Keith JonesAugust 3, 2016

It’s time for an annual check up. Are you as healthy as you were a year ago or in years past? Are you as happy as you were twelve months ago? And how much have you grown and improved over the last 365 days? These are questions I encourage you to ask yourself regularly. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about making small, consistent improvements each day that produce huge results over time. And in doing so over the course of one year, you will look back and smile at the gains you’ve made.

Whenever I evaluate my health, fitness, mindset and happiness, I want to be pleased with the progress. I am happy to say I am as healthy and fit as I’ve ever been. A lot of that has to do with the company I keep. Although my friends and I are a year older, we are in great shape and we have fun at every workout. We hardly ever miss our training sessions because we view the workouts as a healthy act of self-love and an opportunity to connect. Plus, we always feel better afterwards. My friend Terri recently brought in a quote to display in the studio. It reads, “You are one workout away from a good mood.” This is so true. No matter how tired you are, how much you have going on or how hard it is to make it to the workout, you will always be happy you came. It’s exercise for the body and soul.

A robust annual checkup is an assessment of your physical, mental and emotional state from year to year. When I look at pictures and videos from last year to this year, I look the same if not better and I’m lifting heavier. Thanks to my friend Sharon’s drop-saddle spin class, my cardio is much improved. My mental game is much stronger too thanks to lessons learned and applied after a few personal failures. I am for sure happier today. This is in large part due to starting each day with inspirational reading and podcasts, exercise and great friends. The people in my life are amazing. To be surrounded by them is a gift that keeps giving.

If your annual checkup isn’t where you think it should be, here are 5 things you can do to have a better one twelve months from now. 

1. Take an honest assessment of where you are today.At the beginning of last year, I was dealing with knee pain, trying to sustain a business and learning lessons from mistakes I’d made. I knew I didn’t want to be in the same place a year later.

2. Write out goals of where you want your physical, mental and emotional health to be in a year.Share it with people who will be unwavering in their commitment to help get you there.

3. Commit to doing the small things each day that will get you to your goal. In the case of my knees, I rolled and stretched my legs twice each day in the hopes they would get better. A year later, I am squatting some of the heaviest weight I ever have. Mentally, I am more creative and organized than I’ve been in a decade. I am constantly learning new and exciting things. And emotionally, I’ve been humbled by the events that have occurred the last few years. My ego has been beaten down. This is a good thing because it’s made me a more compassionate, empathetic and loving person. I am driven even more to be a great friend and serve others. I care about people, their health and happiness even more than I did before, which is saying a lot.

4. Practice doing the small things every single day.Workout every day even if it’s just for twenty minutes. Practice your craft, further develop a new skill and tackle all important tasks first thing in the morning before doing other things like social media or television. This structure strengthens your mental game and ensures you are progressing your career and developing as a person. And surround yourself with loving people who are forgiving in nature and loving in their actions. This elevates your emotional bliss.

5. Repeat steps 1-4 every day.While they are small actions, over time they produce big results.

Mark your calendar. Your next annual checkup is in twelve months. Commit to being a healthier, happier and better you a year from now. My friends and I certainly will be. I hope you will join us.

Stronger Mindset!

Keith