Next time you are exercising take a quick glance in the mirror.

Who do you see before you?

Do you see a dedicated determined person who is working hard to achieve their goal?

Or do you see a struggling klutz who can't seem to get the moves right and will probably never achieve their goal?

Would you like to be let in on a little secret?

That person, who most people see in the mirror, is very often the struggling klutz, always working hard but never seeing results. A lot of us feel that no matter how hard we work something bad will happen and we'll just knocked down once more. We'll end up looking like some schmoe, trying to be some big-shot when in reality looking like a fool. After all, exactly how long does it take for someone to go into a trance while watching the hynoptic wave-like motion of the fat jiggling on my thunder thighs jiggling? Nah, that is all in one's own imagination. As human beings we all tend to distort the truth in one way or another to fit our beliefs. You are your worst critic, you know. And it does not do one any good if they keep berating themselves for something that is totally out of their control.

A lot of people feel self-conscious when they exercise. Thoughts of "Am I doing this move properly?", "What does that girl in the cute tee think of me?", "Look at my calves. I have calves only a cow could love!" invade one's mind as they execute the move. Well stop that destructive dialogue now. For, as was said once and shall be repeated evermore, "You are your worst critic."

Don’t look upon exercising as some new form of torture to cause embarrassment. The purpose of exercise is to improve you health-, body-, and self- image. It’s all for your good. Just let go of your insecurities and focus on having a great workout.

The reason a lot of us don’t work out is that we’re to afraid of looking the fool - at this moment on our journey we all tend to feel a little self-conscious but hey it’s only natural. From now on don't picture yourself as some sort of klutz who isn't getting anywhere, rather realize that you are well on your way to a beautiful healthy body.

Please don’t let self-consciousness stop you form having fun during a wonderful workout!

If you still are feeling self-conscious then you can always draw the blinds, turn on the telly and VCR to exercise along with an exercise video at the ungodly hours. There’s also the option of wearing baggy exercise clothing and exercising out in public but a word of caution here:

After four weeks of regular diet and exercise you will find your body is screaming not to be hidden by that baggy clothing, it desperately desires to be shown off to the world.

Listen to your body - not that annoying negative voice who doesn’t know what he or she is speaking of.

Never ever let anyone tell you what to do. Remember: It is YOU - not anyone - who has to live with the consequences!

Cast off all inhibitions! (No extreme acts of promiscuity here darlin’!) Let go and have fun because you know those actions will result in a healthier fit body! ;-)

Here's a question for you to ponder:..

Do you have a deep desire to achieve something? To go the distance just to get what you so desperately want with all your heart? To be that which you know you are to be?

(Okay, maybe not just one question but a couple…)

That deep desire inside of you. That longing for something that, at the moment, seems out of reach…everyone has it.

Is there a certain goal you want to achieve? (There should be.) Well, we shall help you, if not provide a little more insight on achieving your goal and providing you will allow us to help you. Be it rock star, basketball player or zoo keeper, reach to achieve your goals as they are leading you somewhere.

Incidentally, while on the topic of goals there are some things to remember:

There are two types of goals:

Short Term Goals: Goals such as making it through class without your chemistry teacher asking you for your homework or waking up at five to run around the block are short term goals. These are goals that are attainable within the near future. They are goals that you can work towards within a short period of time. These goals may be small but in essence they still count.

Long Term Goals: Goals such as going to college or being a rock star can be classified as Long Term goals. These are goals that need more time than Short Term Goals to achieve but are just as important as ever. Long Term Goals need a bit more dedication and often motivation to keep going and sticking with our goal. Some things don't happen overnight, long term goals are one of them.

Goal setting can be a complicated thing if you do not know what you want. And if you don't get what you want, well, that can hurt too. A thing to keep in mind about Goals is that you should be reasonable. Choose a goal which you feel you can achieve, nothing so outrageous that it will be impossible to achieve, but something that is within your reach, that you know you will achieve if you just stick with it and keep moving forward. Don't set yourself up for failure, that is the worst possible thing you can do to yourself. Be reasonable if you want to see results. Some things are meant for one person and other things are meant for you. We are all different - keep that in mind when choosing and achieving your goal. What may be good for one person to achieve may not be good for another. We are not saying, "Don't even bother trying to achieve your goal because you don't have the talent or ability to achieve it.". No, no, NO! We are only reminding you that some goals are meant for some people to achieve while other goals are not meant for those people to achieve. By all means, go for your goal. Work hard to achieve whatever you so desperately desire and we assure you that you will feel satisfaction and exhileration when you achieve your goal.

Oh, wait. You haven't chosen your goal yet, or have you?

Okay, think hard now. Look deep inside yourself and ask:

This may take a while for you to sort through the many goals…take your time and don't rush it. Have it? Keep in mind what your goal is. Picture it, imagine it in full detail, experience how it will feel when you know you've achieved your goal…it is a nice feeling, if any, and don't fret as we will try to help you in whatever ways we can to achieve Your goal.

Now that you have your goal, how do you go about achieving it? Do it like a baby. Take it one step at a time and eventually you will be so much closer to achieving your goal than ever before. Go about it not as though your life depended on it, but rather take it with open arms; have fun with it, play with it. If you act like you will die if you don't achieve your goal you will lose the magic of working towards your goal. All the excitement is gone because it is like you are working hard towards a deadline, you will feel pressured and that, our dear friend, is a surefire way of losing interest and enthusiasm for your goal. Bite off only as much as you can chew, and chew for a reasonable amount of time so that your stomach will be able to digest it (figuratively speaking of course - actually, it works in context as well so never mind…). Be dedicated towards achieving your goal, take it one step at a time and in due time you will find yourself where you want to be: At your goal.

From where I came from - a guy who couldn't run, throw and hit for power - to where I am today, it's been a long road and a real nice ride.

_Don Mattingly, Major League Baseball Player

At times it can be frustrating and feel downright pointless but you just have to stick with your goal and keep moving forward. Yes, come rain, shine, tidal wave, whatever, it is vital that you stick with your goal. You took a sort of vow when you chose your goal (or more like your subconscious took the vow but that isn't the point) now stick with it. Sure it may seem scary, it is a big change after all, but if you want to see it through, see the results of you achieving that goal you have to stick with it. No half efforts here, we want you to stick with it and to Achieve that goal. (We are dead serious here - no we are not caffeine addicts or anything, we sincerely want to see you succeed!) Unlike that dust collecting saxophone, or that judo outfit that has hanging up in your closet ever since you decided the judo profession was not for you, you will stick with this goal and see it through to the end. It may appear overwhelming at first but if you stick to your goal and work hard it won't be as scary as you think - more like it will be exciting and definitely not boring.

Now, about that little voice in the back of your mind. You know, the one saying, "What if I do try and I don't achieve my goal? What do I do then?". Okay, like all things there are just some that are out of our reach. Don't feel you're a failure that you did not achieve your goal. You are not a failure, far from it, because you made an effort. You tried and put your all into it - that is Wonderful and that is more than what most folks would do. You are not a failure because you tried, the effort makes it a success. Perhaps you did not reach your goal but you tried and that is all that really matters.

Still, as you work towards your goal it is good to reward yourself for a job well done. Treat yourself every now and then. It can be a rewarding experience achieving your goal but you also need motivation along the journey of reaching your goal. Let yourself enjoy being in the limelight for a while. Compliment yourself because you are doing a fabulous job that deserves some recognition. Little words of support can help to make the journey a smoother one. Take some time out to see that you are going places and that you will be there soon enough.

Once you achieve your goal, let yourself bask in the spotlight because you deserve it! =)