The following is excerpted from episode 14 of The BOOM Podcast. Expect a daily podcast episode and blog post for each of the 28 days.
Are you ready to own your life?
DAY ONE
Today is Day Number One. That’s it. I don’t want you to think about Day Two or Day 28. Here we are: Are you ready to own your life? Here we are: Day Number One – and it’s basically this simple: Are you ready to own your life? That’s it. Are you ready? Are you ready to make a decision? Are you ready to commit to whatever you need to change in your life? Don’t tell me – ‘well, I’ll start on Monday. I’ll start tomorrow. I’ll start at the New Year’ – because here’s the deal: If you say you’ll start later, then this is basically the truth – you are not really committed. You are not really committed to making the change – whatever it might be. Let’s look at your health. I am just coming back from my workout at iSi [Elite Training]. If you follow me, you know I am a big fan of the ISI Boot Camp that I go to. I just finished a great workout, and my health in the past year has just dramatically changed. I’ve lost 85 pounds, I am free of diabetes and I am past the spinal cord fusion. The doctor has given just a beautiful, clean bill of health, where with my diabetes, I haven’t done any long-lasting permanent damage to either my kidneys, my feet, my eyes – so I am ecstatic. The bottom line is – I want to be honest with you – at first, I wasn’t ready – and I know many of you might be listening to this – and you might be saying the same thing. It’s so hard to make that commitment – it’s so hard to want to make that change right now. I get it. What about if it’s a change in your marriage? What if it’s a change in the relationship you are in. Are you just content? Are things just getting complacent? What do you need to do to make that change – and that’s what I want to ask you; Are you ready to make a decision today – this very moment – are you so ready that you are ready to go grab a journal and make this journal a part of your moving forward? This isn’t about yesterday. This isn’t about last week or last month. This is Day Number One. You know something? A lot of people are starting to go back to school. Maybe it’s your kids. Maybe your husband, wife, girlfriend or boyfriend is a teacher – and they are starting school over the next little while. I’ll give you permission to say – “You know what – when they go back to school, and I can get back into my routine,” because I get it. It’s hard to just like turn the table and be like – BOOM – I’m there. I want you to find that moment when you can make that decision – and you can commit to taking action. What does that mean? It means that you set your alarm. It means that you get up and you immediately focus on what is written down on your to-to list – and you start to focus on it. You had your coffee – you had a good breakfast – and you are dialed-in. That’s really what day number one is all about. What do you need? What help do you need? Maybe you need to reach out to a friend. Maybe you need to find an accountability partner or you need to find somebody that is going to help you go all-in with the change that you need to make. Maybe it’s your health. Maybe it’s your relationship. Maybe it’s as simple as a better attitude. Maybe it’s going all-in on changing your influences. Maybe it’s that simple. Maybe it’s going all-in on being more organized. Maybe it’s going all-in in being more responsible with your money – your income versus your expenses. I challenge you to write down the areas in your life where you want to improve. I want you to come up with as many as you can. Then think of the acronym WIN – What’s Important Now. Let’s say you came up with eight or 10 them. Then I want you to take a break and think about What’s Important Now – because this Boot Camp about creating a life of success – about finding motivation – crushing goals – overcoming obstacles – living a life of purpose – this is also about being patient in the process. I want you to break it down to just three things. I want this to be simple. I want to set you up for victory. Day One. Start in the morning. Write it all down. Break it down to three of the areas that you want to work on – then take a break. Then identify the most important one. I don’t care if you are motivated. I don’t want you to say, “I’m going to do two.” I want you to do one. Why? Because I want you to work this plan that I am giving you. I want you to work it from Day One to Day 28. You can always go back and pick another one.
Remember – you have one year. One year – 52 weeks – 12 months. In 12 months – let’s say you do five or six. That’s a huge change in your life. Don’t look at changing your life overnight. Let’s pick one and let’s be patient in the process.
This whole lesson right here that I am sharing with you on Day Number One is this: I want you to identify one, but then I also want you to think, ‘OK – I am going to commit to being patient in the process. I’m committing to one – and I am going to work that.”
That’s it.
Nothing changes if nothing changes.
I don’t want to complicate this. This is Day Number One of 28 Days. My question to you is this: Are you ready to change your life?
I want you to write down ten things where you need to change. I want you to break it down to three – then I want you to take a time-out later in the day – and I want you to come up with the number-one “what’s important now” change in your life – and I want you to write that down.
My friends, in 28 Days, I am going to change your life.
I’ll see you tomorrow.
For more about Jeff Yalden, go HERE
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Are you measuring your success by who goes on a nicer vacation? Are you measuring your success based on who is a better parent?
“When you get caught up in that game and you get caught up in that cycle of keeping up with the Joneses, it’s hard to break out of it.”
We discover newfound freedom when we realize that we’re not competing against anybody else in our journey and that everybody’s journey is different.
“I came in last place today. I came in last place every day, but I am not competing against anybody. I am competing against being my healthiest. Competing against being a better person today than I was yesterday,” he said.
According to Yalden, sometimes we stress ourselves out by trying to be who we may never be – or by trying to be somebody that we are not.
Listen – sometimes we stress ourselves out – with trying to be who we may never be. Sometimes we stress ourselves out with trying to be somebody that we are not. No matter what age we are, it’s really important to get to know who you are and to become comfortable with who you are not.
“I am not one of the top fitness competitors in my gym,” he said. “That’s OK. I don’t need to be. My goal is to show up every day, be consistent, do the best I can – and to cheer, support and encourage other people in their workouts.”
Because he pushed a bit harder in today’s workout, Yalden said he got an epic feeling of fulfillment and joy – and plenty of energy to tackle his day. Coming in last on a graph made absolutely no difference.
He cited good friend and fellow author 
