Trust me it will give you clarity in one or more aspects of your life right now.

No excuses everyone! Keep your Eyes on the Prize.

“Don’t give up… It’s not how hard you hit it’s how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward”.

- Rocky Balboa

VIDEO SCRIPT:

This is one of the reasons why people ultimately fail, they give up too soon.When it comes down to it, it’s giving up early in the attempt that is at the heart of failure. Not that the goal couldn't be achieved. Not that it was too difficult. But simply because the person stopped trying far too early.

A major reason why people don't persist with goals is due to poor self image. Deep down they don't have faith that they are capable of pulling off a great victory, so when they try , they do so in a tentative, half hearted manner and are ready to give up at the first sign of difficulty.

Take my personal training clients as an example. Before they saw me, many of them made many attempts in achieving their goal, but  came up short. If we take a close look at how they tried to succeed, we would see that in many cases it was their persistence that was flawed, not that the goal was impossible to achieve.

(PICTURE ABOVE)

Look at this image. This guy keeps hitting and hitting… he probably hit the rock 1000 times but if he hit it just one or two more, the diamonds would have come out. You know why he is never going to see diamonds or why some of you will never succeed… its because you keep giving up.

With my clients, I made up in their minds that they will get through the tough times and will outlast their fitness goal. I tell them the story of Thomas Edison where he failed 10,000 times in creating the light bulb, but the 10,001 attempt, he succeeded.

What I’d like to share with you now is from a book called ‘Why People Fail’ by Siimon Reynolds. It’s a 5 step process for learning how to become a master of persistence. This is exciting stuff, because like Reynolds’ puts it, when you become a master of persistence, you will learn more, achieve more and enjoy more.

I assure you, if you focus on this system every day for a month, it will become a habit. Once it becomes a habit, your DIYPT results will go through the roof.

1. Repeat your efforts - sometimes your strategy is right, it just hasn't been repeated enough. For example setting the alarm to wake up an hour earlier. You will probably snooze through the alarm for the first couple of times, so don’t say “you’re not a morning person” and give up. You never know, the 3rd time you try it may be the one that will make it stick.

2. Change strategies - After repeating your strategy a number of times, simply change it. If you just can’t wake up an hour earlier because you get home late from work and you need the sleep in, then change your strategy to maybe working out at lunch instead. Just make sure you put a number to how many repeated efforts you’ll make before you decide to change strategies.

Remember, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different result”.

3. Model the best - there are plenty of people who have achieved similar goals before you. So copy them. Model the athletes, celebrities or everyday people you want to look like or become and you’re likely to get similar results. Remember you have the hundreds strong DIYPT community and me at your disposal, so use us.

4. Maintain positivity - As you work hard, assume you’re going to achieve your goal, expect that things are going to go your way, and decide you are going to have fun on this journey no matter what. Choose to be positive as you persist through the tough times of your DIYPT program.

5. Return to the vision - this is very important. Sometimes you will get caught up in the work of your DIYPT program plus your everyday life that you will lose track of the big picture - your why. The very reason you're working so hard to achieve stuff in the first place. 

Because we have stopped thinking about the final result we’re trying to achieve. we get overwhelmed by the countless obstacles and hardships we are facing. When this happens to you, it’s vital that you return to your higher vision.

I promise you, if you stick to these steps great things will happen.

Remember, keep your eyes on the prize and persist, persist, persist!!!

VIDEO SCRIPT:

Does this sound familiar?

“5, 4, 3, 2, 1…. Happy New Year!!!!”

It’s a new year, it’s time for a new me. It’s time for me to change. I’m going to set a new years resolution of losing 10 kgs in 4 months in time for my birthday. Ooooh Yeah!!!

So I’m going to set my alarm for 5am every morning and go to the gym every single day!!!!

I start off well going everyday for the first month, some days I hit the snooze button and sleep in but I go in the evening, so I still went. So I give myself a break for one day as a reward… A few weeks later, I give myself 2 days off because Winter is truly here and it’s so hard to wake up in the dark cold mornings!!!! the week after 3 days off… after 3 months I stop completely because I got sick and work has gotten too busy or something else has gotten in the way. I never go back, and what’s worst I’m heavier than when I first started.

Fact, you’re never going to feel like it! 

So you need to understand how you work. If you don't feel like going to the gym, find a way to exercise at home or at a park. That’s why our program DIYPT is perfect. You don't need to go to the gym. You can do it anytime and anywhere!

So don't force yourself to change and do something you don't want to do. If you want to change, make sure you really WANT to change. In fact, change your want to a MUST! Because when things get hard, and they will.… You’ll give up, unless you MUST change.

Someone once said that there are 2 types of motivation. Push vs pull. 

Push, you force yourself to do something because you know you have to change but it’s generally something you’re not used to doing and possibly don’t enjoy doing and is a “nice to have”, like setting yourself a new years resolution to lose 10 kilograms in 4 months.

You’ll start well because motivation will get you started but because it’s a “nice to have”, that is, you want it in time for your birthday, you're less likely to stick to it. When its a “nice to have, you're setting yourself up to fail.

• “It would be nice to have lost 10kgs”
• “Nice to have won lotto”
• “Nice to have a new house”
• “Nice to have a boyfriend/girlfriend”

I guarantee 100% of you on the other side of this screen has said one of these things. And we all know that when we say it would be nice to have, it will never happen. Turn your want to a MUST. 

A pull motivation, on the other hand, is when you are forced to change, otherwise something bigger will happen that’s out of your control. There is no “nice to have”. It’s a MUST!. For example, before I started my PT business I worked as a HR Consultant for 10 years. For many years I wanted to change careers because I wasn’t happy. What kept me in the job was the safety net of a good salary and a secure income at that.

Then in my 10th anniversary, I asked myself is this what I want to be doing for the rest of my life? Do I enjoy my job? Is it paying enough for my family to be able to live the lifestyle we want to live? If I want to change careers, I need to do it now! 

This is where I turned my “Nice to have a new career” into “I MUST have a new career”.

Of course it was tough, but I was very driven. And what drove me was knowing that my business will set my family up financially, allowing my mum to be able to retire soon and that I will be doing something that I’m passionate about.

All of a sudden, there is a high level of accountability on my part. It’s a must do, not a “nice to have”.

Or it could be what Simon Sinek says, it must be a cause, purpose or belief. I’ll talk more about this next week because pull motivations are so powerful that I want to address it in it’s own Weekly Revive. We call it ‘Finding your why’. Stay tuned.

Until then, Remember, keep your eyes on the prize!

“We are what we repeatedly do” -Aristotle 

VIDEO SCRIPT:

When I think of the word consistency I think of mathematics in school. In my final years of high school the pressure was on for me to do well and get into University, so I got my good friend Rodney to tutor me.

I asked Rod is there something I can watch, listen to or people that can help inspire me, to motivate me to get through my maths work?

… And he said… “of course there is, there is plenty out there but I don't want you to be concerned with that at the moment. You know why?” 

“Motivation is overrated”.

What?! I looked at him like a stunned mullet…. Motivation is overrated. What do you mean? 

He simply said, “You’ll figure it out. Now study!”

And I did figure it out. 

Motivation is an emotion, a feeling. You can ‘feel’ motivated, pumped up if you will, but that feeling will fade very quickly into nothingness unless you can back it up with a set of actions you act on consistently. Why do you think only 8% of people achieve their fitness new years resolution. Being a Personal Trainer at a gym, every year is so predictable. Late January and all of February the gym is jam packed full of people determine to reach their new years resolution and then it starts to die down in March. It’s because people are motivated to achieve their resolution and that motivation gets you started but consistency and perseverance is what gets you through.

Think more about consistency than motivation. Lock in one small gain each time. Just try to get to first base, don't try to go for a home run straight away. It’s like when I was learning my times tables back in 2nd grade. My mum said “don't worry about how much faster your friends are learning the times tables. You need to take it one step at a time”. So I committed myself to doing a set of times tables each week and worked my way up to 12x tables within 7 weeks!

I need to make it clear… you don't need to compete with anyone. If you see small progressions in your life, you'll win. Slowly and sure enough, you’ll catchup with everyone else. So if you can only commit to one DIYPT training session a week, then do that until you realistically can do more.  

Now running a business, I can see that you can’t do it with consistency alone. A little bit of motivation can give you the push you need to be consistent. That’s why I do these weekly revives to give you a hit of motivation to push you in your program.

 If there is one thing you take away from this video, I want it to be this. Commit to doing one of the actions I mention in your DIYPT program and food plan or it can be something else, small or large that you do everyday starting tomorrow which will help you get closer to your fitness goal. And then when you are ready, add another action and then another action until these actions become second nature and it will be undeniable for you to reach your goal. 

So go out there and be consistent. Keep your eyes on the prize.

“Excellence is then not an act, it’s a habit”.

"If you have a why to live, you can overcome almost any how".

- Nietzsche 

VIDEO SCRIPT: 

I was born in Binang, Laguna in the province of the Philippines. There were 7 of us living in a tiny house, no bigger than your living room. All concrete slabs, no insulation, air conditioning, not even beds.  

My mum studied Accounting and worked in the Philippines while looking after us 5 kids. When I was 4 years old, my parents decided to migrate to Australia in search for a better life. They couldn't afford to fly all 7 of us over so my youngest sister, Maryanne and brother, Jay stayed behind. 

So driven by the desire to bring Maryanne and Jay to Australia, my mum continued her studies and worked for State Rail, now called Sydney Trains. I remember clearly my mum waking up before everyone else, go to the shops to buy us breakfast, do a 7-6pm shift and on the days she came home, she would cook and clean the dishes in her work clothes and wouldn’t have any time for herself because she thought about us first before herself. On the days she didn't come straight home, she went to night school to finish off her Accounting degree, and then she would come home after 9pm. 

After a couple of years, my parents were able to fly my brother and sister, Jay and Maryanne to Australia to join us. This was a defining moment where my mum and dad felt proud of what they had achieved.

This year my mum is 63 years old and still works as an Accountant and still works her butt off. This is why I work my butt off. I do it for mum.

She is who I see on the days I struggle to get out of bed, in pitch black, in the cold.

She is who I see on the days I want to call in sick.

She is who I see when I'm stressed and want to give up.

She is who I see when I look at my family. She represents the hard work she and my dad went through to give me a better life and eventually meet my beautiful wife, Trinh and now are blessed with 2 beautiful boys, Brian and Dominic.

She is who I see when I'm thankful everyday for this great country we live in. We are fortunate to have all the opportunities in the world, have freedom, equality and justice. 

This is my why. And you know what, it is deep. Because it needs to be. It needs to hit the core of the reason why you do what you do to overcome all the hard times you will face. 

And in the 13 weeks of the DIY PT program, you will definitely come across hard times. You will want to give up, you’ll want to sleep in, you’ll say it’s too hard, you’ll come across a million excuses and will say how do I… but like Nietzche said at the beginning of this video, if you have a big enough why, you can overcome almost any how.

According to Simon Sinek, your why needs to be a purpose, a cause, or a belief. Everything else is just the result.

It needs to be more than to look good for summer or to look good for a holiday, this is simply the result and for some this result isn't big enough to justify the hardwork. Get down to the core of your reason. If your reason is just the result, most of you won't achieve your fitness goal.

I made that mistake when I did my first 13 week body transformation. My supposed 'why' was, I really wanted to have a 6 pack because I've never ever had one and I've been training for so many years. This is a result. It's not a why, because by our definition it's  not a purpose, cause or belief.

So did I achieve my goal? Big fat no. I continued to flex my stomach muscles every time I took my shirt off. A year later, I still wanted a 6 pack, but this time, my why was, I'm doing it for my business. I wanted to show people that I don't just talk the talk, I also walk the walk. I had a purpose, a cause. And so, of course I achieved my 6 pack. 

Focus on your why, not the result. Like how I think about my mum, not the pay check.

The same way you should think about the confidence and quality of life DIYPT will give you, rather than the 6 pack.

VIDEO SCRIPT:

"Failure is an experience that lends wisdom, and ultimately makes you stronger” - Elliot Hulse 

For 17 years I went through the schooling system and for 17 years, I was taught failure was bad. There was either pass or fail in everything we did. Pass a test, everyone is happy. Fail a test, it's the end of the world. 

My sister was a victim of this pass/fail system. Growing up we were all told to get good grades and go to University. You do this, you have your life all setup for you.

So after "failing" the HSC (High School Certificate), she told our parents she will do it again and promised them better grades and that she’ll go to University and get a ‘good’ job. 

She did it again in TAFE and ‘failed' again and that made my dad so angry because she broke her promise. He didn't speak to her for years after that. Today she is a proud mother of 4 bright children where one of them is a school captain; and is a successful Manager of a Child Care Centre and is looking to own one herself.

Don't allow the schooling system or what other people say mould you into thinking failure is bad. Don't be afraid to fail. Because for every time you do, it gets easier the next time. Just as long as you embrace your failures and learn from them. You fail… just get back up, learn from your previous experience and try again.

Look at babies. When they try to walk and they fall, what do they do? They get straight back up and try again… and again…and again. And they do it without any hesitation. 

Every time they try they get better at it.

Any journey is hard and riddled with failure. That’s why most people don’t want to take the journey. This particularly applies to health and fitness goals. You will fail and I want you to embrace it. This is why my DIYPT programs are different to other online programs that are out there, because I don’t give you everything in the first week and hope for the best. Each week I give you something to work on and if you fail to achieve it, we get notified so we give you tools to help you tackle the issue in a different way. 

87% of people don’t achieve their fitness goal and give up. I want to help you so you are one of the 13% who DO achieve their goal!

The only time you shouldn’t embrace your failures is when you choose to sweep them under the carpet. Doing this will turn your failures into a fear.

Hitting the snooze button and saying I’ll start tomorrow, is an example. The more you delay exercising the more you will fear it and the further you will be from your fitness goal.

Persevere through the hard times because of your vision, your dream, your passion. Leave no stone unturned.

Keep your eyes on the prize.

“Life is like a boxing match. Defeat is declared not when you fall, but when you refuse to stand again” - Muhammad Ali.

Most people don’t truly understand how fat loss diets work in the long term. There is so much information out there that people get caught up in more anecdotal evidence and biased research than actual solid unbiased research. If you want to know where we go to for unbiased information, contact us.

People try all different types of methods, which by the way I encourage because everyone is different and certain diets (aka food plans, I hate the word diet) may work for some but not for others. The issue I have is most people don’t analyse what truly causes them to lose fat. 

You lose fat by entering into a calorie deficit and keep to your macronutrients. It’s as simple as that. It doesn’t need to be complicated. Focus on these two things and everything else, like your training, will fall into place.

Here are the top 9 misconceptions that still exist. Time to myth bust!!!

1. You don’t lose fat because you cut out carbohydrates completely.
2. You don’t lose fat because you cut out fat completely.
3. You don’t lose fat by performing cardio on an empty stomach.
4. You don’t lose fat by taking a fat burning pill. 
5. You don’t lose fat by fasting.
6. You don’t lose fat by doing high intensity interval training everyday.
7. You don’t lose fat by just drinking shakes or going on a juice diet. 
8. You don’t lose fat by avoiding sugar.
9. You don’t lose fat by cutting out carbohydrates after a certain time, for example, at dinner.

These 9 myths above may give you results, it may even give you faster results than you expected. However, once you go back to eating normally, which you eventually will because diets can’t be maintained long term, you’ll gain weight and fat more than before!

Our DIYPT 13 week fat loss and weight loss programs utilize the methods of caloric deficit and macronutrient tracking. This is by far the number one reason why our clients get amazing results and long term results. 

And we don’t just give you results. We empower you along the process, give you your very own equipment and getting you to understand why and how things work. Everything you need for long term success and to empower others.