A Makeover Story

In the past week, I've been remembering. Thinking back to makeovers I've had in my life and how they affected me. I thought it would be fun to reminisce this week, maybe even dig out some old pictures, visit the ghosts of makeovers past and see what they are still whispering to me.

My first introduction to make-up was in fifth grade. Lisa C., who was a year older than me and one of the prettiest girls I knew, brought over her first compact. It was chock-full of the best eye colors that the 1980's produced. Lots of purples and blues. I can't remember much, but I do remember her applying the mascara and the eyeliner (both blue, thank you). Look up, she told me like a pro. Now, look down. Whish, whish. Blot. Blot. Blot. I'm sure I looked like Cyndi Lauper but I felt like I looked like  Brooke Shields. It didn't matter as long as I looked near as beautiful as Lisa! 

For many years, make-up was simply a costume. Something silly you wore in a play, or when I played dress up. My only cosmetics in high school were zinc oxide and Shimmering Shell lipstick. I am sure that I still have a tube of that somewhere. My first makeover happened my senior year in high school and I'll save that story (and the pictures) until tomorrow. 

Until then, I want to know your makeover stories! How many makeovers have you had in your life? Were they physical? Mental? Spiritual? Professional? Did it stick?

Baby You Can Drive My Car

My makeover mantra for the day: Speed. Power. KaChow! What's your mantra to makeover your day?

Mental Makeover

Tomorrow is my first triathlon of the season and I'm doing a mental makeover!  So, today, I'm cheating a bit. I'm doing a little cut and paste of an article I found from a fellow triathlete. 

The 5 Major Beliefs Of Triathlon Success
http://www.triathlonpsychology.com

What you believe is more important than anything when you are about to begin a triathlon.

Of course, thoughts are important, but your beliefs will actually determine your results.
So I have come up with what I regard as the 5 most important beliefs to remember when you are approaching a triathlon - instill these into your mind and make them your automatic attitude to all meets from now on.

These beliefs can transform your performance without even changing a single thing in your training - they create inner change which automatically creates the outer changes you desire. But creating these beliefs is the hard work which I leave up to you - this is where your discipline must come in.

Focus upon one of these beliefs each week, and allow it to wash through your mind regularly throughout that entire week. Then, the following week, focus upon the 2nd belief, and then the 3rd week on the third belief, and so on - until they become a normal part of your everyday belief system and mental attitude. If after 5 weeks you do not feel they have become part of your belief system, repeat this 5 week process again until they are.

As soon as these begin to become your firm beliefs, you will begin to notice a major shift forward in your results - and the results will begin to flow through much more easily.

Please note: These are purely thoughts you need to think only - NOT to be spoken to others.

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Belief No. 1 - I HAVE NO LIMITS
"I feel great today and there's nothing I can't do, and no-one I can't beat, today. What's to stop me? Everybody look out!"


You must know that there is absolutely nothing to stop you putting in a great performance. Think of yourself as unlimited, unstoppable, unbeatable, supreme and all-powerful.

Belief No. 2 - THESE CONDITIONS ARE PERFECT FOR ME!
"These conditions are perfect for me today! There's water for me to swim in, road for me to bike on, heaps of competitors....(etc), and it's a great day for a win!"

It doesn't matter what the conditions are - this must be your attitude regardless. Every day must be a perfect day to compete from now on. Don't let conditions get in the way of a great performance.


Belief No. 3 - I'VE DONE THE WORK, AND I BELIEVE IN MY ABILITY"I deserve to win this race - I've done the work, put in the hours, and somebody has to win it - so why not me? I know I'm going to give this race a real shake, because I'm good enough to beat any of these people".

Know that you can achieve your goal. Why shouldn't you? 


Belief No. 4 - NOTHING CAN AFFECT ME
"I'm a machine! Nothing can bother me or stop me today, not the competitors, not the conditions, not anyone else's opinions, nothing! I'm completely in control of my own thoughts. I'm untouchable".

Never let anybody's comments or attitude get in your way - stay with your own positive thoughts, and surround yourself with positive people.


Belief No. 5 - YOU HAVE ME TO WORRY ABOUT! 

"These guys must be worried about me in this race - I'm going to be very tough to beat today!"

Don't waste your time worrying about your competitors - let them worry about you instead.
Allow your mind to focus only upon positive things, leave it to your competitors to wallow in their doubts and fears.

"The Mind controls the body, and the Mind is Unlimited"

The best of success, Craig Townsend

Friday Night Makeover

I need a Friday night makeover. In the next week, I'm going to come up with a plan that a) helps me write this blog by 5:00pm; b) includes a feel-good - like massage, mani, pedi, yoga or movie and c) launches me into a productive weekend.


I will let you know how that goes in the next few days!


Until then, take care.


Beth

Five O'Clock Club

You are not going to believe this one either. And you definitely aren't going to like it, even if you do believe it. Become a member of the Five O'Clock Club. This club ain't for cocktails. This is the five a.m. club. Mary Kay Ash was known for being one of the hardest-working people you'd ever meet. As the founder of what she called the Five O'Clock Club, her day began no later than 5am! 

For years, I resisted the darkness before the dawn. Six-thirty is a respectable time, right? Even 7:00am. But, in the past few months, I've resisted the temptation of a second snooze and pulled myself out of bed. By 6:00 a.m., I've brushed my teeth, taken the dog out and fed her, let the cat in and fed him, eaten a small meal, read the front page, checked the weather and my emails, done five sun salutations, driven to the YWCA and warmed up for 15 minutes. By 6:00a, I'm working out.

I've seen the brightest stars and the heaviest frost. I've heard owls hooting and seen rabbits. I know quiet in the morning - which may be even better than sleep. By 9:00a.m. I've done more around the house than I can on one productive Saturday. And by nine I'm ready for my power hour: the hour that I try to knock out at least two of my six most important tasks. And I choose the hardest one first.

I admit, I go to bed earlier than your average bear. By 8:00pm, I've washed my face and I'm ready to change into PJs. I can make it through most of the Olympic Coverage and I can often stay up for LOST or GREY'S ANATOMY. But really, that's what DVRs are for, right? I'd rather read from the prone position from my comfy bed (no TV in the bedroom) or talk on the phone.

You may not be able to do it. Your productive time might be the hour before you go to bed. Your most productive time might be your lunch hour, but you will get more done when the phones aren't ringing, when the emails are less like to drop into your inbox, when the cries of your children for more, more, more aren't in the background. 


If you can't possibly get up at 5:00am. Get up and do it right now. After all, it's Five O'Clock somewhere.   

Worrywort

Growing up, before spelling tests or first days at school or new experiences or dates or meeting new people, my mom would implore me, "Please don't be a worrywart."  

According to Merriam-Webster, a worrywart is someone who worries or frets unduly. My grandmother was a worrywart. My sister is a worrywart. One of my best friends is a worrywart. They worry about EVERYTHING! Fortunately, I listened to mom's advice on this. I consider myself lucky. I don't worry excessively. Don't get me wrong, I do worry. Don't get me wrong, I'm not careless. But, I have a few ways to get me over my worry each and every day.

WHATCHU SAY? I've adopted two mantras that help me with my worry. The first is another phrase I learned from mom: It'll get better before you get married. She always said that if we got hurt or we were worried about something that had happened. Now that I am married, I substitute the thought: it'll get better before my nephew gets married. My second mantra is a quote from the movie Shakespeare in Love: Strangely, it all turns out well in the end. [How do you know? I don't, it's a mystery.] I have faith that it will all turn out exactly how it should turn out - whether I worry about it or not. 

WORRY LIST Of course I make a list! What is worrying you today? You may say EVERYthing, but are you really worried about everything? 

For the next week, I challenge you to write down exactly what you are worried about. Keep a little list on your six most important things sheet.  

I learned just this week that worry is connected to control. Most of the time when we worry, we live under the false assumption that we have control over it. In truth, we  don't! In fact, under each of your worries, I challenge you to write the answer to  these questions: If this were to happen, would I be able to handle it? How? List all the ways you could handle it.

For instance, if I were Henny Penny and I was worried, I'd write:

I am worried that the sky is falling.
Could I handle it? Yes How? Freak out. Freak out everyone else. Run to Farmer Ed's house. Find a hole to crawl in. Live to tell about it.

I have found that when I write down my worries, I learn two important things: what I value (my life, my safety, my pleasure, my family, my love) and what I fear (loss, grief, not being heard). Can you handle that? How? 

Working from an Ideal Plan Sheet

You are probably not going to believe that this works, but experience tells me it does! I have been working from an ideal plan sheet since 2001. I first learned about the concept when I started as a Mary Kay consultant and I haven't stopped using one since.

It's an ideal plan sheet and I use it every few weeks to plan what's important to me and my purpose. I use it to shape my IDEAL week! Truly, I want to decide when I work, when I spend time with family and friends, when I spend time doing homework (you know, the stuff that makes my home run right). For many years my schedule was mandated by others. After years of planning my work and working my plan, I've designed a schedule that I love.

Here are a few tips in using this worksheet:

• Color code your weekly blocks of time. You may want to color code FITNESS, SPIRITUAL, WORK, SOCIAL, FAMILY, DATE NIGHT, ERRANDS, HOME WORK, etc.
• Do not fill out the work part first. I know it probably takes up the most time in your week. I know that it may even be your purpose in life, BUT, do not fill out work first. I tend to fill out the spiritual or family time first.
• Leave margins. You'll notice that there is white space in my calendar. This is time for all those things that always pop up or all the fun stuff you want to do. Margins are key. Use them especially when you're traveling all over town and when you're meeting or talking with people.

More on planning and lists tomorrow!