Is It REALLY Hard?

I've been spending the past several weeks on the west coast hanging out at The Biggest Loser Resort getting a jumpstart on making my health and fitness a priority again (one of the reasons why I love my business is that I can do it anywhere!!).

One of the trainers at the resort, Sam Poueu, looked very familiar to me the first time I saw him.  Why? Because he was from Season 9 of The Biggest Loser. And as he had us sweating,  huffing and puffing yesterday, he talked about staying focused, not giving up and doing what most people won't do to get what we want.

He went on to say that one question he often gets continues to catch him off guard. What's the question?

"Was it hard to be on the show and lose 142 pounds?"

I immediately understood what he was saying.  As a life coach, I am no longer surprised by people's belief that things should be easy. That they shouldn't have to sacrifice, be uncomfortable, make difficult choices, be disciplined, and...do I dare say it...work hard.

I don't know if it's the media, savvy marketing, or our instant gratification syndrome that makes many of us believe that things shouldn't be hard. That somehow, people who get what they want don't have to do as much work as we would have to do to get that same thing.

Here are two definitions I came across for the word "hard":

1. Involving a great deal of effort, energy, or persistence.
2. Performing or carrying on work with great effort, energy, or persistence.

Name one successful person who hasn't given a great deal of effort to their cause.  Name one successful person that didn't need to maintain persistence to get the desired results.  Name one successful person that didn't have to push through setbacks, challenges and barriers to get the goals they set.  And I would venture to guess that every new level of success brings on new efforts and persistence for the next goal.

If you don't believe me, ask them. Schedule a meeting with your CEO and ask how hard it was to get there.  Have a conversation with an elite athlete and ask them if the training was hard.  Talk to an academy award winning actress and ask them has their journey been hard at times. Have coffee with a successful entrepreneur and ask if starting their business was a piece of cake.  Read the biography of someone you admire and decide if their life was a cakewalk.

If you want something - you must expend the energy. You must give 100% effort. And you must maintain your persistence.  Because guess what? It's hard.

Oh...and Sam's answer to that question: a definite YES!

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As the RADICAL Success Coach, Doreen Rainey helps her clients take charge of their professional and personal life. She is the founder of the Get RADICAL Women's Conference with Jillian Michaels and Niecy Nash. For more information about the 2011 conference, visit the website. Registration is now open!

Most People Won't

I love talking to people and hearing about their goals, what they want to accomplish, the life they want to create for themselves, and the legacy they want to leave behind.  I have conversations all the time with people I meet at networking events, business groups, and at social gatherings.  And when they find out I'm a personal development coach, they really come strong. 

I get to hear about the business they are starting, the book they are writing, the non-profit they plan to launch, the new job they are going to get, the degree they want to pursue, and the vacations they want to take.  I can hear their excitement, feel their energy, hear the faith and belief in their words, and get drawn in by their conviction to success.  But inside, I know the truth.

Most people won't come close.

It's sad...but true. Most people will continue to live in that stage of having a goal, sharing a goal and even convincing themselves that SOMEDAY they will get that goal.

You know the people I'm talking about. Every time you talk to them, they are talking about the same goal and when you ask how much progress they've made since the last conversation with them....the excuses come:

• Well, you know, my job keeps me so busy.
• Well, you know, with the economy, it's been hard.
• Well, you know, I just haven't found the time.
• Well, you know, I was planning on doing X, but Y got in the way.
• Well, you know, the person that was suppose to help me didn't come through.

The part that really amazes me is that most people actually believe that their excuses are legitimate.  They believe the lie they tell themselves because it makes them feel better and provides the excuse they need to accommodate their lack of progress.  Giving explanations and excuses make them feel better, because it prevents them from facing the truth. What truth should they face?

They are scared.
They are afraid.
They fear failure.
They fear success.
They don't know where to start.
They don't know who to ask for help.
They doubt their talent.
They question their gift.
They fear the unknown.
They wonder what people will think.

Now, I know that you are not that type of person. I know that you are actively moving towards your goals and making real progress. I know that you are not still talking about the same things you talked about last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.

But just in case you know someone who may be stuck, help them see that it's time to get moving.  That it's time to do something different. Get the information they need, the support they need, the accountability they need, the belief they need and the focus they need to get it done...so they can begin to finally have a new conversation with you.

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As the RADICAL Success Coach, Doreen Rainey helps her clients take charge of their professional and personal life. She is the founder of the Get RADICAL Women's Conference with Jillian Michaels and Niecy Nash. For more information about the 2011 conference, visit the website. Registration is now open!

Listen to the Preview Call: Get RADICAL Women's Conference

Did you miss the preview call last night? No problem! You can listen to the recording by clicking here. 

I shared all the details about the upcoming Get RADICAL Women's Conference - a conference designed to help women take bold and courageous action towards their goals.

I talked about the speakers, the content, and how this event can help you advance in your career, finances, business, health and wellness, and life balance. I also gave information about the VIP Programs, RADICAL Woman Award, and the other events during that weekend.

To listen to the 30 minute call, simply click here.

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As the RADICAL Success Coach, Doreen Rainey helps her clients take charge of their professional and personal life. She is the founder of the Get RADICAL Women's Conference with Jillian Michaels and Niecy Nash. For more information about the 2011 conference, visit the website. Registration is now open!

I Can't Believe You Did That

In 2004, I left my full time job to pursue my professional goals - coaching and speaking to inspire, motivate, and educate people to live their RADICAL life. I simply wanted to help people define success for themselves and then have the guts to go after it.

Fast forward to 2011.

This past weekend I got a call from an executive I worked with at that company. While we saw it each periodically over the years, we didn't really keep in touch. So I was surprised when I got a call from him.  After catching up with what was happening in each other's lives, he asked me about the Get RADICAL Women's Conference and said that his wife and daughter planned to attend.

Then, he said something that really touched me. He said that he remembers when I left the company and talked about pursuing my dreams. There were others he'd known over the years who talked about taking a different direction, going after a goal, or pursuing one of their passions - but they never quite made the leap.

I was one of the few people he'd seen actually do it.  He reminded me that so many people talk about what they are going to do. But so few people actually do it. He said he couldn't believe I did it and that he was proud of me.

What about you? Are you the one alwasys talking? Talking about...
Writing a book?
Going back to school?
Traveling to a foreign country?
Volunteering to help others?
Starting a non-profit?
Recording an album?
Going for a promotion?
Starting a business?

Don't be one of those that wish they did. Be the one that's glad they did.

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As the RADICAL Success Coach, Doreen Rainey helps her clients take charge of their professional and personal life. She is the founder of the Get RADICAL Women's Conference with Jillian Michaels and Niecy Nash. For more information about the 2011 conference, visit the website. Registration is now open!

Preview Call - Get RADICAL Women's Conference

Get RADICAL Women's Conference Preview Call

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

7:00pm - 7:30pm EST (4:00pm PST)

Join RADICAL Success Coach Doreen Rainey on this FREE preview call where she'll share all the details about the upcoming Get RADICAL Women's Conference - a conference designed to help women take bold and courageous action towards their goals.

By joining us on this call, you'll get information about the speakers, the content, and how this event can help you advance in your career, finances, business, health and wellness, and life balance. You'll also find out about the VIP Programs, RADICAL Woman Award, and the other events during that weekend.

Simply register to get the call-in information.

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Get Back on the Horse

The New Year has a habit of getting us to begin doing some things that we have let fall by the wayside.  Since January 1, maybe you've started working out again. Maybe you've started living by a budget. Maybe you've started working on that book again. Maybe you've started getting a full night's sleep again.

Getting "back on the horse" can be challenging. You may find yourself a little rusty at whatever you've started doing again.

Such was the case with a woman I talked with today.

I'm spending time in Malibu at The Biggest Loser Resort and one of the coaches told us that she normally bikes to work, however, with the rains over the past month or so, she stopped. And even though the weather cleared up, she never quite made it back on her bike.

But with the New Year, she finally decided to get back in the groove. So yesterday she decided to ride her bike to work.  Having not biked in a while, she realized on the way home that one of the hills she used to breeze up seemed too steep this time so she got off.  As she pushed her bike up the hill, she saw another bike rider coming down. 

Slowing down, the biker asked her if everything was okay. A little embarassed, she barely looked up, replied that all was well and that she was just a little out of shape.  His reply? "Well, you don't get in bike riding shape by walking beside it. You get in shape by riding it."

Annoyed, she fully turned, ready to reply with a sarcastic remark when the biker took off his shades. That's when it hit her. The biker giving her advice was Lance Armstrong.

While she was temporarily speechless, he held out his hand and introduced himself. Finally able to find her voice, she explained again that it had been a while since she rode. Then, he gave her some advice on positioning her seat and then offered to do the hill with her. She happily accepted and he rode with her all the way home.

This story highlights a couple of lessons:

Lesson #1: Don't put off any longer what you should be doing.  Get back on that horse.

Lesson #2: Since it's been a while, allow yourself some time to get back in the groove.

Lesson #3: While it may be difficult at first, don't get frustrated and definitely don't stop.

Lesson #4: It's in the doing that amazing things can happen that will inspire and motivate you beyond words - like taking an afternoon bike ride with  Lance Armstrong - winner of the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times

What horse do you need to get back on?

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As the RADICAL Success Coach, Doreen Rainey helps her clients take charge of their professional and personal life. She is the founder of the Get RADICAL Women's Conference with Jillian Michaels and Niecy Nash. For more information about the 2011 conference, visit the website. Registration is now open!

The Green Grass

The grass is always greener on the other side.

It can be so easy to start peeking over in other people's yard and begin comparing what we see with what we have. Only 6 days into the new year and comparisons can be something that could get us off track for days, weeks, months or even years.

We can look at how someone that has grown their business, developed an amazing relationship with their spouse, landed an incredible job, or seemingly doesn't have money issues and start to wonder "what's wrong with me". 

The problem with comparison is that we can waste a whole lot of time, energy, and effort either feeling bad about where we are or working to do what we think they have done to get what they have got.

If there are people you admire, there's nothing wrong with seeking out information from them - getting some advcie to see if they have any strategies, tips, tools that you can use to improve your situation. However, if your comparisons lead you to get off track with your own goals, feel bad about who you are or what you've accomplished, you need to immediately stop focusing on them and start focusing on you.

As we work on designing the life we truly want to live, it's important that we learn from those with green grass, but stay true to our authenic goals and our own authentic self.

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As the RADICAL Success Coach, Doreen Rainey helps her clients take charge of their professional and personal life. She is the founder of the Get RADICAL Women's Conference with Jillian Michaels and Niecy Nash. For more information about the 2011 conference, visit the website. Registration is now open!