SMART WOMEN: STEPPING UP TO VICTORY

Sticking to Your Commitments

Deep in the woods of Maine, near the beautiful Acadia National Park, I'm working on a victory. In addition to hiking challenging trails and walking beautiful carriage paths, I'm starting a unique exercise program. My new program is designed to burn fat, build muscle, improve posture and enhance health. However, it has a unique requirement: Phase I is a 45-minute workout that has to be performed for seven consecutive days.

Why am I doing this on my vacation? When I first read the instructions, I didn't think much about the seven-day requirement. I exercise regularly, so 45 minutes was no big deal. Then I tried the workout and WHEW! It was more intense than almost anything I'd ever done. In fact, I could barely make it through the instructional programs. Right then, I knew I wouldn't be able to do seven days while maintaining my usual schedule. After thinking about it, I came up with a doable two-part strategy that focused on planning and motivation.

Planning: Since I knew I'd have time on vacation, I decided to use the month leading up to vacation to get the individual exercises down and build up my stamina with the two 15-minute instructionals. By doing that, I'd be ready and able to complete the 7-day requirement during vacation.

Motivation: While I knew I'd want to follow my strategy, I also knew willingness would be an issue. After all, I am on vacation and saw that as an emotional obstacle. To guard against talking myself out of 7 days of structured exercise, I talked my spouse into joining me.

As of today, I have four days done. Now half-way through the week, I expect I'll get to the end...and count the process as both a goal achieved and a personal victory. Telling you about my plan is extra insurance - and will keep me focused.

When you are working on a victory, begin by thinking it through. First, commit to the achievement. Then, figure out your obstacles. Finally, create a strategy that supports you. Your plan has to fit into your life and, at the same time, address any self-sabotaging behaviors. In my book, Victorious Woman! Shaping Life's Challenges into Personal Victories (www.victoriouswoman.com), I suggest that you get support for your goals in the form of a support group, personal buddy or a victory team. Victorious Woman! will help you find inspiration and motivation so that you can make your life better. You can order a copy at http://www.victoriouswoman.com/order.htm.

SMART WOMEN: STEPPING UP TO VICTORY

Shrinking To Fit

At http://www.victoriouswoman.com/, I focus on inspiring women to create victory in their lives.

In contrast, I find the media obsession with body size is a multi-million dollar business that destroys a woman’s true beauty. As the 60th anniversary of the bikini became the centerpiece for many TV and news pieces. One of these included side-by-side pictures of Ursula Andress and Halle Berry - both sex symbols of their generations. Shockingly, Andress looked fat. FAT??!! Why? Because her bikini-clad body revealed voluptuous breasts, thin waist and full, shapely hips – all out of style - while Berry's picture showed no waist and flat hips.

Frankly, while Halle Berry is a beautiful woman who seems to shine from the inside out, if you took that picture only from midriff to thighs and put a man's bathing suit on it, I don't believe anyone would have known the difference between Halle and a male model.

My point: Our culture applauds women who are thin and denigrates women who are successful - and it happens because we buy into it. Having lost fifty pounds and maintained that loss, I know very well that the quest for thin demands a lot of logistical organization and emotional energy.

When you are obsessing about being and staying movie star skinny, you don't have much time or mental clarity to focus on the other, more important and more lasting aspects of your greatest - like your intelligence, creativity, organizational abilities, intuitive gifts.

Sure, I could lose another twenty pounds and be a skinny chick – but why? To do it would mean I’d have to give up some of the great pleasures of life in the process as well as some of my most wonderful victories – like feeling good about myself and reveling in my good health. And, I wouldn’t have been able to harness the energy that results in enjoying my own business and the success of my book, Victorious Woman!

What do you think? Do you think that the time most women spend trying to have perfectly skinny bodies takes time and energy away from doing more meaningful parts of their lives?