Hey familia, how are you this week?
How are your goals going for this year thus far? (Let us know in the comments below.)
While I feel a wee bit behind business wise, we are kicking butt in the fitness department. 🙂
Sifu Larry and I decided to switch up our workouts and get a gym membership just so we can have new toys to play with! LOL
We have been going consistently M-F for the past 3 weeks. I did miss one day the second week due to my body begging me for some extra rest.
While often I push myself when I feel I need some extra rest, this was one of those moments I could feel if I didn’t I was going to get sick. And personally I’d rather be down one day, vs. several because I didn’t listen to my body’s needs.
There definitely is a balance between knowing when to push yourself further to excel and when pushing yourself further will lead to more unwanted down time. It was good that I listened to what my body needed and could feel the difference between my flesh being weak wanting to slack vs. my body actually needing rest.
Do you honor your body the same? Why or why not?
Before we went to this 5 day work out schedule, we were averaging 3-4 workouts a week. Sure we could have continued to workout at home and we do still for C.O.R.E. workouts, etc. But there is something about knowing you are spending money each month, that makes you want to get your monies worth so to speak.
For members reading this, you should think of Enter Shaolin the same, you want to get your monies worth and utilize your resources wisely. You are investing your money into your training and health, so utilize every penny of it!
It can take time to see physical results, you won’t see them over night, but you will start feeling them right away.
I’ve been so sore and beat up so much the past year and 7 months of training, I have come to not feel right when my muscles don’t feel like they’ve worked out.
I know that sounds crazy, but I actually enjoy the feeling of a good workout. I’m not talking so sore you can’t move next morning, but that nice gratifying feeling that you challenged your muscles to the point of growth.
I’ve told Larry numerous times that I don’t think we were working out hard enough. A lot of times he thinks I’m insane for saying this. But that was one of the catalyst to us creating some change.
It’s also nice since we work online all the time, to get out of the house and change the scenery up a bit M-F.
So, if you are hitting a plateau or just getting bored with your scenery, then change it up. It’s up to you to continue to challenge yourself, so you can keep growing and moving forward.
We can inspire you and root you on, but you have to be the one to step it up a notch and find new ways to keep yourself engaged and moving forward.
Thankfully you have well over 400 videos and counting here at Enter Shaolin that you can mix up and try new things. For example, if you just joined for our Wing Chun, why not explore some Tai Chi, Ngo Dac Na, etc.?
The worst that could happen is you will learn something new. The best that could happen, is you unlock another part of your skill. 😉
Or how about refining what you already know? I made this meme for Sifu Larry’s blog post on Why You Can Effectively Learn Kung Fu Online, and it illustrates exactly why that is a great idea…
Another thing that has been coming up a lot lately on Facebook and via emails, is people are looking at ways to schedule their time more efficiently or need more money. I know when there is a will there is a way and that we make time for what is important to us.
I hear a lot of people say they want to lose weight, or get in shape or learn Kung Fu, make more money, etc., etc…
But usually the people that keep saying these things over and over haven’t made real strides to obtaining said goals.
And usually their excuses or two fold…
- I don’t have enough time.
- I don’t have enough money.
In most cases, these are just sad lies we tell ourselves to give ourselves an out that sounds good and few will question us on.
I say this because I’ve made very little income several times in my life and even right now I’m not exactly rolling in the dough! LOL But somehow, I’ve always found a way to afford what we needed and what we wanted to do.
And there have been plenty of times as a single mom who has her own full-time startup business (Enter Shaolin in case you were wondering) 😉 , who trains and exercises regularly, and cooks home cooked meals from scratch, etc., etc. where I could totally use those excuses too, but they are just that… Excuses!
Despite what some people think, I’m not some super human/super being that is more special than you. I’ve just continually been working on me, so I accept less and less of my own b.s. And yes, that means making less and less EXCUSES! 🙂
One of my mentors Dani Johnson says, “Excuses are well planned lies.” And while many may think that is an extreme statement… Think about this… What if we got rid of ALL of our excuses for everything!? Imagine how much further in life we would be today and just how much further we can go!
It’s time to ditch the excuses!
So lets get to it, because 2016 is moving on with or without us. Are you along for the ride?
We could stay stuck with the same excuses, or we could decide right now to get over them.
If you are struggling with money…
1. Figure out where your money is currently going. Print out your bank and card statements for the past 30-60 days. See what is really necessary vs. what is not and get rid of what is not.
2. Create a budget and stick to it, find creative ways to save. Some simple ones are to cook at home, pack your lunch, carpool or bike when weather is permitting, make your own coffee/teas, replace sugary drinks with water, buy whole foods instead of processed and bonus you will be healthier too, if you are not already doing these things.Need to buy something new like clothes, furniture or electronics? First ask yourself if you really need XYZ or do you have something that will work instead or can barrow from a friend, etc.? If you really need it, see if you can find it on sale or gently used (yard sales, thrift store, craigslist, ebay) so you don’t pay full price.
3. Make more money… Start a business on the side, create new income stream doing something you love, get another job, etc. Personally, I suggest starting with figuring out where you can cut out the excess in your current affairs, because for many this is all they need to do, to find more money to do what they want. 😉
If you are struggling with finding the time to do what you love…
1. Be honest with yourself... Have you made these things a priority in your life? If not, why not? Maybe you haven’t figured out why XYZ is so important to you, yet and that’s why it isn’t a priority yet.So lets figure that out so you know your why. Your why should shake you, it needs to hit the core of your being, so when the flesh is weak you can move past it and push on. Keep asking yourself why until you get to the real answer, you will know you are there when you can’t answer why any more. Rarely is a person’s why for anything the first thing that comes out of their mouth, unless they have done this exercise already of course. 😉
Write it down and put it where you will see it daily like on your fridge, bathroom mirror, on your night stand by your bed, your screensaver for your computer and mobile phone, etc…
2. Figure out where your time is currently going. Write down the past week or two, how did you really spend your time? If you can’t remember, keep a time log of what you do for a week or two. You might be shocked to find there are plenty of spaces you could carve out to use for your goals instead of getting lost in the rabbit hole of social media, playing video games, watching TV, and so on.Find ways to utilize your time more efficiently. Commute to work? Spend time listening to audios or podcasts that will help you with your goal. Don’t want to give up the boob tube completely, then spend time exercising with C.O.R.E. training while you watch TV or work on solo drills.
If you like social media or need to utilize it for work, schedule a time with a set time limit to check Facebook, etc. 1-2x a day. Once that time is up, move on.
3. Create a schedule, even if you are not into them. They are the best way to be efficient with your time instead of losing it. You can use an online/mobile app to help or get a paper planner or both.(I could create a whole blog post on this stuff, if you would like to hear all the tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years, let me know and I will get to writing a post on these for you!)
The above is just a bit of what we do to keep ourselves in check, it’s really all about becoming more efficient with your time and money and there are so many ways to do that. You don’t need more time and in most cases you don’t need more money either. We just have to be a better stewards of our time and money, the rest will work itself out, if we do our part.
The past few weeks we have added a lot more to our weekly schedule… Larry was a bit worried this would mean we wouldn’t get as much done, yet we have managed to get more done because we have made a schedule and are sticking to it. Not to mention we have more energy and are more focused, all wins!
One more tip… Last but not least once your excuses have got their proverbially butts kicked, make an action plan for things you will do to achieve your goals. I’ve been using Google Keep to create notes for each of my goals with a check list. For me it is gratifying to be able to check off tasks towards my goal. If I come up with some new ideas, I just add them to my list.
Once a week or at least monthly do a check in to see how you did, where did you excel, where do you need improvement? Write it down and course correct from there.
If you enjoyed this, comment and please share the knowledge because if this post wasn’t for you, it is for someone you know. 🙂
Now on to your training…
Here’s Your New Enter Shaolin Training:
Wing Chun
Chin Na
Tai Chi
Ngo Dac Na
Blessings & Happy Training,
Jamie Pelaez
& The Enter Shaolin Family
During the winter season I naturally have less energy and need more sleep. I still train but less than during spring and summer… and now I am having a cold so I really need more rest. I find sometimes people feel guilty because they need more sleep and more rest and they fight it. We have to be aware of our body messages. There is a difference with being lazy and being tired… and we have to be honest with ourselves about that one. However…the training at the right time does improve my energy a lot a lot. I started my training with Enter Shaolin last winter (end of February) and I see a big difference. So far it improves my energy and my body in many ways. But no guilt when I don’t have time….this is not a race, just a way of life.
Hey Diane, I am glad you are paying attention to your bodies needs throughout the seasons. Sifu Larry and I also train differently for Kung Fu as well as exercise according to the seasons.
Yup, there is definitely a difference between I’m being lazy and need to push through vs. I really need to allow myself to rest. Like you said we need to be aware of what our body needs and when it needs it. So many people are disconnected from their bodies, thankfully internal martial arts makes us have no choice but to start listening to what our body needs.
Thank you for sharing your progress Diane. You are right it’s not a race, well at least not against anyone else. It’s a personal race of life with ourselves; that means we work on us, we extend ourselves grace and we listen to what our body needs, we rest, we fight, we fall down, we get back up, we push forward to finish the race off in our perfect timing. It is indeed a way of life and helps us become more of who we really are, refining ourselves more and more daily. 🙂
Hello Again
As a young person, my body recovered quickly from the bruises received, both from play and work. As I have gotten older, I have learnt from painful experience that I need to listen to my body to avoid injuries that take a long time to recover. Training hard is important, recovery between hard training is also important – it is a mix that is very hard to balance, but in the end, the body will dictate that it is time to rest.
For people with time issues – most of my physical training occurs when I am cooking. Practicing kata, kicks, punches does not need dedicated time – when I stir, or flip (my cooking)- it allows me to think of the moves I just did to reflect on what I can approve. The defensive techniques are practiced whenever one of my sons passes by and we deflect and parry against each other (about 30 sec each – but it adds up). I train this way every day.
Enjoy what you do, if you enjoy, you will overcome the hurdles that are placed in front of you. If you want it – you will achieve it
Cheers
Yes, as we grow our bodies require different things from us. As you stated brother, finding that balance is key. I am happy to hear you are listening to your body. I always take one day off to rest, but there are weeks my body asks for one more day and when it does, I listen.
Multi-tasking at it’s finest! I also do a lot of training in everyday life. Paying attention to how my body moves when I walk, drive, chop vegetables, dance, etc. etc. I am always remembering out Kung Fu principles and making adjustments where needed. I’ve also been known to bust out some C.O.R.E. training at random too.
Great advice on taking the time to reflect on your training or real life scenarios and where you excelled and what you can improve on. This type of thinking helps us improve.
I also love the random attacks, Sifu Larry and I do that to each other throughout the day. Keeps us on our toes for sure. 🙂
It’s gotten to the point that when Larry’s daughter Cara or some other kids try to scare me and sneak up on me, I don’t even flinch anymore. And they are always left in awe asking why I am not scared!?
It’s neat how our Kung Fu training permeates into our daily lives. And yes, enjoy what you do, that is the key to success right there!
Sifu Larry, you asked for a comment… Are you going to see Kung Fu Panda 3? What did you think of the first two? At Enter Shaolin, which character do y’all identify with?
I can’t say I thought about it. However, my youngest daughter likes Kung Fu panda. So I’ll probably catch it on netflix when ever it gets there.
For the record: I like the first one more than the second one 🙂
Yes I do read updates, they are good and I learn from them thanks
Thank you brother!
Thanks guys for another set of great, informative videos. Friday is quickly becoming my favorite day of the week.
Whoop! It is my favorite day as well.
Lots of goodies to prepare for the week ahead! Thank you brother for sharing your thoughts! 🙂
Hey Jamie, A very inspirational post this week – well done! It seems that you have become a ‘ life coach’ in addition to your normal duties. All that you have said is ‘right on the money’. Indeed I have used many of the techniques that you have mentioned.
On a different note, and from my own perspective,Wing Chun has provided me with the ‘inner peace’ to get me through some extraordinarily difficult times. Everybody’s journey is different, but the guidance you guys provide for both personal and physical development is excellent! Thanks again!
Hey brother! Thank you so much, your comment means a lot and that I am on the right path by sharing more of what God has blessed me with.
Thank you!
I am so happy to hear of the inner peace you have found with Wing Chun. The changes I have seen in myself in my journey thus far have been just wonderful to say the least and yes it does help us get through the tough times with much more ease. I am positive as our Kung Fu journey continues on, that these benefits will just keep increasing as will our skill.
We are creating Enter Shaolin to be so much more than just a place to learn Kung Fu, we want to provide the true internal benefits and that means working on ourselves from the inside out permeating to all aspects of our lives.
Thank you again Axel for joining us for the ride! 🙂
Yes it is good to push yourself to your limits when training, but when body needs a break, then listen to it, not for the sake of laziness, but to recover, as some one said: to be worked out, but not worn-out…
To make time for training is challenge for many people, perfectly in my busy schedule M-F, I would like to have 2 h training, but not always possible, so I do as much as I can, it can be 1.5 h, 1 h, 45 min or 30 min, in extreme cases even some warm up will do, as long as I keep moving, that means that I am still on my way and not standing in one place, do little progress, but do it.
Kung -Fu is such specific treasure that if you do it you have it, but if you do not do it, you do not have it – no skill, it has to be constantly worked out…
Yup, that’s exactly it. I like to feel worked out but not worn-out. No time for that brother! 🙂
That’s great brother, that some good time in and your consistency will give you the results you want. Some days I get more in, some days I get less. I usually give myself one full day of rest, but some weeks my body asks me for one more and I honor it when it needs that extra day.
That’s right just keep moving, every little bit does indeed count. Consistency is definitely key brother and it sounds like you got it!
Time management seems to be one of the biggest factors in achieving goals. It is surprising how much time we waste or how much time we spend on activities that do not support our goals. And most of the time we are not even aware this is happening.
There is one fool proof method to find out how much time we spend on these “time vampires”. It takes a little bit of work, less than five minutes a day, over just a few days and it is SUPER EASY and SIMPLE.
Simply keep a log of what you do each day with start and end times. After a few days that are representative of your typical life, sit down and analyze how you spent your time.
The next step is to identify those activities that did not help you achieve your goals. These are your “time vampires”.
If you are like me, you won’t eliminate all “time vampires”. But you will begin to be aware of them and as they occur you can ask the conscious question of, “Do I really want to get off tàsk at this moment and become a “time vampire”?
If all you do is eliminate only a half an hour a day of “time vampires”, only thirty measly minutes a day, you will be spending an additional one hundred eighty two hours a year on activities directly supporting your goals.
Imagine this — what if you could add an extra month to each year where you spend each eight hour work day working only on your goals? That would be pretty nice, wouldn’t it? Do you think you could achieve your goals then?
Well, the good news is that’s what happens when you kill just thirty minutes a day of “time vampires”. And you don’t even need a silver bullet.
Yes brother George, time management is a huge factor in achieving or not achieving goals.
It is insane really how much time we waste doing things that do not really benefit us, that’s why I too recommended writing down what you did for a week or two to evaluate where your time goes. It really does help put things in major perspective. And love the time vampires analogy, because that is EXACTLY what they are.
I think like you said just being able to identify where our time is going and if it is helping our hurting our goals helps us to use our time more wisely.
Great idea on taking the amount eliminated from those vampires and calculating how many more hours that means in a month and even a year you have to work on your goals instead. Love it brother, thanks for the silver bullet! 😉
Just wanted to 100% agree with you Jamie. I had reached a huge milestone from when I joined Enter Shaolin in that 1) I lost almost 20 lbs. and had to buy all new clothes and 2) I am not only able to do push-ups on my toes all the way down, but I’m up to 30 of them before having to switch to my knees – that’s something I thought I would never be able to do. The past couple of weeks, I started to get stagnant and make those excuses so I started re-exploring the site and mixing up my routine. That really helped recharge me and I’m back on it. I have 3 days where I have absolutely no reason to skip a workout because my schedule is pretty open and that’s my minimum. My fun challenge for myself is fitting in tiny little workouts here and there on other days. But I feel you – onward and upward in 2016 for real! Thanks as always for your inspiring words and to the whole ES Fam for all your hard work. It has helped me trememdously!
Danielle
OMG!!! That is so absolutely awesome sister! I am so happy for you Danielle, congratulations love!
Glad you are back on the right track. It’s okay to fall down, it happens. Life happens, but the quicker we can jump back in to the routine, the better off we will be.
I like to call it being a good self-corrector, the more you self-correct, the less the downtime when we fall. <3
Sifu Larry and I love doing mini workouts on our busy days, there's no reason we can't drop 10 here and there, etc. Keep up the great work love!
Love that Bruce Lee comment! Although I do follow much of the goals in your posting above it is very helpful being reminded of them from time to time. Thanks!
Yes, great quote indeed! I am happy to hear you are using most of these tips brother Mark.
And yes… It’s always great to be reminded we are on the right track. 🙂